Different Types of Printing

Techniques on Fabric
Textile Printing:

The word “printing” is derived from the Latin word meaning “pressing” and implies the
application of “pressure”. Textile printing is the process of applying color to the fabric in
definite patterns or designs. It is a part of wet processing, which is carried out after pretreatment
of fabric or after dyeing. It is done for producing attractive designs on the fabric. Usually printing
is performed on one side of the textile. Different printing methods can be applied to transfer the
dyestuff and chemicals to the surface of the fabric.

Textile printing is related to dyeing, whereas in dyeing, the whole fabric is uniformly covered
with one color. In printing, one or more colors are applied to the fabric in certain parts only, and
in sharply defined patterns. Printing is therefore called as localized dyeing. The dyes and
pigments are applied locally or discontinuously. In this article I will concentrate of the types of
printing methods in terms of the machinery used to deliver the print paste and the mode by which
paste is delivered to the substrate, be it flat screen, rotary screen, copper roller, ink jet printing or
another mechanism.
Different Types of Textile Printing Methods:

There are five main methods of printing a fabric, these being the block, roller, screen, heat
transfer and ink-jet methods. The heat transfer method differs from the others in that it involves
the transfer of color from the design printed on paper through the vapor phase into the fibers of
the fabric. With the other methods the dye or pigment is applied to the fabric surface through a
print paste medium. The ink jet printing process however is a comparatively recent innovation
and is referred to as a ‘non-impact’ method, because the print paste is fired on to the textile from
a jet which is not actually in contact with the fabric.

Printing is carried out with different instruments. Different methods are used to produce an
impression on fabrics. Method of printing depends on the demand of the user and the quantity to
be printed. It also depends on the type of material and the end use of the printed product.
Following methods can be used for printing of a fabric:
1. Block Printing
2. Roller Printing
3. Screen Printing
4. Flat Screen Printing
5. Rotary Screen Printing
6. Transfer Printing
7. Ink-Jet Printing
8. Carpet Printing
9. Jet spray printing
10. Warp Printing
11. Resist Printing
12. Electrostatic Printing
13. Photographic Printing
14. Photo Printing
15. Pigment Printing
16. Blotch Printing
17. Non-fabric printing
18. Burn-Out Printing
19. Flock printing
20. Direct Printing
21. Discharge Printing
22. Duplex Printing
23. Stencil printing
24. Two-phase printing
25. All over printing
26. Special printing methods:
1. Space dyeing
2. Kalamkari
3. Batik printing
4. Tie dyeing and so on.
1. Block Printing:

Block printing is a method where the pattern was cut into wooden blocks, or was built
through an assembly of metal stripes, nails and so on. The print paste is applied to the design
surface on the block and the block then pressed against the fabric. The process is repeated
with different designs and colors until the pattern is complete. The block printing is used
from time immemorial and is still being practiced in all Asian countries as it can be done
even at homes by the people in their free time. Block printing is a slow and laborious process
and is not suitable for high volume commercial use. This printing method is used only at
small scale or in cottage industry and is not used at industrial scale because of less flexibility
and productivity.
2. Roller Printing:

In this method, engraved copper cylinders or rollers are used in place of handcarved blocks.
When the rollers move, a repeat of the design is printed on the fabric. Roller printing has
traditionally been preferred for long production runs because of the very high speeds possible. It
is also a versatile technique since up to a dozen different colors can be printed simultaneously.
The basic roller printing equipment consists of a number of copper faced rollers in which the
design is etched. There is a separate printing roller for each color being printed. Each of the
rollers rotates over the fabric under pressure against an iron pressure roller. A blanket and
backing cloth rotate over the pressure roller under the fabric and provide a flexible support for
the fabric being printed. A color doctor blade removes paste or fibers adhering to the roller after
contact with the fabric. After the impression stage the fabric passes to the drying and steaming
stages.
3. Screen Printing:
This type of printing has increased enormously in its use in recent years because of its versatility
and the development of rotary screen printing machines which are capable of very high rates of
production. An additional significant advantage is that heavy depths of shade can be produced by
screen printing, a feature which has always been a limitation of roller printing because of the
restriction to the amount of print paste which can be held in the shallow depth of the engraving
on the print roller.
There are two basic types of screen printing process, the flat screen and the rotary screen
methods.
4. Flat Screen Printing:

As the name suggests, the screens for this printing method are flat as opposed to circular as in
rotary screen printing. The screen is a woven mesh, made from either polyester or polyamide.
The mesh is stretched over a rectangular frame, originally made from wood, but now made from
metal alloy to reduce weight and increase durability. Worldwide, about 23% of all printed textile
fabric is produced by by flat screen printing.

5. Rotary Screen Printing:

Rotary screen printing uses cylindrical screens as opposed to flat screens. Again, a separate
screen is required for each color of the design being printed. More complex designs require the
application of many different colors, and typical rotary screen printing machines have the
capacity for up to 20 screens. The screens rotate in contact with the substrate and the print paste
is fed from inside the screens. The paste is forced from out of the inside of the screen by means
of a metal squeegee blade. Worldwide, about 61% of all printed textile fabric is produced by the
rotary screen method.
5. Heat Transfer Printing:

Transfer printing techniques involve the transfer of a design from one medium to another. The
most common form used is heat transfer printing in which the design is printed initially on to a
special paper, using conventional printing machinery. The paper is then placed in close contact
with the fabric and heated, when the dyes sublime and transfer to the fabric through the vapor
phase.

