All About Linen & How to Print On Linen Fabric

Why not make a sustainable choice and print on linen fabrics? maake tells you why printing on linen is a great choice for your business.

All About Linen Fabric

The world has used linen for centuries. And no wonder. It’s a very hard-wearing textile and the quality is excellent. Actually, in ancient times, Egyptians were mummified with this textile and it was even used as currency at one time. 

Today, we produce flax in many countries. The most common areas where the flax plant is grown are Canada, China and Russia.

We produce this type of cloth from the cellulose fibres that grow inside the stalks of the purple-flowering flax plant. We make linseed oil out of flax, too. Incidentally, flax is an annual plant and only grows for one season every year.

Flax is one of the oldest plants used by humans. We have made linen from very fine flax fibres for hundreds of years, to print on clothing and other products like table linen, sheets and towels. 

We extract the fibres from the plant, spin them into yarn and weave them into lengths.
Linen is a popular fabric cut, as it’s relatively easy to source. However, it's more expensive than cotton.

You'll see everything from magnificent print masterpieces on show in museums to humble products like bathroom facecloths made from this cloth on sale in stores worldwide.

People enjoy wearing linen as it’s a comfortable, versatile textile, especially in hot weather, as it’s very lightweight.

Here's an interesting fact: 100 linen’s distinct fibres and open weave mean that it creases very easily. Most designers don't worry about that. They love the unique texture to print on, and an un-ironed look is often considered trendy.

This natural fibre is expensive to produce. It’s made more affordable by blending the yarn with other, less expensive fibres. 

It is one of the most sustainable natural fabrics, is biodegradable and environmentally friendly, too.

Why Print on Linen Fabric?

•    This is a natural fabric produced from the flax plant.
•    Its fibres are long and sturdy, like leather, and material made from linen fibres is extremely hard-wearing and long-lasting.
•    This textile absorbs moisture well and dries quickly.
•    We use eco-friendly inks to print on this sustainable fabric.
•    It’s been said that this particular material stimulates blood flow.
•    A great textile choice, it is very hygienic and antiseptic.
•    People enjoy wearing this textile as it’s lightweight and breathable. 
•    You can print on these fabrics using any shade – as many colours as there are dyes.
•    This textile softens each time you wash it by hand in cold water. Avoid strong cleaners, and be gentle with the fabric: don’t wring or tumble dry.

For more advantages to using this type of fabric, we’ve compiled a go-to blog on The Coolest Fabrics for Summer.  Read it now!

Printing on Linen

The linen printing process involves applying pigments and dyes to fabrics, some of which form patterns.

Medium-weight and heavyweight fabrics and blends offer excellent textile quality for use on a printer.

Our clients choose this type of cloth for a various products, including upholstery, handbags, quilts, clothing and accessories.

Because of the way the fibres are structured, they can come loose. When this happens, it leaves a white or beige mark, which adds to the item’s beauty.

maake likes to use a virtual process for printed cloth. This is a very popular method for this type of cloth. The ink used in the process sticks to the textile surface through a binding agent. 

You'll notice that the pattern looks like it has been painted on the textile, much like when one prints on paper. It’s that perfect!

Linen Fabric Printing Methods

The type of printing processes used depends on the type of fabric you’re using. maake uses either the textile or sublimation process (see below) for digital printing on linen fabric. Print on fabric is similar to dying fabrics, which involves using a single shade rather than a selection.

This reproduction method involves repeating a pattern on the entire piece of fabric, or a part of it, depending on the effect you wish to achieve.

The Digital Textile Process for Printing Linen

The digital reproduction process for fabrics is known for its sustainability, which makes it ideal for linen. It uses water-based inks that are eco-friendly and don’t contain chemicals.

This is a major advantage of the digital reproduction process. 

There are other advantages, too. You can stamp your design on exactly the amount of fabric you need. Aas you’re using the water-based type of ink, this method is sustainable, and there is no compromise on design. 

