We appreciate receiving your questions about
Printing on Fabric using Bubble Jet Set 2000
and
Printable Fabric Sheetsandseeing the delightful
craft projects you all produce.
Here we've answered some of the most
frequently asked questions at
Australian Country Quilts.
If your question is not
answered please
email us, we will endeavor to
do our best to help you.
Australia's No. 1 'Premium'
Printable Fabric
Sheets
made
in Australian
Standard A4 size.
Using the
latest technology
available Premium
Fabric prints
produce superior
quality images in comparison to
other brands.
USA Brands
Fabric sheets are
made in
USA
Letter size not A4.
Tip:
Change
> Page Setup
before adding photos
to
page for
printing.
To help remove
backing sheets
from various printable
fabric sheets
try either
A)or
B)
or both methods.
A)
Soak fabric in a
tub of cold
water. Gently rub paper
off while
fabric is immersed.
B)
Slide a
dressmaker's pin
between the
fabric + paper
to loosen
the adhesive continue to slide down length of fabric.
Manufacturers Instructions for
using Bubble Jet Set :
On the label of the bottle: Shake well and pour solution into flat pan. Saturate fabric in the solution for five
minutes. Allow fabric to dry. Iron fabric to the smooth side of freezer paper. Cut size to fit your printer. Print on treated fabric, and let sit for 30
minutes. Hand wash fabric with a mild detergent or machine wash in cold water on delicate cycle. When washing by hand please read additional information on back of
bottle. Precautions: Rubber Gloves recommended. Use only
in areas with adequate ventilation. Use only as directed. Results may vary
with different printers and inks. Additional Information: Wash printed fabric by hand for at
least 2 minutes. Allow the fabric to drip dry or lay flat on a towel.
Blow dry for faster results. Do not ring fabric.
Australian Country
Quilts - Instructions
HOW DOES BJS 2000 WORK?
BJS 2000
was designedto bond dye molecules with fibre, specifically
100% cottons and 100% silks. DO NOT use fabrics with anysynthetic fibres, this includes the poly/cotton fabrics as BJS does NOT adhere to polyester and the poly content will
contribute to bleeding in after-wash care. BJS acts as
a fixative, the same way as dying fabric it sets the ink from your printer
into the fibres of the fabric and makes it permanent and washable.
WHAT IS THE SHELF LIFE OF THE PRODUCT?
The manufacturer states the product has a shelf life of 1year.
CAN I SOAK MORE THAN ONE PIECE OF FABRIC?
Yes. Wearing gloves, place the first sheet of fabric into a flat tray and soak with BJS solution, until saturated. Place a second sheet on top of the first, and it will
soak up the excess liquid from the first sheet. If needed pour a little more solution on the second sheet to saturate fabric. Then add the third sheet to the pile, and so
on and so on. When finished your will have several soaked fabric sheets with no wasted excess liquid. Once all the pieces are dry it is very important that they are
placed inside an airtight bag or container.
CAN I USE TREATED FABRIC 6 MONTHS AFTER IT HAS BEEN TREATED?
The manufacturer recommends using the fabric right away. We have
used fabric that was treated weeks earlier, and it worked fine, it was
stored in a cool dry place inside an airtight plastic container. The
product reacts with oxygen, so the longer it sits, the more likely
it will react and will no longer work.
WILL THIS PRODUCT WORK ON MY PRINTER?
This product will work with any printer that uses an ink
cartridge this means the printer will be of inkjet or bubblejet
technology.
WILL THIS PRODUCT DAMAGE MY PRINTER?
NO. The BJS solution is soaked into the fabric and dried before it is used in the printer, it does not connect with the printer's mechanisms. Simply feed fabric through your printer exactly like a sheet of paper.
Do ensure all loose threads are trimmed off and removed before placing in your printer.
DO I NEED TO PRE WASH THE FABRIC?
This product was tested with many different fabrics and there is no indications
that you need to pre wash the fabric
before applying the Bubble Jet Set solution. However, we recommend you
do pre wash fabrics all fabrics.
WHAT TYPES OF FABRICS WORKS THE BEST?