6. Ink-Jet Printing :

Digital ink-jet printing is one of the most modern ways of printing textile fabrics. This method
can be used for most of the commercially available fabrics. There has been considerable interest
in the technology surrounding non-impact printing, mainly for the graphic market, but the
potential benefits of reductions in the time scale from original design to final production has led
to much activity in developing this technology for textile and carpet printing processes. The types
of machines developed fall into two classes, drop-on-demand (DOD) and continuous stream
(CS).
7. Carpet Printing:

The printing of carpets only really achieved importance after the introduction of tufted carpets in
the late 1950s. Until then the market was dominated by the woven Wilton carpets and Axminster
designs were well established, but by the 1980s tufted carpet production accounted for some 80%
(by area) of UK production. Much of this carpet production was printed because the range of
patterns possible to produce using tufting machines was limited and there was a desire to produce
a greater flexibility of design for these types of carpet.

8. Jet Spray Printing:

Jet printing is a non-contact application system originally developed for printing carpets, but now
increasingly used in the textile sector. Designs are imparted to fabrics by spraying colors in a
controlled manner through nozzles.

9. Warp Printing:

The printing of a design on the sheet of warp yarns before weaving. The filling is either white or
a neutral color, and a grayed effect is produced in the areas of the design.
10. Resist Printing:

A printing method in which the design can be produced: (1) by applying a resist agent in the
desired design, then dyeing the fabric, in which case, the design remains white although the rest
of the fabric is dyed; or (2) by including a resist agent and a dye in the paste which is applied for
the design, in which case, the color of the design is not affected by subsequent dyeing of the
fabric background.

11. Electrostatic Printing:

In electrostatic printing, a plate with electrostatic charge (to attract powdered dyes or ink into the
fabric) is positioned behind the fabric and a stencil of the design to be printed is positioned
between the fabric and the powder supply so the design is applied in the correct area. A dye–resin
mixture is spread on a screen bearing the design and the fabric is passed into an electrostatic field
under the screen. The dye–resin mixture is pulled by the electrostatic field through the pattern
area onto the fabric.

12. Photographic Printing:

A method of printing from photoengraved rollers. The resultant design looks like a photograph.
The designs may also be photographed on a silk screen which is used in screen printing.
13. Photo Printing:

In the photo printing, the fabric is coated with a chemical that is sensitive to light and then any
photograph may be printed on it. The controlled light passes to the fabric through negative or a
photo film, which allows the light to fall on the fabric as per the details in the photo.

14. Pigment Printing:

Printing by the use of pigments instead of dyes. The pigments do not penetrate the fiber but are
affixed to the surface of the fabric by means of synthetic resins which are cured after application
to make them insoluble. The pigments are insoluble, and application is in the form of water-in-oil
or oil-in-water emulsions of pigment pastes and resins. The colors produced are bright and
generally fat except to crocking.

15. Blotch Printing:

Blotch printing is a process wherein the background color of a design is printed rather than dyed.
The result is that the reverse side of the fabric is typically white. This is a direct printing
technique where both the background color and the design are printed onto a white fabric,
usually in one operation. Any methods such as block, roller or screen may be used. The ground
color is transferred from the cylinder and the motif retains the original hue of the cloth.
16. Non-fabric Printing:

Printing techniques can be applied also on pre-stages in textile production, e.g. sliver yarn, warp
beams, thus leading to special irregular patterns.

17. Burn-Out Printing:

A method of printing to obtain a raised design on a sheer ground. The design is applied with a
special chemical onto a fabric woven of pairs of threads of different fibers. One of the fibers is
then destroyed locally by chemical action. Burn-out printing is often used on velvet. The product
of this operation is known as a burn out print.

18. Flock Printing:

Flocking is the technique of depositing many small fiber particles, called ‘flock’, onto a surface
of a fabric to produce the design. Flock printing is a representative for techniques where an
adhesive is printed in the first stage. In the second step, an effect material is fixed to the adhesive.
In case of flock print, short staple fibers (flocks, 0.3–3 mm) are fixed on the adhesive layer by
means of an electrostatic field (20–60 kV) which also orients the fibers in direction perpendicular
to the fabric surface, thereby a velvet-like surface structure is obtained.

Many other effect materials can be fixed on the adhesive layer:

1. Finely chopped thin plastic particles lead to a glitter effect
2. Metal film can be fixed as conductive surface layer or to achieve a metal effect
19. Direct Printing:
A process wherein the colors for the desired designs are applied directly to the white or dyed
cloth, as distinguished from discharge printing and resist printing.

20. Discharge Printing:

In “white” discharge printing, the fabric is piece dyed, then printed with a paste containing a
chemical that reduces the dye and hence removes the color where the white designs are desired.
In “colored” discharge printing, a color is added to the discharge paste in order to replace the
discharged color with another shade.

21. Duplex Printing:

Duplex printing is a method of printing a pattern on the face and the back of a fabric with equal
clarity. Printing is done on both sides of the fabric either through roller printing machine in two
operations or a duplex printing machine in a single operation.

