AboutConnie Hester Expertise Quilting and applique expert.Can advise on the following topics:quilting, art quilts, quilt design and construction, machine and hand quilting, paper foundation piecing, machine piecing, hand piecing, raw edge applique, turned-edge applique and fiber art.
Experience Winning awards in international fiber and art competitions since 1983; http://www.conniehester.com/
BS,MS
See my work and books at http://www.conniehester.com/
Expert: Connie Hester Date: 6/13/2005 Subject: Printing on material
Question Hi Connie!
I am making my daughter a "memories quilt". She loves to read, so I'd like to make a bookshelf with books and other memorabilia. I would like to use my printer to print the titles on the material, but I'm clueless as to how to begin. I have an Epson Stylus C60. Would you be willing to tell me how to do this? Thanks.
Answer Hi, Rachel,
First, "scour" the fabric you will be printing on with soda ash and synthrapol. For 2 yards or more in the washing machine, with HOT water, use about 1/2 cup washing soda (Arm and Hammer = soda ash) and 1-2 teaspoons dishwashing liquid, like "Dawn" or "Joy" (contains synthrapol). This removes invisible grime and finishes that prevent permanent adherence of the printer ink onto the fabric.
If the Epson C60 has "Durabrite" ink, you can print without pre-treating the fabric further. It will be water-resistant as well as lightfast. If it does not use "Durabrite" ink, you will need to buy "Bubble Jet Set 2000" solution in which to soak your "scoured" fabric. Allow it to line dry. The Bubble Jet Set is available through fabric and quilt stores.
Iron the prepared fabric to freezer paper to make it easier to feed into the printer. After ironing, trim the freezer paper-fabric to 8 1/4" x 11". I then tape all across the top edge of the freezer paper-fabric piece, aligning it about 1/2" down from the top edge of a piece of printer paper. This stiffens it a bit more.
Start your printed image about 1" down from the top edge of the freezer paper-fabric-printer paper sandwich.
When finished printing, allow to sit and become completely dry. I often spray a VERY fine, quick mist of clear acrylic paint across the surface to seal it and prevent abrasion of the image if it's going to be worn or washed routinely. It is not absolutely necessary, and it is not enough to change the hand of the fabric.
If the end product will be subject to being washed, it would be wise to submerge the printed image in water to rinse away any excess ink (so future washing experiences will not end up with loose ink re-adhering to random places on the finished product). Avoid allowing the freshly printed image from folding back over upon itself, as loose ink can re-adhere on the image.
Let me know if I can help further.
