Technology has done a lot for us as consumers. Not only has it made a lot of things faster, more efficient, and easier, but it has also given us the ability to have some creative fun in ways never before possible. Printing on fabric can be a fun project for just about anybody, from quilters to sports fans. The good news is that you aren’t the first one to come up with the idea. You might be surprised to hear that there are actually a couple ways to move an image onto some fabric. The first method is to use a printer friendly fabric that can be printed on directly. The second method is to use a special transfer paper that transfers with heat. No matter which method you use, you can end up with a product that makes a real statement.

Now, there are several special printer supplies for this kind of thing, like fabric sheets that can be used in a standard inkjet printer to print directly to a fabric. These sheets, which can be found in a number of sizes including 8 1/2 x 11″, 11 x 17″ and 13 x 19″, can simply be sewn together as traditional fabrics once printed on and dried. You can hand-pick photos, patterns, clip art, or you can actually draw something by hand and scan it into the computer. Then, you can use a photography editing program to change the image to exactly what you want. Then, you just put the fabric sheets in your printer and print away. Be sure to load it correctly, so that the image is printed on the correct surface and follow the guidelines on the product packaging for direction on set time and possible soaking. Then prepare the sewing machine or needle and thread. Keep in mind that these work especially well for quilts, shams, curtains, accent pillows, and other things, but there are some things that it doesn’t work all that well on. If you just want to put a picture on a T-shirt, tie, or ribbon, there’s a product that makes that easier: heat activated transfer sheets. These nifty papers can be found in printer-friendly fashion and are simply a means to redressing existing fabrics. For this you will need to have the article of clothing or material you wish to adorn with an image. Next, just find the picture and edit it the same way you would have earlier. Print the image on the transfer paper after you have properly loaded it into your printer. Most likely, you’ll want to cut the borders off of the image. You do not want much more that a thin border surrounding it. From here on, you should really follow the directions provided with the product because the the exact steps can differ significantly from one brand to the next. You can then take pride in your own creation as you wear or display it.

These products can open up brand new possibilities in the areas of clothing design and quilting. Create a photo collage quilt, let your dinner napkins share a holiday sentiment, make matching tees for you and your friends, or adorn socks with piggies to cover your little one’s piggies. Whatever the application, one thing is for sure- with the help of your printer and a few special printer supplies, your material creations are sure to be better than ever.