Can Cashmere Be Printed On?

Cashmere fabric

Cashmere is a popular material used in the manufacturing of clothing products around the world. It is particularly useful in winter garments since it has many thermal properties. This means that it is commonly used to create scarves and sweaters, although it is still possible to use materials, like cotton, to make warm sweatshirts for winter workwear and uniforms.

Cashmere is a popular material used in the manufacturing of clothing products around the world. It is particularly useful in winter garments since it has many thermal properties. 

This means it is commonly used to create scarves and sweaters, although it is still possible to use materials like cotton to make warm sweatshirts for winter workwear and uniforms.

Apart from its primary purpose of keeping the wearer warm, there’s just something classy and elegant about cashmere products. It’s a soft and light material that’s easy on the skin. This is why, according to Italy in Cashmere, it can be a better choice than wool.

What is Cashmere?

Cashmere is a fibre that is taken from a goat, either through combing or shearing, a process similar to how wool is taken from a sheep. It’s mostly used in areas where protection from the elements is essential. 

Each goat that produces the cashmere, has enough fibre to be harvested only once a year. Then, this weight becomes even lesser as it’s stripped off dirt, grease, and other thicker hair. This is why cashmere only makes up 0.5% of the total wool production in the world. This is why a cashmere wrap can be much more expensive than ones made from other materials. 

woman wearing cashmere scarf

For those looking for clothing products that are both warm and vegan friendly can look at printed softshell jackets and scarves made from other materials. 

Cashmere vs Wool

Technically, cashmere is a type of wool, but it is typically considered to be a different material. It has some very specific properties that make it particularly attractive in the manufacturing of clothing products.

Gram for gram, cashmere is eight times warmer than wool and therefore very warm products can be made to also be very light. Its scarcity makes cashmere very expensive, in contrast Merino sheep’s wool is one of the cheapest and most durable fibres for clothing products. 

Cashmere vs Cotton

Cashmere is considered to be a luxury fabric and is frequently used in high end clothing products. You are unlikely to find many materials softer than cashmere, although there are many cotton products that can now come close. 

Cotton is typically much more durable and versatile. You wouldn’t make a polo shirt or baseball cap from cashmere, while you’ll find cotton used to make just about every type of garment.

Cotton is significantly cheaper than cashmere too. A single cashmere T-shirt will set you back around £120, while you could buy around 50 blank cotton t-shirts for the same price.

Cotton can be printed and embroidered on and it’s much easier to care for. This makes it a great option for workwear and uniforms as they can be customised to fit brand guidelines and even be laundered in bulk at high temperatures if necessary. 

Can You Print on Cashmere?

Cashmere cannot be printed on in any commercial setting because it is too delicate. The Centre for Advanced Textiles at the Glasgow School of Art has been attempting to do so, but has said that “past results have not been of sufficient quality”. The process it did develop in 2010 used high amounts of chlorine, which is not environmentally sustainable. 

Ultimately, printing on cashmere is not possible in almost any environment, which is why the majority of cashmere products are plain, or have small amounts of embroidery.

What Clothing Materials Can I Print on Instead?

While printing on cashmere isn’t advisable, there are plenty of great alternatives that can be great to make printed custom T-shirts or personalised hoodies. 

Cotton

Cotton is one of the most common fabrics that are used all over the world. It is significantly cheaper and more versatile than cashmere but is still lightweight. This means it can be used to make many different products, including t-shirts, polo shirts for embroidery and personalised hoodies. 

Polyester

Polyester is a synthetic fibre that is often used in sportswear and technical clothing products as it can be breathable, lightweight and waterproof. Being synthetic doesn’t mean you have to compromise on sustainability though, as it is possible to get recycled sportswear made from recycled plastic bottles

Polyester also allows for all over sublimation printing, turning T-shirts into fashionable works of art. 

