Try This Sueded Fleece Screen Printing Idea
Printing on fleece can be difficult, but we want to set you up for success. That’s why we launched a new Design Innovation Series with our friends at Motion Textile. Have you been following along? If not, check out the first two posts here and here! For part three of our Design Innovation Series, we must warn you: people will not be able to resist feeling this new cashmere inspired sweatshirt we’re working with today. Our new sueded fleece is irresistible to touch but could be intimidating when it comes to printing. So if you’re a brand who is not afraid to try something new and like to set the trends, this sueded fleece screen printing technique is definitely for you.
Decorating Tips
Let’s start with decorating advice. When we came up with sueded fleece, we love the touch and feel, but we weren’t really sure how it’s going to print, so we sent it to Tom at Motion Textile to do a test run. There’s no question, the fabric has a great feel, but it’s extremely porous, so his approach two fold:
1. Print with a low viscosity ink
2. Use textured or distressed artwork (This way, you don’t have to fully penetrate the fabric, but can just print right on top of the surface).
3. When on press, use one hit per color with no flash in between
Tom’s approach is simple, because he says the sueded fleece fabric really stands on its own, therefore, the printing should just be accenting, or adding to the fabric. Using single layers of ink with no underlay, Tom recommends all wet on wet printing without flash. Ultimately, the ink is just becoming part of the substrate for an organic and natural finished look.
Artwork Tips
For printing on sueded fleece, you generally want to avoid small graphics with fine detail and tight registration. Try to keep it loose with soft inks and colors, avoiding bright hues that require multiple layers of ink. The goal is to print right into the fabric, making the graphic become part of the substrate. For a look like ours, you will want bold distressed graphics, a low viscosity ink, and one hit per color on the press with no flashing in between. The textures of the sueded fleece paired with this design creates a super unique look that’s sure to be a head-turner.
How would you make a screen print design on our sueded fleece your own? Give it a try and let us know how it goes.
Screen printing not your thing? Don’t worry, we’ve tested embroidery and it turned out great as well. If you’d like to give that a shot, we’re taking next week’s blog to a new level by showing you a hack for creating a cut and sew look on already made blades. You don’t want to miss it! Be sure to subscribe to stay in the know!
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Read more articles here for additional printing tips!
1 Comments
Amy
Can you use with HTV?