Transfer printing techniques:
- Dry Transfer with fabric crayons
- Wet Transfer with transprint ink
- Digital Print
Materials used:
- Crayola Fabric Crayons
- Kraftcolor Transprint Inks
- Shiny polyester satin, T-shirt
- Baking paper
- Iron
- Leaf veins (for indirect printing)
- Paper cutouts (for textural effects)
Documentation of processes:
1. Drawing using crayons
2. Painting using disperse dyes
3. Digital Print:
Materials required:
- Printing paper (The Magic Touch TTC 3.1 for Light coloured fabric and CPM 6.2 for non fabric hard surfaces)
- Laser printer
- Light coloured fabric , plywood
Technique:
- Laser print images
- Cut out the whites
- Heat-press unto surface with baking paper on top for about 20 seconds
- Quickly remove the paper from the fabric
Applications include:
- customisation of products (e.g. painting own designs on a plain T-shirt)
- corporate gifts (e.g. mass-printing of mugs)
Personal Reflections:
Transfer printing was an engaging process! The experimentation and exploration stopped abruptly when the polyester was fully occupied with prints.
The initial apprehension in trying a new technique gave way to joy and increased curiosity about surface design. Through the act of doing, we discover new styles, patterns and a world in which supposed mistakes can result in beauty.