How to Print on Fabric Tutorial

Material Needed

Fabric to print on

Reynolds Freezer Paper

Label or Design to print

Before I start, let me explain a few things. First you cannot print directly on dark fabric. I have tried this and it won't show up. You have to use either muslin or white or off white cotton. It has to be light colored and of muslin weight. Next, I tried the cheaper off brand freezer paper and it doesn't work either. It just jams up in the printer. Third, if you want your fabric to be grundgy, stain if befor you do anything else. DO NOT USE CINNAMMON OR SPICES because it will ruin your printer. And last, you can only print on fabric as large as the paper your printer will accept.

I am going to make a candle dittie bag in my first lesson to show you how it works. This method will work on any project, such as doll aprons, pot holders, etc, just the same as a dittie bag. I just need to make some to sell anyway.LOL

To begin, choose the label or design that you want to print on fabric. Next stain your fabric. After it dries, iron out any wrinkles so that it is as smooth as a piece of copy paper. I cut my fabric about 2 inches longer and wider than the paper size that I am using so that I can get a smooth cut at the end. For this project I am using a regular piece of copy paper as my guide so I cut my fabric 10" X 13".

Now you need take a piece of copy paper and trace it on the dull side of the freezer paper. I tried to take a pic but it wouldn't show up. After you trace the paper, cut on the lines to get your freezer paper the exact size.

Take the SHINY side of the freezer paper that you just cut out and place it in the middle, on the wrong side of of the fabric that you have stained and ironed. Now iron the shiny side to the fabric. I just take the iron and rub over the paper. Make sure that the entire piece of freezer paper has stuck to the entire piece of fabric.

Now carefully cut the fabric to the size of the paper. After you finish this, your fabric is ready to print.

To print: First you need to decide what size you want the design to be so that it fits appropriately. Download the design into whichever program you use and resize it if needed. For this project, I used Printmaster 21 and made the label a little smaller so it would fit. Then I used the program to make the design look faded and wrinkled to give the effect I wanted.

After you download it, make sure you place the design in the position that you want it to be on the fabric. Mine needed to be a little lower than the middle so I can sew it and place a draw string when I am finished. So I brought the design in with the paper turned longways. When you think you have it where you want it, copy it on paper first. That way if you need to make changes, your fabric is not messed up. (I learned this the hard way.) After you have printed it on paper, if it is in the proper place it is time to print the fabric.

Now here is the part that is difficult for me to explain. You have to know which side of the paper your printer prints on. My printer prints on the bottom side of the paper that is in the tray. So I have to lay my fabric on the bottom when I print. If your printer prints on the top, lay your fabric on the bottom. If you are not sure which side your printer prints on, take a blank piece of paper and place and X mark in one corner and print it first. Lay the X mark on top so you will know which side this printed on.

After you have printed on the fabric, just peel the reynolds freezer paper off and you are ready to do what you want with your fabric. That's all there is to it.