22. Stencil Printing:

In stencil printing, the design is first cut in cardboard, wood or metal. The stencils may have fine
delicate designs or large spaces through which color is applied on the fabric. The pattern is cut
out of a sheet of stout paper or thin metal with a sharp-pointed knife, the uncut portions
representing the part that is to be reserved or left uncolored. The sheet is now laid on the material
to be decorated and the color is brushed through its interstices.
23. Two-phase Printing:

In two-phase printing, the pattern printing and dyestuff fixation processes are separated into two
stages. As an example after printing of a reactive dye and intermediate drying, the print is fixed
in a continuous process through padding in rather concentrated alkali solution. Similarly, vat dyes
can be printed and fixed in the reducing agent.

24. All Over Printing:

All over printing is a special type of printing technology that allows a particular design to be
repeated continuously throughout the fabric. As a result, the fabric becomes more attractive.
Fabrics made with AOP technology are also being used in denim products including woven
shirts, T-shirts, Ladies gowns, Tops, Punjabi, Woven pants, Home textiles etc.

25. Space Dyeing:

Space dyeing is a method of printing yarns using jet spray of colors. In space dyeing machines,
64 jet sprays are provided and 8 colors can be accommodated. There cannot be any uniformity or
repetition of designs when these yarns are woven or knitted. It gives a special effect that is
unique.
26. Kalamkari:

Fabric is painted using a pen with dyes and mordants. Printing the outline of the design and
filling inside with a pen (kalam) combine the printing and art with pen, that is, kalamkari.
Kalamkari is an exquisite ancient craft of painted and printed fabrics practiced in Indian temples.

27. Batik Printing:

In the classical processes, a wax was printed on the fabric to form a resist. After dyeing with
usual dyeing procedures, the resist was removed. In a special case indigo was used for dyeing.
During dyeing of the fabric the waxy layer cracks and the cracks become marked with dye,
which leads to the characteristic appearance of this article.

28. Tie Dyeing:

In tie dyeing, firm knots are tied in the cloth before it is immersed in a dye. The outside portion
of the immersed fabric is dyed but the color does not penetrate the inside portions of the tied
knots. There are various forms of tie dyeing such as ikat dyeing where bundles of warp and/or
weft yarns are tie dyed prior to their weaving. In plangi dyeing, the gathered, folded or rolled
fabric is usually held with stitching to form specific patterns.
 Process Flow Chart of Textile Printing Section
(A typical flow chart of printing in textile industry)

Artwork from merchandiser

↓
Design input
↓
Design development
↓
Positive/film
↓
Print taken
↓
Requisition by merchandiser
↓
Panel (cutting fabric parts)
↓
Expose (frame adjusted)
↓
Fila and frame adjusted
↓
Water spray
↓
Panel send to buyer
↓
Buyer approval
 ↓
Sale sample
↓
Counter sample
↓
P P production
↓
Accessories booking
↓
Requisition by merchandiser for fabric
↓
Fabric received and store
↓
Count the fabric
↓
Inspection the fabric
↓
Fabric adjusted
↓
Bulk production start
↓
Hydro extractor from dryer
↓
Inspection
↓
Finishing
↓
Delivery
All Over Printing: Bright Prospects for Textile Sector of Bangladesh

ALL-OVER PRINTING (AOP)

The garment industry of Bangladesh started in 1978 with the Riaz store. All-Over Printing had
started in the Bangladesh garment industry in the 1980s. In the early days of the
garment manufacturing industry, very few factories worked in All Over Printing (AOP). In
time, printed fabrics were made only for the local market, not for the world market.

From 1980s, AOP started its excellent journey in export oriental factory within the Bangladesh.
Now, AOP are running about 85+ factories in Bangladesh. Bangladesh has already gained the
skill to compete with any country within the world with AOP and has created a powerful
position. The tastes of the buyers in the current fashion world are changing day by day and the
demand for All Over Printing (AOP) is increasing day by day keeping pace with the tastes of the
buyers.
What is All Over Printing?

All over printing, AOP is a term used to describe a special kind of printing that covers and
repeated across the whole surface of apparel. Besides, AOP is basically a special type of textile
printing technology, where printing is done across the full width of the fabric.

THREE TYPES MACHINE ARE USED IN AOP TECHNOLOGY:

