11.

PRINTING AND FINISHING OF TEXTILES

STRUCTURE
11.0 OBJECTIVES

11.1 INTRODUCTION

11.2 THE PRINTING PROCESS

11.2.1 HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
11.2.2 METHODS USED FOR PRINTING

11.3 SCREEN PRINTING

11.3.1 MANUAL SCREEN PRINTING
11.3.2 SEMI-AUTOMATED PROCESS
11.3.3 AUTOMATED SCREEN PRINTING

11.4 FINISHING PROCESSES

11.4.1 CHEMICAL FINISHING PROCESSES
11.4.2 HEAT-SETTING
11.4.3 MECHANICAL FINISHES

11.5 ASSIGNMENTS
11.5.1 CLASS ASSIGNMENTS
11.5.2 HOME ASSIGNMENTS

11.6 SUMMING UP

11.7 POSSIBLE ANSWERS TO SELF-CHECK QUESTIONS

11.8 TERMINAL QUESTIONS

11.9 REFERENCES

11.10 SUGGESTED FURTHER READING

11.11 GLOSSARY

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 11. PRINTING AND FINISHING OF TEXTILES
Having dealt with the preparatory processes and dyeing in the previous lesson, we
now move to the other two important value addition processes viz. printing and finishing
of textiles which are covered in this lesson. The next lesson, which is the final lesson of
this unit, will be devoted to a consideration of the tests for colour fastness on washing and
rubbing.

11.0 Objectives
After going through this lesson, you will be able to gain an understanding of:

• The history of textile printing

• The major textile printing processes
• A method used for applying textile finishes
• The various types of textile finishes applied

11.1 Introduction
Printing and finishing of textiles are two very important processes which add
value to the fabric. This lesson will deal with various aspects of these two processes.

A vast majority of fabrics are printed. Unlike dyeing in which the fabric is
coloured throughout or in large areas (as in tie and dye) by immersing it in a dyebath,
printing is localized application of a dye or pigment to a fabric to generate a pattern or a
design. As opposed to normal dyeing which uses a dye solution to apply the dye, in
printing a thick dye paste is used. To understand why this is necessary, a very simple
experiment may be done. If a drop of colour solution is placed on the surface of a fabric,
it is seen to quickly spread into an irregular shape due to capillary effect. To hold the
colours in position, thick dye paste is used. This requires the use of thickening agents,
which prevent colour migration. The paste holds the dyestuff until it is fixed after printing
(say by steaming) and then the unwanted paste ingredients are removed.

Compared to printing, finishing of textiles has a much wider connotation, as one

could say that anything which makes a textile attractive is finishing. In this context,
bleaching and dyeing (which were covered in the previous lesson) also come within this
all-inclusive definition as bleaching makes the fabric white resulting in value addition and
dyeing also adds to the value of the fabric by transforming it into an attractively coloured
product. Mercerization, which was considered as a preparatory process in the previous
lesson, may have a strong claim to be classified as a finishing process as it renders the
fabric lustrous and attractive. In this lesson the term ‘finishing’ would be used in its more
restricted sense in which the finish may be applied to get improved handle, easy care,
flame resistant, water repellent or wash proof effect, anti-static effect, anti shrink effect,
moth and insect resistant, more lustrous fabrics, etc.

In this lesson, we will first describe the printing process and then consider some
of the more important finishing processes.
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Self-check Questions
1. What is meant by printing of fabrics?

2. What is meant by finishing of textiles?

11.2 The Printing Process

We will begin our discussion of printing with a historical perspective and
then consider the various methods used for textile printing.

11.2.1 Historical perspective

Hand painting and block printing on textiles are reported to have been practised in
India for thousands of years.

Hand painting involves directly drawing an image using colour. Alternately,

patterns are created on fabrics with the help of the resist technique in which the pattern is
drawn on the fabric with clay, starch, gum, or wax, which forms a barrier to dye
penetration. Dyeing the fabric then reveals this pattern.

The block printing method was pactised in Sind (now in Pakistan) region in the 8th
century from where it came to India. A design was carved on the smooth surface of a
wooden block and the raised surface of the block was smeared with the dye paste. The
design was then stamped on to the fabric and repetition of this equidistantly all over the
fabric gives rise to an attractively printed fabric.

Stencil printing was also practised in India during the Gupta period (6th to 8th
century). The stencil is placed on a fabric and the colour is then brushed or sprayed in the
cut out portions, giving beautiful designs.

