Best Paint For Denim: Acrylic vs. Fabric Paint
Paint comes in all different formulas and qualities for many different uses. Since we’re looking for the best paint for denim, we need paint that is washable, permanent, and durable — we need the good stuff!
I’ve been painting on denim since 2017 and have used many different kinds of paint and supplies over the years.
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When I first started painting on denim, I used what I had: cheap acrylic paint. As I learned more about fabric painting and experimented with paints, I started using Amsterdam Acrylic mixed with fabric medium.
I’ve now started switching to Golden Heavy Body Acrylics mixed with fabric medium as my business evolves and my need for the best possible quality grows.
Throughout my denim painting journey, I have received thousands of messages from people sharing their experiences with painting on denim and asking about specific types of paint.
Many people ask about fabric paint vs. acrylic paint, some ask about oil paint on denim, and others have stood firm in their belief that fabric paint is better than acrylic paint when it comes to painting on denim.
After all these years, it was finally time to do some comparative analysis to determine what is truly the best paint for denim jeans and jackets!
Best Paint for Denim
Short on time and don’t want to read through all my tests? Here’s a quick overview of the best paint for denim jeans and jackets:
Best Overall: Golden Heavy Body Acrylics with Fabric Medium
Best Fabric Paint: Jacquard Textile Color
Best Acrylic Paint: Golden Heavy Body Acrylics
The final ratings of each paint is at the very bottom of this article!
How I Tested the Paint on Denim
Although I have my favorite paints for denim, Amsterdam Acrylics and Golden Acrylics, I wanted to put them to the test to see if they really were the best for painting jeans and jackets.
I tested five brands of acrylic paint, four brands of fabric paint, and one brand of oil paint. I tested the acrylic paints with and without fabric medium.
Below are the layouts of the swatches on each piece of denim, cut from the sleeves of a denim jacket.
Denim Piece 1
Denim Piece 2
Why I Chose the Paint Brands
I chose the acrylic paints based on the most popular brands of acrylic paints and ones I personally have used.
The fabric paints were chosen based on their popularity and range of grades (more on that in the next section).
I included one oil paint brand as well since I’ve been asked about using oil paint on denim.
How I Painted the Swatches
Each swatch was painted with two layers of paint, with time to fully dry between each layer. I finished each one with even paint strokes across the full swatch to make the layer as even as possible.
Heat-Setting the Swatch Tests
After the swatches dried completely overnight, I flipped them over and ironed the back of them to completely heat-set the paint for durability and flexibility.
I forgot to heat-set the second set of swatches (F1–H1) before washing them, so I painted a second set below those (F2-H2) with the same paints, minus the oil paint, and heat-set those.
This was a mistake at first, but now we can compare heat-set vs. not heat-set and see how that makes a difference!
You can read more about how to heat-set and why it’s important in my tutorial.
Washing the Swatch Tests
One of the biggest tests of these swatches was to wash them and see if the paint stayed on well.
They were machine-washed in a top-loading washing machine with a load of clothes and a squeeze of mild fabric detergent. I put the temperature setting on cold (how I always wash my clothes) and the cycle setting on normal.
I recommend washing painted denim on delicate, but I wanted to put these swatches through a rigorous test on the normal cycle to see how they did.
Drying the Swatch Tests
After washing, the piece of denim with the swatches was put in the dryer on low heat, along with the rest of my clothes from the washing machine.
You can typically dry denim on medium or high heat (follow what the tag says), but I dry all my clothes on low heat to prevent shrinkage and to reduce energy usage.
Denim Paint Classification & Definitions
Paint Grades
Now that you know the experiment setup, let’s cover some of the classifications and terms I use throughout this denim paint guide.
Hobbyist: Cheap paints with a low pigment load and less durability. Often watered down and not high quality enough for painting denim.
Student-Grade: Mid-range paints with decent pigment and texture. More affordable than artist-grade; more expensive than hobbyist. Best for practice, but still usually good for painting on denim.
Artist-Grade (Professional): High pigment load, excellent lightfastness, and long-term durability. Typically more expensive than lower-grade paints. Ideal for painted denim and other fabrics.
