Printing

INTRODUCTION
The printing is described as localized dying, dyes or pigment are applied locally or
discontinuously to produce the various designs. Printing is the production of all
active designs with well defined boundaries made by the artistic arrangement of a
motif is one or more colors. Printing is a process for reproducing text and image,
typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is often carried out as a large-
scale industrial process, and is an essential part of publishing and transaction
printing. Screen printing is a printing technique that uses a woven mesh to support
an ink-blocking stencil. The attached stencil forms open areas of mesh that transfer
ink as a sharp-edged image onto a substrate. A roller or squeegee is moved across
the screen stencil, forcing or pumping ink past the threads of the woven mesh in
the open areas. Screen printing is also a stencil method of print making in which a
design is imposed on a screen of silk or other fine mesh, with blank areas coated
with an impermeable substance, and ink is forced through the mesh onto the
printing surface. It is also known as silk screening or serigraphy.[1]
Printing Process
Applying colored patterns and designs to decorate a finished fabric is called
Printing. In a proper printed fabric, the color is affixed to the fiber, so that it may
not be affected by washing and friction. Whether a fabric is dyed or printed can be
known by examining the outline of the design. On a printed fabric, the outline of a
design is sharply defined on the outer side. The design generally do not penetrate
to the back of the cloth. However, the design may show up on the reverse side of
transparently thin fabrics. These fabrics may be confused with the woven designs
where yarn dyed warp and filling are used. If the design is printed on such a fabric,
the yarns will show some areas on which color is not equally distributed. The Dyes
used for printing mostly include vat, reactive, naphthol and disperse colors which
have good fastness properties. The pigments, which are not truly dyes, are also
used extensively for printing. These colors are fixed to the fiber through resins that
are very resistant to laundering or dry cleaning. Pigments are among the fastest
known colors and are effective for light to medium shades. If used for applying
dark colors, they may crock or rub off. Improved resins, better pigments or more
effective antic rock agents must be used to solve this problem. Cheap prints are
made from basic colors mixed with tartar emetic and tannic acid but they are not
acceptable in today’s market. For cotton printing vat and reactive dyes are
generally used. Silk is usually printed with acid colors. Wool is printed with acid
or chrome dyes but before printing it is treated with chlorine to make it more

receptive to colors. Manmade fibers are generally printed with disperse and
cationic dyes. [2]
printing
1. used to add color to localized areas only
2. allows for greater design flexibility and relatively inexpensive patterned fabric
3. wet prints use a thick, liquid paste
4. dry prints use a powder
5. foam prints use a colorant dispersed in foam.[1]
Some printing processes:
● Allover print.
●Screen print.
●Reactive print.
●Print with plastisol dye-stuffs.
●Pigment print
●Flock print
●Foil print
●Lurex print
●Embossed print
●Digital print
● Transfer print
●Heat transfer print

●Puff print
●Rubber Print
●High Density print
●Glitter Print
How to choose right method for garment printing?
Being a designer you may have multiple options to decide which printing
techniques is most suitable for a specific design on the garment. Experienced
designers choose printing method primarily on the basis final outcome as design
sharpness, durability, brightness, texture and hand feel. Similar outcome can be
obtained by multiple ways. In the sampling stage, printing cost might not be
considered and designers get done sample printing with most convenient option.
But as a designer you must consider which option will be most suitable for bulk
production in terms cost of printing and production time.
As when a design comes for production, we need to consider many things to
choose a particular printing method. Each printing method has advantages as well
as disadvantages. So it is up to you which one to finalize as you are handling bulk
printing. But important thing is final print outcome. When a contract is signed with
buyer for a particular looks you can't alter it to save money. Still you can save if
proper printing method is being chosen. Final outcomes mean hand feel, texture,
brightness etc.
Most used printing methods are screen printing, heat transfer printing, direct print,
cut out print, block print, boutique print. Each printing method has multiple ways of
application. Like - pigment print, discharge print, transfer print, khadi print etc. For
example, if you are going to print light color on dark base then discharge print is
always advisable. Discharge print also gives soft hand feel. If you want bright white
print on dark base (black) color then you have to choose khadi print instead of other
options but hand feel is harsh in khadi print.
According to technology level screen printing it can be done in rotary printing, flat
bed printing (manual or semi-automatic machine). Printing cost per garment will
vary a lot comparing to each others. Other variables are production time and
minimum production volume. Though your customer will specify the printing

option before final order, you can advice them better option if you have clear
knowledge about different printing methods and pros and cons of each one. In the
following I have explained reasons why and when to go for any particular printing
option. [3]
A Typical Printing Process Involves the Following Steps:
Color paste preparation
when printing textiles, the dye or pigment is not in an aqueous liquor, instead, it is
usually finely dispersed in a printing paste, in high concentration
Textile Printing
The dye or pigment paste is applied to the substrate using different techniques,
which are discussed below
Fixation
Immediately after printing, the fabric is dried and then the prints are fixed mainly
with steam or hot air (for pigments). Note that intermediate drying is not carried
out when printing carpets (too much energy would be needed for removing the
highly viscous liquor)
After-Treatment
This final operation consists in washing and drying the fabric (it is not necessary
when printing with pigments or with other particular techniques such as transfer
printing). [4]
Factors Affecting Cost of Printing

