Actual fabric is above, digital file is below.

I was pretty pleased with the way this one turned out.  I think the limited color palette helped make this fabric print a success.  There was a tiny bit of heaviness around the shading of the eyes, but this isn’t a big deal.  All in all I feel that this is one of the better fabric prints that I ordered.

Next, Les Insectes Extraordinaire:

Actual fabric is above, digital file is below.

I ordered this one as a 18″ x 22″ fat quarter.  Since it was so big, I only photographed a portion of the piece, to be able to better to show the detail in the print.  The detail came out really well!  The blue was not as bright as the digital file, but that’s to be expected I suppose.  Here is a side-by-side (or top-bottom, rather) comparison of the digital file with the actual fabric (please note that the size of this close-up is only 2.5 inches square!):

So you can see how well the printing process handles detail, without any bleed or blur.  I think this fabric would be fun to use to make a pillowcase/sheets for a little boy’s room!

And here’s the last one, a tiled design featuring my famous Day of the Dead skulls:

Actual fabric is above, digital file is below.

This one turned out quite pleasing as well!  The colors of course were not as vivid as the digital file, but we’ve learned to expect that when it comes to digitally printing onto fabric.  It still looked pretty good though.  I think these Day of the Dead skulls would make great patches, and in fact I’ve already used one to patch up my favorite red jacket after accidently burning a hole in the bottom corner.

Here is a side-by-side comparison of the digital file with the fabric print:

So there you have it!  If you’re thinking of ordering some of your images as prints on Spoonflower fabric, I hope these photos were able to help you in some way see some of the capabilities of their technology.  Basically, they can indeed handle intricate detail without any problems, but be aware that colors may appear slightly duller than what you see on your screen, or from what you could get by printing onto canvas.  If you have any doubts, just order a swatch (8″ x 8″), as it’s an affordable and easy way to “proof” your images for color correctness before ordering several yards.*  There are loads more tips regarding color on Spoonflower fabric prints, in terms of what to expect and how to best prepare your files for printing, on this Spoonflower flickr discussion page.

(*Another good idea, if you have tons of swatches you would want to order, would be to paste them all side-by-side into one large file, and to order it all printed on one stretch of fabric (they currently offer up to 5 yards – 42″ x 108″ - for $90).  Then after you receive it you can cut them apart yourself, saving you money in the meantime!)

To read and view an analysis of three other art designs I had ordered as Spoonflower fabric, click here to read my previous blog post: Art on Fabric – Spoonflower Results.

The actual fabric is above, and the digital file below.

This tiled bee design turned out exceptionally well.  The colors were pretty accurate, or close enough.

Next up, my folk art bird:

Actual fabric is above, digital file is below.

This one turned out nicely as well.  Leaving aside the noticeable blue-ish tinge in the photograph, the colors of the fabric turned out lighter than the digital file, but the result was still rather pleasant.  It has been my experience that with Spoonflower printed fabric, strong graphic lines turn out better than images with subtle shading, which is part of what made this image a successful digital fabric print. 

Next, Pink Cupcake / Fulgent Life:

Close-up of fabric print above, digital file below.

I decided to show a close-up of the fabric on this one, to show how the fabric handles detail.  Of all the fabric swatches I ordered, this one was probably the most disappointing in terms of color.  The colors were nowhere near as bright and vivid as in the digital file.  I’ve used the same file to print on canvas, with fabulously vibrant results, so I can only imagine that it must be the fabric itself that dulls the colors a bit.  The pinks were problematic, and the cupcake paper turned out too dark.  I’ll include a photo of a print made on canvas, to show how I would have liked the fabric to ideally look.

Print on matte canvas

The cupcake print on fabric is also an example of how the fabric-printing process doesn’t seem to work as well (in my experience) with gradual shading as it does with solid colors.  The fabric cupcake print is certainly passable, but I would be unlikely to sell it to the public for crafting purposes (such as quilting or pillow-making). 

So, there is a brief analysis of 3 of the digital files I had printed on Spoonflower.  I still have 3 more fabric images/designs to share and compare, but that will have to wait for next time!

Last week I received an invite to be a beta tester for a cool new website, Spoonflower, where you can upload your own designs and have them printed on fabric.  This is such a cool idea and I’m so glad that Spoonflower exists!  They are still in the development stage, but I have high hopes for this site and what it will offer to independent artists and designers, as well as hobbyists and crafters.  I’m not a fabric designer, but I can’t wait to play with different ideas utilizing my art for custom fabric.  Over the years I’ve gotten so many emails from people asking if my art was available as fabric for use in quilting, and now I hope I can finally say, “Yes!!!” As soon as I got the invite, I dove into Photoshop and starting whipping some designs together.  I ordered a few swatches, but it will be a little while before I see them.  First they will ship to my Florida address, then they will be forwarded to me here in Wales.  I’m curious to see how well their printing process and fabric can handle detail, cause I am so incredibly detail-oriented!  I love detail.  The more detail, the better.     

Here are some jpgs of the swatches that I ordered.  This one will be printed on an 8″ x 8″ swatch, so each circle will be 1″.

Here is a close-up:

I also ordered an 8″ x 8″ swatch featuring a pattern of my Rejoicing Quietus skulls (again, bursting with detail!  This also reminds me that I’m curious to see the depth and vibrancy of the colors, as this image looks best when well-saturated):

The next 4 images I ordered as 8″ x 8″ swatches, thinking they would look great in quilts or as pillows:

This last one I ordered as a fat quarter (18″ x 21″).  It’s incredibly-detailed, so I’m really eager to see whether their printing process can handle it without too much bleed or blur.

Here’s a close-up:

I’m so excited to be able to print custom fabric incorporating my artwork.  I can envision so many uses for the fabric: stuffed toys and dolls, pillows, patches, clothes, textile art… the list goes on and on!  I’ll be sure to post pics of the fabric once I get my happy hands on it!