How to fix acrylic paint on clothes. Fabric paint

There are a lot of batik paints on the art goods market, and sometimes you can get confused in this variety. There are dyes (acrylic) on fabric that are fixed with an iron, and there are dyes (such as aniline, acid) that are fixed by steam treatment. Today we will talk about ways to fix dye on fabric.

The stage of fixing the dye is very important, since it determines how high-quality the product you get at the end.

Fixing acrylic dyes

If you use acrylic dyes, then after painting a product or panel, you need to wait a day. At this time, the dye is fixed naturally by drying. Next, at the ironing temperature of the fabric (depending on the composition of the fabric, different temperature conditions are used), the painting is ironed. In this case, each area of the painting must be processed within 5-8 minutes.

Another common way to fix acrylic dyes is by frying in the oven. To do this, you need to wrap the product in a roll in cotton fabric, then roll it up like a snail and wrap it in foil. Next, the bundle is placed in the oven on the middle shelf and baked at minimum temperature for 10-15 minutes. There is a risk of burning the product if the temperature is high for this type of fabric, but this method saves time.

After the dye is fixed, you can wash the painted product in soapy water at 30-40 degrees.

Fixing aniline and acid dyes - “steaming” with steaming.

The finished product must be laid out evenly on cotton fabric (you can also use newspaper) and rolled into a roll, avoiding folds. Then you roll the roll into a snail; you can tie the snail with a rope, not too tightly.

Wrap the snail in foil so that it is not visible anywhere; you can do this in two layers. But it’s not too tight to have air between the layers, since we need the steam to penetrate inside the package.

Next, you need to find a container such that the package fits freely in its upper part without touching the walls. I use a 10 liter bucket for this.

It is necessary to fix the bundle in the found position using a rope made of natural fibers. It is better not to use synthetic threads, as they can melt when exposed to high temperatures. The package can be attached to a stick.
Having secured the package, carefully pour water into the bucket along the wall to a height of 15 cm. You can put pebbles at the bottom so that when boiling, the splashes do not fly too high and splash the product.
Next, place a thick blanket on the bucket and close the lid on top. A blanket is needed to prevent the resulting condensation from flowing onto the product from the lid. A lid is needed to prevent the water from boiling away quickly.

Place the bucket on the stove and steam for 1.5-2 hours, depending on the size of the package.
After this, you can carefully remove the bundle and wash it in warm soapy water, while the excess dye that the fabric was unable to absorb will be washed off from the product.

Of course, this method is labor-intensive, but professional steamers are expensive, and steaming in a bucket is the most budget-friendly method.

What girl doesn't dream of updating her wardrobe on a budget? And it’s even better if this update is original and unique. This is where fabric paint comes to your aid. If you know how to draw, then it will not be difficult to create bright and special wardrobe or interior items from boring monochromatic items.

How fabrics are painted

A fairly large number of different technologies are used for painting fabrics. Fabric painting techniques include batik, shibori, koketi, knotting, and free-form painting. The batik technique has two options - cold and hot. The hot batik method is different in that instead of a special substance, molten wax is used to reserve the pattern, which is applied with a special tool. In the knotting technique, the fabric is tied into knots and boiled in a dye solution. The shibori technique is similar to the knotting technique, but differs in that the fabric is folded in a certain way rather than tied. It's somewhat similar to origami. And the koketi technique involves the use of stencils.

Free painting technique

Free painting allows you to create completely unique things. It is this technique that helps to reveal all artistic talents. It can be performed both on wet material and on dry fabric.

Painting fabrics with acrylic paints is most often done at home. They are easy to attach and easy to apply. It is better to use dense material. It can be leather, suede or thick textiles, dark or bright colors. Acrylic fabric paint can be applied using brushes, airbrush, roller or stamps.

What colors are there?

The quality of your drawing, as well as the quality of the entire product as a whole, will largely depend on whether the paint for the fabric is chosen correctly. To ensure that the image applied to the fabric does not wash off or fade, the paint should be fixed with an iron or steam.

Fixing with steam requires quite expensive equipment, so at home they use paint that is fixed with an iron. There are separate paints for silk; they are water-based and, unlike textile ones, liquid. These paints spread too easily. That is why, before using them, you should outline the drawing with a special outline that does not allow paint to pass through.

Textile paint is applied in a dense layer and does not require the use of special contours, since it does not spread.

Steam cured paints

Fabric paint that requires steam curing is classified as professional paint. And it would be more correct to say that this is not paint, but a dye. It penetrates deep into the fabric fibers and changes their color without affecting the texture or other characteristics of the fabric being painted. In other words, if you dyed a thin and soft canvas, then at the end of the work it remains the same. An undoubted advantage is the fact that before steaming you can change or correct the pattern. This is very convenient for novice craftsmen, as it allows you to correct a mistake. If you want to get a certain color in your work, then remember that when the paint dries, it fades, but after steaming it regains its brightness, and its contrast becomes more expressive. Such paints are usually used for natural fabrics. They can be mixed and diluted with water. Among the budget options for such dyes, we can note the paints of the Russian manufacturer “Batik-Hobby”.

