Digital Textile Printing Technology - New Horizon For Textile Industry

Digital technology is the keyword of this era. Every industry and field has changed with digital technology revolution. Textile industry has also rewarded by digital technology and most of the processes in textile industry have become fast and easy. Textile printing is one of the processes which have changed drastically. The traditional rotary screen printing has now replaced by various innovative technologies. It is interesting to see how digital technology has brought magical change in textile printing. This article talks about the latest digital printing technology and its advantages.

Advantages Of Digital Printing Technology

Earlier, textile printing was carried out with rotary screen printing. This technique was replaced by many other techniques like thermal transfer printing, thermal inkjet, continuous inkjet, piezoelectric inkjet, electrophotography etc. Digital printing technology brought a variety of digital printers to print on papers. Similarly, digital textile printing technology helped print on fabrics. For digital textile printing, it is essential that the fabric must be processed to have an ink holding capability. Digital printing technology has offered many advantages over traditional printing such as –

• Easy and fast process and printing
• Great flexibility for printing
• Availability of more colors and superb quality printing with photo/ realistic effects
• Facility for exclusive / unlimited designs

But these advantages are common advantages of digital printing arena. It offered wonderful benefits to textile industry as well. These advantages are –

• Economical printing – Digital textile printing saved time, increased printing speed and it is cost- effective.
• Accelerated designing and printing – It not only reduced the space requirements for storing plates, screens, films etc. but also saved time for proofing. It helped accelerate design and product development.
• Green technology – It is safe, clean and very less hazardous for environment. It also helps minimize wastage.
• Easy to correct/modify – Unlike traditional techniques, digital textile printing allows to correct or modify designs without delays or increase in costs.
• Facility for short productions to test market trends – With traditional printing, it was difficult to go for short productions because of cost concerns as well as time factor. Digital printing allows printing short productions quickly and in a cost effective way. Thus, it is easy to test new designs and market trends.
• New opportunities – Digital technology has opened new opportunities for designers, sales persons and merchandisers to produce a huge variety of print designs to fulfill market demands and this helped grow textile industry.
• Encouraged fashion era – The ease of textile printing, corrections, short products and reduced delays certainly helped textile industry to serve ever changing demands from fashion industry.

As the digital textile printing machine prints the file stored on computer, it has minimized the risk of design theft. The variety of digital textile printing machines has been developed on the market today. These machines need different types of inks for printing. Usually, disperse dye inks, acid dye inks and reactive dye inks are used for digital textile printing. No doubt, digital technology has brought a miraculous change in textile printing.

Concepts In Textile Printing

When it comes to textile printing, it can be defined as the process by which color is applied on fabrics in different designs and patterns. The fabrics which are printed have the color bonded to the fiber in such a way that it will resist friction or washing. Textile printing is akin to dyeing, but there are differences. If the whole fabric is covered with one color it is considered as dyeing while in textile printing, one or more colors are used in certain arts or in defining patterns or designs.

Textile Printing Devices


When we talk of textile printing machines, a lot of changes have come about in such technology. Before the following printing devices were used:

• Wooden blocks
• Engraved plates
• Stencils
• Silk screens
• Rollers

These were used to place the colors on the fabric. Such primeval and manual technology is still used in many places. There are colorants that are used in printing. Here the dye is thick in order to prevent the color from spreading by capillary attraction beyond the pattern or design borders.

Traditional Textile Printing Technologies

The traditional textile printing techniques and technology can be classified into four main styles:

• You could use direct printing where the colorants consisting of dyes, thickeners and other substances necessary to fix the color are printed on the cloth as per a desired pattern or format.
   
• Printing machines which use a mordant to print the desired pattern on a dyeing cloth.
   
• Resist dyeing is a process by which wax or other substances are printed on the fabric which is then dyed subsequently. The waxed areas do not take on the dye and uncolored patterns are left.
   
• Discharge printing is done by a bleaching agent which is printed on previously dyed fabric to remove some or all of the previous color.

Digital Era

Today the world of textile printing is undergoing a lot of changes. The printing machines and technology used has changed in leaps and bounds. Digital printing technology has come on to meet the demands of innovative design that are done on dress material and saris for the domestic as well as the international market. The man-made fiber industry has progressed much from hand block and screen printing to the modern printing machines used today in the textile industry.

Increasing Market Demand Of Printed Fabrics

Digital technology is being invested in by the textile entrepreneurs. It is accounting for one percent of the global market that deals in printed textiles. The share is increasing as well and is likely to go up by ten percent in the coming five years. There is widespread acceptance of digital printing machines in the textile industry, which is likely to increase further. The technological improvements that are coming about in ink and consumables, printing machinery and print heads are providing innovative opportunities for the designers and manufacturers. It is predicted that printed textiles will reach 32 billion square meters by the year 2015. This innovative textile printing market is seeing major investments in digital printing technology. The production capacity of these machines is much more than traditional printing machines and the innovative and unique design creation possibilities is endless.

Concept of Material Printing

In the matter of material printing, it could be characterized as the procedure by which shade is connected on fabrics in distinctive plans and examples. The fabrics which are printed have the color reinforced to the fiber in such a path, to the point that it will oppose grinding or washing. Material printing is likened to coloring, yet there are contrasts. On the off chance that the entire fabric is secured with one shade it is recognized as coloring while in material printing, one or more shades are utilized within specific expressions or in characterizing examples or outlines.

Material Printing Devices 

 

When we talk of material printing machines, considerable measures of progressions have come to fruition in such engineering. When the accompanying printing gadgets were utilized:

• wooden squares 
• Engraved plates 
• Stencils 
• Silk screens
• Rollers

These were utilized to place the colors on the fabric. Such antiquated and manual engineering is still utilized as a part of numerous spots. There are colorants that are utilized as a part of printing. Here the color is thick so as to keep the shade from spreading by slender fascination past the example or configuration fringes.

 

Conventional Textile Printing Technologies 

The conventional material printing methods and innovation might be characterized into four primary styles:

• You could utilize immediate printing where the colorants comprising of colors, thickeners and different substances important to alter the shade are printed on the fabric according to a wanted example or configuration.
• Printing machines which utilize a stringent to print the coveted example on a coloring material.
• Resist coloring is a methodology by which wax or different substances are printed on the fabric which is then colored in this way. The waxed zones don't tackle the color and uncolored examples are cleared out.
• Discharge printing is carried out by a dying executor which is printed on formerly colored fabric to evacuate some or the greater part of the past shade. 

Advanced Era

Today the universe of material printing is experiencing a ton of progressions. The printing machines and innovation utilized has changed within a wide margin. Computerized printing innovation has made advances on meet the requests of creative plan that are carried out on dress material and saris for the local and also the universal business sector. The man-made fiber industry has advanced much from hand square and screen printing to the up to date printing machines utilized today as a part of the material business.

Expanding Market Demand Of Printed Fabrics 

Computerized innovation is continuously put resources into by the material business visionaries. It is representing one percent of the worldwide market that arrangements in printed materials. The offer is expanding too and is prone to go up by ten percent in the impending five years. There is across the board acknowledgement of computerized printing machines in the material business, which is liable to build further. The mechanical enhancements that are occurring in ink and consumables, printing apparatus and print heads are giving inventive open doors to the fashioners and producers. It is anticipated that printed materials will achieve 32 billion square meters by the year 2015. This creative material printing business is seeing significant ventures in computerized printing innovation. The processing limit of these machines is substantially more than customary printing machines and the inventive and special outline creation conceivable out.