Printing on Cloth?

katharinewheel

I was wondering if anyone can help me out.

I'm DIYing vast parts of my upcoming wedding (partly due to being on a very tight budget, partly because I absolutely hate most run of the mill wedding-y stuff and partly because I just want to have something relatively unique).

I am designing my invitations at the moment and was thinking that I would like to have more environmentally conscieous cloth invitations. Currently this idea is at a very embroynic stage but it is more than likely the way I am going go with them. But suffice it to say I have a general idea on the layout and design of my invitations. My general idea would be to design the invitations completely myself, source the fabric myself to make sure that its eco-friendly and then look at having said designs printed onto the fabric, and finishing any additional detailing such as embroidery myself.

I was thinking that I would probably have to go route of a screen printer, but to be honest I wouldn't even know where to start looking for a reputable one, as with the cost of the machinery and such and the range of the colours that I want to use, time involved in learning how the skill, I'm not sure that it would even be possible to go as far as DIY printing it myself. Infact I'm not even sure that screen printing would even be the best way to go, but if it isn't I'm not sure where I'd even start. I've tried googling it and have only come up with etsy sellers with cloth invites and baffling screen printing how-tos.

Can any shed any light on how I can/should proceed?

And how much I should expect it to cost?

looksee

katharinewheel wrote: »

I was wondering if anyone can help me out.

I'm DIYing vast parts of my upcoming wedding (partly due to being on a very tight budget, partly because I absolutely hate most run of the mill wedding-y stuff and partly because I just want to have something relatively unique).

I am designing my invitations at the moment and was thinking that I would like to have more environmentally conscieous cloth invitations. Currently this idea is at a very embroynic stage but it is more than likely the way I am going go with them. But suffice it to say I have a general idea on the layout and design of my invitations. My general idea would be to design the invitations completely myself, source the fabric myself to make sure that its eco-friendly and then look at having said designs printed onto the fabric, and finishing any additional detailing such as embroidery myself.

I was thinking that I would probably have to go route of a screen printer, but to be honest I wouldn't even know where to start looking for a reputable one, as with the cost of the machinery and such and the range of the colours that I want to use, time involved in learning how the skill, I'm not sure that it would even be possible to go as far as DIY printing it myself. Infact I'm not even sure that screen printing would even be the best way to go, but if it isn't I'm not sure where I'd even start. I've tried googling it and have only come up with etsy sellers with cloth invites and baffling screen printing how-tos.

Can any shed any light on how I can/should proceed?

And how much I should expect it to cost?

The easiest way would be to use digital printing onto fabric, I have had images printed on to calico in the past, but it is not eco-friendly. (think tee-shirt printing). To do it yourself you would have to use a simple screen print. It is possible to do this at a very basic level, but I would not attempt to print detailed type/writing onto fabric by this method. I think you would be very disappointed with the result. Even with commercial printing you would probably find the quality would not be very satisfactory, your letters would have to be quite big.

I made a very basic screen print set up using fine net curtain on a wooden frame and a simple stencil. This worked fine for a simple design. Maybe you could think in terms of making a cover this way and have a written/calligrapy type message inside.

briscotti

what is the smallest size type you are using?

carolynn5

I have printed on fabric with loads of success. Not sure if the stuff here is the same as in South Africa, but.... We used to get reams of paper wrapped in a sort of grease proof paper, cut that into the a4 or whichever size you need. Iron the fabric on, and put through your printer. Then the fabric just peels off. Or use a piece of card and use either adhesive tape or one of the more temporary spray adhesives to fix the fabric to it. But have a look on the internet, there is a lot on printing on laser an inkjet. Then if you embroder onto it or add bling it will be stunning. Have fun.