For this test, I’m not using hobbyist acrylics like Apple Barrel and Ceramcoat because they are not durable enough for painting on denim. However, I did include hobbyist fabric paints, since I get asked about those often.
Terms
Pigment load: This is the amount of pigment mixed into the paint base to create the color. Pigments can be organic (mined; naturally derived), inorganic (synthetically manufactured), or both.
Lightfastness: This is how well paint holds up when exposed to light. A low-grade paint is more likely to fade over time when exposed to light, while a high-grade paint will maintain its color and vibrancy.
Opacity/coverage: If the denim shows through the paint easily, then the paint has a low opacity/coverage. Different pigments have different opacities, which is why I am using the same color for all the tests.
Acrylic Paint vs. Fabric Paint on Denim
Fabric paint is a widely popular choice of material when it comes to painting on fabric. I get it — “fabric” is right in the name and seems like it would make more sense to use fabric paint than acrylic paint + fabric medium.
For me, I’ve always preferred to use acrylic paint + fabric medium instead of fabric paint when painting on denim for a few reasons:
Standard pigments: Acrylic paint typically uses standard pigment colors and codes, like Titanium White (PW6). This makes it easy to know what pigments are in the paint across different brands.
Versatile: Acrylic paints can be used for a variety of projects outside of painting on denim as well! I wouldn’t be able to use fabric paint for something like painting air dry clay, for example.
Better look & feel: In my experience, acrylic paint has better opacity/coverage than fabric paint (see tests below) and is usually less shiny. It also doesn’t feel as tacky/sticky when dry and heat-set compared to fabric paint.
Through these swatch tests, I was able to finally test whether acrylic paint was better or worse than fabric paint for painting on denim.
Acrylic Paint on Denim
I’ve solely used acrylic paint since I first started painting on denim in 2017. Though I started with lower-grade paint and no fabric medium, I’ve upgraded to Golden Acrylic Paint with GAC900 Fabric Medium.
But is that really the best acrylic paint for denim? Let’s find out!
Golden Heavy Body Acrylics
Classification: Artist-Grade
Price: $22.99 for 5 Fl. Oz. ($4.59 / fluid ounce) on Amazon
The first acrylic paint I’m starting with is the highest quality paint I tested. Golden Heavy Body Acrylics are top of the line in terms of paint quality. It has a high pigment load, great lightfastness, and beautiful coverage.
Performance Without Fabric Medium (A1)
Opacity/Coverage: The Golden Acrylic paint on its own went on thick with full coverage of the denim. Even after just one coat, you could not see the denim through the layer of paint.
Look/feel: This swatch is a bit stiff and has a slightly rough texture. It’s not tacky at all, even after heat-setting, and has a lovely matte finish with just a slight sheen.
Washing durability: The swatch held up perfectly through all the washing and drying tests! No flaking, cracking, or fading.
Performance With Fabric Medium (A2)
Opacity/Coverage: The Golden Acrylic mixed with fabric medium still went on thick, but was thinner with the fabric medium compared to the swatch without it. Some denim showed through after the first coat.
Look/feel: The texture is slightly smoother and more flexible than the swatch without the fabric medium. It appears that fabric medium definitely improved the paint on denim!
Washing durability: The swatch held up perfectly through all the washing and drying tests! No flaking, cracking, or fading.
My Opinion
Golden Heavy Body Acrylics performed excellently when painted on denim, both with and without fabric medium!
Both swatches have strong opacity/coverage, without any denim showing through after two layers of paint. They did not ripple the fabric at all, which cannot be said for some of the other swatches.
The look of both swatches is mostly matte except for a slight sheen across the surface, which makes it look high quality and luxurious.
Of all the paints I tested, Golden Acrylics dried the fastest by far; that’s not just because I painted those swatches first, either!
Overall, the swatch with the fabric medium mixed into the acrylic paint is more flexible, though slightly less opaque (the fabric medium thins it). I would use fabric medium with this paint when painting on clothing to ensure optimal flexibility and durability over time, through wash and wear.