This product was designed to work with 100% cottons and 100% silks. It may
appear to work on other fabrics but you will have a much greater colour loss if
you use any fabrics other than 100% cotton and 100% silks. We have tested with the same image on about a dozen different fabrics, and got slightly different results on each
one. The best quality prints were on a high thread count, pure white cotton. We use and recommend Bleached Quilter's Muslin as it is a light weight fabric
and 100% White cotton.
Excellent results on silk with colour, however the blacks are sometimes a little washed out. On very fine silks, the colour shows through on both sides, this is
good for printing scarves using the banner setting on your printer. We recommend doing a few test prints with your fabric and your printer to see what will yield
the best results with your equipment.
HOW MUCH COLOUR LOST SHOULD I EXPECT?
This is very important to understand because the results may vary
depending on what type of printer you may have. We have tested
many different brands and have found that Hewlett Packard
-Epson & Canon give the least amount of colour lost compared
to any other printer's we have used. However, this also depends on what mode you print in
because if your printer has the capability to put more ink on the fabric then
your image will appear to be brighter. Not
all printers have this capability and
it assumes it is printing on paper. The fabric will absorb most of the ink and
it will appear to have faded but in reality the fabric is heavier than paper.
SHOULD THE COLOUR LOOK DIFFERENT ON FABRIC?
Yes. The colour will look different on fabric because of the density of the
fabric. This process is no different than dyeing any fabric. It
is important to know that colours will look deeper on fabric and appear lighter
on paper.
DOES THIS PRODUCT MAKE THE FABRIC STIFF?
The fabric will be stiffened slightly, when the treated fabric dries. Once the
fabric has been
rinsed in cold water the fabric will return to its natural feel and texture.
CAN I REUSE THE PRODUCT?
Yes. Pour any excess liquid back into the bottle immediately. It is important to
remember to put the top on the bottle after you have finished using it.
Pre treated fabric sheets can be
reused if you want to put the unprinted fabric back through the
printer. The Page Setup will require adjustment to accept the smaller
size fabric/paper sheet. For example you could print out an A5 size
image cut off the unused section of fabric adjust the Page Setup to A5
and print on the cut off section of fabric.
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO DRY THE FABRIC WHEN TREATED?
When you soak your fabric in the Bubble Jet Set Solution the best way to allow
the fabric to dry is to DRIP DRY the fabric. Another method is to lay flat on a towel, drying time will be longer.
CAN I BLOW DRY THE FABRIC WHEN TREATED?
Yes. If you are in a rush and desire to dry faster. Simply blow dry the treated
fabric (before printing) use a free standing fan if doing multiple pieces.
CAN I WASH FINISHED FABRIC IN THE WASHER MACHINE?
Yes. You can wash the fabric in the washer machine to finalise the
setting process of the fabric.
If you are NOT going
to machine wash the fabric, we suggest that you cold rinse + dishwashing liquid
the fabric in the laundry sink or large bucket for 5 - 10 minutes to assure that all the loose
inks are out.
WILL THE PRINTED DESIGN FADE WITH CONTINUOUS WASHING?
YES. Remember, this process is equivalent to dyeing fabric and if
you wash any fabric over and over again you will see fading in the colours. Washing powder with enzymes fades fabric faster than the sun, we recommend you
wash your artwork in a mild dishwashing liquid. This will greatly reduce the
fading of fabrics.
WILL HEAT OR COLD EFFECT THE PRODUCT?
Test are still under progress from the manufacturer here. We have discovered once the fabric is treated, the sun tends
to yellow some fabrics while drying. We suggest drying
indoors.
DOES THE WEIGHT OF THE FABRIC EFFECT PRINT QUALITY?
Yes, the weight of the fabric has a big effect on the quality. In most cases the
heavier the fabric the better the quality. This also varies with each printer!
HOW MANY FABRIC SHEETS CAN I MAKE OUT OF 1 BOTTLE?
This depends on the fabric density, general between
20 -25 sheets of fabric
can be obtained from 1x 473ml/16
ounce bottle.Silk will use less solution than a heavy weight calico.
WHY IS FABRIC PRINTING DIFFERENT FROM PAPER PRINTING?
