Deka Silk Outliners are a water-based form of gutta for use in silk painting. The outliner penetrates the fabric to create a barrier to prevent dye colours and paints from running into each other while painting on silk.
In the image below, the design was drawn out on the stretched silk fabric using a Vanishing Fabric Marker. The violet line fades away within 24-72 hours and is an invaluable method of tracing or setting out designs.
Apply the outliner to the silk fabric, ensuring it has gone through to the other side of the fabric. Make sure the beginning and end of the line are joined up to complete the outlined area. Allow the Deka Silk Outliner to dry completely before painting with Deka Silk Paints. The silk outliner and the silk paint become washfast once the painting has been heat-set with an iron for 3-5 minutes at the cotton setting.
The larger sizes of Deka Silk Outliner can be decanted into pipette-type bottle with a nib attached. It takes some practice to apply the outliner, and we recommend ordering a metre of silk fabric for experimenting with this technique.