Performance Rating: 11/10
Royal Talens Amsterdam Acrylics
Classification: Student-Grade
Price: $6.97 for 4.05 Fl. Oz. ($1.72 / fluid ounce) on Amazon
Amsterdam Acrylics has long been my favorite choice for painting on denim. This is because it is high quality, yet affordable since it’s student-grade. I’ve recommended this paint for years, but will it hold up to my testing?
Performance Without Fabric Medium (B1)
Opacity/Coverage: Like the Golden Acrylic, the Amsterdam Acrylic (no medium) went on thick with full coverage over the denim. After two coats, you cannot see the denim through it.
Look/feel: Amsterdam Acrylics is extremely matte, with little to no sheen on the swatch. I tend to prefer a matte finish for painted denim, though a finish this matte could mean it has fillers in addition to the real pigment. It is stiffer than the Golden Acrylics swatches, and the paint strokes are more visible.
Washing durability: As expected, the swatch came out of the wash tests perfectly! After drying, it looks exactly the same as it did before it was washed.
Performance With Fabric Medium (B2)
Opacity/Coverage: The swatch of Amsterdam Acrylic with fabric medium is slightly less opaque since fabric medium thins the paint. After two layers, it is almost fully opaque, though the denim is slightly visible through the paint (moreso than the Golden Acrylics with fabric medium swatch).
Look/feel: The swatch with fabric medium is surprisingly still a bit stiff, even stiffer than the Golden Acrylic swatch without fabric medium. It also suffered a tiny amount of cracking after drying.
Washing durability: The swatch held up well without any fading or flaking, though it does have some cracking as mentioned above.
My Opinion
I expected Amsterdam Acrylics to do well in the swatch tests after successfully using them for years. To be honest, I was surprised to see some slight cracking in the swatch with fabric medium, as I’ve not experienced cracking with this brand before in all my years of using it.
Cracking is always concerning, but further testing is likely necessary since I’ve successfully used Amsterdam Acrylics on many pairs of denim without any cracking.
The matte finish looks nice, but I do prefer the sheen on the Golden Acrylic swatches. Coverage of the Amsterdam Acrylics with fabric medium is not as great as I would like it to be, but it is still nice coverage/opacity.
These Amsterdam swatches caused the denim to ripple slightly, which can be frustrating when you’re painting a large area like the back of a denim jacket.
Overall, I will continue using my current supply of Amsterdam Acrylics, but have already started to upgrade all of my paint to Golden Acrylics.
If Golden Acrylics are not in your budget, Amsterdam Acrylics is still a great choice for painting on denim while saving some money. They just don’t perform as well as Golden.
Performance Rating: 7/10
Liquitex Basics
Classification: Student-Grade
Price: $5.99 for 4 Fl. Oz. ($1.50 / fluid ounce) on Amazon
When I first started painting on denim in 2017, I used some Liquitex Basics because that is what I had. Though they were fine for a beginner denim painter, I would never use them today.
Though Liquitex Basics are also student grade like Amsterdam Acrylics, they seem to be lower quality in my experience. I finally put them to the test to see if they were, in fact, lower quality than Amsterdam Acrylics.
Liquitex Basics is also one of the most affordable paints on this list, at $1.50 per fluid ounce when you buy the 4 Fl. Oz. size.
Performance Without Fabric Medium (C1)
Opacity/Coverage: Liquitex Basics had less coverage compared to Amsterdam Acrylics, which I expected. This tells me that they have less real pigment and more fillers, which reduces the quality of acrylic paint (and the cost).
Look/feel: The difference between Amsterdam and Liquitex in terms of feel is just barely noticeable, but the Liquitex swatch is a tiny bit rougher. It has the same level of matte as the Amsterdam Acrylic.
Washing durability: This swatch survived the wash tests without a scratch, flake, or crack! Depsite its student-grade classification and lack of fabric medium, I’m pleased to see this swatch come out of the washer/dryer looking the same as it went in.
Performance With Fabric Medium (C2)
Opacity/Coverage: After two layers, some denim is still visible through the paint. It’s more transparent than Amsterdam Acrylics, and you can see more paint strokes.
Look/feel: It feels rougher than Amsterdam with medium, but there’s hardly any difference. There is a minor sheen: more than Amsterdam; less than Golden.
