We thought we’d try something different and put together a guide that’s sure to get you beach ready. Let’s talk Summer essentials! Think durable tote bags, deluxe beach throws, quirky board shorts, divine kaftans and fun swimwear of course. Whether you’re an expert with a sewing machine or just getting a feel for custom textiles, the end of year holidays are the perfect time to start a DIY project. There’s nothing more satisfying than using your art to create something that’s both unique and practical to enjoy. In this article we go through our stock fabric top picks for the season and the popular beach products they’re perfect for so keep reading!
Image via Pinterest
COTTON LINEN – 97% Cotton / 3% Linen & 250gsm
Let start simple! Have you seen Turkish Towels or gorgeous Beach Throws? They’re trending Summer essentials and we think our Cotton Linen is the perfect fabric to use.
Cotton Linen is a wonderfully textured natural fibre blend with a durable weave. The fabric has a warm off-white base colour and a matte finish. To use this fabric for a beach throw simply print your custom design and then cut & hem the edges – easy!
Image via Pinterest
COTTON VOILE – 100% Cotton & 75gsm
Want to make your own kaftan or sarong for the warm weather? We think this is another simple project with our Cotton Voile being the perfect fabric for the job!
Cotton Voile is light-weight and super soft and can be compared to muslin, especially after washing as this fabric will only get softer over time! It has an off-white base colour, is semi-sheer and has a matte finish. This fabric is light and airy to wear making it perfect for poolside wraps and ultra-chic kaftans.
Image via Pinterest
Image via Pinterest
CANVAS – 100% Polyester & 300gsm
Interested in custom beach totes? Look no further! Our Polyester Canvas is just what you need to create a sturdy tote bag!
Our Polyester Canvas is a first choice canvas fabric which is highly durable and softens over time the more you use it. This is a plain weave fabric with a bright white base which ensures vibrant printing results ideal for beach accessories. This fabric is also easy to clean and is water resistant making this the ideal choice for beach bags.
Image via Pinterest
Image via Pinterest
VESNA (ECO-LYCRA) – 85% Recycled Polyester / 15% Spandex & 230gsm
For swimwear garments we recommend checking out our Vesna (Eco Lycra)! It’s an absolute must have fabric to rock an eco-friendly bikini this summer!
Vesna (Eco-Lycra) is an innovative fabric made using recycled plastic bottles! It has an off-white base, a smooth surface and moisture wicking properties. The fabric produces vibrant print results and the surface’s slight sheen will make your artwork pop! The Vesna has an even four-way stretch, a chlorine rating between 4-5 and a UPF rating of 50+ making it the perfect choice for your custom swimwear.
Image via Pinterest
AEROCORP – 100% Polyester & 125gsm
Ever considered creating your own board shorts? We think our Aerocorp fabric is an excellent choice to bring a custom pair of boardies to life!
Aerocorp is a light-weight, microfiber fabric with a smooth and fine texture. It has a bright white base and a matte finish and has excellent colour reproduction when printed. It also provides moisture management and breathability, making it super comfortable to wear – perfect for lounging by the pool.
Image via Pinterest
Ready to start your creative summer project? Order your custom fabric today! If you’re still unsure which of our fabrics will suit your project best, please get in touch!
Been interested in printing on our Cotton Linen fabric, however unsure if it will suit your work? Then keep reading! Below we’ve listed this fabrics specs, printing characteristics and the types of projects, products and applications we think it’s perfect for! You’ll soon find out why this fabric is consistently one of our most popular fabrics.
Cotton Linen is a fabulous natural fibre blend (97% Cotton / 3% Linen) with a gorgeous texture and durable weave. This sturdy fabric is 250gsm, has zero stretch and a maximum printable width of 140cm.The fabric has a warm off-white base colour (think cereal milk or fresh cream) and a matte finish. Its robust weave provides great colour reproduction when printed! When considering the Cotton Linen for your next project please keep in mind that some fading after washing is normal for natural fabrics that have been used for digital printing. The fading often gives our printed natural fabrics a softer finish which suits the natural fibre itself. Fading can be minimized through the use of cold hand-washing and phosphate free detergent.
Our Cotton Linen is a really versatile, premium choice fabric, which gives a deluxe yet relaxed feel to homewares, garments and displays. It is often selected by customers as an alternative to Cotton Canvas fabrics. Popular applications for the Cotton Linen include cushion covers, upholstery, tailored jackets, bags, tea towels, wall hangings, art displays and event back drops. We’ve included some examples below of the types of projects that this fabric is the ideal choice for!
