How to care for digitally printed fabrics
Forget-Me-Not print in Berry colorway
I’m printing my fabric designs through Spoonflower and would like to share a few basic fabric care tips in case you’d like to do the same.
Wash fabric before trimming
Wash your printed fabric before trimming off white borders. Almost any woven fabric will naturally fray during the washing or drying cycles. So, if it happens, only white borders will fray, and you won’t lose any fraction of your printed fabric.
Wash cold with low spin setting
Wash your fabrics separately on a cold setting because high temperatures may cause fabrics to shrink and some colors to bleed. Use a gentle cycle with the low spin setting, if possible. Using low spin will prevent your fabrics from fraying too much. Wash with mild phosphate-free detergent.
Lay or hang fabric to dry
Lay your fabrics flat or hang them to dry. This will prevent wrinkling and will make it easier for you to iron (press) your fabrics.
Iron fabric on the appropriate setting
Iron your fabrics with the printed side down and on the appropriate setting. I’m using the Cotton setting for 100% cotton fabrics, Wool or Silk for cotton blends, and Synthetics for polyester.
Store your fabric away from sunlight
Sunlight may cause colors to fade. So always store your fabrics away from direct sunlight to keep the colors vibrant.
Roll fat quarters for storage
You can store fat quarters rolled to prevent wrinkling. This way you won’t have to press them again. Thicker fabrics like Cotton Canvas can be easily rolled on their own. You may use a sheet of printer paper to roll thin fabrics.
Spoonflower has a dedicated page where you can learn more about Caring for Your Spoonflower Products
