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Watch the video: “HOW TO USE YOUR Inkjet Printer and Freezer Paper TO TRACE A DESIGN ONTO FABRIC” by Lolli and Grace
If you dread tracing tiny letterforms or intricate florals, here’s a clean, beginner-friendly way to get a crisp embroidery pattern onto fabric—no lightbox or guesswork. You’ll iron freezer paper onto fabric, trim to size, and run it through an inkjet printer. The result? Neat, stitch-ready outlines that free up your hands and your patience.
What you’ll learn
- How to bond freezer paper to fabric with a household iron (no steam) for a firm, temporary backing
- Why neat trimming and a clean leading edge matter for printer feeding
- The simple setting tweak that can make printed lines easier to cover with thread
- What not to do: why tape on the leading edge caused a jam in the demo
Introduction to Freezer Paper & Inkjet Printing for Fabric Freezer paper is the quiet hero of this method: a standard 8.5x11 inch sheet temporarily adheres to fabric with heat, turning fabric into a printer-friendly sheet. In the video, the demonstrator shows how to stick the coated side to fabric, feed it into an inkjet printer, and get a clear design—fast.
What is Freezer Paper? Freezer paper has one coated, shiny side and one matte side. That coated side is what grips the fabric when lightly melted under a press cloth—enough to hold for printing, but still peel away cleanly later.
Why Use This Method? If your pattern fits within standard letter size, this approach is a gift: no tracing, no smudging, and no wobbly lines. It’s ideal for designs that fit comfortably in 3–7 inch hoops (the video shows a 4-inch example), because your pattern must live within an 8.5x11 inch page.
Pro tip If you plan to cover the lines with satin stitches or dense fills, consider toning down opacity for lighter guidelines. We’ll cover that when we get to printer settings.
Gathering Your Supplies Before you start, you’ll need freezer paper, your fabric, a press cloth, an iron, scissors, and an inkjet printer. For the project shown, the demonstrator uses a pink cotton fabric and a simple “HO HO” design.
Essential Tools
- Iron set to medium-high heat
- Press cloth (thin cotton or muslin works well)
- Scissors
- Inkjet printer (not laser)
- Optional: embroidery hoop for finishing
Recommended Materials
- Freezer paper sheets, 8.5x11 inches
- Tightly woven cotton fabric (Kona Cotton is suggested in the video’s materials list)
- Your digital pattern formatted to print within 8.5x11 inches
Quick check Make a simple test print on plain paper to learn how your printer feeds—mark an “X” on one side and see which side receives ink. This helps ensure you place the fabric side correctly when it’s time to print. embroidery machine for beginners
Step-by-Step Guide to Preparing Your Fabric Let’s set up the fabric-paper sandwich so it passes through your printer without drama—and with edges that won’t snag.
Ironing Freezer Paper to Fabric: The Key to Adhesion
- Place your fabric on the ironing board.
- Lay the freezer paper on top with the shiny, coated side facing down against the fabric.
- Cover with a press cloth.
- With no steam and medium-high heat, iron section by section for about 7–10 seconds per area. The goal is light melting of the coating—not over-bonding.
Watch out Over-ironing can melt the coating away so it won’t stick. Aim for consistent, light adhesion—not a long, hot press.
Checking and Correcting Adhesion Let the piece cool completely. Then gently check along the edges with the pad of your fingertip (avoid catching it with a fingernail). If you find slick or loose areas, re-iron those sections with the press cloth until they’re secure. Edges are especially important because they lead the way into the printer.
Trimming for Precision With adhesion confirmed, trim the fabric flush with the freezer paper so the final sheet is exactly 8.5x11 inches. Clean, even edges feed better and help prevent snags or jams.
From the comments One reader pointed out that freezer paper coating is plastic rather than wax; the creator agreed with the clarification. That doesn’t change the process—the key is that the shiny, coated side softens with heat and grips the fabric temporarily.
Printing Your Design: Tips & Troubleshooting You’re ready to print. A little prep here goes a long way toward clean lines and a jam-free run.
Inkjet vs. Laser Printers: What You Need to Know This method is for inkjet printers. Laser printers run hot, which isn’t suitable for freezer paper-backed fabric. If you’re unsure what printer you have, check the model name and documentation—stick with inkjet here.
Printer Settings: Optimizing Opacity Depending on fabric color and your stitch coverage, you might not want a heavy black outline. In the video, the creator often reduces opacity to around 70% for lighter lines that are still visible but easier to cover with stitching. If your fabric is dark and the design is delicate, do a quick test—too faint and you’ll strain to see the lines; too bold and you’ll be covering black for a while.
Avoiding Printer Jams (Learn from My Mistake!) The creator tried adding clear tape to the leading edge to “seal” threads. It looked tidy, but the added thickness of fabric + freezer paper + taped edge caused a jam. The fix? Remove the tape and re-feed from the opposite side with a clean edge—and it printed perfectly. So skip the tape and simply snip stray threads on the leading edge.
Watch out Leaving frayed threads on the leading edge can catch and crumple. Take a minute to trim any wisps before you load the sheet.
Pro tip Do a plain-paper test print first to confirm where the image lands (center or otherwise), then load your fabric-paper in the same orientation. If your printer needs the printable side down, keep that consistent when you switch to fabric.
