I was trying to figure out if you could print on fabric. The answer is yes, you can use your inkjet printer and print on fabric. It is actually quite easy and the trick is to iron the fabric, in my case an old white cotton sheet, to freezer paper. Freezer paper comes in wide rolls in the grocery store in the section where you get tinfoil. In Canada it is brown and from what I have seen on TV in the US it is white. It has a regular paper side and a waxy side. Ironing the fabric to the waxy side with a very light touch and medium temperature makes it stick and is easy to remove afterwards. The roll of paper is about 18 inches wide. This is wide enough to create 2 pages of regular 8.5×11 inch paper.
Instructions
- Cut a piece of freezer paper that is about 13 inches long and a piece of fabric that is about 13×18 inches.
- Now place the fabric on the waxy side and iron it on gently. Try to lift off the fabric and if it sticks it done. If it is still loose iron some more.
- Now use a rotary cutter and cut 2 8.5×11 inch pieces from the large 13×18 inch piece. The reason for cutting to size after the fabric is ironed on is that it is difficult to match up the 2 otherwise and to get sharp crisp edges that don’t snag in the printer.
- Now you can use the sheets just like regular paper in your printer.
- Once the sheets are printed let them dry and gently peel the fabric off the feezer paper. Use the freezer paper for other craft uses now.
I didn’t use the printed fabric for washable items and have no idea how to make them permanent. I sprayed the fabric with spray varnish and then used them in my crafts. Here is a picture of what I created. You can find the instructions here.
