Hey guys, let’s cut to the chase – if you’ve ever dabbled in apparel printing for work or just for fun, you’ve probably wondered: can my apparel printer actually print on waterproof fabrics? As someone who runs a apparel printer supply business, I get this question ALL the time. I’ve had small boutique owners come in panicking because they tried to print on their new waterproof sports jerseys and it just smudged like crazy. I’ve also had outdoor gear brands hit me up because they want to add custom logos to rain jackets and hiking backpacks. So let’s break this down, no fancy jargon, just real talk from someone who’s seen every messy, successful print job under the sun. Apparel Printer
First off, let’s get one thing straight – not all waterproof fabrics are created equal. That’s the biggest mistake people make when they jump into printing on these materials. You’ve got two main types of waterproof fabrics: the ones that are coated with a thin, protective layer (like polyurethane, or PU for short, that’s what’s on most rain jackets) and the ones that are coated with something even slicker, like PTFE (that’s the Gore-Tex stuff, you know it). Both are waterproof, but their surface energy is totally different. Regular cotton or polyester is pretty “sticky” – ink bonds to it easily because the molecules on the surface have a rough, reactive texture. Waterproof fabrics? Their coatings are super smooth, almost non-porous, so ink just sits on top instead of adhering. That’s why that first test print you did ended up smearing when it rained. Makes sense, right?
Now, can an apparel printer actually handle this? The short answer is YES, but you can’t just grab your old Epson home printer (don’t get me wrong, those work great for hoodies and tees, but not for waterproof stuff) and call it a day. If you’re a business looking to scale this, you need the right printer, the right ink, and a bit of prep work. Let’s talk printers first. I sell a lot of direct-to-garment (DTG) printers, and for regular fabrics, they’re perfect – they spray ink directly onto the material. But for waterproof coated fabrics, I always recommend a hybrid printer, or a direct-to-film (DTF) printer modified for technical textiles. Wait, let’s clarify that: DTF is a game-changer for this because it prints the design onto a clear film first, transfers it to the fabric with heat and adhesive powder. That adhesive is what sticks through the waterproof coating, not just the ink. A lot of people think DTG can do it, but DTG ink doesn’t have the kind of adhesive grip needed for those smooth PU or PTFE layers. I’ve had customers switch from DTG to DTF and their waterproof print success rate jump from like 30% to 95% – that’s no joke.
Then there’s ink. Not all inks are made for this. For waterproof fabrics, you need inks that are formulated to bond with synthetic coatings, not just cotton. UV-curable inks are super popular here because they dry instantly when you hit them with UV light (that’s the little lamp on the back of some printers). I use UV inks for most my clients doing outdoor gear – they don’t smudge, they’re flexible enough to move with the fabric, and they stay waterproof (no fading when it gets wet). A word of warning: stay away from regular water-based inks for waterproof fabrics. They might look okay when they’re dry, but as soon as moisture hits, they run right off. I’ve seen that mistake so many times – a client brought back 50 rain jackets that looked like a messy watercolor when it rained, all because they used the wrong ink.
Now, prep work. This is the secret sauce no one talks about. Even with the right printer and ink, if you skip this, your prints will fail. First, you need to clean the fabric. Waterproof fabrics get little bits of dirt, dust, or fabric softener residue on them, and that stops ink from sticking. I always tell my customers to use a mild isopropyl alcohol wipe (70% is fine) to scrub the area where you’re printing. Don’t drench it, just wipe it down good and let it dry completely. Then, some people use a primer spray – it’s a super thin, clear coating that goes on the waterproof fabric and creates a surface the ink can grab onto. For small runs, primer spray works, but if you’re doing big orders, I recommend pre-treating the fabric at the factory when you get it – that’s way more consistent. I actually sell pre-treatment solutions that work with the DTF transfer powder, so my clients don’t have to guess which one works. I’ve had one client, a small outdoor brand that makes custom waterproof gloves, tell me that after we showed him how to prep the fabric with our solution, his print defects went from 15% to zero. That’s the kind of win I live for.
