Transferring Pictures to Pre-Treated Fabric Sheets

by Dave Donovan

Nothing says “I Love You” quite like a home-made gift. Sure, there are always some family members who don’t “get it,” but the reality is the time you spend putting your heart and soul into a project makes the gift far more valuable and personal than driving to the store to quickly pick up a present.

Whether you’re a quilter, a cloth doll artist or you just like dabbling in fabric crafts, transferring pictures to fabric is a great way to add a personal touch to your projects. And thanks to modern computers, software and craft materials, it’s easier and less expensive than ever! All you need to transfer pictures to fabric is:

A computer
A scanner
An inkjet printer
Pre-treated fabric sheets especially made for inkjet printers
An iron

Before you begin the process of printing your favorite photos onto sheets of fabric, it is a good idea to check the levels of ink left in your printer’s cartridges. The fabric does soak up a lot of ink, so you don’t want to be in mid-print only to discover that you just ran out of black ink. Taking a minute to check the ink will not only allow you to create without worry, but it will also prevent you from wasting material.

Most inkjet printers have software on the computer that will allow you to check ink levels without having to physically access the cartridges.

You can find pre-treated fabric sheets at your local craft supply store, quilt shop, fabric store or in the craft department of the nearby retail superstore.

Your project will begin by finding the perfect picture for your needs. Sometimes, the ideal photo may be too small, too large or have too much background. This is easily remedied by scanning the photo into your computer’s photo editing software. Here, you can cut, crop, rotate, re-size and edit to your heart’s desire. Once you have the perfect dimensions and effects, place a fabric sheet into your inkjet printer and print out the photo.

Depending on the brand of fabric sheet you purchased, you may be required to heat-set the ink using a regular home iron, or the instructions may ask you to first rinse the fabric in cold water. Because there are so many different brands of fabric sheets on the market, it is very important to read and follow the instructions for the one you purchase to ensure the best results.

There are alternative methods that you can also use to transfer pictures to fabric if pre-treated fabric sheets aren’t for you. These include making your own treated fabric (using a product called Bubble Jet Set) and iron-on photo transfer paper. While making your own pre-treated fabric can be a lengthy process, if you plan on printing a lot of photos this will probably be a more economical choice. But, if your project only requires you to scan and print a few photos, then you can save time using packaged pre-treated fabric sheets.