Any photograph, image or design that looks good in black and white is a great candidate for printing with Citra-Solv. It's permanent, can be washed in the washer, takes about 2 minutes to do and it's cheap and easy. Once you start printing it's hard to stop because the possibilities are pretty endless.
Step 1: What you need:
1. Citra-Solv. They have an incredible website with product info, art stuff, oder info, go here. If you live in the States you can find it at just about any Whole Foods. But save yourself a trip and go to their website if you live far from town. There are great ideas there that I didn't know about until after I wrote this 'ible.
2. Small shallow bowl
3. Cheap 1" or larger paint brush
4. Fabric you want to print on (this should be the smoothest fabric you can find - usually that means a tight weave, but experiment - if you don't have a lot of detail such as a photo you can use a looser
weave fabric.
5. An iron
6. Access to a copier that uses toner (most do, like a Xerox or Cannon etc.)
7. Newspaper or something to protect your dining room table if need be
8. A big spoon, wooden or metal
9. Some pins
10. Images you want to print
2. Small shallow bowl
3. Cheap 1" or larger paint brush
4. Fabric you want to print on (this should be the smoothest fabric you can find - usually that means a tight weave, but experiment - if you don't have a lot of detail such as a photo you can use a looser
weave fabric.
5. An iron
6. Access to a copier that uses toner (most do, like a Xerox or Cannon etc.)
7. Newspaper or something to protect your dining room table if need be
8. A big spoon, wooden or metal
9. Some pins
10. Images you want to print
Step 2: About Citra-Solv:
Citra-Solv must have some other uses besides being used to print images onto fabric but I don't know what those uses are unless I read the side of the bottle. You can do that if you want. I am not going to be pedantic and do it here.
All that matters to you and I is that it is pleasant to smell, but you still need to use it in a well ventilatied room or outside, and you should try not to get it on your hands - it doesn't burn but it's not good for you. Keep it out of your eyes obviously - OK, I read the side of the bottle. A little bit anyway.
There is more info about this in the ironing section - be sure to read that too.
All that matters to you and I is that it is pleasant to smell, but you still need to use it in a well ventilatied room or outside, and you should try not to get it on your hands - it doesn't burn but it's not good for you. Keep it out of your eyes obviously - OK, I read the side of the bottle. A little bit anyway.
There is more info about this in the ironing section - be sure to read that too.
Step 3: What to do next:
Make a bunch of copies (on a copier) of photos you like or images or designs. Until you get the hang of it keep your images to about 4" x 4" (10 mm) to start with. You will find that you get better the more you do, but in the beginning just use some junky fabric. It takes a little practice to know how hard to burnish, how secure the paper must be not to be moved while you are burnishing and how much Citra-Solv to use.
You can use images that you have on your computer (I am assuming I don't have to say anything about copyright stuff here, you know the drill by now - DONT COPY other's work without permission). Print them in black in white or color - it doesn't much matter as you are going to be making copies of them on the copier that will be in black and white.
You are then going to lay the image upside down, meaning that you will be looking at the back of the paper. Now secure it to the fabric with those pins from the supply list.
You can use images that you have on your computer (I am assuming I don't have to say anything about copyright stuff here, you know the drill by now - DONT COPY other's work without permission). Print them in black in white or color - it doesn't much matter as you are going to be making copies of them on the copier that will be in black and white.
You are then going to lay the image upside down, meaning that you will be looking at the back of the paper. Now secure it to the fabric with those pins from the supply list.
Step 4: Brushing on the Citra-Solv
As you can see from the above photos the stuff is like water and it's easy to just wipe it across your upside down copy in under a second.
Step 5: Burnishing
This is where your spoon comes in. It can be a metal or a wooden one, but the idea is to rub and rub the spoon on the image. That rubbing pressure will make the ink, which has been turned into a liquid from the Citra-Solv, transfer to the fabric underneath.
Your printing/burnishing surface must be fairly hard - not as hard as a table and not as soft as a towel on top of a table; newspapers and a piece of fabric give about the right hardness. Think about how the paper would bend if you were burnishing on a really soft surface. Think about your lack of surface area on a really hard surface. Look for something to give you an in-between surface.
Your printing/burnishing surface must be fairly hard - not as hard as a table and not as soft as a towel on top of a table; newspapers and a piece of fabric give about the right hardness. Think about how the paper would bend if you were burnishing on a really soft surface. Think about your lack of surface area on a really hard surface. Look for something to give you an in-between surface.
Step 6: Peeking
In this step you take out all but one pin and take a peek to see how you are doing - is the image all there? Is is smeared? Is is dark enough? I can tell you from experience that once you get the hang of this kind of printing you will not want to take a peek because no matter how careful you are to place the paper back down just right, it usually shifts just a tad. The result is a blurry print.
