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Transferring Computer Images to Fabric

Transferring Computer Images to Fabric

Much of your embroidery is likely done for friends and family members. A great way to personalize embroidered items is to incorporate your own photography. In a recent beach bag project, I used photographs from a day trip to the beach. This tutorial shows you one quick and easy way to add pictures to your embroidered items.

 1:

If your picture includes some writing or text, mirror the image on your computer before printing it out. Otherwise, the words will be backwards in the final product. You can see that on my printed copy, the word appears backwards. Once transferred to the fabric, the words will read correctly.

 2:

Once your photographs are mirrored as needed, cropped and sized to your liking, print them onto the transfer paper. I used an iron-on transfer printer paper, which I purchased at an office supply store.

 3:

Next, I cut the photos out for easy handling. Each one can be cut right along the printed edge, or a small border can be left. If you leave a border, it will end up as a platic-y transparent margin on your completed transfer, which you may wish to cover up.

 4:

Place the picture face-down on the fabric to which it will be transferred.

 5:

Drape a pressing cloth over it, and press with an iron for ten to twenty seconds.

 6:

The transfer paper used in this demonstration is a cool-peel variety, which means that I can wait for it to cool down before peeling the paper layer away. Some other papers are meant to be peeled hot or warm. The photograph transfer is successful if when you peel the paper layer away, nothing remains on it; all the printing has been transferred to the fabric.

 7:

An embroidered frame makes a nice touch. Just start the embroidery at the center of the picture, and the frame placement is correct. In this example, a piece of clear vinyl is also placed over the picture before stitching begins.

 8:

The combination of embroidery and real-life photos really personalizes this “fun in the sun” beach bag.

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