Cut Out + Keep | How To » Fabric Printing

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Fabric Printing

Print any image on to fabric.

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It's best to work in a well ventilated area otherwise the fumes will get to you.
Tape the image face down on to the fabric.

Soak the brush with a little bit of turpentine and brush it on to a small section of the image. Rub down on the area with something hard (such as the end of a paint brush) for a few minutes.
Paint more of the image with turpentine and repeat step 3 until you have covered the whole image.

When you have finished painting and rubbing the entire image take a peak under one of the corners. If the image is too faint repeat the previous steps until the print is dark enough.

People who love this project (156)

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Cat Morley

Oct 16, 2005 2:15pm

You print out the image using an ink jet printer or get a photocopy and then using the turpentine print it on to the fabric. It wont wash off because it's permanent.

kim

Oct 16, 2005 4:13pm ago

is the image just printed onto a peice of paper?
will this wash off?

Hmm.. when I used turpentine it was kind of faint the first time I did it so I just kept repeating the process until is was as dark as I wanted it to be. If that doesn't work then maybe the paint thinner isn't right. It's best to use a solution that contains methylene chloride. I'm sorry it didn't turn out but I hope that helps. x

kim

Oct 23, 2005 1:51pm ago

ok so i tried it and i used paint thinner instead though. and it was photocoppied and the picture barely came out at all. :(

Cat Morley

Oct 23, 2005 5:45pm

Yeah you can use any image on most fabric I would think. Lazer printers are quite old.. they make the ink really thick and you can feel it if you touch the paper. Any doubts just make a photocopy of the image.

Regina

Oct 23, 2005 7:42pm ago

So I could use any picture (like pictures
printed of the Internet) and transfer them on to any fabrics like a T-shirt? Are ink jet printers like regular printers?

Cat Morley

Dec 4, 2005 2:33pm

Not at all.

Kerri

Dec 4, 2005 3:33pm ago

Doesn't the turps make the fabric stink?

Cat Morley

Mar 12, 2006 6:03pm

To drink, yes. But it's relatively safe to use. They wouldn't sell it if it wasn't. Just make sure to use it in a well ventilated area.

1

Mar 12, 2006 7:03pm ago

isn't turpentine toxic?

Cat Morley

Mar 13, 2006 10:17pm

The turpentine didn't have much of an effect on the fabric however you could wash it. The ink would stay on fine. I don't think it would work with colour but you could go over it with coloured fabric pens. :)

Jeanne

Mar 13, 2006 11:14pm ago

That looks awesome. How do you get the turpintine out of the fabric? Does it work with color images? Does the print last through the washing machine?

1

Mar 19, 2006 3:46am ago

this works with cholor pics?

anum

Jun 19, 2006 10:10pm ago

wow! this is awesome!

i was wondering... would it even work if the image wasn't recently printed?

Cat Morley

Jun 27, 2006 10:02pm

It was a lazer colour print of colour photocopy then it would work. And yeah, it should work if it is an old print.

Janice

Sep 6, 2006 7:11pm ago

Hi,
Do you know how well it would work on coloured fabric a B&W print? And a photocopy will work?

Natalia

Oct 19, 2006 2:45am ago

I am SO going to try this one. I just need to get a piece of fabric first. :D

alllice

Nov 21, 2006 7:09am ago

hey wheere can you get turpentine from?
xxx

Natalie

Dec 22, 2006 9:03pm ago

will this work if i use a picture in a magazine?

Natalie

Dec 22, 2006 9:06pm ago

hey is turpentine toxic cuz i kinda have a phobia of using any toxic things lol xx

sookie

Jan 29, 2007 6:22pm ago

I really want to try this, I just have to get some turpentine first. Can you use the same picture only once, or is it re-usable?
Thanks a ton for this tutorial!

Abby

Feb 5, 2007 3:40pm ago

Amazing. You've given me the opportunity to give my boyfriend a very good Valentine's Day present.