Wait, let’s talk about what kind of waterproof fabrics you CAN print on, and what you should avoid. You can print on PU-coated polyester, nylon, spandex blends (those stretchy waterproof workout leggings are big on custom branding now), and even coated cotton blends (for things like waterproof tote bags). But stay away from 100% PTFE fabrics like Gore-Tex that’s been heat-treated to be non-stick. Wait, no – actually, some modified Gore-Tex products do work with the right DTF adhesive, but you have to test a small swatch first. I always tell customers to do a test print on a scrap of the same fabric before doing a whole order. That way if something goes wrong, you don’t waste hundreds of dollars on inventory. I even include test swatches when I sell printers to new clients, so they don’t have to hunt for the right fabric to test on.
Another big question: how durable are these prints? I get this all the time – will the logo stay on after washing? Or after getting rained on? If you do it right, these prints are way more durable than regular prints on tees. UV-curable DTF prints? They don’t crack, peel, or fade, even after 50 washes, and they stay waterproof. I had a client who made custom waterproof hiking pants for a national park, and they tested them by spraying the pants with a hose for 24 hours straight – the logo didn’t budge. That’s the kind of performance outdoor brands need. If you use the wrong stuff? Well, you’ll be re-printing every order, which is a nightmare.
Let’s get real about the mistakes I see. First, people buy the cheapest apparel printer they can find online and expect it to work. I’ve had a guy show up at my workshop with a $500 DTG printer, trying to print on rain jackets, and I had to tell him it’s not built for that. Those small home printers are for small runs of tees and hoodies, not technical waterproof fabrics. Second, they skip the prep work – they just pull the fabric out of the box, wipe it once with a paper towel, and start printing. Third, they use regular ink. All of these add up to a bad print job, and then they blame the fabric or the printer. That’s why I always tell people to reach out before they buy – tell me what kind of fabrics you’re printing on, what kind of designs, how many pieces you’re doing, and I can point you to the right setup. I don’t just sell printers – I help people make their businesses work.
Wait, what about small businesses that don’t want to invest in a big, expensive printer? I get that too. A lot of custom apparel shops start small, and they don’t have the budget for a $10k DTF printer. So what’s the alternative? You can use a commercial print service that specializes in technical fabrics, or get a portable heat press with DTF transfer films that work on waterproof fabrics. Those are smaller, cheaper, and good for small runs (like 10-50 pieces). I sell those too, for people who don’t want to jump into a big machine right away. Just know that for large runs or consistent results, a dedicated apparel printer for technical fabrics is worth the investment. I’ve had a lot of small shops upgrade from portable presses to full printers, and their revenue went up because they could take on waterproof gear orders that other shops couldn’t.
Let me tell you a quick story to drive this home. A few months back, a local surf brand hit me up. They wanted to add custom logos to their waterproof wetsuit jackets, but every printer they’d worked with before messed up. The ink would peel off after one surf session. They tried three different shops, all with the same problem. I recommended they get a DTF printer with UV inks, and showed them how to prep the wetsuit neoprene (which is a waterproof fabric, by the way, people forget that). We did a test run, used our pre-treatment, and the result? The logo is flexible, it’s waterproof, and after three months of testing at the beach (they surfed in it, washed it, everything), it’s still perfect. That’s the kind of success I love to see. It’s not magic – it’s the right tools and the right know-how.
So to wrap this up, yes, an apparel printer can absolutely print on waterproof fabrics – but only if you’re using the right equipment, ink, and prep work. It’s not as simple as printing on a cotton tee, but it’s totally doable. If you’re a business owner looking to get into waterproof apparel printing, don’t guess. Don’t buy the cheapest printer you see online. Reach out, tell me what you need, and I’ll help you pick the right setup for your business. Whether you’re doing small runs of waterproof tote bags or big orders for outdoor gear, I’ve got you covered.
If you’re ready to upgrade your printing setup for waterproof fabrics and take on those orders other shops can’t handle, get in touch with me to chat through your needs. We can go over printers, ink, prep solutions, whatever you need to get started. No pushy sales stuff, just real advice from someone who’s been in the apparel printer game for years.
UV Printer References
- Textile Institute. (2021). Printing on Technical Waterproof Textiles: Adhesion Science and Process Optimization. Journal of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management.
- Smith, L. (2022). Direct-to-Film Transfer Printing for Synthetic Coated Fabrics. Apparel Industry Technical Report.
- Outdoor Industry Association. (2023). Printing and Branding for Waterproof Performance Apparel: Best Practices. Outdoor Gear Business Guide.
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