A great idea for the all round artist. A way in which, if you feel like painting on fabric and making it last, you need not buy a whole range of fabric paints. Mm13 fabric fixative mixed with matisse colours, preferably flow formula, will become permanent on t shirts or most other garments after heat fixing.
Mix equal parts of fabric fixative and matisse flow formula acrylic, then paint and let dry before you heat set with an iron to become wash fast. Heat set by ironing on the reverse side of the painted area or put a tea towel over the painted area and heat set with an iron (see below). Do not allow the iron to make contact with the paint. Some synthetic fabrics are non absorbent and thus not suited for paint application.
It is possible to thin the paint with water and achieve stain effects or delicate watercolour brushouts. Test your fabric choice beforehand. Although white in colour, this product will not alter the paint colour when blended in the correct ratios. Drying time is approximately 2.5 hours, depending upon weather conditions and the thickness of application. Avoid the use of heavy layers and thick textures, as these may crack or peel over time. Do not allow to freeze. Heat fix times & temperatures please note heat fixing times and temperatures are subject to vary depending on the accuracy of the settings in the appliance to be used.
The following is a guide only:
- Cotton, calico, linen, rayon 4 5 minutes at 140°c 180°c
- Synthetics, nylon, polyester, tetron, acrylic 5 8 minutes at 115°c 130°c [space height="5"]
It is important to remember that valuable projects always warrant a test. Heat fixing tests should always be done on the fabric to determine temperature and time required to make the image fast (permanent) but without scorching the particular fabric. Test by heat fixing a trial strip and washing on a heavy duty cycle.
