Printing fabric is cool and really fun! With our guide, you can print your own fabric - with screen printing stencils! You will be amazed at how easy it is!
Unique and beautiful: Printing fabric with screen printing stencils
Colourfully printed fabrics are great for creating completely unique sewing ideas. Beautifully printed cushion covers, cool pocket flaps in an industrial look, fun, jazzed-up shopping bags (our free owl bag sewing pattern), statements on T-shirts (discover our huge freebook collection) or hats - the possibilities of what you can do with fabric printing are endless!
The printing itself is so easy that you can offer it, for example, as an activity at a children's birthday party. This way, every child can take their self-printed T-shirt home in the evening and have a beautiful (and colourful!) memory of this day for a long time.
In our article about homemade freezer paper, you already learned a few things about printing fabric.
Today we want to go into even more detail and explain exactly how fabric printing works and what you need to pay attention to.
But above all: How much fun fabric printing is! :)
By the way: Here you will find everything about metallic printing.
Which colours do you use for fabric printing?
We used Javana fabric paints in our guide because the bright, summery colours suited the motifs particularly well.
The packaging of the paints contains a note that the printed fabric should not contain more than 20% synthetic fibres.
The paints worked particularly well on light fabrics. We are not quite as convinced about the opacity on dark fabrics (in our example, a dark denim).
However, so far we have only tested this* one set. A second* one, which also contains more subdued colours, is on its way.
We will try it out for you and then report back.
In principle, we had imagined the consistency of the fabric paints to be creamier and more paste-like. Here there is generally the risk that the paints will run into each other or over the edge - so apply sparingly and rework if necessary.
If you plan to paint the fabric by hand with the textile paint, the consistency is really great. You can practically use the paints like thickly mixed watercolour. A brush is already included with the paint set.
However - as in our example with the spider on the pocket flap - caution is advised when printing:
Although the stencil adheres firmly to the fabric, the liquid paint can still penetrate into the fibres under the stencil if applied too generously. In this case too, the motif becomes blurred.
Gold, silver and generally metallic shades are very popular right now. You can order them here*, for example. For metallic fans, Javana also has full sets again, which you can get here*.
Which fabric do you use for fabric printing?
The choice of the fabric you print on depends crucially on the textile paint you want to use. In principle, you can use any type of textile paint to print on fabric.
We would tend to advise printing on smoother, lighter, finely textured fabrics, especially if you want a well-reproduced motif.
An important tip from a blog reader
"I used to do a lot of silk painting and also worked with fabric paints - and stencils. So a few notes on that: When applying the paints, really only take a small amount of paint, don't use a soft brush, but a round one that is cut straight at the bottom, so you can really dab. And then it's better to go over it a couple of times, so there isn't too much paint on it that can push under the stencil. Or in several passes, so the paint can dry in between. By the way, there are - or were - fabric paints for light and ones for dark fabrics. They are then of course more intense on dark fabrics than the other. But in many stores only one type (the one for light fabrics) is available. Best regards Hanne"
Thank you very much for the tip, dear Hannelore!
Which stencils do you use for screen printing?
We used three different screen printing stencils from Rayher and found them really great:
They adhered well, were easy to clean and reuse.
They also come in many current motifs, which really didn't make the decision easy for us.
Here* we have the link to the stencil collection for you.
Of course, you can also make your own stencil (freezer paper).
How does screen printing actually work?
Basically, it's quite simple:
Stick the stencil on the fabric, apply the paint, remove the stencil, let the paint dry. Iron, done.
The devil is in the details here too, as described above.
But with our guide, you will be a fabric printing pro in no time!
:)
What do you need for fabric printing?
- Cotton fabric, canvas, viscose, linen, denim or similar;
- Fabric paint*, textile paint
- Screen printing stencil*
- possibly a Dabbing brush*
- small glass or plastic dish
- Wooden spatula, toothpick, popsicle stick for stirring the paint
- A piece of cardboard for placing underneath
Picture guide: Printing fabric with a screen printing stencil and squeegee
The screen printing stencils are glued to a carrier paper so they don't bend during transport.
This paper must be removed before printing.
Also in the packaging: a squeegee.
This is a kind of thicker plastic card with which the paint is pulled over the stencil at a 45-degree angle.
Now you can take the paint to hand. Stir it with a small spatula so that the pigments are well distributed in the paint liquid.
The fabric must be washed before printing. If it contains too much sizing, the fibres cannot absorb the paint.
Cut out the required piece of fabric and iron it. If necessary, place a piece of cardboard or paper underneath to protect the surface.
If you want to print, for example, a bag, a cushion cover or a T-shirt, you should definitely place a piece of cardboard between the two layers.
Now you can place the screen printing stencil on the fabric and press it down well.
Apply some paint around the cutout with a brush or a spatula.
Now set the squeegee at an angle of 45 degrees and pull the paint over the stencil. Make sure you don't push any paint over the edge. It's better to apply a little less paint the first time and then add more.
I actually took a little too much paint for this print.
You can try on a sample piece how much paint your base fabric absorbs. This can vary greatly depending on the absorbency of the fabric. Humidity can also play a role.
The stencil is removed directly after printing.
After applying, the paint must dry properly.
Depending on humidity and temperature, this can take up to 24 hours.
Clean the stencil and squeegee with clear water and let them dry.
Picture guide: Fabric printing with a dabbing brush
Instead of using the squeegee, you can also apply the paint with a dabbing brush.
Dabbing brushes are actually small sponges with a wooden or plastic handle. They come in different sizes and shapes.
There is also a natural bristle version, which looks like this: 
We decided on these* round - affordable - dabbing brushes. For our purposes, they were perfectly fine. The foam is rather firm and has a small raised area in the middle of the sponge, where the paint application is most intense.
The preparation is exactly the same as with the first method.
This time, however, you pour some paint into a dish. The same applies here: better to be careful - the paint is very economical.
In our example, we printed a pocket flap.
Tip: Since the fabric is very coarse, the print will also be rather coarse.
On thinner, finer fabrics, the details of the stencil come out more clearly.
Now you carefully dab paint into the cutouts of the stencil with the brush.
And again: remove the stencil as soon as the motif is complete.
The motif shows finer details if you work with a smaller brush and without pressure:
Let it dry thoroughly.
Then iron for 5 minutes without steam on the cotton setting to set the color.
After that, it is colorfast up to 60 degrees (wash inside out!) and lightfast.
Delicate fabrics should be protected with a thin cloth (between the fabric and the iron) when ironing.
If you feel like it, you can add accents to the still damp paint with fabric glitter now! Rayher offers several three-piece sets in different color shades. We have linked them for you here*.
So? Isn't fabric printing super easy?
Feel free to leave a comment below :)
Happy simple sewing,
your Sabine
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