Image via Pinterest
Image via Pinterest
Image via Pinterest
Image via Pinterest
Sample swatches of the Cotton Linen are available through our Sample Pack Order Form and can be found in our ‘Fashion Fabrics’, ‘Natural Fabrics’, ‘Home and Interiors Fabrics’ and ‘Superpack’ sample packs. Get in touch to find out if this fabrics will be suitable for your next project!
Digital fabric printing is a truly amazing process and one of the perks (among many others) is that you don’t have to print many meters of your design to test an idea.
You can even print small swatches and variations of your design/s to check colours and quality before ordering a larger print run. Our printers can handle printing small jobs and multiple images at the same time. It’s digital printing after all!
We have put together this great tutorial demonstrating how you can bring multiple designs onto the one file using Adobe Photoshop. Once you have this file set-up simply upload it on our website using our Online Uploader, choose your fabric and order!
It’s a fun and economical way to test run your idea!
First, create a new canvas in Adobe Photoshop. For the width, use the printable width of the fabric you would like to print on. The length is entirely up to you. Keep in mind the printable width of each of our stock fabrics is different and varies between 135 -147cm. Your new document resolution is determined by the image quality of the images that are being collated into the one file. TIP: If you think you’re using low quality images keep the new file resolution low as well; 72DPI -150 DPI. Select RGB for Colour Mode.
Drag and drop required files onto newly created canvas.
Arrange files within canvas space as needed. Use Free Transform option, located EDIT > FREE TRANSFORM, to change the size of each image or simply type the size required in the dimension options.
Once sizes have been determined, use the Move Tool to arrange the images to your liking within the canvas space.
Save file as JPEG at high quality and you are ready to test all those wonderful creative ideas!
Simply upload your newly created file onto our Fabric Uploader, choose your fabric and order. Our Fabric Uploader is available 24/7 which means you can order anytime! Plus there are no set-up fees! Our Online Uploader also features multiple preview options which lets you see how your design would look on a range of products.
We regularly feature articles on our blog that put the spotlight on one of our fabulous stock fabrics. This time we thought we’d try something a little different and put together a post based around an application rather than a single fabric. This month we’re talking about fabric for scarves, which is one of the most popular products we assist our customers with! Scarves are one of the products we offer ‘Print & Make’ services for so please contact us if you’ve been thinking of creating your very own custom scarf!
Scarves are popular in a variety of sizes and shapes and can be worn in varying styles. We recommend four options for scarves from our Fabric Range; the Chiffon, Dilly and Whisper from our polyester fabrics range and the Cotton Voile from our natural fabrics range. We’ve broken down each of these fabrics below to help you determine which will work best for the scarf you have in mind.
Chiffon 100% polyester & 75gsm
Chiffon is an airy, sheer fabric with a matte surface and crepe finish. Despite being sheer the fabric provides great colour reproduction when printed and works well for designs with bold colours.
Chiffon is an excellent choice for both every day and evening wear scarves whilst its lightness makes it popular for warmer months. The texture of the Chiffon also makes it a good choice for head scarves as it isn’t too slippery.
Image via Pinterest
Dilly 97% polyester / 3% spandex & 95gsm
Dilly is light-weight, silky, has a beautiful drape and a lustrous surface. This fabric is our most popular choice when looking for a polyester silk-alternative. Dilly has excellent colour reproduction when printed and is ideal for designs with bright and deep colours. The sheen to the fabric’s finish gives printed colours an added vibrancy.
Dilly is a fabulous choice for a classic silk scarf dupe and for scarves designed for special events.
Image via Pinterest
Whisper 95% polyester / 5% spandex & 96gsm
Whisper is a light-weight fabric with a hint of stretch, a bright white base and zero shine which provides great colour reproduction when printed. Whisper’s slinky, liquid-like drape makes it a great matte substitute for silk. The fabric’s ultra-smooth surface also makes it perfect for designs with fine details and busy layouts.
Whisper is a great choice for matte finish scarves which are super soft to touch and comfortable to wear.
Image via Pinterest
Cotton Voile 100% cotton & 70gsm
Cotton Voile is similar to muslin, is ultra-soft and will only get softer after washing! Cotton Voile has an off-white base colour, is semi-sheer and has a matte finish. Despite the fabric’s transparency it provides strong colour reproduction when printed and has good colour show-through on the underside.
