Can You Use Acrylic Paint On Outdoor Fabric?
Do you have a piece of outdoor furniture that looks a bit worn off? Or perhaps you have an old umbrella that needs some refreshing?
If so, you might want to apply acrylic colors to refashion those outdoor stuff. But is acrylic paint suitable for outdoor fabric items?
You can use acrylic paint for outdoor fabric with a suitable fabric medium. However, you need to follow certain steps along with the right products.
Below I covered techniques to sustain acrylic paint for your outdoor fabrics. Be it your patio cushions, tablecloths, and umbrellas. Keep reading!
Can You Use Acrylic Paint On Outdoor Fabric?
With the use of a fabric medium, you can apply any acrylic paint to outdoor fabrics. The paint will also appear more flexible on the canvas with the right use of fabric medium.
Heavy Body Acrylic Paint
Heavy body acrylic paints are rich and provide long-lasting color, together with precise brush and scalpel strokes. If you enjoy impasto paintings and want to replicate the look, Heavy body acrylic is a perfect choice.
For your patio cushions and seat cushions, heavy body acrylics would be a great option. This type of acrylic paint is thick, viscous, pigment-rich, and perfect for layering as well.
Fluid Acrylic Paint
Fluid acrylics are thinner than heavy-body acrylics but have the same pigment intensity. You can use fluid acrylic paint to design the coverings for your mesh patio chairs and stain your patio cushions. Compared to heavy duty acrylics, fluids are better suited for these tasks.
Acrylic Latex Paint
Acrylic latex is a type of material that resembles latex produced by rubber trees. It serves as a base for the acrylic binders and polymer components to prevent corrosion.
Acrylic latex is good for creating water-based paints and coatings, these are ideal for Sunbrellas. They are also good for protecting rust-prone iron patio furniture and chairs.
Acrylic Spray Paint
Finding an appropriate acrylic or textile medium is essential. Especially if you want your acrylic paint to be flexible with the outdoor fabric.
Acrylic spray paint makes it simple to add color to your used outdoor clothing. This spray paint is simple to use and applies, much like ordinary fabric spray paint.
Using acrylic spray paint, you can refinish your patio furniture, canvas sunshades, and outdoor décor.
Acrylic Markers
Acrylic paint markers work well on a variety of materials. This includes ceramics, glass, wood, and besides to other canvas.
This marker is an excellent choice. You can use them to make detailed designs on your outdoor patios, cushion coverings, and even sunbrellas.
When creating accents, fine lines, and other features, Acrylic markers come in handy.
Acrylic Gouache
If you’re seeking ultra water resistance fabric paints, then Acrylic gouache is the best choice. Acrylic gouache paint finishes flat and matte. While acrylic paint dries with texture and certain areas of permeability,
Acrylic gouache shares an identical binder. That is similar to acrylic paint. But Acrylic gouache was created to resemble classic gouache with a velvety, flat surface.
This means that water cannot be used to reanimate it. You can apply acrylic gouache on your outdoor cushions, sling chair fabrics, and umbrella textiles or etc.
Does Acrylic Paint Last On Outdoor Fabric?
A fabric medium is needed for acrylic paint to last on outdoor fabrics. The simplest and most flexible way to paint on cloth is to mix fabric medium with any shade of acrylic paint.
Making permanent fabric with acrylic paint has many benefits. Many colors are available for Handy fabric paint because acrylic paint is used.
Additionally, it is affordable and available at any textile mart or online retailer. With this simple technique, painting fabric is not quite so versatile!
Will Acrylic Paint Sustain On Outdoor Fabric In Heavy Rain?
Although acrylics are a more resilient type of paint, that means, you can use it on anything. Still you need waterproof them to guard against moisture damage.
Add a sealant over your acrylic paint. That makes it waterproof. Do it while the paint is still wet to ensure that the painting will hold up in the rain.
Will Acrylic Paint Last On Outdoor Fabric In The Sun?
