How to Print on Fabric With an Inkjet Printer

You can print an image directly onto fabric to make a beautiful print. By using Bubble Set Jet to prepare your fabric before printing, you can wash your fabric safely without removing the print. The following steps will show you how to print an image on fabric with an inkjet printer.

Things You'll Need

• 100-percent cotton or 100-percent silk fabric
• Bubble Jet Set
• Freezer paper
• Iron
• Inkjet paper

Instructions

1. Cut a piece of 100-percent cotton or 100-percent silk fabric a little bigger than you need to fit your inkjet printer.

2. Soak the fabric in Bubble Jet Set, which is a product that prepares fabric for inkjet ink so that is remains permanently on the fabric.

3. Remove the fabric from the Bubble Jet Set after 5 minutes.

4. Allow the fabric to dry completely and then iron the fabric to the shiny side of a piece of freezer paper to attach the freezer paper as a backing. Make sure there are no bubbles in the fabric.

5. Trim the fabric so that it is just slightly smaller than an 8.5-inch-by-11-inch piece of paper, making sure there are no stray threads hanging from the fabric.

6. Place the fabric into your printer where you would put your paper. Make sure the fabric is in the right way so that your image prints onto the fabric and not onto the backing.

7. Print the image directly onto your fabric using your normal printer controls. Let the fabric dry for about 30 minutes.

Tips & Warnings

• Print your image onto a regular piece of paper first to test how it will look on your fabric and make adjustments as you need to before the final printing.

• Make sure the edge going into the printer is firmly bonded to the backing paper before inserting the fabric into the printer to prevent the fabric from getting stuck inside the printer while printing.

• Do not use steam when ironing the fabric onto the freezer paper.

• Do not use a laser printer to print onto fabric. The heat from the printer can melt fabric sheets.

Resources

• Purchase Bubble Jet Set.