Washing durability: This swatch also made it through the washing and drying tests without incident!
My Opinion
Overall, I was impressed with the performance of Liquitex Basics, as I always believed they were lower quality than Amsterdam. While the swatches are comparable to Amsterdam, their coverage is not as good.
They caused the denim to ripple significantly when it was wet, which can be attributed to fillers making the paint more liquidy than high-quality paint with a higher pigment load and fewer fillers.
The swatches came out much better than expected without any cracking or fading, but the inconsistent coverage is less than ideal.
I would use these if I didn’t have access to Amsterdam or Golden Acrylics, but would not necessarily recommend them for painted denim commissions or if you sell painted clothing.
However, Liquitex also makes a line of artist-grade acrylic paints called Liquitex Professional, which I am interested in testing to compare with Golden Acrylics in the future.
Performance Rating: 6/10
Daler-Rowney System3 Medium-Body Acrylics
Classification: Student-Grade
Price: $10.12 for 5.07 Fl. Oz. ($2.02 / fluid ounce) on Amazon
System3 Acrylics is another student-grade line of acrylic paints. They come in fluid, medium-body, and heavy-body. For these tests, I used medium-body since that is what I already had in my art supplies.
I was sent a set of System3 Acrylics years ago to test out, but I never used them for a full painting as I already had my go-to brands. This was the first time I officially tested them out on denim!
Performance Without Fabric Medium (E1)
Opacity/Coverage: These acrylics have the least amount of coverage of all four acrylic paint brands I tested. There is only a small difference between System3 and Liquitex Basics, but there are visible streaks and the swatch is more transparent.
Look/feel: This swatch is also rougher than the other acrylic paint swatches and has some slight cracking. It has about the same amount of shine as Golden Acrylics, but it’s not as noticeable because of the transparency.
Washing durability: The swatch does not have any fading or flaking, but there are tiny cracks in some areas.
Performance With Fabric Medium (E2)
Opacity/Coverage: The coverage is about the same as the swatch without fabric medium, with some visible denim and brush strokes. It has better coverage than the Liquitex Basics with fabric medium, but not as good as the other two.
Look/feel: This swatch also feels about the same as the one without fabric medium and has the same amount of sheen. There is some significant cracking in one corner, which is not a good sign.
Washing durability: As mentioned, the cracking showed up in one corner after washing and drying the swatches. Other than that corner, the rest of the swatch looks great!
My Opinion
System3 Acrylics is pretty equivalent to Liquitex Basics in these tests. The swatches are just as streaky as Liquitex, but the overall coverage is better, like Amsterdam.
The swatches of System3 Acrylics did not ripple the fabric like Amsterdam and Liquitex both did. They actually stayed pretty flat, similar to the Golden Acrylics swatches. The slight sheen of the paint looks nice as well.
The cracking in the corner is what concerns me most, though the Amsterdam Acrylics surprisingly suffered some cracking as well. This could be due to drying too quickly, as I used a blow dryer for the swatches that were taking too long to dry.
Like Amsterdam, some further testing is likely necessary to determine if the cracking is a consistent problem or specific to the conditions of these swatch tests.
Overall, I wouldn’t reach for these if I had other options, but they are a more affordable option that still holds up well for the most part.
Performance Rating: 6.5/10
FolkArt Multi-Surface Satin Acrylic Paint
Classification: Hobbyist/Student-Grade
Price: $4.99 for 8oz ($0.62 / fluid ounce) on Amazon
FolkArt is an art brand that solely carries paint. They offer enamel paint and a variety of different acrylic paints. Their multi-surface satin acrylic paint is what I used for these tests, as it states it can be used for fabric.
The label on the bottle only states that you need to heat-set it when painting on fabric and does not mention the need for fabric medium. That being said, you may want to add fabric medium to it when painting on denim.
Unlike the other acrylic paint on this list, the multi-surface acrylic from FolkArt is a different formula than regular acrylic paint. As the name suggests, it can be used on all different types of surfaces, including glass, ceramic, fabric, and canvas.
FolkArt is owned by the parent company Plaid, which also owns brands like Apple Barrel, Mod Podge, Delta, and Martha Stewart. Based on those brands, it’s clear they are marketing to hobbyists and DIY crafters.