Paper printing will have a different effect on ink than fabric printing. The
colours will appear to be different but in reality it is because of the change
of fibre from paper to fabric. You will find colour changes even when printing on different types of paper, such as a high gloss to a matt or satin paper.
CAN I USE GENERIC INK CARTRIDGES?
The Bubble Jet Set Rep
recommends that the setting time needs to be longer for
success, perhaps 24 hours would be
a good idea. However through our experience with these inks we have found the generic cartridges for Inkjet
printers that have bled when using BJS. So our suggestion
is to do a test with the 24 hour setting time and then decide.
If the test is not successful (fading and bleeding), we
recommend using brand name inkjet cartridges that are more
stable and give a higher quality of colour.
IS THE PRODUCT TOXIC OR DANGEROUS?
This product is to be treated as a common house
hold product, it does contain formaldehyde We
recommend using rubber gloves if you are sensitive to chemicals. Open windows
when using. The product is 85% water and contains many laundry detergent
ingredients.
A FOLD WARNING! Do not let the fabric fold back on itself. Loose ink can collect in any
folds, and react with the fabric. If you are using the machine rinse method, you might want to stop the washer
intermittently during the wash cycle, and make sure the fabric is not folded
back on itself or twisted while it is agitating. We rinse each piece individually in a laundry sink of water with Dishwashing liquid. When you hand wash, use plenty
of water, and keep the fabric moving. If
the loose ink migrates to a fold before all the chemical is washed out, it can
still react with the fabric and create an unwanted mark
of the fabric. This can also cause ink to transfer from one area of
the printed image to another. As with dyeing any fabric be sure all the chemical and excess dye are out.
DO
I HAVE TO IRON THE FABRIC TO HEAT SET IT? Not with Bubble Jet Set - when you soak your fabric in
Bubble Jet Set and rinse with dishwashing liquid.
Yes with
Miracle Fabric Sheets - Once printing on fabric is complete and dry,
remove the backing sheet and press with a hot iron for approx 30
seconds.
MIRACLE FABRIC SHEETS - Pretreated
Fabric Instructions Important Note:These fabric sheets are American A4 size which means the page
setup needs to be adjusted.
Goto File > Page setup > Paper Size = Letter not A4.
Create and Image/Photo/ Label or Document on your computer
screen or multifunction printer. Remove all paper from the printer and Place
one Fabric sheet into your printer. Once you have the
image ready to print on your computer screen goto File > Print >
Properties. Here ensure Paper size = Letter Quality = Photo Paper Type
= Paper now you can Press Print. The
manufacturer instructions state to
remove the backing sheet, place print side down and press with a hot
dry iron. Rinse in a tub of cold water and a squirt of dishwashing liquid,.
Lay flat on a towel to dry.
Note:
The final step "washing the fabric with a mild detergent" is
necessary to remove the (fixative)
chemical.
Image is now permanently set and
ready to sew. Note: Dishwashing liquid takes the place of Bubble Jet
Rinse.
COPYRIGHT - HOW DO I KNOW? Here is a copy of an email that was sent to Homespun
MagazineJune 2004 about Copyright issues.We put it
here because many people ask, how do I know, if what they are doing
with patterns is legal or not.We do not wish
to offend anyone, only to answer your questions and keep you all
informed. As the saying goes, ignorance is no excuse.
06/06/04 10:01 pm
Hello Homespun
Recently at a patchwork group meeting the discussion came up aboutcopyright. Most of the members believe
they
are not contravening copyright,as they have
read the Homespun points on copyright.
These members, as with many different groups visited, photocopypatterns. One member will buy the pattern or magazine and the
restof the group copy it. Other members
make the patterns and sell themat craftshows and
in craft shops. Is this an infringement of copyright?
If a member copies a portion of a doll pattern and a portion of a
quiltpattern, then puts them in one pattern
and sells
it as her own pattern, isthis allowed?
This member says they are not taking more
than 10% of any one(whole) pattern.
After reading your explanation about copyright, I find myself
wondering howthe average person can
understand the issue completely. It is all verynicely put, about imitation and copying. However I do not
believe that thegeneral craftsperson
believes they are doing anything wrong.
