Wendy Erickson

Threads and Pixels: Digital Textile Printing for Photographers and Textile Artists

Course Description
This workshop introduces participants to the use of fabric as a versatile and creative media for digital inkjet printing. Printing digital photos and designs on fabric is of interest to artists working in many disciplines, including photography, printmaking, fiber and textile arts, quilting, and other fabric craft. Photographers may choose to use fabric substrates simply as a new receiving layer for digital images. Fiber artists may create digital images on fabric used with stitching, quilting and surface design.

Discussions and demonstrations include historic use of fabric substrates in photography; modern techniques to reproduce historic processes such as cyanotype and brown printing; basics of inkjet printing including ink and substrate; digital book projects and scrapbooks; embroidery and hand work techniques; scanning of 3-D objects for use on works in fabric, and display and permanence of photographs printed on textiles. Short field trips are included for participants to make new photographs and designs, including collecting of found natural and man-made objects for direct scanning.

Participants will make prints on a variety of materials, including silk habotai, silk crepe de chine, linen, and various cottons. Each student will go home with a reference notebook with samples made in class, a supplier's list, and notes and ideas for printing techniques that will enhance their personal work back in their own studios.