1. Rotary screen machine.

2. Flatbed screen machine.
3. Digital printing machine.

Rotary screen and flatbed screen machines are very common in our textile industry. Digital
printing machines are not yet so available in our Industry. But soon digital printing machines will
take the place of Rotary and Flatbed machines.
ROTARY SCREEN PRINTING MACHINE:
Features of rotary screen printing machine are point out below:
• The screen of rotary screen-printing machine is Round and the screens are made of Nickel.
• During developing the planning for the rotary screen, the developer creates a repeat of the
planning by calculating the diameter of the screen. The diameter of the Rotary screen is 641
mm, 820mm, 914mm and 1018mm.
• The amount of color print capacity of the rotary screen is 20 colors. But because of the
complexity of Machine Setting, usually, printing is done no more than using 12 colors. For
example, if the fabric has 10 colors, then use 10 screen.
• The Fabric printing rate per minute is 30-60 meters. Fabrics print faster when the design
contains a lower number color.
• Colors automatically passing to the rotary screen from the drum with the help of a machine
compressor and color wastage is higher in rotary screen printing.
• Cost of the Rotary screen is high. Per Screen, the cost is approximately 5k-8k TK in BDT. It
depends on the diameter of the rotary screen.
• Rotary screen does not have the Possibility to shows Repeat mark or Join mark during Print.
• The more the color of the design, the fabric wastage is more during setting the design in
fabric printing.
• All kinds of the design can’t be printed on a rotary screen-printing machine.
• Any types of fabric can be printed.
•There is a possibility to break the screen while the machine running.
•For color penetration, various sizes of stainless steel rollers or blade squeegee are used inside
the screen.
•Due to the machine runs very fast, screen rotation is also fast. So, after printing done certain
times some pinholes come out on the screen, for this reason, remove the screen from the machine
and to remove the pinhole by re-touching is required. Then the machine starts again for further
production.
•Screen preparation process is complicated. It takes more time to expose and develop the screen.
Approximately every screen takes 25 to 35 minutes to expose.
•After developing the screen and before setting on the rotary machine need to harden the coating
chemical of the screen, for that each screen curing is done by setting on the polymerize machine
for 20 to 30 minutes.
•Need to coating, the screen by using Photo Emulsion RS-100 and RS-1203 before exposing the
screen. To coating, each screen has required approximately 200 grams of Chemical.
•CMYK’s design can’t be print perfectly on a Rotary screen-printing machine.
•Rotary screen-printing m/c is unprofitable for short quantity production.
•The initial installation cost of the Rotary screen-printing machine is very high. So, this is
expensive.
•Disperse or Reverse printing is goodly done on a Rotary screen-printing machine.
•Color separation can be done within a short time.
•Critical design in laser exposing machine such as 1-pixel line, 1-pixel dot, or spray, the screen
does not open perfectly on the screen. As a result, sometimes the development screen design
doesn’t fully match the main design/ buyer design.
•If the fabric is printed in the rotary screen-printing machine, there is a possibility of failure in
the heavy metal (Nickel) test of the fabric.
•Rotary screen-printing machine has a limitation of squeegee pressure.
•After production, the screen must wash perfectly with water, either, the open area of the screen
becomes blocked and Production can’t be done next time.
•A screen can be reused 3/4 times.
•The resolution should be 360, 508, 720 pixels/inch in developing a design. The higher the
resolution, the higher the time it will take in screen preparation.
•In AOP, color is created by matching the shade with the pantone (TCX, TPX) or color swatches
and then printing is done.
•The production can be done at any temperature and humidity of the floor.
•This printing is possible on deep-dyed fabrics or black fabrics. And also White print can be done
on any type of fabric.
Fig: Rotary screen printing machine
Many types of machinery are used to expose the rotary screen:

Exposing machine-Inkjet or Laser

Cool dryer machine/Climatizer
Coating machine.
Polymerize machine.
Light stand and developing stand.
Water tank/ Screen developing tank.
Endring fixer/Endring gluing machine.
Unpacking Machine.
Screen checking stand.

Here some machines name are list out with their origin:
1. Reggiani……..Italy
2. Stork…………..Netherlands
3. Zimmer……….Austria
4. BUSER………Switzerland
5. MHMS………..Austria
6. Harish………Indian
7. Ji- long………China
Types of All-Over Printing Paste: (Rotary & flatbed):
There are six kinds of all over printing paste these are:
1. Pigment Print
2. Reactive Print
3. Discharge Print
4. Raised Print
5. Glitter Print
6. Burnout Print

In rotary screen printing the reactive print is the lightest and the discharge print is the hardest.
Reactive printing cannot be done on dyeing or on black fabric. Discharge is printed on deep
dyeing.
In flatbed screen printing (Discharge, Glitter, White paste and apson) print Smoothness and
Sharpness shows relatively good then the Rotary screen.

LIMITATION OF AOP IN ROTARY AND FLATBED SCREEN:

There are some limitations in AOP. The main limitation is:
7. We cannot print any design on rotary screen or flatbed screen.
8. No more than 20 colors can be used in rotary and flatbed screen.
9. The print cost is higher
10. Complexity of machine. The effect of photo print and 3D cannot be brought clearly through
AOP.
10 Important Things for All Over Printing:

When receiving designs from buyers, a clear understanding of those below 10 things
are crucial. If one is missing, then it creates a problem.

1. If there is no repeat.
2. If there is no design repeat measurement.
3. If there is no clear design file or image.
4. If there is no print paste-type.
5. lf there is no fabrication.
6. If there is no number of print color.
7. If there is no reference of base/ground dyeing color.
8. If there is no fabric GSM and fabric diameter.
9. If there are no Panton or color swatches.
10. If there is no mention the category of sample.
ALL OVER DIGITAL PRINTING:

Due to some different challenges, rotary and flatbed screen are added to the new technology ‘All
Over Digital Printing’. Currently, 60% of digital print is completed in Bangladesh, India,
Indonesia, Pakistan and Vietnam. Due to increasing demand, many Bangladeshi printing factories
have started digital printing. Digital print is directly printed in fabric with ink. No film or screen
is employed for this. A perfect technology for multi-dimensional design printing is ‘All Over
Digital Printing’.