Machine roller printing came in the latter part of the 18th century and its
development could be traced to the block printing process. This eventually transformed
the slow and costly block printing process into cheap mass production which
revolutionized the cotton print industry.

The stencil printing process led to the development of screen printing which
works on the resist principle described earlier. In the early days, fine silk meshes were
used as the screen. Towards the end of the 19th century, this process was well developed
in Japan. Flat screen and rotary screen machines had by that time made this process very
popular for printing.

11.2.2 Methods Used For Printing

In this lesson we will give only brief descriptions of some important methods.

• Block printing method:

Wooden blocks are made by slicing logs of wood horizontally and the required
designs are chiseled on to the hard, smooth block surface. The carved out design on the
block is smeared with thick dye paste and then stamped on to the fabric transferring the
design as cut in the block. Each separate colour will require a separate block. The process
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is repeated till the design covers the fabric. Hand block printing is carried out as a cottage
or small scale industry in India. It is slow and expensive but is ideal for exclusive designs
on limited quantities of fabrics.

• Stencil method

A design shape is cut out of a piece of thin, hard non-

absorbent material and when this is placed on a fabric and the
colour brushed or sprayed in the cut out portions, the design
is traced on the fabric. An ordinary stencil is shown in
Fig.11.1.
Fig.11.1 A stencil
• Machine roller printing

Modern roller machine printing is a development of the engraved block method.

The principle of the method is shown in fig.11.2. The design is engraved onto a set of
copper-surfaced rollers, the number depending on the number of colours in the design.
The rollers are situated in sequence round the circumference of a large pressure cylinder
whose surface is padded and is protected from staining by dyestuff being pressed through
the printed fabric.

• Screen printing method

Printing of textile materials using a screen is either done

manually or with the help of machines. In the latter
category, the automatic flat bed method or the rotary
screen printing method are used. In view of its wide use,
this method will now be described in greater detail.

Fig.11.2 Roller Printing Machine

(Taken from Ref.1)

Self-check Questions
3. Which two printing methods were practised in India during the Gupta period?

4. Which well-known printing technologies developed from the two printing

methods of the Gupta period?

11.3 Screen Printing

11.3.1 Manual screen printing

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 In manual screen printing the fabric to be printed is
laid on a long table. A screen (Fig.11.3) with length slightly
greater than the fabric width is fitted in a wooden frame. The
design to be printed is transferred to the screen (for each
colour, there is a separate screen) and the space in the screen
not covered by the design is covered with an impermeable
membrane so that the colouring material can only pass
through that part of the design which is to be in one colour.
(Fig. 11.4)

A thick paste containing the colour (dye or pigment)

Fig. 11.3 Screen frame prevents migration of the colour and the paste holds the
colour till it is fixed after printing and then the unwanted
paste ingredients can be removed. For this appropriate thickening agents are used which
increase the viscosity of the paste.

Fig. 11.4 Manual screen printing process Fig. 11.5 A Squeegee

The printing paste is pressed through the screen with the help of a device having a
rubber blade called squeegee (Fig.11.5). The screen is moved one repeat and the process
repeated. The different colour screens follow and thus the whole length of the fabric is
printed.

11.3.2 Semi-automated process

The manual process has been semi-automated by mounting the screen on a

carriage and driving the squeegee mechanically across the screen. In both hand and semi-
automatic flat screen printing the colours are printed one after another with time for
drying between one colour and the next. The dried fabric is removed from the table and
stored for a while before fixing by dry heat in the case of pigment printing and steaming
or dry heat in case of reactive dye printing.

11.3.3 Automated Screen Printing

• Automatic flat bed screen printing

In order to increase the speed of flat screen printing, it was imperative to devise a
method of printing all the colours simultaneously. This entails each colour application
position being fixed while the substrate moves. The colour is applied through the screens
while the frame is stationary.

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 Flat bed screen printing machines where the fabric remains stationary and the
screen moves on a carriage have also been developed for the printing of silk. The entire
operation is controlled pneumatically. One such machine is shown in Fig.11.6.

Fig.11.6 Fully automated flat screen printing machine

• Rotary screen printing

Unlike flat bed machines, in which the printing action is intermittent, continuous
movement of the fabric has been achieved in rotary screen printing machines (Fig.11.7).
This is by moving the screens along with the fabric while printing. The screens are
cylindrical (Fig.11.8) and the fabric also moves on a cylinder. However, these machines
are quite expensive.