Printing the Design Feed the prepared sheet according to your printer’s instructions (in the video, the fabric side faced down) and print your design. When done right, the lines are crisp and legible—even on a mid-tone fabric like the pink shown.
Quick check Confirm you printed onto the fabric side (not the paper side) before you peel anything. If you mis-fed, you’ll see the mistake immediately. embroidery sewing machine
Troubleshooting at a Glance
- Jammed with tape? Remove carefully, flip the sheet to feed the untaped side, and try again—without tape.
- Lines too dark? Reduce opacity and reprint.
- Lines too light? Increase opacity for better visibility.
- Edge lifting before printing? Re-iron edges with a press cloth, let cool fully, and test again.
From the comments: Ink and Washing A reader asked if ink will bleed in the wash or onto thread. The creator notes they still need to test this; no confirmed result is provided in the video. Another commenter planned to try heat setting by ironing—but that’s their personal experiment, not verified here. If wash durability matters for your project, consider testing on a scrap first to see how your fabric and ink behave. magnetic embroidery hoop
The Big Reveal: Peeling Away the Freezer Paper After printing, peel the freezer paper away from the fabric. It should separate cleanly, leaving your design intact and the fabric ready to hoop. Minor wrinkling in the paper layer from the print path doesn’t matter—once removed, the fabric lays fine.
Clean Separation, No Residue The back of the fabric isn’t sticky or waxy after peeling; it’s clean and pleasant to stitch through. That’s the beauty of this temporary bond: it helps during printing and then gets out of the way.
Ready for Stitching! Pop the fabric into your embroidery hoop, center the motif, and start stitching. This approach is especially helpful for designs with straight edges, spaced lettering, or intricate shapes where tracing would be tedious.
From the comments: About Dark Fabrics and Stabilizers Another reader asked whether this can be done on a heavy stabilizer to transfer onto dark or black fabrics. The creator explained there are many stabilizer types and that they use a different transfer method for dark fabrics in another video. Translation: this inkjet + freezer paper method shines on light to mid-tone fabric that will show a printed outline; for very dark cloth, explore alternate transfers.
Project planning notes
- Size matters: Your design must fit within 8.5x11 inches. For hoops in the 3–7 inch range, you’re in the sweet spot.
- Fabric choice: Tightly woven cottons (like Kona Cotton) behave well with this technique, feeding cleanly and holding a sharp print.
- Edge discipline: Keep that leading edge pristine—no frays, no tape.
Watch out Do not use a laser printer. The heat-based process in laser printers is not suitable for freezer paper-backed fabric.
Pro tip If you’re working a dense fill over printed lines, a lighter opacity saves you time and thread while still giving you the guide you need. embroidery frame
Checklist before you print
- Coated side of freezer paper is down against the fabric
- Press cloth in place; iron at medium-high, no steam
- Each section warmed for about 7–10 seconds
- Fully cooled; edges tested for adhesion
- Fabric trimmed exactly to 8.5x11 inches
- Leading edge clean—no frayed threads
- Inkjet printer settings confirmed; optional opacity reduction
From the comments: Thanks and takeaways Viewers appreciated the thorough walkthrough and the honest “what not to do” moment with tape. The shared jam helped clarify that less is more at the leading edge—clean cuts beat added layers every time. magnetic embroidery hoops
Finishing thoughts This is a fast, dependable way to get clean outlines onto fabric without tracing. It’s cost-effective, repeatable, and perfect for small to medium projects where accuracy matters. If you’re new to transferring designs, start with a simple motif and a light fabric to see just how crisp those printed lines can be.
Beyond the basics: organizing your stitching setup Once your fabric is printed and hooped, a tidy, ergonomic stitching setup makes the rest of the project a joy. Keep your scissors, needles, and threads within reach, and consider how you’ll secure fabric edges while you stitch. Depending on your tools, you might work in a standard round hoop or explore other supports to keep your fabric taut and comfortable to handle. embroidery machine hoops
Optional: testing ink visibility and coverage If you’re concerned about lines peeking through light stitches, run a small test square. Print a sample line at your planned opacity, stitch over it with the thread and density you’ll use, and check the result in natural light. Adjust opacity before committing to the full piece. magnetic embroidery frames
Light vs. dark fabric strategies
- Light fabrics: Reduced-opacity lines are often ideal—clear enough to follow, easy to cover.
- Mid-tone fabrics: Try a few opacity levels to find the best balance.
- Dark fabrics: The creator uses a different transfer method for these. If your design disappears on dark cloth, consider alternate approaches better suited to dark backgrounds.
A final word on care Because the video doesn’t provide a confirmed answer about wash behavior, consider project intent. For framed hoop art that won’t be laundered, printed guidelines are a practical shortcut. For items you’ll wash, test first—or use a transfer method that’s proven for your end use. embroidery machine for beginners
Resource recap
- Inkjet printer (not laser)
- Freezer paper, 8.5x11 inches
- Iron at medium-high, no steam
- Thin press cloth to protect your iron
- Fabric trimmed flush to the paper
- Digital pattern sized to fit the page
- Optional: reduce opacity to around 70% for lighter lines
Why this method works The temporary bond stabilizes the fabric just enough to pass through an inkjet printer while keeping the printable side exposed. After printing, the paper peels away cleanly, leaving a clear design and a fabric surface that stitches like normal.
In short: a neat little hack that turns your printer into a design-transfer tool—and saves you from tracing. magnetic embroidery hoop