Fig: Digital printed dress

DIGITAL PRINTING MACHINE:
Features of digital printing machine are point out below:

•Screen is not required in this printing.

•Digital design development process is different as:
1. Most of the designs are done by Photoshop software. Sometimes Adobe Illustrator
software is also used.
2. Color separation doesn’t require. The work has to be done on the main image or the file
of the design.
3. The brightness of the design file has to increase or decrease to match the color of the
main sample. Example: The color contrast-which is used for woven fabrics-is not the
same for the knitted fabrics. Another type of color contrast is used for knitted fabric.
4. Decision has to be made depending on the texture of the design that which mode should
be used in developing design RGB mode or CMYK mode.
5. Most of the designs are used 8 inks in the printing on fabrics. They are: A) Cyan B)
Magenta C) Red D) Yellow E) Black F) Orange G) Blue H) Grey
•All types of fabric can be print except blended fabric like PC, CVC, etc.
•The quality of digital printing on deep-colored fabrics is not good enough.
•White color print is not possible.
•Reactive, Acid, Disperse and pigment can be done by digital printing.
•RGB and CMYK both modes are possible in this printing to develop a design. To get a better
quality of printing on fabrics, the file of the design printing needs to be cleared.
•The resolution has to 300-1200 pixel / inch when developing the design. Depending on the
quality of the printing, the resolution is selected. The higher the resolution, it takes higher time in
developing design, the production is slowed down and a better quality of printing is achieved.
•The production rate is lower. The production depends on the machine head. The higher the
number of heads, the higher the production. Generally, the production rate is (1-3) m/min. The
production rate of MS Lario machine is around140 m/min. Only Robin Tex has the machine.
•The printing has to do in the AC room. Temperature 25°C and Relative Humidity (RH) 65%±2%
required. Otherwise, it will effect on print heads and color continuity.
•Before printing, fabric requires the pre-treatment process. But, needs less chemical than
traditional printing for coating. Thickener, Urea, Sodium Bicarbonate and water are needed for
coating. Sometimes resist salts are also used depending on types of thickener.
•Uses of water is 90% less and electricity is 30% less.
•No limitation of color. As a result, better sharpness can be attained.
•Need steaming after printing. Fixation is done in steaming.
Continuous process flow chart for all-over digital printing:
Here some machine name are list out with their origin:
1. Reggiani Machine (Italy brand)
2. Durst (Italy brand)
3. MS Machine (Italy brand)
4. Zimmer
5. Atexco (China)
6. Homer digital print (China)
Here is a List of All-Over Printing Factories in Bangladesh:
7. Unifill Composite Dyeing Mills Ltd.
8. SIM Group.
9. HH Textile Mills Ltd.
10. Sanjana Fabrics Ltd.
11. Beximco Textile Division.
12. Rahim Textile Mills Ltd.
13. Divine Group.
14. Thermax Group Ltd.
15. Hossain Dyeing & Printing Mills.
16. Tania Textiles Ltd.
17. GMS Composite Knitting Industries Ltd.
18. Pakiza Knit Composite Ltd.
19. Knit Concern Group.
20. Unicon Group
21. DBL Group.
Digital Textile Printing Technology: Evolution, Progression and Techniques

INTRODUCTION
Ink jet printing is also known as digital printing. It has become the major printing technology in
the desktop/network printing markets. The advent of digital color printing has opened up many
new application areas for ink jet including wide-format graphic arts and increasingly industrial
applications such as textiles, which, until recently, were the exclusive domain of the traditional
analogue printing technologies.
As the printing industry moves towards these new industrial ink jet markets then the media,
whether it be coated paper, films or textiles, becomes an integral part of the technology and
knowledge of the chemistry of the interaction of the ink, colorants and the media becomes vitally
important.
Ink jet is a technology wherein there is no printing master and hence only the ink drops make
contact with the substrate. It is therefore classified as a non-impact printing method.
The ink jet formulation, the specific print head and the complex interactions between them have
all to be considered when we start to develop total ink jet solutions for industrial applications. Ink
jet is a technology wherein there is no printing master and hence only the ink drops make contact
with the substrate. It is therefore classified as a non-impact printing method.
COMPONENTS OF INKJET PRINTER
Basically Ink jet has three basic components. These are the print head, the ink, and the medium
all of which need to work well in order to produce an acceptable output.
NKJET TECHNOLOGIES
There are 2 types of inkjet technologies.
1. CIJ (Continuous ink jet)
2. DOD (Drop on demand).
CONTINUOS INKJET TECHNOLOGY
In CIJ, ink is squirted through nozzles at a constant speed by applying a constant pressure. The
jet of ink is unstable and breaks into droplets as it leaves the nozzle the drops are left to go to the
medium or deflected to a gutter for recirculation depending on the image being printed. The
deflection is usually achieved by electrically charging the drops and applying an electric field to
control the trajectory. The name `continuous’ originates in the fact that drops are ejected at all
times.

