It's a washout"
 

Just wondering if anyone cam recommend fabric paper for printing photos on to. I bought a packet of (expensive!) paper to print photos on for a memory quilt. Fortunately I tested it out first and on the first light wash the photo faded considerably. Has anyone found a fabric paper that really works? Thanks.

Honestly, I have yet to find ANY fabrics that will hold a photo unless I print them on my Grandmothers Epson printer. If I print it on my HP, NOTHING but black stays. This is because Epson inks are pigment ink ( permanent ) and HP inks are dye based ( water soluble ) . HP does make Vivera Pigment Ink. Make sure to check your ink to be sure it says PIGMENT and not DYE. A quick tell is if your printer uses 1 black cartridge and 1 tri-color cartridge your printer does not support pigment cartridges. Only those machines that use multiple color cartridges have the ability to use the pigment based cartridges ( and yep they cost more too ). This is why Hubs said the next time we go looking to get a printer, I am to get one that will support Pigment inks !

I made one photo quilt. I had a print shop print my pictures on fabric. The pictures are still vivid and the quilt has been washed a lot.

Thank you so much for this information! Had no idea. And we just got a new HP printer, so none in our future any time soon. I wonder if some place like Office Depot or Office Max have the pigment printers and could print off. Would get spend if there were a lot though.

I agree that epson is better but..... I use printed treasures fabric sheets, heat set with my iron, and rinse in warm (baby bath) water AFTER 24 hrs, my HP ink stays well, these quilts are washed 1-2 yrly.

Try soaking in cold salt water. I have Tshirt transfers that are still pretty good after 20 years. I used a Canon 600 when I first started. One poster is right about inks - some tend to be more permanent. Sometimes if you use the paper from the printer company, it works better than transfer paper from a different vendor.

Yup. That's exactly what I do... I have a HP printer as well and don't put a special ink in it. My DGS's quilt with photos is still bright and colorful after 6 years and my daughter washes it more often than I would. I've found printed treasures at Joanns and my LQS as well. But, with the 50% off coupon at Joanns, it's a lot cheaper.

Has anyone tried using a laser jet printer for the fabric photos? I heard they are permanent.

NOTE Most Fabric Sheet will tell you NOT TO USE A LASER JET and if you do it will void any warranty that you have.

I have used printed treasures off and on for some time and no real isues. However we just got a new quilt shop and they used to do T-Shirts so they still have all of the equipment. They are doing the transfers (using the t-shirt method) for quilters now. It is possible if you have a t-shirt shop near you that they might also do this. It didn't seem anymore expensive than the treated fabric sheets and more permanent.

Laser printers get too hot for fabric.

OK ty for the information. I never tried it but had heard about it.

it is important to read the package completely when purchasing 'printer fabric' and follow the instructions to a tee...some of them are made to be used for wall hangings- not intended to be washed ever...some are for projects that may be laundered- either way it's important to follow the instructions. also, allowing the ink to 'cure' really saturate the fibers (use the best *heaviest ink* setting on the printer- so you get a lot of ink --let it cure for at least 24 hours- heat set-
permanent ink of course works best- and some office shops/print shops will print your pictures for you. I have found I have best luck making my own- I purchase good quality bleached muslin- pre-wash it- with detergent- no fabric softener, = press freezer paper to the back- cut it into *printer paper* size- make sure the edges are pressed firmly to the freezer paper then run it through my printer- I am currently using a canon- but used an hp successfully for years.

I bought the product sold through the EQ-7 people, and it worked very well. Do not assume it will magically stay, unless you follow the processing steps after printing to set the ink. That is really important! I tested mine with washing and it came out fine. How it will hold up over the years I do not know.

However, the way I used the photo material was to use a sepia filter or tonally correct the photo to shades of brown/black/cream/tan on the photo, replicate one photo 20 times on a page, then cut them up and used them in the 1 1/2" strips, so that it all blends in with the rest of the regular fabric and you have to look close to notice that some of it is a photo. And the photos are of course sentimental for the recipient- ducks from the college campus pond, our dear old dog, my son's favorite microbrew beer bottles...

I don't know about making a photo qwuilt where the photos are supposed to be actual photos like from a photo album, and then stay like that. I think they would fade like fabric.

That sounds like the best idea I have heard about printing photos on fabric. Thanks for the suggestion !! :)

this is great information.... thanks... this question comes up so often... i think i will bookmark your reply :)

Yes, I use Printed Treasures too - they have always worked wonderfully for me no matter what printer I happen to be using.

I use Printed Treasures. I use it for all of my labels. It washes well w/minimal fading. I did try the June Tailor product. Color washed out. My Easter egg label no longer looked like pretty colorful Easter eggs.

Printed Treasures works fine with an HP printer if you follow the directions properly. I had great results with a photo memory quilt. Amazon has a significantly better price with Prime shipping than Joann's or my lqs.

