Did you ever wonder how Aunt Sally incorporated those family photos into the quilt she made for her parents? Or how your neighbour Nancy made that intricate patchwork vest when you know she can't sew a straight seam?
Well, we're going to let you in on a little secret: Anything you can print on paper, you can print on fabric. All you need is your HP inkjet printer, a digital image, a fabric sheet and a little imagination.
Transferring images to fabric
You may already have some experience placing images on fabric using HP Inkjet Iron-On T-Shirt Transfers. These transfers work great for T-shirts and other projects that don't fit through your printer.
However, there is a way to print directly onto fabric using a fabric sheet and your HP inkjet printer. We're going to show you just how easy it is.
A fabric sheet is simply a piece of fabric bonded to paper. The paper holds the fabric stable as it moves through the printer. Once the ink is dry, just remove the paper and you're ready to use your printed image!
There are two ways to get fabric sheets: make your own or buy them. For this article we're going to concentrate on the ready-made sheets you buy online or at your local craft or fabric store.
Most of the ready-made fabric sheets are pre-treated with an ink fixative to ensure the fabric is colourfast and washable. That's important if you'll ever need to wash your project, or if there's a chance your project could get wet. Be sure to read the package carefully so you know if the fabric sheets you're buying have been pre-treated.
