Digital Fabric Demystified

In 2018, QT Fabrics updated our production process from traditional screen printing to digital printing. Since then, we’ve seen a myriad of industry changes, including those brought about by a global pandemic. We’ve learned that adaptation and innovation continue to be important in an ever-changing industry.

This special issue relaunch is as relevant today as it was in 2020. More so, as the number of fabric companies using digital printing technology has grown, with it the need for an education in the quality of digitally printed fabrics.

Printing fabrics digitally is advantageous to the environment. Most importantly, the amount of water needed in the production process is 3 times less than with screen-printing. Also, eliminating excess goods as manufacturers like QT are printed as-needed more than ever. Subsequently, storage space required by the screen-printing process is also a major factor.

To this day, there are questions about the quality and functionality of digitally printed fabrics. QT is proud to have conducted many tests to ensure our fabric is the heirloom quality you have come to know and expect. We updated our greige goods to a finer and tighter weave for superior performance. Our fabric is much improved by fraying less, alleviating thread pulls, and reducing bulk in seams.

See the findings from expert longarm quilter, Kristi Ryan.

In addition, Bethanne Nemesh, a talented quilter and blogger, provides a wonderful resource of considerations when quilting with digital fabrics. Check out her blog with 3 video links!

White Streaks are for Hair, Not Quilts

With more and more companies printing digitally, keep in mind that the quality of the fabrics may vary. There are a lot of quality products out there, but buyer beware. Use this information to educate your customers and reinforce the message that buying from independent shops like yours means high quality as well as expertise and customer service.

Proud of our historical footprint in textiles, QT looks forward to serving the quilting and sewing community into the future. We are excited to see what’s ahead in our industry.