But the reason I want you to peek at this point is because you are just practicing. Peek enough times and you will soon get to the point that you won't have to.
But the reason I want you to peek at this point is because you are just practicing. Peek enough times and you will soon get to the point that you won't have to.
Step 7: Ironing
Sometimes I don't remove the paper at all but iron right on it after burnishing. Sometimes I remove the paper and then iron. Sometimes I think I get a darker print if I iron right through the paper but I think more depends on the weave of the fabric.
Iron on a cloth to protect your ironing board. You are protecting it from smelling like Citra-Solv forever and also in case any ink goes right through your fabric.
I don't think it is a good idea to breath Citra-Solve fumes as they evaporate from the hot iron so you should do this outside or in a well ventilated room or wear a real gas mask. When I am working with it I tend to print many, many images on a piece of fabric so I wear a real gas mask, don't let this deter you from tying this 'ible. I use a lot so I take more precautions. It doesn't say anything on the bottle about it being harmful if inhaled (it does smell pretty good too) so it must not be, but it's just common sense to me. (Yes, I read the side of the bottle after all).
Iron on a cloth to protect your ironing board. You are protecting it from smelling like Citra-Solv forever and also in case any ink goes right through your fabric.
I don't think it is a good idea to breath Citra-Solve fumes as they evaporate from the hot iron so you should do this outside or in a well ventilated room or wear a real gas mask. When I am working with it I tend to print many, many images on a piece of fabric so I wear a real gas mask, don't let this deter you from tying this 'ible. I use a lot so I take more precautions. It doesn't say anything on the bottle about it being harmful if inhaled (it does smell pretty good too) so it must not be, but it's just common sense to me. (Yes, I read the side of the bottle after all).
Step 8: Hints
Weave matters. The tighter the weave the more detail you will have in your print.
Poke just a small hole in the top of the Citra-Solv bottle so the stuff doesn't evaporate too fast and so you have more control as you pour it into that shallow dish.
Iron your fabric before you start printing because you really need a flat smooth surface.
If you are printing on a T-shirt put something inside the shirt so you don't have ink bleeding through to the back of the shirt.
I know you will ask but no, you cannot use this technique with stuff you print out from your inkjet printer. I tried it and nothing happens, no ink transfers because no ink dissolves. Laser printers I do not know about - try it and let us know.
An Addtional Note: I tried this technique with a color laser copy (not to be confused with a color laser print, which I have not tried yet) and there was no transfer at all. The color copy (from Kinkos) was a few years old. A brand new copy may have a dfferent effect.
Remember that if you are printing an image with words on it that they (the words) will print in reverse. Actually the image will print in reverse too. You probably already knew that but just in cae you didn't, make them backwards before you make your copy so you can read them. Some really great copiers have this feature - so if yours does, use it. You will only forget one time.
Poke just a small hole in the top of the Citra-Solv bottle so the stuff doesn't evaporate too fast and so you have more control as you pour it into that shallow dish.
Iron your fabric before you start printing because you really need a flat smooth surface.
If you are printing on a T-shirt put something inside the shirt so you don't have ink bleeding through to the back of the shirt.
I know you will ask but no, you cannot use this technique with stuff you print out from your inkjet printer. I tried it and nothing happens, no ink transfers because no ink dissolves. Laser printers I do not know about - try it and let us know.
An Addtional Note: I tried this technique with a color laser copy (not to be confused with a color laser print, which I have not tried yet) and there was no transfer at all. The color copy (from Kinkos) was a few years old. A brand new copy may have a dfferent effect.
Remember that if you are printing an image with words on it that they (the words) will print in reverse. Actually the image will print in reverse too. You probably already knew that but just in cae you didn't, make them backwards before you make your copy so you can read them. Some really great copiers have this feature - so if yours does, use it. You will only forget one time.
Step 9: The best step - you can wash it!
Yes you really can. I have even tried to bleach it with no effect at all. It's on there for good.
Step 10: The End
Happy Printing. Don't hesitate to ask me questions, and please rate my Ible. Citra Solv has a great link to finding printers and copiers that work well - here.
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I printed out a page from graphic fairy, bought the citra solv did everything you did and got nothing/
what am I doing wrong
I guess Im still not understanding,
I am thinking that the Citra-Solv is just acting as a heat transfer medium because you get about the same amount of transfer as I do when I don't pre-chill the paper.
Here briefly is my best method (but I have had success with variations):
(1) Chill your print paper overnight in the fridge (wrap in plastic to avoid condensation).