This particular paint and brand sits somewhere between hobbyist and student-grade, ideal for serious crafters, but not professionals.
Performance Without Heat-Setting (G1)
Opacity/Coverage: The swatch is opaque with nice coverage, comparable to that of the acrylic swatches.
Look/feel: Because it was not heat-set, the swatch is cracked and faded after washing/drying. It has a somewhat rough texture and is slightly stiff.
Washing durability: The swatch was fine after going through the washing machine, but cracked terribly all over after going through the dryer.
Performance With Heat-Setting (G2)
Opacity/Coverage: Coverage was the same for both swatches, as the same paint was used for both.
Look/feel: The texture is rough, and it is stiffer than the Golden Acrylics and Amsterdam Acrylics swatches.
Washing durability: The swatch that was heat-set easily survived the washing and drying cycles without any cracks, fading, or peeling! The difference between the two swatches is astounding.
My Opinion
Going just off the swatch that was properly heat-set, I was impressed with the lack of cracking or fading! It has good coverage, with very minimal denim visible through the swatch.
My main complaint is the rough texture and stiffness of the swatch. It wouldn’t be ideal for large paintings on denim or anything that would brush against skin.
Overall, this seems to be a quality paint that holds up well to washing and drying, but the scratchy texture is not ideal.
Performance Rating: 6/10
Fabric Paint on Denim
Now, this can be a hot debate in the fabric painting world. Is fabric paint better than acrylic paint for painting on denim? As a long-time denim painter, I’m team acrylic paint & fabric medium.
There are many painters out there who prefer fabric paint over acrylic paint when it comes to painting on fabric.
For shirts and soft/stretch fabric, fabric paint is probably better overall. For 100% cotton denim, I still think acrylic paint with fabric medium is the superior option, and these tests will prove it!
TULIP Fabric Paint
Classification: Hobbyist
Price: $8.19 for 4 Fl. Oz. ($2.05 / fluid ounce) on Amazon
I included a hobbyist-grade paint in the tests because I know it’s the most affordable and accessible paint for many people. TULIP can commonly be found in craft stores and on Amazon, though many paints in my test can be purchased from those places as well.
My experience with TULIP is limited to DIYing shirts in school for events, summer crafts, etc., with their puffy paint in squeeze tubes.
Though it is technically the lowest grade paint in these tests, it’s shockingly not the worst-performing paint — that one is next.
Performance (D2)
Opacity/Coverage: This one has the least amount of coverage of any of the previous paint swatches we’ve talked about so far. The denim is clearly visible through the brush strokes. It has a streaky, uneven finish after two full coats.
Look/feel: TULIP is the most flexible swatch so far, and it would be very comfortable to wear something painted with it. It’s smooth to the touch and doesn’t have any roughness.
Washing durability: While there is no fading, flaking, or peeling, there are small cracks throughout the swatch. This is to be expected with low-grade paint, because it has many fillers and not much pigment.
My Opinion
Since it’s a hobbyist-grade paint, I would never use TULIP for any painted jeans I’m selling or painting as a commission. It’s just not high enough quality for something I spend dozens of hours painting and then selling at the price point I sell my work for.
That being said, this paint would probably be great for painting shirts for fun since it dries so soft and flexible. The main issue with it is the lack of opacity/coverage and the cracking.
Overall, I cannot recommend this for painting on denim.
Performance Rating: 3/10
Bluebird Fabric Paint
Classification: Student-Grade
Price: $6.99 for 3.4 Fl. Oz. ($2.06 / fluid ounce) on Amazon
Since Bluebird is student-grade fabric paint, I assumed this would perform just as well as some of the student-grade acrylic paints that were mixed with fabric medium.
My assumptions were proven completely wrong. It may be the white color specifically (I didn’t test every color from every brand) or maybe it is the entire brand itself, but this was, by far, the worst paint of all the brands I tested.
It’s priced about the same as TULIP fabric paint.
Performance (D1)
Opacity/Coverage: After one coat, the paint completely soaked into the denim and disappeared as if it were never there. The second coat made the paint more visible, but still completely transparent.
