eco-printing FAQ

what is eco-printing?

Eco-printing is using flowers and leaves to print directly onto fabric. The sustainable process imprints the vegetation’s natural colours, shapes, patterns and forms onto the textile.

how does it work?

I select plants that are high in natural dye compounds. They are then bundled and rolled tightly, pressing them directly to a prepared textile, and either steamed or boiled. (In general, I almost always exclusively steam.) The heat releases the plants’ natural dyes, which in turn bond permanently with the fabric, creating almost photographic quality contact prints.

what types of fabrics can be eco-printed?

All natural fibres can be used for eco-printing, from cellulose, or plant fibres (such as cotton, linen and hemp) to protein, or animal fibres (including wool and silk). Occasionally I eco-print upcycled textiles that have a small amount of synthetic fibres mixed in. However, the results are unpredictable.

Textiles that are undyed, naturally dyed and synthetically dyed can all be eco-printed. 

are some types of fabric better for eco-printing than others?

Nope - as long as the textile is composed of natural fibres, we’re good to go! It is worth noting that protein fibres tend to give brighter colours, while eco-printing on cellulose fibres results in more muted hues. However, there are plant choices and process tweaks that I make along the way that can enhance and alter the results. 

Eco-printing can be done on both machine woven and handwoven textiles. It’s a process that takes place after the textile is complete and (if handwoven) removed from the loom. When I embark on an eco-printing project, we’ll look carefully at the fabric, and take into consideration both its composition and its texture. These aspects will help give us a good general idea as to results.

can any types of plants and flowers be used for eco-printing?

Unfortunately, not all types of flowers and plants can be used for eco-printing. Based on much, much research and many, many hours of experimentation, I carefully select vegetation that is high in natural dye compounds and tannins. Some of these plants (among many others) include the leaves of rose, blackberry, raspberry, eucalyptus, cotinus smokebush, acer and black walnuts. Flowers such as cosmos, dyers camomile and coreopsis tinctoria also work well.

will my eco-printed fabric fade?

Like any dyed fibres (natural or chemical), eco-printed textiles may fade if stored in direct sunlight. However, all fabric has been carefully prepared using a mordant before eco-printing. Simply put, mordants create a ‘bridge’ between the natural dyes and the textile, allowing the dyes to permanently bond with the textile. The result is that the natural dyes and eco-prints are both light- and wash-fast. 

can I machine wash my eco-printed textile?

You can machine wash eco-printed textiles, and I will do this when washing upcycled, easycare pieces, such as eco-printed cotton tops. However, for more delicate pieces, I prefer handwashing in tepid water using a gentle detergent without optical brighteners. (I like Eucalan.) There may be some loss of dye in the water - this is normal and won't affect the textile's colour. Roll in a towel and squeeze out excess water, then air dry.