UV light breaks down the chemical connections of dyes or other color molecules. That is why these products get affected or fade in the sunlight.
Whereas acrylic paint is impermeable by this. It is often one of the more durable paints that can endure sunshine. My suggestion is – use UV-proof glasses and oblique natural lighting. This will avoid paint fading on your outdoor fabrics.
How Long May It Take For Outdoor Fabric Acrylic Paints To Dry?
Professional acrylic paints often take twenty to thirty minutes to dry.
As for thicker coats, such as heavy-duty acrylics and acrylic gouaches, it may take one to two hours to dry. These depend on the outdoor location you are painting.
What Other Paints Can You Use On Outdoor Fabrics?
With acrylic colors, you can hand paint most outdoor textiles. i.e.
- Your patio chairs
- Patio cushions
- Outdoor seat cushions
- Umbrella fabrics
- Outdoor furniture fabrics
- Sling chair fabric
- Your sunbrella fabric, and etc.
Now, if you want to avoid acrylic paints, you can apply chalk paint, latex paint, and fabric spray as well. These all work well. However, the outcomes will vary depending on the textures.
5 Tips: How To Preserve Acrylic Paint On Outdoor Fabrics?
- Once you finish painting, you must heat it if the painted fabric needs a wash. When you iron a fabric to remove wrinkles, the technique is the same. Only, this time, you need to press it for a longer period of time.
- If you have not used a base medium, your acrylic paint won’t be stable while cleaning. In that case, avoid soaking your fabric in hot water.
- Even though acrylic paints are dry, it is best to wait at least 3 – 4 days before washing your cloth. This makes sure the paint has had enough time to cure.
- Varnish will protect the artwork if you wish to maintain the pigment intact. It shields against dust besides UV radiation.
- If you haven’t used a robust water-resistant medium, try to avoid machine washing. If at all workable, wash the fabric by hand and let it drip dry. If you use a dry cleaner, ensure the spin-drying cycle is set to room temperature and not too high.
Suggested Materials You May Need
#1 Delta Creative Ceramcoat Textile Medium : (Recommended Fabric Medium)
As I said above, you must use a quality textile medium. That guarantees to keep the acrylic colors permanent on your outdoor fabrics.
For me, the Delta Creative Ceramcoat Textile Medium is a good option. As I found out, people are using this very often on their outdoor fabrics.
I found a number of users applied Delta Creative medium on their silky pillowcase. Whereas other people used this on their sturdy cotton apron as well. Both user groups mentioned that their paint stayed on fine.
Some people used this medium on their outdoor garden flags. And they think the fabric remains flexible enough.
Some people applied this Ceramcoat medium on their outdoor chair cushions. They found that the result was awesome. They believe that the texture looks like new outdoor canvas material.
One important thing I like to say is, you must use this with high heat. So, this medium may not work great for synthetic fabrics. Otherwise, this one is perfect for outdoor clothings, as well.
#2 TMOL’s Outdoor Acrylic Paint Set : (Recommended Acrylic Paint Set)
You can’t use regular acrylic paints on your outdoor clothings, right? You need something useful for this particular case. I got you. No worries! For you, I have a good acrylic paint recommendation.
Take a look. TMOL’s Outdoor Acrylic Paint Set is doing great for many users, especially for outdoor fabrics. Their formula is scrape-resistant and self-sealing. It leaves your canvas with a satin finish.
What I like about this paint is it provides a clear gloss coat. That makes them glossy and prevents sun fading.
I found customers using this randomly. From garden rocks to patio chair cushions, they are performing well. They said the color is still brilliant and hasn’t faded at all.
So, I believe you can easily apply them on your outdoor clothings as well.
Over To You
For all creative minds, painting outdoor fabrics is no longer a hassle, thanks to acrylics. Here, we have covered several methods for preserving acrylic paint on outdoor fabrics.
But, there are other, more traditional methods to preserve acrylics as well. If you discover more, please let us know!