Look/feel: This swatch is definitely the softest and most flexible of all the swatches. I expected this from a fabric paint since it’s made to be flexible, but I think it’s actually because the paint itself was so fluid that it acted as more of a dye than an actual paint.
Washing durability: The paint swatch performed well through the washing and drying process without any flaking, peeling, cracking, etc. Although the paint was so liquidy that it bled through to the back of the piece of denim, but is no longer visible at the back after washing.
My Opinion
Bluebird is a popular brand I’ve heard of people using before, so I’m surprised at how horribly it performed in the tests.
After the first coat, which was completely liquid and soaked through, I thought I had forgotten to shake the bottle. I shook it extra well for the second coat, which came out just as fluid as the first one.
I checked reviews after the swatch fail, and many people had the same issue with it. White paint is what I use to paint a base layer for all my other colors, but this paint would never work for that.
Overall, I would never use or recommend this brand. It may be the white in particular that performs poorly, but I used white paint for all the swatches for an equal and fair test.
Performance Rating: 0/10
Arteza 3D Fabric Paint
Classification: Hobbyist
Price: $22.36 for a 30-pack ($0.75 / fluid ounce) on Amazon
I previously collaborated with Arteza to promote their 3D Fabric Paint on denim. It was fun creating a more textured Starry Night on a jean pocket!
Arteza is a large art supply brand and leans more towards hobbyist grade. It’s mostly sold at craft stores and on Amazon, as opposed to art supply stores like Blick or Jerry’s.
They carry a wide variety of art supplies, including paints, markers, pencils, clay, resin, yard, etc. A little bit of everything for every hobby/craft. The paint I used in this test is their 3D Fabric Paint.
Since the paint is meant for 3D, it’s much different than their other fabric paints or acrylic paint. Keeping that in mind, it should not be directly compared to the other paints on this list because it is fundamentally different.
Performance Without Heat-Setting (H1)
Opacity/Coverage: This paint is very thick, which makes it difficult to paint onto the denim easily. The 3D paint is meant to be used with the squeeze bottle and not brushed on. The coverage is okay, but it is somewhat transparent and the denim can be seen through it.
Look/feel: Even after washing and drying, the swatch has a tackiness to it. Loose denim fibers (and cat hair) are stuck to it. It also has large cracks and areas where it stuck to itself and peeled paint away while in the dryer.
Washing durability: The swatch was fine after going through the washing machine, but cracked after going through the dryer. As mentioned above, it also got stuck to itself while in the dryer.
Performance With Heat-Setting (H2)
Opacity/Coverage: Same as the non-heat-set swatch!
Look/feel: Same as the non-heat-set swatch, minus the cracking. Heat-setting prevented cracking, but the swatch still stuck to itself (more on that below).
Washing durability: The swatch that was heat-set survived the wash without incident, but became stuck to itself in the dryer. This required me to manually pull it apart, resulting in a few areas with missing paint. It was otherwise perfect, without any cracking or fading.
My Opinion
The swatch that wasn’t heat-set cracked a lot, so we’ll just focus on the heat-set swatch for this review.
The 3D fabric paint from Arteza is exceptionally shiny! It has a glossy finish that looks lovely as a standalone swatch, but I don’t like glossy finishes for the type of artwork I paint on denim.
The 3D effect works. The dots I placed throughout the swatch dried completely hard and looked perfect through the washing and drying process.
While I would not use the 3D fabric paint for my usual paintings, it’s great for when you want a unique effect and extra shine/texture. You’ll just need to air dry instead of using a dryer to avoid it sticking to itself while hot.
Performance Rating: 5/10
Jacquard Textile Paint
Classification: Artist-Grade
Price: $7.35 for 2.25 Fl. Oz. ($3.27 / fluid ounce) on Amazon
Jacquard is one of the only artist-grade fabric paints on the market that I could find. I can attest to their quality from personal experience when they sent me a large box of their paints years ago to test on denim.
For this swatch test, I bought a new pot of white Jacquard textile paint since my old pot from years ago had dried out.
