Digital Printing on Cotton Denim Fabric

Surface textures

Firm and taut, the traditional Bull Denim is made from 100% Cotton and constructed in a drill weave, with long diagonal lines apparent on the surface. The reverse side of the fabric appears different, and is almost completely opaque to all but the heaviest black outlines. Stiff and crisp, this is a heavyweight denim fabric with no stretch. 10oz Denim is a slightly lighter textile weighing in at 8.85oz. It is very taut yet has a soft and smooth handle that feels lovely against the skin.

Print detail

Printing on denim fabric has never looked so good! Our custom denim material possesses the gorgeous cream-white base tone that only comes from natural cotton; your prints will appear warm and slightly yellowed. The 10oz in contrast has a bright white base tone that is perfect for showing off a huge range of colors. A great fabric choice for bold, colorful prints in primary colors! Denim prints are strong, and color-fast; however, as with all hard-wearing denims, the color may fade over time with heavy use, giving a distinct retro look.

Usage

The perfect choice for denim upholstery fabric, both the Bull and 10oz denim will work great for cushions, seat covers, or even headboards. This soft-yet-sturdy fabric will also lend itself well to some apparel wear, like light printed denim jackets, or shorts. The lighter denim is ideal for summer and would be perfect for dungarees, overalls and even denim shorts. Since this is a firm and taut denim material with no elasticity, we don’t recommend using it to make jeans.

Sizing For Hemming And Shrinkage

We have a full Cut & Sew service here at Contrado, and are able to hem your fabric prints for a small additional charge. We create a small one- or two-fold hem that typically uses 0.2" to 0.75" (5-20mm) of material, depending on the thickness of the fabric. So, for example, if you want a finished piece of fabric that measures 39.37" x 39.37", you will need to order a size of 39.96" x 39.96" to allow for the hem (on top of that please also allow for shrinkage of min 2%). The thicker the fabric, the bigger the hem will be. You can choose to have your prints hemmed with either Black or White thread. On our silk and other light woven fabrics, one hemmed edge will be straight (vertically down the roll) and the other will be slightly rippled. The hemming material allowances are as follows and you need to make your print bigger to accommodate the hem:

• Light Fabrics (0.59oz-2.95oz): For silks and other light fabrics, we use 0.24" - 0.32" / 6mm-8mm in the hem (2 fold), so overall width/height will be minus 0.48"-0.56""/ 12-16mm
• Medium Fabrics (2.98oz-5.90oz): For medium-weight fabrics that fray, we use 0.5 - 0.75" / 15-20mm in the hem (2 fold) so overall width/height will be minus 1.4" - 1.6" / 35-40mm
• Stiff/Heavy/No-fray fabrics: we use 0.5 - 0.75" / 15-20mm in the hem (1 fold) so overall width/height will be minus 1.5" / 35-40mm

All of these measurements are approximate and can vary. Including with shrinkage, it can mean a fairly significant difference to ordered dimensions, so please plan your print accordingly. Depending on how open the weave is, our fabric can shrink anywhere from 2% to 8% with the average being 2.5%.

How Would you Like the Edge?

• As it comes. We cut around your image, leaving a simply scissor cut, perhaps uneven white fabric border. 
• Hem with thread. We can hem your fabric with a choice of black or white thread. Please allow 1-2 days additional production time. See below for information on how hemming affects the size of your print. We offer an overlock hem, as well as a folded hem (one or two fold depending on the fabric) however not all fabrics are suited to both hem types. If you can see both options, it means both are suitable, and you will be able to choose whichever you prefer. 
• Cut on the line. We will cut neatly on the edge of your design. This means that if you have a border around your design we will cut around that border, if your design takes the whole space of the fabric, then we will neatly cut around the edge of that image. Please be aware, when we cut along the line, we have to cut against the grain of the fabric. This is the standard procedure for fabric cutting. This means that with some fabrics, for example, Georgette and Mulmul, which have a slight wave in them, some fraying will occur. This is unavoidable, as the cut follows the grain of the textile. 

All of our fabrics are cut manually by hand, with the utmost care and attention. If your fabric has a slightly uneven look on the edges or a touch of fraying, this does not indicate a flaw in the textile. It is not always possible to achieve a perfectly straight cut with certain fabrics, so please do bare this in mind when it comes to your design. If you have any queries or would like to know about our cutting methods in more detail, please get in touch and we will be more than happy to discuss them with you.

Please note: As we make everything by hand, all sizes may vary slightly.

For further information about our fabrics see our FAQs.

Is it hard to sew with Denim?

Not at all, so long as you follow a few simple precautions. Make sure you use a special denim needle, as denim fabrics can break standard sewing machine needles. Go slowly, turning the wheel of your machine by hand for thick segments; and press your seams flat, using plenty of steam.

What is Bull Denim Fabric?

Most denims are woven with a mixture of white and blue threads, which is what gives jeans their distinctive look. “Bull Denim” is a term that refers to a 100% cotton denim fabric that’s woven completely from white threads. Unlike regular denim materials, Bull denims can be left white, dyed, or printed with any pattern you desire!

What are the differences between the two denim fabrics?

Both Bull Denim and 10oz Denim are true denim fabrics. Bull is our most heavy weight denim weighing 11.80oz. They are both tautly woven textiles with hardly any give. 10oz has a slightly brighter base tone. They are both very soft against the skin and 10oz is a wonderful choice for denim apparel.