I haven't used Bubble Jet it but know someone has. You treat your own fabric then print on it. It has directions for printing drying etc. if u follow the directions I don't think the printer matters.

I have used Printed Treasures w/o problem, but I cannot say if they faded or not. I did use an online site that prints pictures from a file. I wanted something larger than the 8X11. She had it printed and mailed to me within a week. $10 plus $1 shipping. I believe she would have put more than one picture on the same fabric if I had requested that. I needed some extra fabric around as I was making it a medallion.

www.fotosonfabric.com

Here is a picture of the picture already quilted. (it was a police themed quilt...hence the patch...)

note: no affiliation with this company, just a satisfied customer

Interesting thread - haven't done this yet but if I do, these will be good things to know.

I like Printed Treasures.

I like the EQ Printables. I prefer the texture compared to the Printed Treasures. I also find it easier to remove the backing. So far I haven't had any major problems with fading and I have used an HP printer and an Epson printer at different times. You might try using a dye fixative on the label.

I make my own printer sheets. I used to have a blog on here on how I do it. I use BubbleJetSet2000. I have not had any issues with the color completely washing out. Actually...I've got a wall hanging here that is 7 years old, been washed several times...still looks like the day I made it.

Totally agree with OnebyOne.......Have a print shop do the photos if you want a lasting product.

Last night I tried to make a label for a quilt donation to a library. I actually sewed the paper and fabric together at the top. (My freezer paper is really old, and wouldn't stick to the fabric, but it was stiff enough.) It went through the printer and printed just fine. I have a Dell Photo 926 printer. This morning I finished sewing it into the back, and was using a little starch to set the frame around it and got a few drops of starch onto the printing. It got all blurry.

So I took my pigma pen and traced each letter. That worked, but was quite tedious as the printing was quite small.
Is there I way I should have set the ink? I did heat set it with the iron before it got wet, and it had set overnight.

I found a method to make your pictures much more permanent. Print your picture on fresh washed, no fabric softener, fabric. I buy Alene's "OK To Wash It" and spread a thin, even coat of it on my Teflon pressing sheet, using the edge of a business card then carefully press the picture side of the fabric to it. Smooth gently. Allow to dry completely. Pull the fabric off of the Teflon sheet.Iron it on cotton setting and you have a picture that will survive the occasional washing. Wash your Teflon sheet in the sink with dish soap. Works for me.

I have a friend who thinks this product is terrific - she has never had a problem.

I have had good luck with Printed Treasures, got them from Joanns. They are expensive, but I got them 50% off so that was not so bad. Had real good luck with the HP inkjet printing on them, I set the ink with cold water as recommended and then ironed with hot iron after they were dry. Then washed and it stayed very well.

Thank you to everyone for this very useful advice and information. I will try out these suggestions and let you know how it goes.

Washout is the main reason I use a gel transfer. It is permanent and stays soft and flexible. You can quilt over it and wash it, gently Here are two examples of the clarity you can get.
MaryKatherine

Fons and Porter's Love of Quilting show had some information on this a few weeks ago. I can't remember the exact program but Marianne told about sending pictures off to a company and they will mail you back the photos on a full sheet of fabric ready to cut apart and make something from. She mentioned doing t-shirts this way. Might be worth a google search or go to their website and look for that program. Sorry I can't remember more about it. Have a great day!

There are products to set colors in these fabrics, they are made for ink jet printers, there is a soak and a rinse, I haven't used them, but we had a presentation in quilt guild meeting this month. The are available either in quilt shops or on ebay. Hope this helps.

i have made 6 photo quilts and i found out that the best quality pictures work when i use my epson printer along with Timeless treasure photo fabic sheets after they dry from printing i soak them in Bubble jet and let hem line dry or lay them on a towel till thay are 99% dry and them finish drying them in the dryer

Bubble Jet Rinse
 

Hi,
I have done a few Memory quilts. They have been washed about three times a year maybe four. I use Bubble Jet rinse to set the ink better. Yea, It's another step But worth it for the set. :thumbup:

I use BubbleJetSet2000. After treating, iron the fabric to freezer paper. Cut to size and print. Then hand wash the fabric in a mild detergent solution. That way I have complete control over the pictures. One quart bottle will treat a lot of fabric. The solution that is left over after treating can be poured back into the bottle to reuse. The bottle has complete instructions on it.

[QUOTE=Helen6869;6562474]Fons and Porter's Love of Quilting show had some information on this a few weeks ago. I can't remember the exact program but Marianne told about sending pictures off to a company and they will mail you back the photos on a full sheet of fabric ready to cut apart and make something from.


They showed that show on PBS here today Helen. It is the 2200 Series and is show#2204. The link is below. I thought about this because someone else on here was asking about printing pictures to fabric for quilts yesterday on here.

http://www.fonsandporter.com/videos_...ries_2200.html

I met someone at a custom flag making company. They have a process for printing amazingly detailed photos permanently on fabric, but I don't know if they can do it on 100% cotton.