How to cutting/finish fabrics

[JPR-5690]

Recently started experimenting with printing fabrics on my HP 570 with these three products:
1. EnduraFab Frontlit FR
2. HP Fabric Light
3. Mohawk DecoPrint Pearl

I was told to use a hot knife to prevent the edges from fraying so I bought one off Amazon and I can't tell if I'm just really bad at it/need to learn how to do it, or if there is another way that I should be finishing these fabric edges.

I've tried using pole tape to just fold the edges over but that particularly tricky with thin fabrics because it's really hard to keep the fold straight.

We're a small shop so setting up a sewing machine is probably too much work/cost for what its worth, at least until we start selling fabrics enough to justify it.

Im using a hot knife with a cutting foot because I haven't found tempered glass yet and it's next to impossible to cut a straight, clean line.

How do you go about cutting and finishing fabrics that will fray?

also sorry for the typo in the forum title lol

 

[bannertime]

To be honest, sewing. I don't think I'd buy anything that is fabric that isn't hemmed with thread.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

I was told to use a hot knife to prevent the edges from fraying

Using a hot knife to prevent fraying is a valid technique. However, getting pressure, timing down is something that does take time to get right. That will also change depending on different fabric substrates as well.

Even getting really good at it, there is a difference between using a sewing machine (or underlock depending on the application) and using the hot knife for sealing. Although if it's a temp type of application, this may not matter as much.

We're a small shop so setting up a sewing machine is probably too much work/cost for what its worth, at least until we start selling fabrics enough to justify it.

I would actually crunch the numbers to make sure of that. May be surprised on that.

Im using a hot knife with a cutting foot because I haven't found tempered glass yet and it's next to impossible to cut a straight, clean line.

Get the glass if you are going to continue with this method.

 

[TrustMoore_TN]

http://go-foster.com/Products/CuttersTrimmers/FabricCutting/
I wish I'd known this existed previously, but honestly, most of my cuts were at least 96" and 20-30 ft long. I used a hot knife as well, and it takes some getting used to. We sewed a silicone edge to them, but having a straight edge was still important.

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/...TztPTZJI9ooDUgZhQ6pXsj8wQXt7rEnGd1YQ&usqp=CAc
I used this knife with the guard along the bottom, Never needed to cut on glass. As long as I had a flat surface and a straight line to follow, it worked great.

Also, use the I can't imagine not using a sewn hem on anything fabric. I never found an adhesive tape that would have worked.

 

[JPR-5690]

http://go-foster.com/Products/CuttersTrimmers/FabricCutting/
I wish I'd known this existed previously, but honestly, most of my cuts were at least 96" and 20-30 ft long. I used a hot knife as well, and it takes some getting used to. We sewed a silicone edge to them, but having a straight edge was still important.

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/...TztPTZJI9ooDUgZhQ6pXsj8wQXt7rEnGd1YQ&usqp=CAc
I used this knife with the guard along the bottom, Never needed to cut on glass. As long as I had a flat surface and a straight line to follow, it worked great.

Also, use the I can't imagine not using a sewn hem on anything fabric. I never found an adhesive tape that would have worked.

Thats the same hot knife that I just bought, albeit some other brand. We actually already have a keen cut sabre 2 and I was looking into that hot knife carrier...

Sewing might be what we have to look into then. Its just that we're new to latex printing – before we subbed everything out we couldn't do on our aqueous printer – and Im trying to figure out how much of an investment I can make up front, ya know? We mostly use fabric for large research posters (we're in a city with several large colleges) that are more travel friendly than paper, and hanging graphics.

Any recommendations on what type of sewing machine I should look at?

I almost want to buy a fabric product from another printer just to see how they're making it...

 

[TrustMoore_TN]

We had a JUKI industrial model that we bought used, and worked great without any issues in 6 years. It was heavy duty enough for anything we threw at it. Don't get a consumer version (in my opinion).

 

[WildWestDesigns]

We had a JUKI industrial model that we bought used, and worked great without any issues in 6 years. It was heavy duty enough for anything we threw at it. Don't get a consumer version (in my opinion).

The '70s Juki home machines are a different matter. It's built like the industrial ones of today. I still have a home Juki overlock machine that I run alongside my Merrow machine for finishing patches. It's shame about "not built like they used to be". That machine is older then I am and doing better.

To the OP: if you start doing thicker materials, you'll want to have something with dual feed. A lot of people talk about the walking foot and that will somewhat accomplish the same thing, but dual feed is significantly better. It used to be only on Pfaff commercial and home versions, but once patent protection ran out, now a lot of companies are doing it. If can't get dual feed, get the walking foot option. Only if you are going to be doing thicker materials.