Iron-on paints

Acrylic fabric paint is fixed with an iron. It's polymer. Its essence is to envelop fabric fibers. This leads to densification of the dyed fabric and loss of elasticity. When painting on fabric with acrylic paints, you can dilute them with water, but this will significantly reduce the degree of adhesion to the fibers. These paints can also be mixed with each other. But the resulting shades often have a dirty appearance.

They also deteriorate greatly when stored for long periods of time. An important feature is that acrylic fabric paint is indelible after it dries. Also, these paints have strong fluidity and can flow where they shouldn’t. Although their fluidity is significantly reduced if one layer is applied on top of the other. This allows you to create beautiful drawings.

Fabric dyes from different manufacturers

Paints from the Russian manufacturer "Batik-Acrylic" are more budget-friendly, but they change the hardness of the fabrics too much. A more gentle option for the canvas would be paints from foreign manufacturers. All of them are marked "Silk" and are used for silk painting. If you find a “Textile” mark on the paint, this indicates that these materials are intended for dense fabrics. Decola paints from a Russian manufacturer are well suited for screen painting. All of the above options are fixed to the fabric by ironing. The temperature and duration of the procedure will depend largely on the type of tissue.

Using scrap materials

Painting on fabric with acrylic paints can be done even by those who do not know how to draw at all. You can decorate your things or interior items using simple geometric shapes. They can be applied with stamps or a brush. To ensure that the stripes or edges of the figures are even, use regular tape or tape.

Using this technique, you can create original pillows with geometric patterns or decorate, for example, a kitchen towel.

To make the stripes, take some masking tape and apply it, leaving equal or different distances between the stripes. Paint these spaces with your chosen colors. After the paint has dried, peel off the adhesive tape.

How to decorate a T-shirt

To paint a T-shirt using acrylic paints, you must first place thick cardboard between the front and back of it. This should be done so that the paint does not print onto the side of the back while painting. In addition, the fabric should be fixed so that it does not move during operation. Start by transferring the design onto the fabric. After the drawing is transferred, start coloring.

If the paint is too thick, it should be thinned. You can use plain water, but paint diluted in this way does not last very long. Therefore, acrylic paints should be diluted with a special thinner. The better the fabric is saturated with paint, the longer the design will last. After working with paints is completed, you need to leave the product to dry for a day. Then iron the dyed area with a cotton cloth for five minutes. The temperature should match the fabric. The product can be washed after forty-eight hours.

How to care for a painted product

Despite the fact that fabric paint is indelible, you should follow certain rules in caring for painted items. Any products that have been painted with acrylic paints must be washed at a temperature not exceeding forty degrees. It is better to wash and wring out the product by hand. But if you still prefer a washing machine, then set the delicate wash mode and do not use an intensive spin. Also, do not use brushes or bleaching agents. In the case of fabric dyeing using the batik technique, care is somewhat simpler. The temperature in this case should be selected based on the type of fabric.

If you follow all the rules when working with paints, and also fulfill all the conditions when caring for painted things, then such products will serve you for a long time. The higher quality the paints and the better they are matched to the type of fabric, the more fun and easier it is to paint. Since the color palette is simply huge, you can create completely unique things using a large number of shades.

Acrylic paint is actively used for painting almost any surface, it is highly wear-resistant, does not contain toxic substances, and dries quickly. In some cases, the paint is varnished to provide reliable protection from various influences, humidity, precipitation or temperature changes. Wooden surfaces are usually treated with varnish to protect the material from moisture. Also, using varnish, you can give the surface an unusual decorative effect.

Can acrylic paint be varnished?

Acrylic paint does not need to be varnished, since this product is already present in it. This material is resistant to high humidity. Cover the painted surface if it is necessary to provide additional protection or add decorative effect.

Varnish may differ in method of use and composition. Furniture varnish is used to cover furniture; it can also be used to treat other wood surfaces. To cover the floor, take the parquet look; it is used for doors, furniture, and other wooden objects. Decorative varnish allows you to improve the appearance of the painted surface and provide reliable protection from external influences; it is used in various ways. Yacht varnish is used to cover the decks of ships; it can also be used for other works; usually this product is used for external finishing of surfaces in the open air. This product has high resistance to humidity.

