Reactive printing is a textile printing method in which the dye forms a covalent bond with the cellulose in cotton or linen fibre, fixed permanently under heat and steam. The colour becomes part of the fibre rather than a layer sitting on top, so the fabric feels like unprinted cloth and the print typically holds its colour for 600+ wash cycles — until the cotton itself wears out. It works on cotton and linen only; polyester is printed by sublimation instead.
Below are the twenty questions brands ask us most, grouped by what you are trying to decide: the method, the fabric, the artwork, and the order.
Reactive printing FAQ: the basics
What is reactive printing?
A printing method where reactive dye chemically bonds with the cellulose in a natural fibre. The dye is printed onto the fabric and fixed under heat and steam, forming a covalent bond — the colour becomes part of the fibre, with no surface layer.
Which fabrics can be reactive printed?
Cotton and linen, and blends of the two, because both are cellulose fibres. Polyester has no cellulose to bond with, so polyester products are printed by sublimation instead.
Does a reactive print change how the fabric feels?
No. Because there is no ink layer on the surface, a printed piece feels like unprinted cotton — no stiffness, no hand-feel, no patch you can find with your fingers.
How long does a reactive print last?
Colour typically holds for 600+ wash cycles. In practice the print outlives the garment: the cotton wears out before the colour does. The full explanation is in our article on why reactive prints don’t crack or fade.
How reactive compares to other print methods
Reactive vs pigment printing — what’s the difference?
Pigment print sits on the surface of the fabric, held there by a binder, and cracks and fades at flex points over repeated washing. Reactive colour is inside the fibre, so there is no layer to crack.
How does reactive compare to DTF?
DTF (direct-to-film) bonds a printed transfer film on top of the fabric. It works across many fabric types, but it remains a surface layer. Reactive printing is in-fibre, on cellulose only.
Is reactive printing the same as sublimation?
No — they are opposites in terms of substrate. Sublimation works only on polyester and synthetics; reactive works only on cotton, linen and other cellulose fibres. Fabrixa runs both, so the method follows the product.
Can you print white with reactive dye?
There is no white ink in reactive printing. The lightest tone in any design is the colour of the cotton itself, which is why a design intended for white areas is built around the base fabric rather than printed over it.
Fabric, bases and colour
Will my design look the same on every fabric?
No, and that is chemistry meeting cloth. The same file reads with matte clarity on Percale, deeper and more saturated on Sateen, and visibly textured on Half Panama. The dye bond is identical; the weave decides what your eye sees.
Which base should I choose?
Match the base to the product and the artwork: smooth constructions hold fine lines and small type, textured ones suit bolder marks. Our base-by-base guide compares every cotton base we print.
Can you print on linen?
Yes. Linen is a cellulose fibre, so reactive dye bonds in linen exactly as it does in cotton. Linen’s long, slubbed fibres scatter light, so the same artwork reads a little softer and more matte.
Why doesn’t the colour on my screen match the fabric?
Screens emit backlit RGB light; fabric reflects it. No monitor can show you a reflective surface accurately. Judge critical colours on a printed piece in daylight rather than on screen.
Artwork and files
What file do I need to send?
Send your artwork as a PDF, TIFF, JPG or PNG and Fabrixa creates the correct print files from it. You don’t need to prepare production files yourself, and no CMYK conversion is required.
What resolution should the artwork be?
Aim for roughly 200–300 DPI at the finished size on the product, not at screen size. Vector artwork scales without loss. More detail is in our post on DPI, colour and file formats.
What is all-over print?
The whole fabric panel is printed before cut-and-sew — edge to edge, across front, back, sleeves and hood. There are no print zones and no blank panels, because the fabric is printed first and the garment is made from it afterwards.
What if I don’t want to design each product myself?
Embed Fabrixa Studio in your storefront as an iframe and your own customers personalise the product. It is fully white-label — end customers never see Fabrixa branding — and the saved design attaches to the order automatically.
Ordering, production and dispatch
Is there a minimum order?
MOQ 1. No minimum order, no setup fees and no contracts — from a single piece to tens of thousands, printed from the same file.
Where is production?
Across Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands. Reactive printing on cotton and linen runs in Portugal and Spain; sublimation on polyester runs in the Netherlands.
How long does an order take?
As a guide, apparel made in Portugal takes roughly 6–9 business days. Orders arrive through a connected Shopify or WooCommerce store, the integration API, or Fabrixa Studio.
Will my customers see Fabrixa branding?
No. White-label dispatch is standard: parcels ship under your brand, with your return address and no Fabrixa branding anywhere on or in the box.
Still have questions?
These twenty cover the ground most brands need before a first order. For the full picture from artwork file to finished fibre, read the reactive print guide, or look up any unfamiliar term in the textile printing glossary. Organic cotton is our default base, certified to GOTS, OEKO-TEX Standard 100 and Made in Green. If your question is specific to a design or a product, talk to our team.
