Thursday, January 14, 2010

New Tool

I am always looking for practical items to help me with my creativity. Well I now have a new tool in my toolbox. I recently read about using painter's tape for printing on fabric using the computer. So I "borrowed" a roll from my husband's toolbox. It looks like masking tape, but it's blue and is not as tacky.
My goal was to use it to tape a piece of fabric to a piece of paper to put through my printer. I do a lot of printing on fabric. The pre-treated fabric works great, but it's expensive. I also like to use fabric with designs on it and other fibers in addition to cotton.

First I tried to run a piece of fabric through my printer that was 8 1/2" x 11" taped to a pece of paper with the painter's tape.. It jammed my printer. This jammng does not upset me. I have pulled many a piece of jammed paper/fabric out of my printer without hurting the printer.
I did try it again using the envelope setting on my printer. I have never done that before, but under the properties on the print screen, I chose envelope. It went through beautifully.

But sometimes, I only want to print on a smaller piece of fabric that is not a full sheet. This is where the I think I discovered a new use for this new tool. To print on a smaller piece of fabric, I first print the words/image on regular paper. Then I take a piece of fabric that is at least larger by 1" all around and tape it onto the printed piece of paper with the painters tape, making sure I left enough room for a seam allowance. This ensures that I control where the words/image are printed. In this case I used white silk dupioni.

It's a beautiful thing. I used this technique to print on a different fabric for each line.


And used it for a page in a fiber book that I am making to celebrate the marriage of my son.
And now for Sunrise#3. Even though you might not be able to see it, the sun rises every day without fail.




6 comments:

  1. I find using freezer paper works also. I iron the fabric to the freezer paper and then run it through the printer.

    I like your idea though because you can get the printing exactly where you want it.

    I think I am inpired to make something.

    Thanks

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  2. So very cool, nice innovating! :D And thanks for sharing the tip with all of us.

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  3. Thanks, just in time for a project I'm contemplating.

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  4. Just what I needed at just the right time.
    Thank you, thank you, thank you!

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  5. What I would add to this is to try using a piece of card stock instead of regular paper. I have found it is a much better carrier than flimsy paper or freezer paper. I have successfully used temporary glue spray to hold the fabric in place on the card stock (but with the top edge clear-taped in place, but I LOVE your painters tape/preprinting/small pieces of fabric ideas. Thanks for sharing!

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