5 Best Fabrics for Screen Printing
| Fabric for Screen Printing | Description |
|---|---|
| Telio Organic Cotton Jersey Knit | Made from 100% cotton, soft and drapes well, 30% stretch, suitable for making various apparel items |
| Sweatshirt Fleece Fabric | Made from 100% organic cotton, medium weight, manufactured and dyed in the US, durable and versatile, suitable for sweatshirts and hoodies |
| Interlock Knit Solid | Lightweight fabric, 100% cotton, comes in a variety of colors, suitable for making different types of apparel items |
| Premium Muslin | Lightweight fabric, 100% cotton, versatile use for apparel, utility, crafting, quilting, comes in 44” width |
| European Linen | Medium weight fabric, 100% linen, available in over fifty different colors, suitable for making apparel items, household decor, bedding, accessories |
| Screen Printing Non-Cotton Fabrics | Fabrics like polyester, wool, linen, satin can be used for screen printing with specific inks |
| Caring for Screen Printed Clothing and Items | Hand wash or gentle machine wash with cool water and mild detergent, avoid dry cleaning and putting in the dryer, hang dry whenever possible |
| Recommended Reading | The 7 Sewing Essentials for Beginners, The Beginner’s Guide to Sewing Machines, The Ultimate Guide to Setting up your Sewing Room, Everything You Need To Know About Sewing, Sewing Fabric 101: A Virtual Tour of the Fabric Store |
Table of Contents
Best Fabric for Screen Printing
Here are our fabric for screen printing reviews
1. Telio Organic Cotton Jersey Knit
This organic cotton jersey knit is made from 100% cotton. Cotton works great for screen printing because it is a natural fabric and organic cotton is also great for the environment. While cotton is known to be soft, this organic cotton is even softer and drapes well.
- Has 30% stretch across the grain, which makes it great for making a variety of apparel items including t-shirts, loungewear, tops, and more
- This cotton is totally toxin free
- Machine wash cold and tumble dry on low heat
2. Sweatshirt Fleece Fabric
Screen printing isn’t just for t-shirts or thinner shirts. Some sweatshirts and hoodies can also be screen printed. This medium weight knit fabric is made from 100% organic cotton. Organic cotton is often super soft. Of course, organic cotton is also great for the environment.
- The fabric is manufactured and dyed right in the US
- Machine wash cold, tumble dry on low heat
- Fleece fabric is generally durable and is also quite versatile- fleece can be used to make many different apparel items
3. Interlock Knit Solid
Cotton is a great fabric for screen printing. Natural fibers like cotton soak up the ink well and are great for beginner to advanced screen printers. This fabric is lightweight and is 100% cotton. It comes in a variety of different colors and is a versatile fabric which can be used for making many different types of apparel items
- Machine wash cold, tumble dry on low heat
- Fabric features 30% stretch across the grain
- Comes in 58” widths
4. Premium Muslin
Muslin can be a great fabric to use for screen printing. Natural fibers like cotton work well. Muslin can be used for many different purposes. For apparel items, for utility purposes, for crafting, doll making, tote bags, quilting, linings, costumes, wall coverings, and more.
- Machine wash, tumble dry on low heat
- Fabric is 100% cotton and is lightweight
- Comes in 44” width
5. European Linen
Linen can be screen printed, but it is more of a process for advanced screen printers. Linen is a natural fabric, but it is not as easy to screen print on as cotton. This particular line of linen can be machine washed on gentle. Screen printed items should not be dry cleaned, so be sure wash on gentle and hang to dry to care for may screen printed linen items.
- This medium weight fabric is made from 100% linen
- Linen can be used to make many different apparel items, household décor, bedding, accessories, and more
- This line of fabric is available in over fifty different colors
Fabric for Screen Printing Buying Guide
Screen printing can be a lot of fun. It can be a great way to personalize items or even make extra money by creating personalized or customized items for other people. Screen printing can have a bit of a learning curve, but cheaper or budget friendly cottons could be purchased to practice on. Cotton is readily available and often quite inexpensive. There are many different weaves of cotton that you could practice screen printing as well, before you move on to other fabrics.
Screen Printing Non-Cotton Fabrics
Many other fabrics besides cotton can be used for screen printing as well. Fabrics that are made from 100% polyester can be screen printed as well, but usually special or different inks have to be used. Wool can be used for screen printing, but since wool is often dry clean only (screen printing should not be dry cleaned), take care. Linen can also be used for screen printing, but it is not recommended as a beginner’s fabric. Many other fabrics including ones like satin, can be printed on with different kinds of pigment or textile inks.
Caring for Screen Printed Clothing and Items
Screen printing can be a fun way to personalize items, but you’ll want to keep those items looking great for as long as possible. Screen printed items should be hand washed whenever possible, or wash the item on gentle. Also, if possible, wash items with cool water and a mild detergent. Never dry clean a screen printed item as heat can cause the screen printing to crack or peel. If possible, also avoid putting screen printed items in the dryer. Hang dry items whenever possible.
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