How to Print on Fabric

DIY crafters have been finding ways to make the seemingly impossible crafts, extremely possible with new, inventive techniques. T-shirts are a seriously popular product in handmade crafts, so there is no wonder how many different ways you can print on fabric. 

Understanding the different options for printing on fabric, as well as the supplies needed, is an important factor when choosing which technique you will use for your project. Let’s take a look at the different ways you can print on fabric.

Today we are going to show you three different ways to print on fabric. Each technique is beginner friendly, and the supplies needed won’t break the bank. Two of the following techniques are extremely easy on the budget, and one technique will require a little bit more in terms of supplies. To see what we’re dealing with, let’s jump into the first technique!

Fabric paint comes in a couple of different varieties. The most commonly used among DIY crafters at home is Speedball Fabric Screen Printing Ink. While you can use screen printing ink to paint over your stencils, as we will do here, the cost to buy multiple colors can be a little more than a hobbyist might want to spend. To learn how to use screen printing ink at home, check out this article, How to Screen Print with Vinyl .

Today, we are going to use Tulip fabric paint, which can be found in most craft stores, or craft sections of stores like Walmart. These fabric paints can be purchased individually, but can often be found in collections with a group of colors at a decent price. Fabric paint goes a long way, so less is more when you use this technique. For this technique, we will use the following supplies:

Create your design in Cricut Design Space. Measure the front of your shirt, to map out how large you would like your design to be. When you are happy with your design, be sure to attach all the layers, and proceed to cutting your design out of vinyl.

Once your design is cut, weed your design from the vinyl. Note: You want to weed the design itself, NOT the excess around the design. 

Use your transfer tape to remove the backing from the vinyl, and place it on your t-shirt where you would like the design to be. Slowly, and carefully, peel back your transfer tape, leaving the vinyl in place. Be sure that all the centers of letters, and key parts of the design stay in place when removing the transfer tape.

Use your blue painter's tape to tape around the border of the vinyl, to ensure your paintbrush does not go over the vinyl onto the rest of the shirt. Next, place a piece of parchment paper inside the t-shirt to keep paint from soaking through to the back. Get your foam paint brush wet, then squeeze out all the excess water from the brush. Having a damp brush keeps the brush from soaking up all the paint, and, therefore, keeps you from using a lot of your paint supply.

Dip the tip of the brush into the paint, then scrape off the excess paint. We want the paintbrush wet with paint, but not dripping with paint. Next, in an up-and-down motion, dab the design with the paintbrush, rewetting the brush as necessary, and ensuring it covers all parts of your design well. For good coverage, or more bold colors, let the design dry for 30 minutes, and apply a second coat of paint over your design.

Some crafters prefer to remove the vinyl immediately, and some prefer to let the entire project dry and then remove the vinyl. It truly comes down to personal preference, as I have personally done it both ways and have had a great outcome with each. Because I was anxious to see the design, I removed the vinyl immediately. When removing the vinyl immediately, take special care not to let any of the painted vinyl touch the design or t-shirt.

Once the vinyl is removed, let the paint dry completely. Follow the fabric paint manufacturer’s instructions for setting your design into your t-shirt. For the Tulip brand, they recommend letting the product dry for 72 hours before washing and say the product is ready for wearing after drying for 4 hours. 

Because I have a heat press, I chose to heat set the design. Setting my heat press for 320º, I lay a piece of parchment paper over the design and pressed the finished product for 45 seconds.

Voila! A super easy way to design and paint a t-shirt!

Heat transfer vinyl (HTV) is one of the most popular ways to print on fabric. It is as easy as cutting vinyl with a cutting machine, weeding the design, and heat pressing it onto your chosen material. While cutting machines can run a few hundred dollars, the HTV itself is fairly inexpensive, which makes this method super beginner-friendly. Much like technique one, this technique does not require much as far as supplies go. 

Here is what you will need for this technique:

Create your design using Cricut Design Space. Resize the design to fit the space on the front of the t-shirt to your liking. Before you cut the design, be sure to attach all the layers for proper cutting. Note: Make sure to mirror your design!

Once your design is cut, weed the design. When weeding HTV, you will be removing all the excess vinyl from the plastic carrier sheet. After you have finished weeding, you will see your design left on the carrier sheet, backward. Flip it over to reveal your design!

Heat your heat press to 320º. Lay your t-shirt onto the heat press, and press the t-shirt for 5 seconds to iron out any wrinkles, and to preheat the fabric. Next, lay your design, shiny carrier sheet side up, onto your t-shirt where you would like it placed. Put a piece of parchment paper over the design, and press for 20 seconds.

After the initial press, remove the carrier sheet, replace the parchment paper, and press again for another 25 seconds. Too easy, right??

Sublimation printing is a fantastic way to be able to create your designs, print them, and then simply heat press them to your product. Sublimation is one of the best ways, if not the best, to print on fabric. Sublimation works best because the sublimation ink, through proper heating, transforms from a solid to a gas, and penetrates the fibers of the fabric. 

Once the fabric cools, the ink is permanently adhered to the fabric. Sublimation is one of my favorite ways to print on fabric and is an excellent option for someone ready to dive into creating fast products without breaking the bank. Sublimation requires just a little more involved supply. Still, the process itself is definitely on the beginner’s scale. Let’s see what we will need for this technique!

Using Photoshop, create a new file, with the size being 8.5x11”. Measure the front of your t-shirt to determine the size you would like for your design, and make sure it will fit inside those dimensions.

Create your design, change the colors as needed, and then print your design using your sublimation printer, ink, and paper. Once your design is printed, trim the paper as close as you can around the design.

Heat your heat press to 400º, and preheat your t-shirt for ten seconds. Place your design, face down, on your t-shirt in the place you would like it to be. Cover with parchment paper and press for 45 seconds. When the first press is done, remove the sublimation paper, replace the parchment paper, and do a second press for 20 seconds. That was super easy!

Three simple and fun ways to print on fabric! Each technique shown here today offers a different level of comfort. Don’t like working with vinyl? Try the fabric paint! Don’t want to spend the money on sublimation supplies? Try HTV! Regardless of which technique you choose, the possibilities are endless, and creativity knows no bounds. I can’t wait to see which technique you try, so come back and share your creations!

Direct to Garment, or DTG, printing is exactly how it sounds. With the help of a giant machine, you load a garment onto a sliding drawer, and, with special ink, the machine will print your design directly onto the garment of your choice. DTG printing involves purchasing a DTG printer, and specialized ultra chrome ink. 

While the ink is not so unreasonable, you can grab a set of colors for a few hundred dollars, the DTG printer can cost tens of thousands of dollars, with the lower-costing printers only able to do certain sizes.

Direct to Film (DTF), is very similar to the DTG process. The only difference is you are printing to a film, that is then laid on top of the product, and heat press to set into the fabric. Start-up costs for DTF are much cheaper than DTG. 

While you still need a printer and specialized ink, you will also need the DTF film and DTF powder. DTF printers are as budget-friendly as just a few thousand dollars, making DTF a good secondary option to DTG.

Inkjet and laser printers are far less expensive options than the options we mentioned above. It is as simple as spraying a piece of copy paper with spray adhesive, attaching the paper to the fabric, trimming the fabric to the size of the paper, and running it through your inkjet or laser printer. 

After the ink is dry, there are steps to take to treat the fabric based on what it will be used for. Some crafters have complained about several issues concerning putting fabric through their printers and the size restrictions printers have for printing.