Final Thoughts

Cashmere is one of the softest and most delicate fabrics in the world. It’s long-lasting, but it also comes with a price. It’s delicate nature means that it cannot be printed on. Instead, you should look for products that are made from cotton or polyester. 

Cashmere is a popular material used in the manufacturing of clothing products around the world. It is particularly useful in winter garments since it has many thermal properties. This means that it is commonly used to create scarves and sweaters, although it is still possible to use materials, like cotton, to make warm sweatshirts for winter workwear and uniforms.

Apart from its primary purpose of keeping the wearer warm, there’s just something classy and elegant about cashmere products. It’s a soft and light material that’s easy on the skin. This is why, according to Italy in Cashmere, it can be a better choice than wool.

What is Cashmere?

Cashmere is a fibre that is taken from a goat, either through combing or shearing – a process similar to how wool is taken from a sheep. It’s mostly used in areas where protection from the elements is essential. 

Each goat that produces the cashmere has enough fibre to be harvested only once a year. Then, this weight becomes even lesser as it’s stripped off dirt, grease, and other thicker hair. This is why cashmere only makes up 0.5% of the total wool production in the world. Also, this is why a cashmere wrap can be much more expensive than ones made from other materials. 

For those looking for clothing products that are both warm and vegan-friendly, they can look at printed softshell jackets and scarves made from other materials. 

Cashmere vs Wool

Technically, cashmere is a type of wool. But, it is typically considered to be a different material. It has some very specific properties that make it particularly attractive in the manufacturing of clothing products.

Gram for gram, cashmere is eight times warmer than wool, and, therefore, very warm products can also be made to be very light. Its scarcity makes cashmere very expensive. In contrast, Merino sheep’s wool is one of the cheapest and most durable fibres for clothing products. 

Cashmere vs Cotton

Cashmere is considered to be a luxury fabric and is frequently used in high-end clothing products. You are unlikely to find many materials softer than cashmere, although there are many cotton products that can come close. 

Cotton is typically much more durable and versatile. You wouldn’t make a polo shirt or baseball cap from cashmere, while you’ll find that cotton is used to make just about every type of garment.

Cotton is significantly cheaper than cashmere, too. A single cashmere T-shirt will set you back around £120, while you could buy around 50 blank cotton t-shirts for the same price.

Cotton can be printed and embroidered on and it’s much easier to care for. This makes it a great option for workwear and uniforms as they can be customized to fit brand guidelines. It can even be laundered in bulk at high temperatures if necessary. 

Can You Print on Cashmere?

Cashmere cannot be printed on in any commercial setting because it is too delicate. The Centre for Advanced Textiles at the Glasgow School of Art has been attempting to do so, but has said that “past results have not been of sufficient quality.” The process developed in 2010 used high amounts of chlorine, which is not environmentally sustainable. 

Ultimately, printing on cashmere is not possible in almost any environment, which is why the majority of cashmere products are plain or have small amounts of embroidery.

What Clothing Materials Can I Print on Instead?

While printing on cashmere isn’t advisable, there are plenty of great alternatives that can be great to make printed custom T-shirts or personalized hoodies. 

Cotton

Cotton is one of the most common fabrics that are used all over the world. It is significantly cheaper and more versatile than cashmere but is still lightweight. This means that it can be used to make many different products, including t-shirts, polo shirts for embroidery, and personalized hoodies. 

Polyester

Polyester is a synthetic fibre that is often used in sportswear and technical clothing products since it can be breathable, lightweight, and waterproof. Being synthetic doesn’t mean you have to compromise on sustainability though, as it is possible to get recycled sportswear made from recycled plastic bottles

Polyester also allows for all-over sublimation printing, turning T-shirts into fashionable works of art. 

Final Thoughts

Cashmere is one of the softest and most delicate fabrics in the world. It’s long-lasting but it also comes with a price. 

Its delicate nature means that it cannot be printed on. Instead, you should look for products that are made from cotton or polyester.