yolajean

This started because my husband asked me what I wanted for my 80th birthday, which is this month. I told him that I want a printer that prints well on fabric. Well, this sent him into the depths of the internet and gave me this article to read. I am passing this on to you because there are many of us who struggle with printing on fabric. I know that you may have them done by professionals who use a process called "sublimation". I have not done this as yet and so have no information regarding that process. When you open this web site, you will see food menu's etc. Just ignore that for now and read the article. I found it very enlightening and I hope it helps others too.

https://www.cjenkinscompany.com/Choo...inter_s/21.htm

mucky

I used to have a Canon and i never had trouble printing on fabric. I also had wonderful American customer support with them. Some how they changed their printing for Macs and one has to print from an app. I didn’t like doing that so bought a hp. I wouldn’t begin to try to print on fabric with it. I tried to copy a paper piecing pattern on a fabric like sheet and it immediately jammed. It even has a hard time printing on photo paper. I dislike their customer support. All sourced to another country. I’m on my 3rd printer with them. All on their dime thank heavens. Had I known this I would have had my old Canon repaired

Prism99

It's important that you use pigment-based ink, as it is water-insoluble and will last over time. Here is a good article:
http://www.gloriahansen.com/articles.php?p=1&ID=14

copycat

What printer did you decide to purchase and do you like it? I couldn't get the link you posted to work. thank you!

rvsfan

I've been using a cheap, ink-jet Canon for years to print on fabric sheets and love the results. Never a problem. I use Printed Treasures fabric sheets. Kinda pricey but worth it.

lwbuchholz

I love to print on fabric. There was a post a long time ago on this board with instructions that I will insert.

Lynda


There was a post on this board and if I can find it I will put it in here. I tried her method and it works wonderful!! can't fnd the link I will try to copy and paste.
This was posted by gammieju
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fabric photo printing
I have been practicing making memory quilts and have experimented with all products and all methods and have come up with a foolproof method that makes the photos permanent. I use any kind of pretreated fabric for photo printing. After the photo is printed onto the fabric, dry it completely, then mix fabric glue with water to the consistency of heavy to medium heavy whipping cream, take a sponge brush and dab the weakened glue covering every inch. You do not want to make strokes because it will make the colors run. This will never wash out. The glue sets the ink and literally can not ever be washed. You do not want the glue to be too thick or heavy because the fabric will be too stiff. Practice on an old cloth until you find exactly the best consistency. I have used many different kinds of fabric glue and they all work.


I need to make a correction. When I wrote it can never be washed, I meant to say the photo can never be washed out.
After the photos have been treated with the weakened glue it can be washed as many times as needed and the photos will never fade. The glue actually makes the photos more vibrate. The fabric photos after the glue treatment will feel about like taffata fabric and can easily be quilted. When I first started making photo quilts I was disappointed when the photos bgan to fade after each washing no matter which brand of treated fabric I bought. I had made a baby quilt with the babys' photo in the center but as it was washed the photo began to fade. A baby quilt has to be washed very often so I began experimenting. I am making my gdil a wedding memory quilt and will post a picture of it as soon as I finish.


I posted a message a few weeks ago about how I have learned to copy photos for a quilt and how to make them permanent with the fabric glue and had intended to wait until I had completed this anniversary quilt for gs and gdil but haven't had much time to work on it so am posting pic of wip I use spiritual expressions for editing my pictures however it is no longer availabe but am told printmaster platium 18.1 works similar. They have the option to crop to shape which I love. The quilt really is square but because of how I hung and laid it, it looks so crooked. I don't know how clear these will look as I have never posted pictures here before, but I can tell you that they are very vivid and clear. I have made many memory quilts using the fabric glue and they can be washed forever and the color will not fade. I do not use patterns just think of how I want to design the quilt. Sometimes I use small photos, but on this quilt I took the photos into the editing software and added borders, cropped pic and on the baby pictures, I made a heart in the program then added the baby pictures in the top of the heart then put stars around gs baby pic and hearts around gdil. I love editing pic, and these are 8x 9 pic or there about. If anyone would like to know more about my method or would like to see more pictures I would be very happy to explain how I do them. I hope to get it finished in the next month. I only have shortarm quilting machine on gracie frame. Hope someday to get bigger one but am 68 years old. So will see. Judy



Have been away from computer yesterday and today. In answer to some of the questions, No it does not make it rubbery, it has the texture of taffeta. When I started experimenting with the glue, I tried making the solutions at different strengths. If you get the solution too strong it makes the fabric like rainresistant fabric. I use a weak solution, probably about 1 teaspoon to 2 cups of water (I have not measured so this may not be totally accurate, this is where experimenting comes in.) When I was testing it I put one printed photo in the washer 8 times and dried it in the dryer the same many times, I have even put bleach on them.. I have a juki tl98e with little gracie frame and had no problem quilting the fabric at all. I take my photos into spiritual expression by brode

yolajean

Linda! Which fabric glue do you use. Not sure that I have any on hand. I did just purchase fabric sheets from Jacquard. I so appreciate all of your information as it is a simple solution to an ongoing issue with quilters. Thank you so much. Please do post your finished quilt. I have not done a memory quilt but what I have done is a quilt for my granddaughter, which has hand painted Precious Moments pics in the center squares. I took existing PM pics and then changed them to suit my theme, which was a pic of each of the women in her young life, i.e., aunts, grandmas. I do not know how these paintings have held up as my DIL has never mentioned the quilt and I have not seen it since I gifted it to my GD at least 20 years ago. Quilt photo below.

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yolajean

Copycat! Thank you for your question. I have not made a decision on which printer to buy as yet. I have (with my husband's help) found some great information. What I am going to do for now is, 1) purchase a new set of Bubble Jet Printing products (mine are over 10-years old and the formula has apparently changed since then), 2) Purchased some Jacquard printable fabric by the roll (8.5" x 120" for 30 some dollars, and 3) I plan to try the glue method, which iwbuchholz uses.

At this time, we have a Cannon MG7500 printer, which I use in my sewing room. Will try the above ideas with this printer before investing in another printer.

This may take me a while but when I have more information about what I try and the results, I will post them here. Yolanda

pflum1

I usually use a canon printer for photos on fabric. I have used my Epson printer, but if I set the resolution too high I would get strikes. My HP doesn't feed good and will jam. All of my printers are the top of the line, so I'm not sure what a low end printer will do. I have used Bubble yet for years and never had any problems, but I don't wash my quilts or wall hanging that much. They are not used for everyday bed covers. Mostly on guest room beds.

lwbuchholz

yolajean
I decided to make the quilt with embroidered flowers. The pastels I chose didn't play well with the dark colors of the flower prints. I used a decoupage glue but I am sure any water based glue would work. this was a post by gammieju so if you search her name you should find more information. I will post a picture of to flowers side by side. I washed all of them to see how they would work in a quilt and the darker one is the one with the glue. The fabric is a little stiffer than normal but is like taffeta as gammieju stated in her post. Every picture I printed and treated this way washed so very well! I tried all kinds of pretreatments and some of the commercial and they either didn't work or were way above my budget.
I had to experiment and I am sure you will have too. My glue ended up clear and not very thick.
Lynda