This method offers endless opportunities for design, shade and patterns when you use it on linen. 

With this reproduction process, you can use a fabric sample to be more accurate and precise. This will show you what a custom fabric will look like when it’s printed on, including the pattern and your exact colour choice. 

After it’s been printed on, these fabrics wash beautifully. They also have an excellent drape and texture, which improves after every wash.

The latest generation machines are also designed to be fast and environmentally friendly.

They offer faster output, a higher resolution of printheads and they handle fabrics better.

That’s what makes them ideal for reproduction on fabrics to use in fashion, interior décor, homeware, custom items and more. Indeed, all natural fabrics work best with the digital reproduction method.

Printing Natural Linen 

At maake we use custom natural linen cloth and the digital direct-to-textile process, and our customers prefer this method because it's so sustainable.

Our clients not only reproduce designs on fabrics for fashion, accessories, upholstery and soft furnishings (cushions, couches and curtains, etc.).

They also use this method for custom tea towels, napkins, table runners, aprons, cushions and any other homeware products that they need for sewing and manufacturing.

Ours is one of the most eco-friendly reproduction processes available for fabrics, and it uses digital pigment inks. We also use no water in this reproduction process and we use 95% less energy in the process, too.

Using the digital process for reproducing on this type of fabric offers superb quality; it doesn't matter if the fabrics are medium- or heavyweight (gsm, or grams per square metre add); the results are excellent.

People use this fabric for upholstery, cushions, handbags, quilts and fashion clothing.

How we Print on Linen Cotton

The digital method for linen cotton uses pigment ink that sticks to the textile surface with a binding agent.

The result is superb; it looks as if one has painted the design onto the fabric.

Because of the way this textile is structured, some fibres come loose during the process and leave a white or a beige mark. That adds to the beauty, individuality and patina of the fabric.

All linen fabric that we blend with synthetic fibres (we’re talking the Eco Linen look here), is reproduced using the sublimation method. 

This process requires no water, and the inks used all meet Oeko-tex requirements and are EN71-3 certified. Here’s our comprehensive guide to Textile Certification. 

We’ve also compiled an informative blog on Digital Printing On Fabric, which we recommend reading before you print on any fabric type.

Advantages of Printing on Fabric Linen

The fabric linen is often blended with cotton to make a custom cotton like textile that is much softer and doesn’t crease as much as 100% linen.

• You can copy a design, logo or pattern, or photos. It’s up to you.
• It is not expensive to use the digital process for linen print.
• The price tags for this process stay the same, no matter how many colours you use.
• Great quality with excellent accuracy and sharp reproduction.
• A sustainable method of reproduction – you make just what you need.
• This method requires less water and electricity.  
• Order a small sample first – we can’t stress this enough and it’s vital. It will give you an idea of what the pattern will look like on a bigger custom item and how the design and colours print.

The Sublimation Process

We use the dye sublimation method of reproduction for natural fabric with special thermal paper sheets at maake. This method is excellent for all polyesters and man-made fabrics, as well as linen blends, polyester and poly blends.

This relatively new professional reproduction process using thermal paper offers excellent results on fabric.

The sublimation process is a chemical process involving reproducing designs in a mirrored form on a specific type of thermal paper called ‘dye sublimation paper’.

How the Sublimation Process Works

To take the design from paper to the fabric, printers use heat and pressure. In this scientific process, the heat causes the water-based ink to evaporate into a gas, which then bonds chemically with the fabric fibre.

The printer then transfers the pattern from the paper to the fabric. In this process, the inks penetrate deep into the fabrics and create a permanent print.

The sublimation method with thermal paper is an excellent method to use for linen; it reproduces detailed designs and numerous shades on synthetic fabrics, including linen fabric blends.

Advantages of Sublimation Printing on Linen

•    This is a sustainable reproduction method, as the water-based inks used in this process require no water and don’t fade or peel over time.
•    It creates great detail, every time.
•    If you use this method for linen, it’s great for all small and large runs.
•    The prints come out clear and bright every time. No excess ink is left behind on the paper.
•    All designs are durable and won’t scratch off.

