Learn New Tips and Tricks with Fabrico Markers

by Roni Johnson

Fabrico Markers are a great product to keep in your color and crafting toolbox. They are superb for coloring on fabrics and other dense surfaces like wood or canvas. Available in 35 colors which can be used separately or blended together to create amazing depth of color. This dual tip water-based pigment ink marker has a bullet tip that allows you to write, draw or trace text and images; and a brush tip that allows you to color larger portions of a project.

Today I am going to share a couple of unique ways I use Fabrico markers. Check it out!

Stamping

Line images are fun but sometimes you want something more than just a single color from an inkpad. This is where Fabrico markers can really help breathe life into an image.

Color your stamp with several marker colors. It’s easy to get into the details of the image and the markers won’t damage your red rubber or clear stamps. Simply apply color, press onto fabric, cardstock or wood. This technique gives you a lot of control in how the image will turn out. You could also go back in and fill in the outline to get a no-line coloring look too!

Resist

Stamp various images onto a piece of plain fabric using VersaMark ink, add embossing powder and heat to melt. Use the Fabrico Markers to color and highlight the designs. Fabrico is water-based pigment ink so it will not adhere to polymer surfaces. It does not spread or bleed into the fabric like a dye ink would. The areas where the embossed images will stay the color of the fabric and exposed areas will absorb the ink at a mild rate. You can repeat the emboss technique to lock a color down and continue to color with different Fabrico colors. In no time you’ll have a work of art on your hands. Because embossing powder will melt with heat – this technique is not recommended for fabric that is meant to be laundered. I adhered mine to a card base to look like a miniature canvas piece.

Watercolor Fun

Bet you didn’t know that you can watercolor on fabric with Fabrico! This seems like a tricky idea since you are working with fabrics that are potentially going to be laundered. It’s easy to assume that adding water to the ink will make it lose its permanence, but it won’t. Fabrico is water-based and yet permanent on fabric once dry. Once it dries, the color is set, so be sure to work somewhat faster than you would on watercolor paper. For this apple I simply started by coloring the image with the markers directly with a few different shades of red, apple green and yellow. Working quickly while the ink is still wet, take a water brush and pull the colors where you want them. Don’t forget that adding water makes the pigment a bit more mobile, so bleeding along with blending should be expected. Once you are happy with the design then let dry. Once dry, it is best to heat set if the fabric piece you are working on is meant to be laundered. Just use the iron settings recommended for the fabric.

The colors stay vibrant even after they have been watered down and create such a cool dye effect. Doesn’t it look like a watercolor background you would see on paper?