Fig.11.7 Rotary screen printing set-up Fig.11.8 Rotary screen printing section

Activity
1. Prepare a 8”x8”design for screen printing process.

Self-check Questions
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 5. Fill in the blanks:

i) _____ and _______ processes add value to the fabric.

ii) Block printing was internally practiced in ________ region during the
8th century.
iii) ___________ agents are added to increase the viscosity of the printing
paste.
iv) In earlier days ______________ meshes were used as screens.
v) The printing paste is pressed through the screen with the help of a
___________.

6. Why is a dye solution not used for printing?

7. Why is a thick paste used for printing?

11.4 Finishing Processes

Following Wynne (Ref. 2), the available finishing processes can be divided into
chemical processes and mechanical processes. In addition to these, heat setting of textiles
and surface coating may also be considered as finishing processes. We will consider the
chemical process first and then make a brief reference to the others.

11.4.1 Chemical Finishing Processes

Chemical Finishing Processes are those processes which involve the application of
chemicals to the fabric and these can lead to modification of handle or make the fabric
water repellant, oil and soil repellant, moth and insect proof, anti microbial, flame-
retardant, anti static, etc.

Chemical finishes are normally applied in the form

of an aqueous solution or emulsion and can be applied, for
example, with the help of a pad mangle (Fig.11.9). The
fabric passes through a trough of chemical finish. It is then
squeezed by a pair of nip rolls to ensure the even application
of a fixed amount of the finish on to the fabric. After
padding, the fabric is dried to remove the water and the
finish can then be fixed by subjecting the fabric to a
relatively high temperature for a short period. This enables
the applied chemicals to form a durable finish on the fabric.
Fig.11.9 A padding mangle
(Taken from Ref. 2)

Some of the chemical finish treatments will now be described:

• Handle modification

When a dilute solution of boiled starch is applied to a woven piece of cotton and
the fabric dried, the dried starch film will stick the warp and weft threads firmly together
to give a stiff product. A crisp, smooth finish for cotton goods results from use of
modified starches.

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 The most common handle modifier used today is the softener which lubricates the
warp and weft of woven fabrics allowing the fabric to bend more easily and this gives it a
soft feel. Anionic compounds such as sulphated oils and sulphated alcohols are used as
softeners. Other softening agents are oil fat and wax emulsions soaps and synthetic
detergents and silicon compounds.

• Water repellent and water proof finishes

Waterproof finishes are those that coat or seal a fabric so water does not pass
through the fabric. Water repellent finishes result in a fabric that resists wetting.

In the earlier days, the method for waterproofing a fabric was to coat it with
rubber. This did the job but the coated fabric was heavy, bulky and uncomfortable.
Silicon compounds have been found to be the most suitable.

• Oil, stain and soil-resistant finish

Silicones and fluoro chemical finishes are very effective. A drop of oil placed on
an untreated fabric spreads rapidly and stains it. A fabric treated with fluoro chemical
finish does not allow these to penetrate the fabric.

Any treatments that encourage the wetting of the textile surface will act as soil
release agents. Polymers containing hydrophilic groups (say acrylic acid groups) would
be readily wetted by water and the wet surface will act as soil release agent.

Materials such as carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC) aid in preventing re-deposition

of soil during laundering and are frequently included in detergents.

• Moth and insect damage proofing finishes

The older method of producing a mothproof finish by creating wool with an

insecticide was popular. Environmental concerns have led to the use of more acceptable
materials like the synthetic pyretheroids which have low animal toxicity.

• Microbiocidal finishes

These are becoming important for textile finishing. Bacteriostatic is a chemical

which inhibits the growth of bacteria. Similarly Fungistatic is a chemical which inhibits
the growth of fungi. Fabrics impregnated with these chemicals will be safe and guard
against infection.

• Flame retardant finishes for cotton

A phosphorous containing material is reacted with urea. The reaction product is

padded on to cotton fabric and dried. The fabric is then reacted with ammonia and finally
oxidized with hydrogen peroxide. This renders the fabric flame retardant.

