How to Reproduce a Picture to Put on a Quilt
Creating a unique photo quilt is an excellent gift to commemorate birthdays, births, graduations or anniversaries. The technologies used to put your photographs onto fabric have greatly improved in the last decade. A professional-looking photograph quilt can now be produced easily at home.
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Things You'll Need
- Photograph
- Computer
- Quality printer
- Transfer paper or fabric sheets
- Iron
- Fabric
Instructions
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Creating a photo quilt block
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1
Select an image that can be saved at 300 dpi. If you are using an older photograph, you may want to restore the photograph first using a program such as Photoshop. Save the picture to the size that you will want to place on the quilt.
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2
You have options for transferring your photo. The first option is to use transfer paper. Purchase the paper at hobby stores and print your image onto the transfer paper. Make sure to do a test run before using the paper to ensure the image is the size you want to use on your quilt.
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3
If you prefer to print directly on your fabric, you can purchase fabric sheets specifically for this purpose. Using your ink jet printer, simply print on the fabric and skip to Step 6. Manufacturers that offer this type of fabric sheets include Printed Treasures and Electric Quilts' Printables.
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4
If using the transfer paper, select the fabric you will be transferring the image onto. Cotton fabric tends to work well, and it is recommended you do no pre-wash the fabric. If you are unsure, ask at the fabric store for a selection of suitable fabrics to use with transfer paper.
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5
Transfer the image from the transfer paper to your material by ironing on the transfer. Follow the instructions for the transfer paper exactly, making sure the iron is set at the right temperature. Too hot of an iron may cause the picture to buckle. Conversely, too cool of an iron will result in the image not transferring completely to the fabric.
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6
Be prepared to trouble shoot. Your photograph will vary depending on your printer, ink, transfer paper and fabric. Experiment with different types of fabric and transfer paper to achieve your desired look.
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Tips & Warnings
If you don't have access to a high quality printer, consider using a printer at Kinkos or a friend's computer. The quality of the printer will greatly affect the sharpness of your photograph, so use the best printer available.
If your photograph has text, flip the photograph before printing. The text must read backwards on the transfer paper so that when you peel back the paper to display your image, you have a mirror image of your transfer and everything will read correctly.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