Figure 1: Continuous inkjet (CIJ)

DROP ON DEMAND TECHNOLOGY
In DOD ink jet, drops are ejected only when needed to form the image. The two main drop
ejector mechanisms used to generate drops are piezoelectric ink jet (PIJ) and thermal ink jet (TIJ)

In PIJ, the volume of an ink chamber inside the nozzle is quickly reduced by means of a
piezoelectric actuator, which squeezes the ink droplet out of the nozzle. In TIJ, an electrical
heater located inside each nozzle is used to raise the temperature of the ink to the point of bubble
nucleation. The explosive expansion of the vapor bubble propels the ink outside the nozzle.

Figure 2: Drop On Demand (DOD)

EVOLUTION AND PROGRESSION OF DIGITAL TEXTILE PRINTING

The idea of digital textile printing has been around for some time. The inkjet printing technology
used in digital textile printing was first patented in 1968. Carpet inkjet printing machines have
been used since the early 1970s. Digital ink jet printing of continuous rolls of textile fabrics was
shown at ITMA in 1995. In the 1990s, inkjet printers became widely available for paper printing
applications. Again at ITMA in 2003, several industrial inkjet printers were introduced to the
market place which made digital textile printing the new industry standard. The technology has
continued to develop and there are now specialized wide-format printers which can handle a
variety of substrates – everything from paper to canvas to vinyl, and of course, fabric. These new
generation machines had much higher outputs, higher resolution printing heads, and more
sophisticated textile material handling systems allowing a wide variation of fabrics to be printed.
COMPARISON BETWEEN CONVENTIONAL SCREEN PRINTING AND DIGITAL
PRINTING
Comparable Factors Screen Printing Digital Printing
The process involves making a stencil using a
drawn/digitized image or a photograph,
All need is a computer and a printer
Tools attaching to a screen, placing it over the
with ink cartridges of every color.
desired canvas and spreading the ink over the
image.
Takes a lot of time consuming effort, because As it is so easy to operate and gives
Efforts the screens need to be made and the process results at the touch of a key. It is
takes long relatively quicker.
The ink does not spread because the
image is directly printed on the fabric,
Offers better quality imaging as the ink gets but tends to fade quicker that the
deeply absorbed and lasts longer. Screen screen printed images. However,
Quality printing also gives clearer edges to the image person has a colorful image to imprint,
printing, because of the precision that then this is an option, all the colors are
carefully created stencils offer. present in the single image and person
does not need separate screen for the
same.

Costs escalate with the numbers of screens. If

The computer and printers are one
person want a more complex image with many
time investments and digital printing is
colors, then individual slides for every color
Cost cheaper compared to screen printing as
are created. It also required trained labor
the charge is offer for per imprinted
which adds to the cost. It is most apt if person
image.
want a large quantity.
ADVANTAGES OF INKJET PRINTING

Digital textile printing has revolutionized the way businesses create their printed materials. It is
fast, effective, and provides an alternative to the more traditional method of textile printing.
• Quality: When it comes to quality, nothing surpasses digital textile printing. Images are
essentially flawless, alignment and registration issues are non-existent, and color is vibrant.
Digital printers can also use the entire length of a printable item.
• Speed: Digital printing’s ability to switch over to a new label almost instantly is another perk
of using digital textile printing. Because there’s no lost time setting up plates and printing
machinery, your order is likely to reach its intended destination days, if not weeks earlier.
• Short run printing advantage: Digital textile printing efficiently produces designs at run
lengths as low as one yard of fabric without the need for screen changes.
• Lower water and power consumption: Digital textile printing eliminates the substantial
amount of water and electrical energy one requires for rotary screen preparation, printing and
cleanup. Even greater water and power savings can be achieved with disperse/sublimation
and pigment digital textile inks, which only require a heat-fixation step for post treatment.
• Less chemical waste: Digital textile printing results in significantly less ink usage and waste
relative to screen-printing. Taking into account the additional chemistry and chemical waste
from screen production, printing digitally offers a greener advantage for printing.
• Large repeat sizes: Digital textile printers can print large designs (e.g. cartoon characters on
sheets and blankets) on roll fabric without the usual rotary screen-printing limitation in
pattern repeat size.
•Reduced production space requirements: By not having to prepare and store customer screens
for future use, the production footprint for digital textile printing is a fraction of the size one
requires for a rotary screen print facility.
•Less printed inventory needed: Digital textile printing permits the option to print a design at
will. This means that manufacturers with an integrated digital printing system in their production
chain can keep a stock of unprinted textiles on hand to print as required. This reduces the need
for pre-printed inventory of fabric that may or may not be used.
•Sampling and production done on same printer: By being able to print samples (strike-offs)
on the same printer one uses for production, digital textile print shops can present their customers
with proof samples of designs that will exactly match the final printed material.
•Print flexibility: Printing houses utilizing both digital and screen technologies can choose to
print a small quantity of designs with different color combinations (color ways) first with their
digital textile printing solutions for test the market. They can later opt to print higher volumes of
the most desired color designs using rotary screen technology.
•Variety of creative design choices for printing: Digital textile printing provides the option to
print photographic/continuous tone images, spot color pattern designs or a combination of both.
This expands the creative printing alternatives for fashion and interior designers.
•Low capital investment: The relatively low capital investment to setup a digital textile print
shop, especially compared to rotary screen-printing production, makes it possible to start small
and expand as business grows.
LIMITATIONS OF INKJET PRINTING