Different Types of Linen Material

•    Damask linen is a rich fabric, an exquisite blend of a plain linen weave and satin weave fabrics. The result is dainty and embellished, and looks similar to embroidery. This high quality textile resembles natural linen and boasts a silky sheen. Manufacturers make suits, dresses and other luxury linen garments from damask linen. They use a jacquard loom to create damask fabric, which is great for tablecloths and serviettes. There's a variation, called Venice linen, which is used for curtains.
•    Loosely woven linen is very absorbent. We use this mostly for towelling products and babies’ nappies. 
•    Plain woven linen has a distinctive loose weave. It is soft and absorbent, used for various products including luxurious towels, dishcloths and special cloths for cleaning glassware. We also make handkerchiefs out of plain woven linen natural fabric. A similar textile is called butcher’s linen, which we use for aprons and heavy-duty garments as they are so hard-wearing.
•    Sheeting linen is a heavy cloth used mostly for clothing and men’s suits.
•    Linen blends are various fabrics blended with linen to create specialist materials. At maake, we use this popular cotton blend of  50% linen and 50% cotton. The cotton gives the fabrics body, and they don’t crease as much.
•    Linen and polyester is a very common fabrics blend. It's relatively inexpensive, as it’s blended with polyester, and it doesn’t crease as much as 100% linen.

The Best Linen Products

The most common products to shop for that are made from these fabrics include:

•    Bedding: Sheets, pillowcases, bed covers, quilts and duvet covers.
•    Table accessories: Tablecloths, table runners and serviettes.
•    Clothes: Formal and casual garments and men’s suits.
•    Kitchen items and accessories: Dishcloths, tray cloths and tea towels.
•    Fashion accessories: Handbags, belts, etc.
•    Personal products: Handkerchiefs.
•    Footwear: Casual shoes.
•    Décor and lifestyle accessories: Upholstery, cushions, throws, curtains, etc.

Our Options

Here we discuss the different linen fabric available at maake and the linen reproduction options – what products we feel suit each linen textile best.

We also explain how designs and patterns look on each different fabric. This will help you and give you an idea of what your final order will look like.

Decor & Homeware

• Thinking of curtains, tea towels, a gift or other products for the home? Melino Linen is the most lightweight fabric in our range and it’s ideal for those products. This cotton/linen mix textile has a slub texture that tends to create a stunning extra depth to the fabric. The texture of the fabrics is slightly irregular, but the fabric is smooth and soft. Colour prints on these fabrics mix beautifully on its natural base.

• For tablecloths, cushions, curtains, clothes and jackets, gifts, etc,  Eco Linen Look is the ideal choice. We create this sustainable textile blend from 53% Recycled Polyester and 5% linen.

  It has a natural looking base and structured drape. The cloth is extremely versatile; it’s perfect for tableware, cushions, curtaining, garments and outerwear.

Clothing

•    Want to make a jacket or light upholstery for a piece of furniture? Choose Limani linen as these fabrics are a bit heavier and crisper than our Merino fabric. It’s our medium-weight cotton/linen textile choice for this type of product. Limani has a slub texture that gives it a natural, tactile feel. Incidentally, we use it for a lot to print on custom readymade homeware products and accessories too. Take a look at the selection we offer at maakeHome. Like Melino linen, Limani has a natural base and trim, and colour lights up and prints beautifully. Choose your print, then add it to your wishlist or basket now!

Printing Linen in Three Easy Steps

For great quality and quantity price saving, let maake assist with your print requirements. Check out our Fabric Sample Book to see how designs print on these fabrics. Another great tool is our Colour Atlas, which features 2,400 colours on a metre of fabric to show you what each colour looks when you print on different base fabrics. You can read all about How to Use Our Colour Atlas effectively here. Order this invaluable tool now! Delivery linen is fast and efficient. We’ve set the standard high!!

How to print your own design on fabric