They have a large line of different types of paints, including acrylic paint, sneaker paint, and fluid paint. They also offer cyanotype kits (which I’ve tried and LOVE), dyes, screenprinting supplies, and even supplies for body art (ex: Henna).
Jacquard manufactures all their art supplies in Northern California and has been around for over 35 years. They’re a well-known, trustworthy company that I had high expectations for going into this swatch test.
Performance Without Heat Setting (F1)
Opacity/Coverage: For both swatches, the coverage is great! Jacquard has about the same coverage level as the acrylic paints that were mixed with fabric medium.
Look/feel: Without heat-setting, the swatch cracked and flaked. It’s very flexible and soft to the touch, but it is destroyed with cracks.
Washing durability: The swatch was fine after going through the washing machine, but cracked all over and is faded after going through the dryer.
Performance With Heat Setting (F2)
Opacity/Coverage: The coverage is the same as the swatch without heat setting, since nothing was changed with the paint itself. Great coverage!
Look/feel: The swatch is flexible, soft to the touch, and has a mostly matte finish.
Washing durability: The swatch that was heat-set came out of the washer and dryer looking excellent!
My Opinion
The Jacquard textile paint that was heat-set performed incredibly well. There was no cracking, peeling, fading, etc. on the swatch, and it survived the washing and drying. The final swatch feels nice and is not stiff at all.
The swatch that was not heat set, as mentioned above, did not fare as well. It’s completely cracked and flaking. I knew heat-setting was crucial, but this test really proved what a massive difference it makes!
I love Jacquard as a company, and their products have always been of top-notch quality. Their textile paints are perfect for professional use, but can also be used for crafting, DIY, and student projects.
My only complaint is that I like to squeeze paint onto my palette for mixing and ease of use, but their paints come in pots instead of tubes.
Performance Rating (for heat-set swatch): 10/10
Oil Paint on Denim
Though it’s not common, I have received messages from people asking if they can use oil paint on denim.
Although I had never used it for denim painting before these tests, I actively recommend against it for painting on denim.
Why? Oil paint is not meant to be used on unprimed fabric. It can eat through the denim, takes weeks to dry, and cannot be washed.
Though I already knew oil paint is awful for painting on denim, I painted one swatch of it just to show why it does not work for denim. Because it would not dry and could not be washed, I had to cut the swatch off the second piece of denim so I could continue with my other swatch tests.
My husband is a professional oil painter, so I borrowed some of his Gamblin oil paint for this swatch test. He could not believe I was going to use it for painting on denim, even just as a swatch!
The oil paint was incredibly thick and difficult to paint on the denim. It was not thinned with anything, like you would typically do when painting on primed canvas.
After a week, the swatch itself is finally dry, but the paint on the tape around the swatch is still very wet. The amount of time it takes for the paint to dry on denim is too inconvenient for creating painted denim masterpieces.
Overall, you should never use oil paint for painting on denim for all the reasons stated above.
Final Verdict: What’s the Best Paint For Denim?
I’m thrilled to have finally completed these swatch tests to find the best paint for denim! It’s years overdue, and some of the results surprised me.
Through these tests and in my experience, the best paint for denim is Golden Heavy Body Acrylics mixed with fabric medium.
Some other paint comes close, like Jacquard’s textile paint, but Golden Artist Colors soars above all the others in terms of coverage, quality, durability, and company as a whole.
Golden Artist Colors is employee-owned and has been around since the 1930s. The founders, Sam Golden and Leonard Bocour, sold paint to famous artists who would hang out at their store, like Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Helen Frankenthaler.
They even invented the “world’s first artist acrylic paint” in the 1940s, which was a solution-based acrylic paint. Later, they created a water-based acrylic paint, which is the type of acrylic used today.
It’s safe to say that Golden knows good acrylic paint. They did invent it over 75 years ago, after all!
Final Paint Ratings
Golden Heavy Body Acrylics: 11/10
Jacquard Textile Paint: 10/10
Amsterdam Acrylics: 7/10
System3 Acrylics: 6.5/10
Liquitex Basics: 6/10
Arteza 3D fabric paint: 5/10
TULIP Fabric Paint: 3/10
Bluebird Fabric Paint: 0/10
Oil Paint: 0/10
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