Types of varnish by composition

Acrylic-based varnish is safe and does not emit toxic substances harmful to health. This type of product is used for interior work, has a transparent appearance, can be applied to a wooden surface without changing its color, and dries quickly.
Nitrovarnishes are also used for indoor work; they are toxic, so the coating is carried out in a protective mask. This product dries quickly.
Alkyd types of varnish can be used for external and internal work. They contain resins and organic solvents. Such varnishes are water-repellent, can be used on various surfaces, and have a long drying time.
For wood surfaces, universal type polyurethane varnishes are used; it protects the surface from mechanical action, that is, from scratches or failures.
There are varnishes that are based on vegetable oil; they take a long time to dry and can give the wooden surface a yellowish or brownish tint.
Epoxy varnish is resistant to moisture and mechanical damage, I use it inside and outside, it dries in about 12 hours.

What varnish is used for acrylic paint?

Of all the types of acrylic paint coating products, acrylic-based varnish is ideal. It matches the composition of the paint and has a transparent appearance. When applying varnish to a painted surface, the original color does not change. This type of product is resistant to ultraviolet rays, dries quickly, and does not have a pungent odor, that is, it does not emit substances harmful to health. The main advantage of this material is its easy application.
These are the main advantages of acrylic-based varnish; if acrylic or water-based paints are coated with this product, you can ensure reliable protection of the surface from moisture. The varnish retains the color of the surface for a long time and gives a beautiful shiny appearance.

How to prepare the surface?

Before applying varnish, it is necessary to check the surface coating; it should not have peeling, otherwise the work will be of poor quality.
First, the surface must be sanded with sandpaper and then degreased. After these steps, the area to be painted is primed with a primer using a roller or brush. The liquid is applied in two layers; before applying, you must read the instructions.

After the primer has completely dried, paint the surface.

First, prepare the coloring agent and mix it well. If necessary, pigment is added to create the desired color. To thoroughly mix the pigment and paint, use a construction-type mixer.
Then they begin to paint the surface. Apply a thin layer of paint with a brush; no streaks should form on the surface. Instead of a brush, you can use a roller.
When the first application dries, proceed to the second coating.

After this, the surface is considered prepared for varnishing.

Varnish application technology

Varnish can be applied to the painted surface to provide protection from environmental influences, humidity, and other factors. This allows you to extend the service life of the surface, the color remains for a long time.
Varnish can be applied to almost all types of paint, but it must be taken into account that the compositions must match each other. That is, acrylic-based varnish is applied to acrylic paint. In this case, the coating will be of high quality and durability.

Basic rules for working with varnish

When purchasing varnish, you need to pay attention to the expiration date, which should not be more than 90 days. This will make the application work easier.
Acrylic paint adds shine to the surface, since it already contains varnish. Therefore, it is not necessary to varnish acrylic paint, but you can create additional protection.
Before the main work, you need to check that the paint is completely dry. There should be no dust, dirt or other debris on the surface. If surface cleaning work is carried out shortly after applying paint, do not scrub the areas vigorously. Do not use rough materials, such as rags or sponges.
The varnish cannot be applied to a clean surface; it is treated with a primer, this helps prevent cracking of the product during operation. Varnishing is carried out on a completely dry surface.
Before use, the varnish is heated to 50 degrees; for this, it is placed in a liter of boiling water. The product reaches this temperature within five minutes.
It is necessary to coat the surface with varnish in good lighting from above and from the side to the right. Thus, the entire process of performing the work is more clearly visible.
For application, use a fluted brush with wide bristles from 50 to 150 millimeters. This allows the work to be completed evenly and with better quality.
When a small area is covered with varnish, polishing is performed, that is, a dry flute brush is carried vertically across the surface until it sticks. Once the brush starts to stick, you can continue covering the rest of the surface.
While the varnish is drying, dust should not fall on its surface. Acrylic-based varnish dries very quickly. If the place is too dusty, cover it with film.
When working with acrylic-based varnish and paints, there is no need for protective equipment, since the materials are non-toxic.
To apply paint, use a brush, roller or spray gun; the surface must be completely dry, only then varnish is applied.
When choosing a varnish, it is necessary to take into account its correspondence with the paint, that is, for acrylic paint, an acrylic-based product is used, this makes it possible to make the surface better without changing the main color.

Many people wonder whether it is possible to apply varnish to acrylic paint? The answer to this is quite simple, acrylic paint does not require varnishing, since it has a glossy surface, but for additional protection such an action is allowed.

Often our lives lack bright colors. So why not fill the gap with colored clothing? And there is no point in worrying about the fact that over time the paint may wash out, stain or even fade. In this article we will share with you tips on how to fix acrylic paints on fabrics at home and thereby extend the life of bright things, how to preserve the design when painting things? So read on for some easy but important tips to make your task easier.

How to fix paint on fabric at home?

There are several ways to fix paint at home.

