The popularity of the Posca pen range just keeps on going from strength to strength with no signs of their rapid growth slowing down anytime soon. We believe that this is due to more and more people in North America and Europe importing the pens directly from Japan making it much easier to source Posca pens than it was a few years back as well as the outstanding performance that the marker pens offer when used.
With Posca pens offering an absolutely massive range of versatility, we see a wide range of questions being asked from the arts and crafts community. We have already published articles going over 38 things you can use your Posca pens on as well as 14 Posca pen tips and tricks but we have noticed people asking how to use Posca pens on fabric so we have decided to publish this article.
Our hope is that we will be able to help our readers get the most out of their Posca pens when using them on fabric and help you get the best possible custom artwork on your clothes as easily as possible. Due to seeing such a wide range of different questions regarding using Posca pens on fabric, we have added a table of contents below to help you navigate our article easier.
Can Posca Pens Be Used On Fabric?
Posca pens can be used on fabric and they tend to perform very well when used in this way. From the very beginning, the Posca pen range have been designed to be as versatile as possible and offer outstanding performance on a huge range of surfaces including the vast majority of fabrics too.
Although most of our readers will be able to get solid performance from their Posca pens on their fabrics right out of the pen, you can get better results by adding in a few of the tips and tricks below. Please note that there is no need to add all of the tips and tricks that we have laid out below though as some are more dependent on what you are actually wanting to do with your fabric.
How To Use Posca Pens On Fabric For Excellent Results!
There are a few simple tips and tricks that you are able to implement to help you drastically improve the results of your custom artwork on your fabric with your Posca pens that are often overlooked. Thankfully, these are quick, cheap, and easy to implement making it well worth the time and effort when you consider the time investment against the improvement in your art.
Pin Your Fabric
The first thing is to peg your fabric to a stable base to help keep it stretched out and firm when you write on it. Now, theres no need for you to go out and purchase specific items to do this. You are even able to use a spare piece of card if needed to do this with you simply putting the card on the back of your fabric and then using pegs to keep it in place. If you are wanting to use your Posca pens on a t-shirt or other clothing then we would recommend that you put the card inside of the t-shirt as if it was your body and then peg it in place.
This helps to prevent fabric from moving around while you draw on it with your Posca pens and can help ensure that both your sketching and coloring lines are all uniform and constant with each other. If you are wanting to use your Posca pens to customize your clothing then putting the card inside of the t-shirt also helps to prevent your pens from ghosting or bleeding through the front of the fabric to the back too.
Dab Your Posca Pens
Simply dabbing your Posca pens onto a spare piece of card or paper to get the nib moist is another quick and easy win when it comes to using them on fabric. Due to the dry nature of fabric, the wetter the nib of your Posca pen the better as a dry nib on a dry material is bound to cause problems.
To dab your marker simply place the nib on some old card or paper and press the barrel down with minimal pressure so the nib does into the barrel. Repeat this process a few times until the nib of your marker is nice and wet and full of the color ready to use. If you have not used your Posca markers in over a week then you should shake them for around ten seconds prior to dabbing them too so the mixing units inside the barrel can mix the paint together correctly prior to soaking it into the nib of your pen.
You will find that your pen will perform much better when drawing on your fabric after taking a couple of seconds to do this. Please keep in mind that the process of dabbing your pen nib artificially increases the amount of pigment in the nib of the pen. The Posca markers are unable to maintain this level of transference naturally so every few minutes you may have to re-dab your pen to get it as wet as it previously was to increase performance.
Trace Your Design
So many people fail to realise that you are able to trade through the majority of types of fabric with your Posca pen. Depending on exactly what you are wanting to do with your custom fabric, you can print of a specific design or drawing that you want to use, place it under your fabric, and then go over it with your Posca pens.
Although some people are very talented when it comes to drawing, the majority of people will benefit from taking advantage of this little trick. In addition to this, many of the people who tend to use Posca pens to customise fabric are not from the arts and crafts community and are simply wanting to customise some fabric clothing for a party or event.
Wash Your Fabric
If you are looking to use your Posca pens to customize fabric clothing that has previously been worn then we would highly recommend that you wash it prior to drawing on it. Human skin naturally releases oils to care for itself that can then transfer to your fabric and potentially cause issues with your art. Depending on the type of clothing that you are looking to customize there may also be dirt or other contaminants on the fabric too so a quick wash of any worn clothing or pre-used fabric is definitely worth it.
On the flipside of this though, be sure that your fabric has totally dried after washing it prior to drawing on it too. If your fabric is wet then it can cause issues with your Posca pens feathering out and spoiling your artwork too. We know that this step can often delay your arts and crafts session by a few hours but it is well worth if for any serious clothing or fabric customization.
How Do You Seal Posca Pens On Clothes
The easiest way to seal your custom Posca pen art onto your clothes and fabric is to iron them at a high temperature without steam after completing your art work. This can help to fuse the paint from the marker with the fiber stands and help with the waterproof and permanent properties of the pens when applied to your clothing.
Although some people do use products such as fabric guard to seal their Posca pens to fabrics, we feel it is overkill and there is usually no need to do it. In addition to that, fabric guard is not designed for use with fabrics that you will wear either so if you are using your Posca pens on fabric that you will wear then we would not recommend it.
Are Posca Pens Waterproof On Clothes?
Posca pens are waterproof on many surfaces and the waterproof properties of the pens will take hold when used on a wide range of fabrics. Although we go into this in more detail in our article on if Posca pens are waterproof, your artwork should be fine in rain without the need of any further steps being taken. If your closes are going to be getting wet on a regular basis then we would recommend that you seal your artwork as explained above though.
Are Posca Pens Permanent On Clothes?
The permanence of Posca pens works well on clothing and your artwork should be able to last you for a long time without issue. We go into this in more detail in our article on if Posca pens are permanent or not but for the majority of our readers, the standard pen will do fine and not have any issues as most people only customize their fabric for temporary events anyway.
How Do You Get Posca Pen Out Of Clothes?
Although Posca pens are permanent and waterproof, you are able to wash it out of your cloths by using a detergent. This will take a few washes before the Posca pens start to fade, especially if you sealed your artwork after applying it but you are able to wash them out of your clothing if needed. Please note that if you did you a commercial sealant rather than just an iron then this will change things and you will have to check the instructions on the bottle of the sealant spray that you used on your fabric.
Conclusion
That brings our article on how to use your Posca pens on fabric to an end and we hope that our readers have found it helpful. We know that more and more people are starting to use Posca pens on various types of fabrics for a wide range of uses so we are confident that our article will be able to help our readers get better results from their pens on their fabrics.