Connie

Feb 10, 2007 2:26am ago

You don't have to heat-set this like screenprinting ink, do you?

ellie

Feb 24, 2007 12:32pm ago

great idea. would it work if i photocopied a regular newspaper? thank you xx

Valerie

Apr 30, 2007 11:15pm ago

ooh i want to try that one ^-^
but i have a question
can i use white spirit too???

Cat Morley

May 8, 2007 5:11pm

Turpentine is available from most art and hardware stores.

charlene lam

May 8, 2007 7:09pm ago

where do u get turpentine?

Cat Morley

Jun 9, 2007 9:43pm

Yeah, it would work on coloured fabric.

Cat Morley

Jun 9, 2007 9:44pm

Yeah, you do have to flip the image before you print it.

Akira

Jun 9, 2007 11:41pm ago

This is really cool and I was just wondering if it would work on colored fabric (as in blues, greens, etc.)?

Nikki

Jun 9, 2007 11:43pm ago

Hey There, awesome Idea!
But I have a question, do you have to print the image in a mirror view?

Thanks

Gab

Jul 14, 2007 7:51pm ago

I didn't have turpentine, so i used nail varnish remover. It works too ;DD

allsuffocation

Jul 15, 2007 1:20am

So I could print this out of my home printer or would I have to go to a store like staples or kinkos to get the right sort of ink?

Cat Morley

Jul 15, 2007 1:22am

You need a printer that heavily layers the ink, meaning that there's ink to rub off - that's why photo copies work well. Posh new printers use minimum ink when printing, so you're not left with lots to rub off.

XCB

Jul 16, 2007 4:04pm ago

I tried just now.. but i don't see the picture on the fabric at all..
how long does it take to transfer the ink to fabric?

Riechan

Jul 22, 2007 2:06pm

how many times did you go through step 3 until it was as dark as in the tutorial? because I did it a 4 times and it isn't dark yet :s perhaps I have the printer :s

Cat Morley

Sep 11, 2007 10:11pm

I did it three times, each lasting 5 minutes, but it should start to appear clearly and quite dark after the first rub.

Chloe

Sep 17, 2007 3:25pm

This tutorial is cool. I've been using a method like this for a while so I'm quite practised at it now. So here are some things to remember, which I found out:

1- You want to press quite hard whilst rubbing, but also make sure that you don't press too hard and break the paper because you may want to go over the picture again.

2- Do a test piece first to make sure that your image looks good on the desired fabric etc.

3- Nail varnish remover also works (thanks Gab!)

4- colour images work too, but if your design is going to be left quite faint you might want to use colours that contrast well. i used black red and white.

5- use normal printer paper, any thicker and it'd be harder to transfer. the print out will not be able to be used again.

6-the image should be fixed on and will not wash off- just to be safe wash inside out and also iron inside out!

7- HAVE FUN!!!

mel g.

Oct 9, 2007 8:12am

i once taught a bunch of fashion students how to do this... i have found for best results use cellulose thinners... you can get a small jar for about £1.50 and a little goes a long way!

Peter W.

Nov 25, 2007 11:07am

Have you tried just irning on the back of the Laserprint / copy.
Laserprinters work by melting a black powder(toner) on to the paper.
(for this reason wash your projekt with a cool wash)
Ironing the ink off a print on to somting else is used by electonics freaks to make printed circuit boards.
DO NOT Iron with Turps, (nasty fumes and fire danger)
Please also remember that turps in cloth kan spontaniuosly ignite if left 'bundled together' I can think of at least 2 major fires started this way. always wash the turps out or spread the cloth out to evaporate a well ventilated and fire safe place.
�&F
Warholm.

But I have a question: does it work for coloured images too?

tiffany says.}

May 25, 2008 4:49am

i've been meaning to do some fabric printing for quite some time now except i didn't want to pay the $15 or so for the iron ons - i'm so happy i have an alternative!