•Limitation of particle size: Metallic colors cannot be printed by these machines due to large
particle size.
•Large Volumes are expensive: Without getting too technical, digital printing presses run at a
maximum of about 50 feet per minute. While this speed is sufficient for low volume (10,000 –
15,000 item) projects, larger volume work will benefit from using traditional presses that can run
at speeds between 300 and 500 feet per minute. Although traditional presses are more expensive
to configure and operate, they will save you money if your jobs are very large.
•Ink limitations: While digital textile printing certainly handles color and ink well, digital inks
have a tendency to fade more quickly than offset inks when exposed to direct sunlight. Also, the
opacity of digital ink isn’t quite up to par with offset ink, because digital ink is naturally thinner
(though the difference between the two is only noticeable when dealing with clear or metallic
media). There are types of laminations available to help prevent this problem from occurring.
Burning Out Print Techniques

What is burning out print?

Burn-out or burning out print, also named ausbrenner or dévorée. In subject line this is call print
but practically this is not any kind of print. The characteristic of print is layering on any fabric.
But the Burn out print does not put any layer rather it burns layer from fabric. This is actually old
method of designing on fabric but in new and modern form. This technique developed in the 20th
century at French. The technique was popularized in the 1920s – typically used on evening
gowns and shawls – and revived in the 1980s and ’90s.

We told earlier this is an old method of fabric designing by mixing fiber and destroying other. We
get mélange look on fabric when one part dye done on CVC. In the same way burn out done on
CVC or PC fabric and give design on fabric by destroying cotton portion. At the burn out areas
there will be 100% polyester remaining the other portion will be same as before burn out.
About 80% of the burnout t-shirt done for females.
Advantage and disadvantages burn out printing:

Any fancy work on garments and fabric has higher wastage and process loss. Some time it may
destroy total volume and bring big loss for the manufacturer. But as people of modern time want
more and more exception and fancy so all the brand now look for special treatment. Burn out
also similar types of fancy treatment that attract the customer more. Particularly for women’s
wear this is much lucrative. Burn out makes the fabric very soft and gives a super fabric hand
feel. This fabric really comfortable for the wearer.

Disadvantages are higher process loss, costly as well as not available print factory. All the
All Over Print (AOP) factory is not ready to do less than a certain volume. Want higher cost.
Burn out has low productivity during sewing because of its uneven surface. Operator need to take
special care when sewing the garment and so productivity much slower.
Shrinkage is another big problem for burn out fabric, so must be careful and take precaution
actuation to control the shrinkage level. Before bulk a small lot can be good for trial to determine
shrinkage.
What type of fabric require?

Burn out possible on blended fiber only. Mostly used fabric is

1. 60% polyester 40% cotton
2. 40% polyester 60% cotton
It can be combined to,

3.Protine based fiber (silk )+ Cellulose fiber (viscose, cotton, or rayon) burn out chemical
Sodium hydroxide solution
2.Polyester + Other fiber (But not polyamide.) burn out chemical Sodium dihydrogen
phosphate
3.Polyamide(Nylon) + Other fiber (But not Polyester) . burn out chemical Aluminium sulphate
If needed the finished fabric with 120 to 130 GSM then should take knit the fabric with 160 to
170 GSM. Generally lighter fabric is good for burn out process. Single jersey is suitable for this
technique.
The process loss is very high 35% to 40% so care full consumption needed before fabric
booking. Usually process loss is depends on burn out design area. Less design coverage is less
process loss and big design require more process loss.
Earlier burn out technique was applied on dyed fabric then it is washed only to remove
destroyed fiber from fabric. But it has many problem particularly shade change after burn out.
The shade before burn out and after burn out not matched. That’s why now this is done on RFD
fabric. Then fabric is dyed in desired color.
How is burning out print done?

Burn out usually done on flat bed rotary machine. Print screen required to develop and then
chemical applied on RFD fabric same as rotary print. The difference is after applied print color
on fabric then design is visible for normal AOP (all over print) but for burn out technique the
design is not visible much. Only after curing process it can be visible in light brown color.

There is more important fact that an operator does during curing process. The adjustment of
temperature is very important. If temperature gets high during curing process then possibility to
damaging the fabric. In the same way if less heat is given then burn out may not be good.
Operator fixed the temperature 160 C to 200 C depending on fabric and print type.

General Recipe:
1. Thickening Agent
2. Sodium Hydroxide/sodium hydrogen sulphate.
3. Glycerin.
4. Water.

In the above we mentioned what chemical require for what type of fabric to get burn out effect.
Here Glycerin used to smooth the print and to pass through print screen. This is not all time
require but operator use if thinks needed.
Is placement burn out possible?

We do placement print on chest of tee shirt or other garments. This is quite common to us but one
of my customer ask for placement burn out. They want same effect as the tee shirt print. Actually
this is quite unusual for us. 1st of all it needs to print on RFD cutting. Then to sew garment and
garment dye or on dyed fabric placement bur out and then garments making and wash. In both
process this is not production friendly. I never do it but possible.

