iTunes for clothes / new possibilities printing on fabric

[blissed]

Now that we can inkjet print on to fabric at home.
I'd like people to download my designs, print the fabric and make them.
or pay someone else to.

With no stock and no risk, this would free fashion enormously and give independent designers the same freedom to experiment as independent musicians.
Be nice to put my designs on the same site as my music too.

Does anyone inkjet print onto fabric at A3, or even A2. I'd love to know how you get on with it.

 

[blissed]

Doesn't anyone have any thoughts on this concept at all.

 

[Monsieur]

i think the idea sounds good in theory, but i think people who tend to make their own stuff will have their own ideas in the first place... and people who don't make their own stuff, well, they probably won't.
i reckon there is a market perhaps for those who are learning/on the way... but otherwise not really...

also this idea would also mean that anyone who wants to take part has to own or have access to a fabric printing injet printer...
i personally don't... sorry to put a damper on your idea...

 

[blissed]

Thanks for your response.

You don't need a special printer to print on to fabric.
If the link below is selling printable fabric to craft hobbyists it can't be long before they produce A3 or A2 in other fabrics besides cotton.

I think your in some ways right and that the ideas 3 or 4 years ahead.

If people see a dress and fall in love with it. Their going to want it.
But if it costs £900 I can see a revival of people paying for the pattern, making it or having it made locally, like my Gran did.


http://www.craftycomputerpaper.co.uk/silk fabric sheets.htm

 

[purreow*]

Is this stuff machine washable though? As a graphic designer, I've often wondered how to get my designs on to fabric (inexpensively). It would be easy enough then just to pay some one to sew them into some sort of creation.

 

[blissed]

I think it is, according to this part of the site

http://www.craftycomputerpaper.co.uk/Fabric tests.htm

 

[purreow*]

have you tried this before, blissed? does the printable fabric feel nice to the touch, or is it rough from the ink? i wonder if this would be good for a small run of something like silk scarves or other small item?

 

[LoveMyBoots]

I remember reading an article about college students drawing designs and sending it to a company who make the shirts and sell them. The designer and company share profits. I'm not sure where I read it but if that is what you're looking for it does exist... somewhere.

 

[blissed]

have you tried this before, blissed? does the printable fabric feel nice to the touch, or is it rough from the ink? i wonder if this would be good for a small run of something like silk scarves or other small item?

I'm going to try it after christmas when I'll have the time.
But even if it' feels rough. If it photographs silky it would make a rapid prototype that would use dye sublimation (I think thats right) to manufacture.
If it turns out smooth, great. If it does turn out rough, it would be nice to use that contrast creatively.

I remember reading an article about college students drawing designs and sending it to a company who make the shirts and sell them. The designer and company share profits. I'm not sure where I read it but if that is what you're looking for it does exist... somewhere.

That's a tease that is I'd love to do that. I wish you could remember where you saw it.
Think, what were you doing when you saw it last

 

[purreow*]

Yeah, definitely good for prototypes for sure. I was just looking into getting some fabric printed up a few months ago for some accessories I was looking to do, and the cost was just too much for me to do a large run. It would be nice if I could use this option for a small run of items - like 50 or so.

 

[LoveMyBoots]

That's a tease that is I'd love to do that. I wish you could remember where you saw it.
Think, what were you doing when you saw it last

I'm sorry, I read that quite a long time ago. (I'm surprised I recalled that article.) I did an search on Google News for you, but came out with nothing. I hope you find what you're looking for.

 

[blissed]

Thanks for searching lovemyboots

I've just ordered 3 sheets now. So I'll find out soon what it's like.
Even at A4 it's going to make a garment, it Just depends on the image I use.
I like the idea of the image suggesting the design and small pieces of silk against the skin.

I hope it can make some great accessories, then develop possibly into tight stuff and then baggy and dresses.

I like the idea of taking those harnesses you have to wear when you do a parachute jump and making something hard like that in soft silk, accentuating the body shape. I think this would be perfect for that.

(Just saw the trailer for 'walk the line' I think I'll catch that on dvd, thanks)

 

[fab_fifties_fille]

I don't understand how you can make a good looking garment from A4/A3 sized pieces?...would you plan on patching them all together then making the garment?

I've printed onto fabric before using inkjet printers...I had to soak my chosen fabric in a solution (bubblejet 3000) if I remember correctly, dry it, then iron it to a piece of A4/A3 paper before putting it through the printer. It was used for bag linings and motifs but that's only a bag...a small garment...and didn't require much 'patching'.

 

[PrinceOfCats]

An idea for selling music in the future, was that you would walk into say HMV, and you'd tell a machine which CD you'd like to buy from HMVs entire catalogue, then the machine would write the CD, print the liner, and whizz it out of a little slot for you.

I guess you could do the same with clothes, you could have a shop with a big industrial printer, and then you'd simply pay to dowload the design you wanted printed. But being able to do it at home seems to be stretching technology too far...

 

[Lena]

i think this is excellent news, thanks for the topic, cant wait to be updated in how the fabric behaves & feels after being laser printed

fff, one can patch a whole garment or just use the A4 printed fabric on details (short sleeves, trims, etc)

for sure this can bring a subtle revolution by freeing creative applications for low budget or even 'amateur' designers, btw i believe in hobbyist's creative freedom, takes away all the discomfort of 'commercial fright' out of the creating process.

Its fantastic news not to need a 300 meter order (plus screens) to have your ideas printed, lets see how this works

 

[Lena]

great idea your highness

 

[mouko]

At FIT, they're doing a Dutch design and fashion show where they showcased this laser "printer" that one can actually download or create designs and it burns little acrylic (I believe) powders and actually constructs the garment. Obviously man years away from being practical, but it was very interesting to watch. They had a video and sample of items they made, including a "chainamail" dress and bag.

 

[tott]

i think this is excellent news, thanks for the topic, cant wait to be updated in how the fabric behaves & feels after being laser printed

fff, one can patch a whole garment or just use the A4 printed fabric on details (short sleeves, trims, etc)

for sure this can bring a subtle revolution by freeing creative applications for low budget or even 'amateur' designers, btw i believe in hobbyist's creative freedom, takes away all the discomfort of 'commercial fright' out of the creating process.

Its fantastic news not to need a 300 meter order (plus screens) to have your ideas printed, lets see how this works

I agre about the creative aspect, but I feel it's very limited right now, unless you want to make t-shirts or small embellishments. I just don't see how this could be made practical and easy in the near future if you want to print fabric to make a dress, or print the fabric of a dress...

It'll be interesting to see if this actually makes an impact!

 

[Beata]

does anyone have any pics of their printed on fabric designs? im curious to see if it has a good quality

 

[Yasmin]

What might be interesting is one day maybe we can have printers that we can insert fabric into, and it looks at some 'design' software you've bought, it cuts out and prints washable sewing guides so that with a few stitches from the sewing machine we have the designed dress. I guess that is similar to buying those patterns that you iron on. So maybe it wouldn't be that helpful. Dunno... i'm in a weird mood so I can't really picture any of this being useful at the moment.

Ohhh computerize sewing machine that you upload the "design" into and it does all the work by itself (you provide the rolls of fabric, it sews and cuts and maybe even prints graphics). Just flashes like a photocopy machine: "Insert more Cotton/Poly Blend in slot A" "Insert more black thread" "Dress is complete"

I guess they already use smth like this for like mass produced stuff?