Printing picture on fabric
 

Want to print a few photos on fabric for a throw that will be hung on a wall. After printing and drying, what needs to be done to make it more permanent?

You should use treated fabric which can be purchased at a quilt shop. Or, there is a liquid that you can soak the fabric in, can't remember what it's called. I had some at one time, purchased at a quilt shop also. Just follow the instruction given with either method. Not sure if you can make it permanent without the treated fabric. I'm sure others will chime in who know.

You have it better than we did. It was soak in white vinegar and salt water to set. It did work. I found a shirt with some of my own artwork on it from a long time ago. It was worn quite a bit years ago, and the artwork is still there in one piece. It might only be a tad fainter, but it hasn't run or anything like that. I also don't sort clothes when I wash so mistreatment hasn't killed it.

Use Printed Treasures fabric and heat set the image with your iron after it's done. That's my only experience and it was successful.

Just watched this on u-tube. Lots of info there. Also printing on tissue paper. Didn't know that could be done.

I bought the June Taylor photo fabric to make quilt labels. If I remember correctly, you only have to iron it to make it permanent. However, it comes out really hard and "unpliable" for lack of a better word (like canvas). I did get the the label sewn on there by hand with lots of struggling trying to get the needle through the fabric. (I don't think it would be possible to hand sew the fabric without a thimble.) It must have taken 30 minutes to get a 3 X 4 label sewn on. If I use those labels again, I'll make sure I can machine sew them. Of course, I had procrastinated making the label for weeks, and had to get it done at the last minute. (The quilt was already finished.) So, the label did not get washed before being attached. That may have changed things.

As I said, washing after printing may have made it easier to work with. Another brand might be different. The home made version might be different. This is my one and only experience with the printable fabrics.

edit: I take that back. I tried ironing the fabric to freezer paper (the first step to the homemade version of photo printing), but they all got stuck in the printer and I decided that was not the way to go.

You can also get them printed on fabric at Spoonflower.com. You send them the digital files of the photos you want printed, tell them what fabric you want and they will do it. I don't know their fee for this, though.

bkay

used to use bubble jet set and i think the other was bubble jet rinse. just don't iron over the photos. they may not like it.

I found the June Taylor fabric too stiff. I have used this company's products:

http://electricquilt.com/online-shop...-fabric-paper/

I was pleased with the outcome.

Thanks for your help

that has been my experience

I've used Bubble Jet Set on fabric with no problems. You do have to iron (heat set) after it dries or else the print will wash out. After washing it wasn't too stiff for hand sewing. Maybe the fabric was thinner.

All the advice on fabric and what to do with it once printed is excellent. HOWEVER, make sure your printer will be able to print on fabric with a backing. Fabric with a backing is thicker than paper even an envelope, and you can kill your printer if you try. You can guess why I know this for a fact.....yep, the fabric paper rolled around the roller thing in the printer and there was no way to remove without completely taking the printer apart. Had to buy a new printer! and I still don't have the photo printed on the paper.
So just a word of caution, make sure your printer can handle the thickness of paper backed fabric.
Murphy
PS I have/had a Cannon TS5020 scanner/printer combo.

Printers which feed straight through like most Canons, some Epsons and some older HPs and others, should handle thicker fabric. If your printer rolls the paper around a platen like a laser printer, it won't.

The older Canons used to come with crafting manuals that called for heavier paper.

Products vary .... the instructions should be with the product that you bought.

I have been printing my own labels and assume photos would be the same idea. I use an iron to heat set it, but it probably depends on how heavily the quilt will be used. Is it going to be mostly a wall hanging or something that will be washed all of the time?