How to Transfer Photographs to Fabric
Choose your medium., Choose your fabric., Choose your image and cut it out., Cover the front of your image with your medium., Press your image onto the fabric., Wet the back of the image, and rub the surface with your fingers., Take care when...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Choose your medium.
Liquitex acrylic gel medium is cheap, and can be found near the paint at any craft store.
You can also search for Mod Podge Photo Transfer Medium.
This is a specific kind of Mod Podge-- regular Mod Podge will not work for fabric.
On the internet, you might find more specialized mediums.If you have trouble finding what you are looking for at a craft store, ask someone who works there. -
Step 2: Choose your fabric.
Most people want to use photo transfers for T-shirt fabric or canvas, which is pretty foolproof.
Synthetic fabrics are a little bit more difficult to transfer to.
If you are planning to transfer to synthetic fabric, make sure that you test it out with similar fabric first.
Your transfer will probably not fare well on stretchy fabric.
The stretchier the fabric, the more wear and tear your transfer will have to endure.
This is why transfers are often on linen or canvas. , If you use a gel medium, you will need a laserjet image.
You can also use old magazine pages or newspaper images.Some people say that if you use Mod Podge transfer medium, you can use inkjet images as well as laserjet images.If your image has text, you need to flip it horizontally on the computer in order to get the image to transfer correctly.
Most programs that you use to open an image have this option; you do not need to use Paint or Photoshop. , You can use a regular bristle brush to do this.
The coat of medium should be quite thick.
You don’t want to be able to see the image when you are done coating. , Make sure that all of it is touching the fabric, and smooth out any air bubbles.
Let it sit over night.
Some people say that it is not necessary to let your image sit overnight if you use gel medium.
If you peel off the paper before it has dried completely, your transfer will appear faded., The paper will start coming off.
Continue to rub it until all the paper is gone.
If you are using the transfer for display, you can use another coat of gel medium to protect it. , It is best to wash your transfer by hand.If you do have to machine wash your transfer, turn the fabric inside out and don’t use your dryer.Don’t dry clean your transfer.
The harsh chemicals will take a toll on the image. -
Step 3: Choose your image and cut it out.
-
Step 4: Cover the front of your image with your medium.
-
Step 5: Press your image onto the fabric.
-
Step 6: Wet the back of the image
-
Step 7: and rub the surface with your fingers.
-
Step 8: Take care when washing.
Detailed Guide
Liquitex acrylic gel medium is cheap, and can be found near the paint at any craft store.
You can also search for Mod Podge Photo Transfer Medium.
This is a specific kind of Mod Podge-- regular Mod Podge will not work for fabric.
On the internet, you might find more specialized mediums.If you have trouble finding what you are looking for at a craft store, ask someone who works there.
Most people want to use photo transfers for T-shirt fabric or canvas, which is pretty foolproof.
Synthetic fabrics are a little bit more difficult to transfer to.
If you are planning to transfer to synthetic fabric, make sure that you test it out with similar fabric first.
Your transfer will probably not fare well on stretchy fabric.
The stretchier the fabric, the more wear and tear your transfer will have to endure.
This is why transfers are often on linen or canvas. , If you use a gel medium, you will need a laserjet image.
You can also use old magazine pages or newspaper images.Some people say that if you use Mod Podge transfer medium, you can use inkjet images as well as laserjet images.If your image has text, you need to flip it horizontally on the computer in order to get the image to transfer correctly.
Most programs that you use to open an image have this option; you do not need to use Paint or Photoshop. , You can use a regular bristle brush to do this.
The coat of medium should be quite thick.
You don’t want to be able to see the image when you are done coating. , Make sure that all of it is touching the fabric, and smooth out any air bubbles.
Let it sit over night.
Some people say that it is not necessary to let your image sit overnight if you use gel medium.
If you peel off the paper before it has dried completely, your transfer will appear faded., The paper will start coming off.
Continue to rub it until all the paper is gone.
If you are using the transfer for display, you can use another coat of gel medium to protect it. , It is best to wash your transfer by hand.If you do have to machine wash your transfer, turn the fabric inside out and don’t use your dryer.Don’t dry clean your transfer.
The harsh chemicals will take a toll on the image.
About the Author
Alice Bennett
Alice Bennett specializes in businessservices and has been creating helpful content for over 1 years. Alice is committed to helping readers learn new skills and improve their lives.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: