I would like to transfer a photo to fabric to include in my quilts. I've read that I need to use "dye based ink" in my printer. Does anyone know about this?

Linda, I believe this topic has been covered recently. I don't have time right now to check where the posts are, but if you hit Search at top of page you should be able to find quickly. Hope that helps.

There are several "conversations" going on already here about printing on fabric. The topic "Washing Muslin Before Printing? " is just one example.

If you want to be able to wash your project, you need to pretreat your fabrice (100% natural fibres only) in a product called Bubble Jet Set. Then - yes - the best results come from printers that use dye based inks. There will be some fading in the first wash, but it should remain colorfast after that. Here's the problem - most printers nowadays are being manufactured to used pigment based inks. Dye based printers are getting harder to find at a price an average person can afford (or afford to save up for). If your printer uses HP Vivera inks, or HP cartridges #10 and 11, you'll get quite a bit of fade in the first wash. You want an "old clunker" that uses HP 78 or 23 (color) and 15 or 45 (black). You have no idea how much I regret having "upgraded" to a photo printer!!! I do a lot of printing on fabric ... or at least I used to. Now I have to postpone a couple of projects I was really looking forward to until I get another dye based printer.

So far, though, I haven't tracked down a new model I can afford. I might have to go hunting for a used one.

According to the HP website, the Vivera Inks are dye based, which should mean results as good or better than the older inks (e.g. 23 & 78). However, as I said, I don't get the great results I used to get since "upgrading" to a Vivera printer.

And the HP 10 & 11 cartridges, which were reported at the following link to lose a whopping 50% of their color when washed, are also dye based.

http://softexpressions.com/help/faq/FAQbjs.htm#c82

I guess all dye based inks are not created equal - not even all the inks created by a single manufacturer!

Guess I'd better figure out how to get better results out of the printer I already have. LOL

Thanks for all the info. I'm new to this site, so hope to learn from you "oldsters".

I have done a lot of fabric printing with both Bubble Jet and commercial fabric. I have had some pretty good success with both. I do wash my muslin before I use Bubble Jet. I find I get better results if I let my prints dry for 24 hours to let the ink soak in.

I think with all the printing we are doing on fabric these days, the makers of the machines will have to come up with better fabric ink. Maybe we will be lucky and have a printer developed just for material. Wouldn't that be great?

I have been tranxferring photos with a hp computer and now an epson cx8400. The epson is supposed to be the correct ink, although I've had no problem with the HP.
Just wash your fabric first to get whatever they put in to stiffen it . Then I cut the fabric to fit an 81/2x11 computer paper, tape it put in one copy at a time and either scan or print.
It's a ball.
ceegee :oops: :-)

I heartily agree. I wonder if they think they are putting the print companies out of business. I wouldn't think so because I know many sewers who while not be bothered printing their own fabric and would rather take it to Kinko. I think they will have to come up with a better ink cause the printers are fine.