Excitement in the print room... I finally got designs for two scarves prepped and ready for printing and consequently had the honour of being the first fabric to go through the new sublimation printer at college. It was a giddy experience!!!
There are pros and cons about using this printer the main advantage being for cash strapped students its considerably cheaper then digital printing and also its on the doorstep (although I reckon the third floor doorstep took some doing ...Its giant bit of kit) so a relatively quick process. The main disadvantage is because it is a sublimation printer in only prints on to synthetic fabrics. It's a heat transfer process giving amazing colours - vibrant and striking but only works on surfaces that it can adhere to.
I have always preferred to work with natural fabrics, I do use synthetics in places for additional decoration and applique but I have never made a complete sample using them before. The fabrics we have at college for sale are of a very good quality better then I had imagined plastic fabrics could be so I was swayed and choose to print the scarves using a poly crepe de chine.
For sub printing the design goes on to paper first and and then is rolled along with the fabric through the printer. The printer has to be at he right temperature - very hot - and once ready it took two staff members to start feeding the fabric through and slowly the rollers wind it round and the fabric and paper emerge out the other end one looking wan and wasted and the other the fabric- looking glorious!!!
It was the first time the printer had been used and there were a couple of hiccups, the paper caught and tore - not a problem as its not reusable but it also creased leaving a slight flaw in one of the designs but for a first attempt it was rather stunning!!
This is scarf number two in the bonkers collection!!
I did two scarves on the crepe de chine and they were okay, not amazing - the colours were fab and very true to my original designs and the fabric draped really nicely but they did feel synthetic and I didn't like that.
I'm working on samples for more designs and to get an idea of how they look I will use the sub printer for small pieces again - its cheap and cheerful, there are a selection of fabrics I can practice on including a quite convincing linen and a a nice velvet - they will do for samples but when I come to print the final scarves they will be sent of to be printed on natural fabrics at considerable cost but if a jobs worth doing its worth doing well!!
There are pros and cons about using this printer the main advantage being for cash strapped students its considerably cheaper then digital printing and also its on the doorstep (although I reckon the third floor doorstep took some doing ...Its giant bit of kit) so a relatively quick process. The main disadvantage is because it is a sublimation printer in only prints on to synthetic fabrics. It's a heat transfer process giving amazing colours - vibrant and striking but only works on surfaces that it can adhere to.
I have always preferred to work with natural fabrics, I do use synthetics in places for additional decoration and applique but I have never made a complete sample using them before. The fabrics we have at college for sale are of a very good quality better then I had imagined plastic fabrics could be so I was swayed and choose to print the scarves using a poly crepe de chine.
For sub printing the design goes on to paper first and and then is rolled along with the fabric through the printer. The printer has to be at he right temperature - very hot - and once ready it took two staff members to start feeding the fabric through and slowly the rollers wind it round and the fabric and paper emerge out the other end one looking wan and wasted and the other the fabric- looking glorious!!!
It was the first time the printer had been used and there were a couple of hiccups, the paper caught and tore - not a problem as its not reusable but it also creased leaving a slight flaw in one of the designs but for a first attempt it was rather stunning!!
This is scarf number two in the bonkers collection!!
I did two scarves on the crepe de chine and they were okay, not amazing - the colours were fab and very true to my original designs and the fabric draped really nicely but they did feel synthetic and I didn't like that.
I'm working on samples for more designs and to get an idea of how they look I will use the sub printer for small pieces again - its cheap and cheerful, there are a selection of fabrics I can practice on including a quite convincing linen and a a nice velvet - they will do for samples but when I come to print the final scarves they will be sent of to be printed on natural fabrics at considerable cost but if a jobs worth doing its worth doing well!!
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