• Anti-static finishes

An antistatic finish dissipates an electrical charge and does not allow it to

accumulate on a fabric. An interesting development in the field of anti-static treatments
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has been the development of the Permolose finishes by ICI which consists of block
copolymers of ethylene oxide and polyester. When polyester fibers are treated with this,
the polyester portion of the copolymers is adsorbed by the polyester fiber but, the
polyethylene oxide portion is incompatible with the polyester fibre and so remains on the
surface, where it attracts water and forms a conductive surface on the polyester fibre.

11.4.2 Heat-setting

To heat-set a fabric, it is subjected to selected temperatures (above the glass

transition temperature and close to the maximum use temperature) for a specified length
of time. Fabrics may be heat-set into a flat surface or they may be heat-set into a pre-
determined shape such as nylon hosiery. Heat-setting causes molecular rearrangement
and relieves internal stresses. It makes the fabric dimensionally stable.

11.4.3 Mechanical finishes

By passing the fabric between heated rotating rollers, the surface of the fabrics is
rendered smooth, flattening slubs, increasing the fabric luster, improving the fabric handle
by making it softer.

There are many finishing operations that have not been covered. These are
included in the books cited in the References and Suggested Further Reading sections.

Activity
2. Prepare a list of different finishing treatments and respective chemical reagents
used for them.

Self-check Questions
8. Fill in the blanks:

i) The finishing processes can be divided into _______ & ________ processes.
ii) Chemical finishes are applied with the help of ________ mangles.
iii) Heat setting makes the fibric _____________.
iv) Materials such as _______ prevent redeposition of soils on to the fabric.
v) Polymer containing ________ groups are readily welted with water.

9. How is stiff handle given to a woven cotton fabric?

10. Which chemicals are used to make a fabric water proof?

11. What does an anti-static finish do?

11.5 Assignments
11.5.1 Class assignments

i) Print six cushion covers using the screen printing process.

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11.5.2 Home assignments

i) Collect different fabric samples with textile stamps which refer to different fabric
finishes such as pre-shrunk, mercerization etc.

11.6 Summing Up
The printing and finishing processes for textiles have been described in this
lesson. In the area of textile printing, the processes of block printing, stencil printing,
roller printing and screen printing-manual, automatic flat bed and rotary- have been
briefly discussed. A whole variety of finishing processes have also been described.

11.7 Possible Answers to Self-check Questions

1. Printing is localized application of a dye or pigment to a fabric to generate a
pattern or design.

2. Anything that makes a textile attractive is finishing.

3. The Stencil Printing Method and the Block Printing Method.

4. Screen printing developed from stencil printing while roller printing grew from
block printing.

5. Fill in the blanks:

i) Printing, Finishing
ii) Sind
iii) Thickening agent
iv) silk meshes
v) Squeeze

6. A dye solution spreads into an irregular shape (when put on the fabric) due to
capillary effect.

7. The thick paste holds the dyestuff without irregular spreading until it is fixed after
printing.

8. Fill in the blanks:

i) Chemical & mechanical

ii) Padding
iii) Dimensionally stable
iv) CMC
v) hydrophilic

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 9. By applying a dilute solution of boiled starch.

10. Silicon compounds.

11. An anti-static finish dissipates an electrical charge and does not allow it to
accumulate it on the fabric.

11.8 Terminal Questions

1. Describe briefly the automated screen printing method.

2. Describe how chemical finishes are usually applied?

11.9 References
1. Gulrajani, M.L. (Ed). 1993. Methods of Printing in Chemical Processing of Silk
by Chopra, S. Textile Department, IIT, Delhi.

2. Joseph M.L. 1966. Introductory Textile Science. Holt Rinehart and Winston Inc.,
Chicago.

3. Miller, E. 1978. Textile Properties and Behaviour. B.T. Batford Ltd., London.

4. Wynne, A. 1997. Textiles. Macmillan Education Ltd., London.

11.10 Suggested Further Reading

1. Gohl, E.P. and Vilensky, L.D. 2005. Textile Science. CBS Publishers &
Distributors, New Delhi.

11.10 Glossary
1. Localized To limit or confine to a particular location

2. Connotation Meaning

3. All-inclusive Taking everything into account

4. Slicing Cutting into a thin broad piece

5. Smeared To apply something greasy by rubbing

6. Equidistant Equally distant

7. Impermeable Not permitting passage, especially to fluids

8. Pneumatically Worked by compressed air

9. Intermittent Stopping and starting again at intervals, periodic

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 10. Glass transition temperature Softening temperature

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