- Gather your supplies:
- You'll need fabric cut into the size your printer will accept. You can use any type fabric, but you need to think about fraying. For this reason, I use jersey knit. If you choose something that frays, use some Fraycheck on the edges and that should do the trick.
- Container that will fit your fabric. I use paint trays.
- Freezer paper
- Scissors/rotary cutter
- Bubble Jet Set(can be found many places-just do a google search). This is an additional step needed to prepare your fabric so that you can wash the labels. If you don't wash your handmade goods, then you can print directly to the untreated fabric. I make a lot of clothing, so I need to treat my fabric. If you are going to treat your fabric, follow the instructions on the Bubble Jet Set, which basically entails soaking your fabric in the solution, drying it, printing on it, and then rinsing it. Pretty easy stuff...and pretty cool stuff that Bubble Jet Set is...
2. Design your label using any software. I used Photoshop. I made each label to approximate 2 inches, and put my name centered about an inch down. So that when I cut the labels, I make a hang tag type. In this case, you fold each label in half and lay it in you seam and sew it up. Or you can make any type of label you might want. Your limit is only your creativity.
3. Now for the best invention that is hardly ever used for what it is intended:FREEZER PAPER. I love this stuff. Anyhow, cut pieces a wee bit bigger than your fabric sheets and iron it on each fabric sheet. This gives your fabric structure that can run through your printer. Then after each sheet is prepared, print your layout on the fabric paper...hard work is done.
Here are my freshly printed label sheets:
4. Cut out the labels using scissors or an rotary cutter.
And there you go....labels: painless, cheap, and handmade...
The devil is in the details,,,,
