Navigating the Nuances of Textile Printing

MY Prints LA printed full body suits for actors at Universal Studios. Credit: Universal Studios, 2015.

“Printing is fiber specific,” he says, “meaning that certain dyes and inks work on specific fibers or are used on a specific fabric. We try to help designers discover those attributes. … It’s a point that needs to be driven home with printers who want to work in the fashion world and who want to work with textiles; it’s not like printing on paper. It’s a very different substrate.”

It’s crucial, he explains, to be immersed in understanding various fabrics’ characteristics before leaping into textile printing. He points out that advanced and technical textiles are currently driving fashion design, so he suggests anyone interested in working with fashion designers have a firm grasp on these types of textiles. Understanding fabric will also help printers source them for the designers they work with.

“An understanding of different fiber and fabric qualities really helps the business model,” he says. “When you can offer the service of high quality printing with a great turnaround, and you can offer them the expertise of fabric knowledge and sourcing, that’s a home run all the way around.”