(2) Print a mirror image of your design out on a B&W or colour laser printer while the paper is still cold.
(3) Re-chill the paper and take it out of the fridge just before ironing.
(4) The iron has to be very hot, it should yellow paper slightly, Make sure the steam setting is off and there is no water in the iron. (And old iron kept for the purpose is best.)
(5) Place the design toner side down onto the fabric on a good flat ironing board and make sure the fabric is flat (pre-iron if needed).
(6) Iron until your patience is gone or the paper goes yellow. At times I have sprayed the paper with water from a mister to try to increase heat transfer.
(7) If you are really lucky the paper will be stuck to the fabric by the fused toner and you will have to wash it off with water. That usually gives the best result. Other times it just falls off dry, that usually means some of the toner will be still stuck to the paper.
can i chill multiple papers in the fridge or freezer in one plastic bag before ironing??? was going to attempt your process today! i am very excited because it will hopefully produce a crisp print especially with thin straight lines. :-)
You should be able to chill multiple sheets together but I have never tried it. Keep in mind that paper is a good insulator and chilling will take longer to get right to the middle of the stack.
I have been thinking lately that one experiment I haven't tried is to iron from the fabric side. The melted toner should move toward the heat by fluid absorption. Next time!
I guess I could do an Instructable on it, what would be cool would be to do a proper comparison of several methods to see what works best. I am not sure if I can get Citra-Solv here in Oz though.
We cold even print the same image - your way and my way and then wash however many times you want and post the results with photos.
As far as the bleach goes; toner colours are predominately pigments not dyes so very resistant to bleach and sunlight; particularly the black. Fused toner is more likely to be lost from fabric by extensive mechanical agitation ie as the fabric fibres wear away. Hence most of my articles that have faded eg the handkerchief, is so threadbare now I would say it is just about had it's day. I really only keep it because it was my first experiment with toner.
I will definitely try to get some Citra-Solv. Actually I should really get serious and checkout exactly what polymer is used for the toner binder and see what appropriate solvents I can find around the lab.
I have to tell you though the "chill trick" pretty well leaves very little toner on the paper when I get it perfect. I suspect that any solvent will only make the lines more diffuse. This would be good for photos but perhaps not as good for text and logos.
Comparing results for the same image is a great idea, I am buried in projects at the moment though, I will take this up thoroughly as soon as I get time.
When we are done we can post a link from this 'ible to our 'ible.
I just meant to attach your photos to a comment - when you have a chance. I think the 'unrelated stuff' would still be relevant here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTvyRhjY5c4&feature=youtu.be
Then I tried printing some off at the neighborhood gas station. For holding the print down I found using blue painters tape around the edges would stay on better if the citrisolve got under it. Masking tape released quickly. I held a cotton ball on the top of the bottle of citrisolve turning it over for two or three seconds to wet the cotton ball then rubbed the back of the print covering the whole back of the paper quickly to show the image. I started rubbing at one edge of the image with the edge of my spoon then raised a small corner to check if was doing anything and found It started transferring immediately! It made a dark crisp print that took maybe two minutes to do the entire thing!
It was Amazing! I had also tried some prints from office depot that didn't work. But all of the copy machines I tried that cost .10 cents a print at the station, grocery store, and a small printing company all worked great! It is worth the looking around to find that perfect printer. Once you see how easy it can be the possibilities are endless. And it's addictive. Just warning you. Lol!
If you want to color the print, use markers that are labeld either Textile or Fabric; these markers are intended for fabric and are permanent after heat setting (cover with paper and press with a medium heat iron). To hold the fabric stable while coloring with the marker, press freezer paper to the wrong side of the fabric (shiny side of the freezer paper on the fabric; press on the paper side of the freezer paper with a medium hot iron to secure it to the fabric). After the marker has been heat set, remove the freezer paper (it pulls off easily).
Other options for coloring: fabric paints; acrylic craft paints with a Texile Medium; permanent stamping inks. All of these supplies are applied with a brush. Heat setting usually is required for permanency (that information will be on the label).
If you're determined to use some type of chemical to transfer the image to fabric...go to the drug store and get a fingernail polish remover pen. That cheapo (and easily found) gadget will transfer as well as anything. Be sure to wipe the marker over the back of the entire image area to ensure the transfer of the image to the fabric. When the transfer is complete, press on the wrong side of the fabric to ensure permanancy. Do not launder for a week.
I asked the guy at Kinkos if the copy machines were toner based and he said yes. I even peaked in side and saw the toner drum.......
Most all commercial printer and copy machine are toner printers.
This is a really great idea! Thank you very much for the post.