Unlike the vibrant printing results typical for polyester fabrics, printing results on our natural fabrics are softer. Some fading through washing is also normal and gives the fabric a soft ‘worn’ appearance.
The Cotton Voile is a perfect choice for breathable scarves for warm weather and scarves intended to have an understated yet elegant finish.
Image via Pinterest
Samples of each of these suggested fabrics are available in either our ‘Fashion Fabrics’ or ‘All Stock Super Pack’ sample packs which are available from our Sample Pack Order Form. Get in touch with us to find out which of these fabrics we would recommend for your upcoming scarf design!
As many of you know we’ve been out of stock of a Cotton Voile for sometime (sorry) but at last – we have good news! We are very excited to announce we have added a brand NEW Cotton Voile fabric to our Natural Fabrics Fabric Range! Keep reading for more info below as our new Cotton Voile is distinctly different from our older stock fabric, and we think a more premium product!
Cotton Voile is 100% Cotton and has a maximum printable width of 140cm. This fabric is very similar to muslin, is super-soft and only gets softer after washing! Cotton Voile has an off-white base colour with a touch of warmth, is semi-sheer and has a matte finish. Despite the fabric’s transparency it provides strong colour reproduction when printed and has good colour show-through on the underside of the fabric. When selecting the Cotton Voile please keep in mind that some fading as a result of washing is normal for digital printing on natural fabrics. The fading often gives our natural fabrics a charming and soft ‘worn’ look. Fading can be minimized through the use of cold hand-washing and phosphate free detergent.
Cotton Voile is a lightweight, 70gsm fabric with no stretch and good drape. The open weave nature of the fabric gives it some give and ensures it is ultra-breathable. The Cotton Voile is an excellent choice for scarves, sheer shirts and blouses, summer dresses, kaftans, baby swaddles, baby clothes and light curtains. We’ve popped some inspiration pics below!
Image via Pinterest
Image via Pinterest
Image via Pinterest
Image via Pinterest
Sample swatches of the Cotton Voile are available through our Sample Pack Order Form and can be found in our ‘All Stock Super Pack’, ‘Natural Fabrics’ and ‘For the Little Ones’ sample packs. Get in touch to find out if this fabric will be suitable for your next project!
You asked, we listened! After receiving plenty of interest in recycled lycra fabrics we’re very excited to announce that we have introduced one to the Digital Fabrics Fabric Range! Introducing our NEW Vesna Recycled Eco Lycra.
Vesna is an innovative 85% Recycled Polyester / 15% Spandex fabric made using recycled plastic bottles and has a maximum printable width of 147cm.
Vesna has an off-white base and a smooth surface with a slight sheen – not too matte and not too shiny! Vesna’s composition and finish provides really vibrant printing results, making this fabric ideal for designs with bright and deep colours.
Vesna is 230 GSM with an even four-way stretch and moisture wicking properties. It also has a chlorine rating between 4-5 and a UPF rating of 50 making it perfect for swimwear and active-wear garments. We think the Vesna will also be a great choice for fashion leggings, dresses, skirts, dancewear and costumes.
Image via Pinterest
Image via Pinterest
Image via Pinterest
Sample swatches of Vesna are available through our Sample Pack Order Form. Get in touch with any upcoming projects that you think our Vesna might be great for!
Canvas. You’ve definitely heard of it but what is it used for? We’ve put together an article that gives you some insight into the specific Polyester Canvas fabric that we use; covering its specs, digital printing characteristics and recommended usage! Keep reading to find out why this fabric is one of our most popular choices from our Fabric Range.
Our Polyester Canvas is a premium canvas fabric and is 100% polyester, highly durable and has a maximum printable width of 147cm.
Polyester Canvas is a plain weave fabric with a smooth and consistent texture. It has an optic white base colour ensuring high quality colour reproduction for dye-sublimation printing. This fabric is an excellent choice for designs with bold and dark colours with vibrant and rich printing results.
This heavy duty fabric is 300GSM, water resistant, easy to care for and has no stretch. Our Polyester Canvas is incredibly versatile and can be used for soft furnishings, upholstery, cushion covers, handbags, tote bags, back packs, commercial displays, wall hangings and photo mounting. This commercial grade fabric is a particularly good choice for interiors. We’ve included some examples below of the types of projects that our Polyester Canvas would be perfect for!
Sample swatches of the Polyester Canvas are available through our Sample Pack Order form on the website. Got a project in mind but not sure if this fabric is suitable? Get in touch and we can help you determine the best choice for you!