Cost of burning out print:

Normally the cost of burnout print is $4.5 to $5.0/kg. If fabric quantity is big then the cost will be
less. Also the print cost vary from factory to factory. Good AOP mill does not compromise in
quality and so price is higher. I talked to a low standard AOP factory for burn out print they even
say can do at 3.80/kgs but I doubt about quality.
Care Instruction:

Fig: Care instruction

Wash thoroughly with warm 44oC water

Application of 3D Printing in Textile and Apparel Industry

Introduction:

3D printing technology is considered as one of the most emerging and significant technologies of
the fourth industrial revolution in many of the industries, and the fashion industry is also
included in it. Many industry experts have predicted that the medical, aviation, aircraft, fashion
and consumer goods industries will see tremendous increases in the adoption of 3D printing
technology. Due to the advancement in technical possibilities in 3D printing and 3D

scanning make developments possible that will give drastic change in production and trade in
the fashion and textile industry. Nowadays, the use of 3D printers in the textile and fashion
industry is gaining attention since designers and clothing producers discovered the importance
and benefits of 3D printing technology. They can use this technology to create or design fantastic
3D printed fashion with the help of different shapes and geometries which were never made
before, but they can also prototype and it makes the sustainable clothing production process.
Practical Aspects of 3D Printers in Fashion

In a more day-to-day application, one can use 3D printing technology in

fashion to design accessories, build prototypes and manufacturing tools, boost towards
sustainability efforts, and expand customization options.
1. 3D Printed Fashion Accessories:

Instead of doing 3D printing on the full items of the clothing, 3D printers in fashion can be
used to support the different parts of a whole design, like embellishments, accessories, and
buttons. Small end use accessories can be easily integrated in just few minutes using 3D
printing. Such materials with very good and flexible nature, as TPU, can be used to add
precious pieces or unique embellishments onto the garment themselves. 3D printing is also
helpful when creating and analyzing costume jewellery with complex geometric shapes and
design.
2. Prototyping and Tooling:

The two of the most common uses of professional 3D printers in manufacturing are creating
prototypes and tools, and the fashion industry is no exception to this. Camper, which is a
popular Spanish shoe manufacturing company, uses BCN3D printers to build different
prototypes and concept models for each new shoe collection they create or design. Generally,
they used to outsource the production of these models, but this adds more costs and time to
the overall design manufacturing process. Now, with the evolution of many 3D printers in-
house, their designers can get a much better understanding of the volumes and shapes of their
designs.
3. Achieve Sustainability:

3D printing technology in the fashion world also gained more popularity for sustainable fashion,
as more designers and brands are beginning to seek their attention towards sustainable methods
to create their collections. A great example of this is the innovative step which is taken by
Spanish fashion brand ZER. They use additive manufacturing process throughout their designing
and creation process to become a sustainable force in the fashion industry. They uses various 3D
printers to design their specific patterns and then print only the amount of product which they
needed. This allows them to cut back on wasting resources for each garment, and ensures that
their manufacturing process is not destroying to the environment.

4. Customization:

Finally, Fashion 3D printing opens the doors to new opportunities when it comes to
customization options. Brands can begin to produces different pieces based on the consumer’s
specific requirements or body parts. The German based sportswear company Adidas has been
experimenting with such concept from 2015. Using running data from many athletes, they have
designed a shoe that provides the optimal fit for any runner during sport. They continue the
experiment with different repetitions and modifications of this 3D printed shoe today.
Benefits of 3D Printed Fashion

1. As we know that, the designer clothing is expensive because it is made to fit one’s body. As
couture clothes or designer clothes are rare, unique, and somewhat difficult to obtain.
However, 3D printing here plays an important role and can change all of those equations and
make custom-designed clothing a mass-market concept.
2. 3D printed clothing is environmentally friendly and lead to lesser wastage. When the
conventional designing process is considered, there can be huge of textile scraps which lead
to wastage. Dyes used to color fabrics is a major sources of water pollution.
3. As we know that, for manufacturing textiles and fabrics, plenty of water is needed as well
as air pollution is also a major issue in textile producing giants like China. So here, 3D
printing can address a lot of those issues.
4. the most important benefit 3D printed fashion is that it allows designers to innovate faster,
due to which the lead times can get reduced drastically.
5. For big companies, 3D printing serves as a transformative in terms of speed to market and
supply chain. Garments or any accessories can be printed within 24 hours. Because of which
the rate of change of styles has increased over the years and the lifespan of various seasonal
collections has decreased over the years.
6. The ability to bring new styles to stores becomes very quick and efficient. 3D printing allows
the speed and efficiency which is needed to succeed in this evolving industry.
Future of 3D Printing Technology

It clearly seems that the 3D printed clothing has numerous benefits. Fashion designers and
architects uses 3D printers to make jewellery, accessories, and clothing which requires some time
and money into learning various modelling software. Once 3D printing becomes common to all,
there could be a situation where anyone can simply and easily use it with different features such
as easily downloadable patterns and print clothes right in their homes. There may not be required
to produce garments and fashion items in low-cost countries. There could also be number of
shops and stores which will be available, where anyone can walk-in and 3D print their fashion
items. Nowadays, many well-known fashion institutes and fashion design schools around the
world have 3D printers on their campuses. Due to its requirement, they are also offering many
courses in the field of 3D printed fashion.
Thanks to all