Computer Printing On Fabric, Part 2:
Iron-On Transfer Paper

A review of Print 'n Press Iron-On Transfer Paper from June Tailor

Print 'n Press Iron-On Transfer Paper

For part two of this three part series, I chose June Tailor's Print 'n Press Iron-on Transfer Paper, another product made to be used with ink jet printers. Since this process prints directly on paper, I wanted to see if the images would come out significantly better than the others.

Looking for part one of this series? It's here.
Looking for part three of this series? It's here.

First, The Printing

The packet gives detailed instructions, covering everything from using bright colors and bold type to fanning the paper on all edges before putting it into the printer.

I didn't change any of the printing parameters I'd used for the print-on fabrics because I wanted to compare the quality from the iron-on method with the quality of print-on fabrics. But I changed the paper option in my printer to Iron-On Transfer, which automatically flips the images so they'll appear correctly when ironed onto the fabric.

First, I printed our test color photos on one end of the transfer paper. I let the color printing dry before printing the black and white portion of the test on the other end of the paper. The instructions don't say that I should do this, but there is nothing in the instructions about feeding the paper back through the printer, either. So I figured I'd better be safe.

The results were impressive. On both printing runs, clear, crisp images rolled out of my printer. It produced photos with true colors, sharp black & white pictures, and perfectly printed text.

Then, The Transfer

But the real test was yet to come - putting the image on fabric. I cut out the pictures from the iron-on transfer sheet, leaving a small area of white border, like that on a photograph, around each. I then cut a piece of white 100% cotton without any pattern or weave imperfections that might blur the transfer images.

Finally, I ironed the pictures to the fabric according to the instructions, pressing for 10 seconds, the low end of the pressing time range. According to the package, removing the iron-on transfer paper while it is still hot will result in a satin finish. Removing it once it cools will produce a glossy finish.

I wanted a satin finish on this particular photo so I started to remove the paper while it was hot. But I must have been a little too eager -- I could see that small bits of the image weren't releasing from the transfer sheet, leaving little white spots in the color photo on the fabric.

I thought I hadn't ironed it long enough, so I re-applied the heat for another few seconds before I removed the transfer sheet entirely. The additional ironing time seemed to help somewhat. And the satin finish looks nice on this photo.

Finally, The Results

I used the glossy finish on the remaining pictures. The shiny surface has a slight plastic feel which, according to the instructions, should soften with washing. But by waiting until the transfer sheet and the fabric had cooled, I got a perfect transfer every time.

The tiny quilt image turned out very well. The colors appear rich and dark, leaning toward the cool blue tones, unlike the Washable Colorfast Printer Fabric Sheets which lean more toward the green warmer tones.

I like the look of the black and white photo reproduction with the glossy finish, because it looks more authentic, like a glossy black and white photo.

But I didn't like the clear glossy area around the text. It looks fine for a quilt label, but I would trim closer to the text before ironing on to fabric to be used on the front of the quilt. Or I would leave enough glossy margin to cover the entire block.

Another alternative would be to add trim around the text area to provide a visual break between the shiny background of the iron-on and the matte finish of the fabric.

Sharper Images

The last thing I compared was the sharpness of the image. The Washable Colorfast Printer Fabric Sheets appeared ever so slightly sharper, but the only way to tell for sure was to compare under a magnifying glass.

The weave of the fabric I applied the iron-on transfer to is slightly different than the weave of the printer fabric sheets, so that could account for some of the small difference in sharpness.

With only minor differences in image quality between June Tailor's Iron-On Transfer Sheets and their Washable Colorfast Printer Fabric Sheets, your choice is liable to be influenced by two advantages to the iron-on product: It can be washed with detergent and, at $8.32 (suggested list price) for a package of three 8-1/2 by 11 inch sheets, it is 36% less expensive.

You can buy Iron-On Transfer Sheets at Jo-Ann Fabrics or Hancock Fabrics stores. You can order toll free from Clotilde at 1 (800) 772-2891 (Outside USA 1 (573) 754-7979 or from Nancy's Notions at 1 (800) 833-0690.

Idea Forest carries this product but didn't have it on their Web site at the time I wrote this review. You can order it from them by phone at 1 (800) 525-4951, but keep checking the site. They hope to have the entire catalog on the site during the summer of 2000.

Looking for part one of this series? It's here.
Looking for part three of this series? It's here.

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