It’s that time again – our design team has been busy working to deliver new range of textile designs for our Fabric Shop that delight and inspire. Having focused solely on digital methods to create designs for our previous launch we’ve returned to hand-drawn and hand-painted motifs, texture and line for our latest range. Introducing our Wildflower Collection.
Once again we found ourselves being inspired by nature. It’s hard not to be when it still feels like Summer in Sydney. Our research began by collecting imagery of picture perfect gardens and the creatures that lie within them. These were then used to start drawing and painting interesting forms and surfaces.
From the variety of motifs drawn, a selection of watercolour elements were chosen to develop further for the range, with detail rich designs being an area of focus. We wanted to create a range of prints where the designs could work on their own as well as complement each other when used together. By choosing the unifying feature of watercolour motifs across the range we knew we could be experimental with colour and still create a balanced and harmonious collection.
The Wildflower Collection plays with primary colours throughout the designs, with warm and cool variations of reds, yellows and blues being seen throughout. This balancing of undertones and vibrant colours results in a fun range of designs perfect for those who love to make a statement by mixing and matching bold prints together. We’ve included some reference imagery below that show not only designs comparable to those in this collection, but also those that celebrate the art of clashing prints.
image via Pinterest
image via Pinterest
image via Pinterest
image via Pinterest
image via Pinterest
The Wildflower Collection is full of dramatic colours, textural hand-drawn elements and motifs that feel both ‘naughty and nice’. Whilst ‘Viper Sun’ and ‘Tea Party’ are best suited for fashion rather than homewares, ‘Eclipse’ and ‘Zephyr’ can definitely work well for both. We’d love to know what sort of applications you think these designs would be perfect for – so get in touch! Designs are available in our Fabric Shop now.
This time on the blog we’re focusing on one our most popular fabric choices from our range of Natural Fabrics – the Cotton Poplin! Even if you haven’t printed on our Cotton Poplin before there’s a good chance you’ve seen, used or worn similar Cotton Poplin fabrics. It’s a first choice fabric fora variety of products, garments and homewares.
Our Cotton Poplin is a high quality lightweight 100% cotton fabric which is both durable and versatile, and has a maximum printable width of 140cm. This plain weave natural fabric has a smooth surface making it great for designs with intricate and fine details. It has a warm white base colour and a matte finish. The Cotton Poplin’s tight weave allows for good colour reproduction when printed.
When selecting the Cotton Poplin please keep in mind that some fading as a result of washing is normal for digital printing on natural fabrics. The fading often gives the Cotton Poplin a charming and soft ‘worn’ look. Fading can be minimized through the use of cold hand-washing and phosphate free detergent.
Cotton Poplin is 105 GSM and has no stretch. It has a crispness to its drape and holds it shape very well, making it ideal for fashion garments such as shirts, dresses, skirts and kids clothing. It is a particularly good choice for Summer fashion! The fabric is also a popular choice for pillowcases, napkins, displays and beeswax wraps. We’ve included some reference images below which
image via Pinterest
image via Pinterest
image via Pinterest
Sample swatches of the Cotton Poplin are available through our Sample Pack Order Form on the website. Contact us to find out if this fabric is a suitable option for a textile project you’re working on!
Lately on the blog we’ve focused on writing about any new fabrics for printing we’ve introduced to the Digital Fabrics range. Whilst we’ll continue to write these fabric introductions, you can also expect us to write up on some of our old favourites, to help keep you familiar with our complete Fabric Range for printing and make the right selection for your next textile project!
This time we’re brushing up on a long standing Digital Fabrics favourite – Waratah! Our Waratah is a 100% polyester fabric which is highly durable, easy to care for and has a printable width of 147cm.
It is a twill weave, medium weight fabric with a bright white base and slight sheen to its surface. Waratah’s composition and finish provides excellent colour reproduction when printing, making it perfect for designs with vibrant and deep colours!
Waratah fabric is 200 GSM and has minimum stretch meaning it holds its shape very well. This makes Waratah fabric an ideal for homewares applications such as cushion covers, tablecloths and wall hangings, as well as marketing collateral such as banners and signage. We think it’s such a great choice for interiors we’ve chosen Waratah as the standard choice for Digital Fabric’s Custom Cushion Cover Service!
Interested in Sample swatches of Waratah fabric are available through our Sample Pack Order Form. Get in touch to find out if this fabric suits your upcoming project!