Perhaps it could be written in less subtle terminology, as this seems
toproduce some grey areas.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Catherine Sanchez"
To: <kathleenstone>
Sent: Tuesday, June 29, 2004 9:31 AM
Subject: Re: copyright
Dear Kathleen
Thank you for contacting Homespun in relation to your copyright
queries andI appreciate you drawing these
issuesto our attention. I will certainlylook at publishing another article on this controversial
subject matter as
soon as possible but in the meantime, I would certainly appreciate
yourunderstanding as to what is being
contravened in the patchwork groupmeetings
you attend.
Unfortunately all your members, who are doing what was detailed in
youroriginal email, are breaking the law.
This relates to photocopying patterns,
selling craft wares for personal gain and copying parts of patterns
and
marketing them as their original designs.
Copyright laws stipulate that every person must own their own pattern
ortheir own magazine and must not photocopy
these patterns to give to otherpeople. They
must be for their use only. That means that every member in the
class must own a copy of Homespun magazine for example or a copy of apattern that they wish to make. Not
only is this a designer's livelihood butit
is also our business and your members are hurting both by photocopying
information and distributing it amongst each other. In other words,
whateach member is doing is completely
illegal.
In relation to selling someone's design for personal gain, this is
alsoillegal unless you have the express
permission
of the designer of thatproduct. As
copyright laws state, creating a design is usually "limited tomaking that item for private and domestic use. If you want to
make items forsale, you will nearly always
need express permission from
the copyrightowner."
In relation to copying parts of patterns and including these in other'original' designs, this is still breaching copyright.
The understanding ofnot taking 10% of any
one (whole) pattern is misunderstood. You may beinspired by
somebody's way of creating a particular design but if you usetheir designs or templates, even portions of them,
this is considered to bebreaching
copyright.
We, at Homespun, would appreciate it if you could draw the attention
ofthese issues to the other members of your
clubs. Various papers on allmanners of
topics can be found on the copyright website which is located at
www.copyright.org.au and these can be downloaded for personal use. One
paperwhich will answer your questions can
be found under Information Sheets andis
titled Craftworkers (Hobby) G21.
I hope this answers your questions and I would appreciate it if you
couldensure your members are following
legal procedures when making their craft
items.
A newsletter from the Manufacturer:
This letter is for all Bubble
Jet Set 2000 users. My name is Jerome Jenkins and my job responsibility is to
educate and demonstrate to all crafters how to properly use the product Bubble
Jet Set 2000. I am writing this letter to all crafters because there is a lot
of incorrect information out there about how to use this product.If you are using or selling the Original Bubble Jet Set formula please tell all consumers that this product has been replaced with the Bubble Jet Set 2000.
The Bubble Jet Set 2000 will work with HP printers and all other printers. This product replaced the original formula - we do not manufacture the
Original Formula any longer.
This product cannot be heat set. If you attempt to heat set this product
it will not work at all! Many crafters attempt to make the image permanent by
heating in the dryer or with a iron. The final step "which is washing the
fabric with a mild detergent" is necessary in making this product work
correctly.
This product only works with 100% cotton or 100% silk. If you use fabrics
with synthetic blends, it will not work. Must be 100% cotton or silk. Results will vary with different printers.
DO WASH IN COLD WATER! --- If you do not wash your designs,
it will BLEED! The purpose for this step is to get the loose inks out of the
fabric.
Your direct feedback about Bubble
Jet Set 2000 is most welcomed
If you have disappointing results, please
contact the manufacturer below, the
information will be used when developing
formulas and instructions for the product.
If you have any feedback for the manufacturer,
send it to: Jerome Jenkins, C. Jenkins Neckties,
39 S. Schlueter Ave., Dellwood, MO 63135, Phone:
314-521-7544, neckties@i1.net
The BJS 2000 manufacturer question and answer page is at:
http://home.i1.net/~neckties/bubblejetset20/faq.htm
If you would like to send us your comments regarding your BJS 2000 projects, or send in any photo's of your completed projects, feel free to contact
us at: customercare@australiancountryquilts.com We like to share ideas, perhaps your idea can
help or inspire another.