For this you will need:

water;
soda;
vinegar;
washing powder;
washing machine;
ammonia.

Steaming

The most common method of fixing paint to fabric is the steaming method. By following these instructions, you can achieve the desired result:

Lay the item on a thin cotton cloth and carefully roll it into a small roll so that it is not too tight.
Then fold it in half, tape the edges together, and tie with string.
Pour a little water (no more than 2 cm) into the bottom of the pressure cooker and place the bundle on a specially installed tripod.
Take foil and cover the package with a pre-made cap (made of foil). This way, a homemade dome can protect the package from condensation that will collect on the lid of the pressure cooker.
Next, close the steamer and bring to a boil, gradually reducing the heat.
Steam the item over low heat for 20 minutes.
Then turn off the pressure cooker and let it cool.
Take out the package, carefully unwrap it and dip the item in the soapy solution for 5-10 minutes.
Next, wash in the washing machine on a delicate cycle with the addition of powder to remove all excess solution and paint.

Important! If the cause of your item fading was your experiment with the shade of the fabric and you plan to continue updating your items in this way, first try to figure out what you did wrong.
Read detailed instructions on how to.

Fixing paint with vinegar

The easiest way to fix paint is to fix the color on fabric with vinegar, because this procedure will take a few minutes, and the result will not be long in coming.

So, we will need:

large pelvis;
10 liters of cold water;
1 glass of vinegar.

Important! If you don't have vinegar, you can use 0.5 cups of salt + 0.5 cups of baking soda.

Carry out this procedure following these instructions:

Mix 10 liters of water with half a glass of vinegar.
Stir the solution thoroughly and lower the item on which you want to fix the paint for 5-15 minutes.
Take the item out and rinse it in cold water several times to remove the strong vinegar smell.
Hang the item to dry and then iron it from the inside, turning off the steam function.

Fixing paint on wool with ammonia

On woolen fabric, as a rule, the paint is fixed differently. Therefore, both the method and the method of fixing the color on woolen fabric are slightly different.

Important! Please note that the result of dyeing things and their further shedding directly depends on how high-quality materials you used when updating clothes from different fabrics. Read a separate article, the information from which will probably be useful to you in the future, about.

To do this you need to do the following:

Wash the desired item of clothing in a weak solution of water with rinse aid or washing powder.
Squeeze the product a little.
Prepare a solution (10 liters of water + 1 tablespoon of ammonia) and rinse the item.
Then wash the clothes in a solution of water and 2 tbsp. l. vinegar. Gently wring out and wait until the fabric is completely dry.
Iron the item from the inside, turning off the steam option at this point.

Important! In no case should the water temperature when washing woolen fabrics exceed 35 degrees, as this can lead to the fabric shrinking in size.

How to keep the bright color of cotton fabric?

How to save a drawing made by yourself?

Let's consider another option on how to fix paint on fabric at home if you decide to transform it with your own design:

First, you need to carefully read the instructions for the paint you are applying.
Then iron the design, first turning off the steam function and setting it to a mode suitable for cotton.
It is better to iron through thin gauze or from the wrong side so as not to damage the design.

Important! In the future, wash in water no higher than 40 degrees and only on a delicate wash.

How to test fabric for color fastness?

Not all brightly colored items are prone to shedding. Therefore, in order to determine whether there is a need to carry out procedures for fixing color on fabric, it is enough to first conduct a few simple experiments.

So, you will have to do the following:

Dampen a small piece of cloth onto the item you need to test, then place a piece of paper on it and iron the test piece through it. If after this color spots appear on the paper, be sure that this thing is prone to fading and molting.
Take a small sample of fabric (an extra piece is usually sold on the item's tag or cut off at the seam), and dip it in ammonia for about 7-10 minutes. Then rinse and dry the flap. If the color of the prototype has become duller than the item itself, you should know that the material is fading and you need to fix the paint on the fabric at home.
Dilute a small amount of washing powder in warm water and soak the item in it for 5-10 minutes. Then take it out and, without rinsing, wrap the item in a small piece of white cloth, pressing lightly. If after this the color changes to white material, the product is prone to fading.

Important! If you didn't do this on time and the faded item shared its color with other clothes, then you better use the ideas to give after a failed wash.

After you have learned to identify things that are prone to fading and loss of shade, it would be appropriate to tell you how to properly wash fabrics that fade, and what the rules are for this.

In addition to the washing rules indicated on the tags of items, you should not forget about some important tips that will help you keep your items presentable for a long time.

Here are some of them:

We hope that our tips and recommendations will help you, and in the future you will not have any problems with fixing color to fabric at home. And also, we assure you that by following these simple rules you will be able to maintain the same attractive appearance of your favorite bright clothes and avoid molting and fading.