Photography on Fabric: Quilts, Fabric Prints and Mixed Media

Photographs have been printed on cloth almost as long as photography has existed. The idea is simple: coat a fabric so that it records an image, or transfer an image onto it. The result sits between photograph, print and textile. Artists use the method for wall pieces, quilts, garments and mixed-media works that combine stitching, painting and printmaking.

This page outlines the main ways images end up on fabric, a little of the history, and the practical issues of light, washing and storage that affect how long a fabric print lasts.

Why put a photograph on cloth

Fabric changes how an image is read. It has a weave that softens detail, a surface that takes stitching and paint, and a physical presence that paper lacks. A photograph on cotton can be hung, folded, sewn or worn. For artists working across media, that crossover is the attraction: the image becomes one layer among several.

Common methods

Cyanotype on cloth

Cyanotype is a simple iron-based process that gives a blue image. According to Wikipedia’s summary, Sir John Herschel announced it in 1842. The sensitizer is made from ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide, and the exposed print is developed by rinsing in water, which leaves the insoluble blue pigment known as Prussian blue.

The same source says John Mercer used the process in the 1850s to print photographs onto cotton textiles, and that American home quilt-makers used cyanotypes on cloth after 1880, with about thirty early family snapshots on cloth surviving in the George Eastman Museum collection. That is a useful reminder that photography on fabric is not a recent trend.

Cyanotype needs only sunlight or a UV source and water for development, though the chemicals still require care.

Gum bichromate on cloth

Gum printing combines gum arabic, pigment and a light-sensitive dichromate salt. In Wikipedia’s description of the process, light hardens the coating and the unexposed material washes away in water; the mixture is spread on a suitable base, most often heavy cotton paper, and artists have adapted it to cloth. The site’s portfolios page describes cloth prints finished with embroidery thread, one way the layers of color can be combined with stitching.

Dichromate compounds are hazardous. PubChem’s aggregated hazard notifications for potassium dichromate include “may cause cancer” and “may cause genetic defects,” along with severe skin and eye damage. Read safety guidance before trying the process.

Printable fabric and inkjet transfers

Commercial printable fabric sheets, or fabric treated to accept inkjet inks, allow digital images to be printed directly. Transfer papers move an image from a printed sheet onto cloth by heat. These methods are the easiest way to put a precise photographic image on fabric, though their durability varies by product and care.

Photographic emulsion and screen printing

Liquid emulsions can be brushed onto fabric and exposed under an enlarger, and screen printing can reproduce high-contrast images in ink. Both are used by artists who want more control or larger editions.

Photo quilts and stitched images

Quilts are a long-standing home for photographic imagery. The cyanotype quilts described above are an early example. Today a photo quilt may combine printed squares, hand-colored blocks and traditional piecing. Stitching can follow the image, outline shapes or add text, making the textile an active part of the picture rather than just a support.

Mixed media: combining processes

A single piece might include a gum print on cotton, a cyanotype border, hand-coloring and embroidery. When mixing methods, test compatibility: some layers may not tolerate washing, heat or the solvents used by another process. Make a small sample first.

Care and conservation

Fabric prints are vulnerable to the same things as other textiles and photographs.

• Light. Wikipedia notes that prolonged light exposure can fade a cyanotype, and that storing a faded print in darkness can restore much of its blue. Display fabric works away from direct sun and rotate them.
• Washing. The same source says cyanotypes on cloth should be hand-washed with non-phosphate soap, since phosphate soap can turn the blue yellow. Other processes have their own limits, so test before washing anything.
• Storage. Avoid folding along the same line for years. Acid-free materials are generally recommended, but cyanotypes react poorly to alkaline environments, so check what is suitable for the process.
• Handling. Support the piece when you move it, and keep it away from damp.

Frequently asked questions

Can you wash a photograph printed on fabric?

It depends on the process. Cyanotypes on cloth are described as permanent but should be hand-washed with non-phosphate soap. Inkjet fabrics and other prints have manufacturer instructions. Test first.

Is photography on fabric the same as a photo transfer?

No. A transfer moves an existing printed image onto cloth, while hand-coated processes build the image on the fabric itself.

Where to explore further

The history here suggests how old the idea is, and the methods keep expanding. For background on the people and collections documented on this site, see the biography page.