1. Size of printing
2. Number of color of printing
3. Any grading of size of printing from size to size
4. Any restriction/selection of use of dyes and chemicals
5. Lab test requirement
6. Wash sustainability
7. Tolerance in placement of print art-work
8. Tolerance in color shade variation
9. Place of printing
10.Type of printing
Digital printing
Is the technology that consists of printing your designs on fabric, directly from
your computer, with no other additional step. This means that after you are
finished creating your designs, and once you have them in repeat, you can print on
fabric just like you print on paper or other medias using a RIP software. Some ink
types may require a post treatment such as steaming or heat setting the print. [5]

In this form of printing micro-sized droplets of dye are placed onto the fabric
through an inkjet printhead. The print system software interprets the data supplied
by a cademic_Textile digital image file. The digital image file has the data to
control the droplet output so that the image quality and color control may be
achieved. This is the latest development in textile printing and is expanding very
fast.
Technology
Most commercially available fabric is rotary screen printed; each print run is
typically several thousand yards. The high minimums are due to the cost and time
required to prepare a unique set of screens, with each color in a design requiring a
separate screen. The main advantage of digital printing is the ability to do very
small runs of each design (even less than 1 yard) because there are no screens to
prepare.
The inkjet printing technology used in digital printing was first patented in 1968.
In the 1990s, inkjet printers became widely available for paper printing
applications – you might even have one on your desk right now! 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.

The inks used in digital printing are formulated specifically for each type of fiber
(cotton, silk, polyester, nylon, etc). During the printing process, the fabric is fed
through the printer using rollers and ink is applied to the surface in the form of
thousands of tiny droplets. The fabric is then finished using heat and/or steam to
cure the ink (some inks also require washing and drying). Digitally printed fabric
will wash and wear the same as any other fabric, although with some types of ink
you may see some initial fading in the first wash.
Design Process
Designs can be created digitally with almost any graphic design software
(Photoshop and Illustrator are the most popular). Alternatively, existing artwork or
photographs can be scanned and then digitally manipulated to make a pattern.
Usually designs are created as a seamless pattern that is repeated (tiled) across the
fabric. You can also create a design that fills an entire yard without repeating, but
you may run into issues if the size of the file is too large for the printing service to
process.
Some helpful things to remember when designing for fabric:
Make color easy. Find out what color model your printer uses (most often CYMK
or Lab) and choose your colors accordingly. You should expect colors to appear
differently on the fabric than on your computer screen. Some colors such as deep,
rich reds may be hard to reproduce. Large areas of solid color may come out with
bands of lighter and darker tones. Setting up your design so that the colors can
easily be changed (using layers or vector artwork) will save you a lot of headaches.
Focus on the finish. It’s easy to get caught up in the artistic aspect of creating a
beautiful design and lose sight of the fact that fabric is never the end product – it’s
always a part of something else. Make a habit of picturing the print as part of the
finished product, especially concerning the size of the print. I have a ruler next to
my computer – whenever I can’t quite decide if the scale is correct, I’ll hold the
ruler up to the screen and zoom in or out until the size matches up. Sounds silly,
but it works!
Print swatches. The color and texture of the fabric can have a noticeable effect on
the print. Shiny fabrics like silk reflect light and can make the print seem lighter –
thin fabric can be translucent and this will make print look washed out. Most
digital printing services offer affordable swatches – even if they only sell by the
yard, you can gang up a couple of designs onto a single yard.

Stay original. It may seem like a good idea to use digital printing to make a copy of
a popular commercial print that is no longer available, but unlike clothing designs,
print designs can be (and usually are) copyrighted by the artist or the manufacturer.
It’s best to stick with your own unique designs – if you’re not artistically inclined,
you can always hire a designer to make the perfect print for you.
Uses and Advantages
The concept of digital printing on fabrics has opened new opportunities for
designers, merchandisers, production and art departments, salespersons, etc. You
can print as little as a small piece of fabric, or as much as a large roll. You can
make garments, sportswear, apparel, signs, banners, flags, sample strike-off,
samples for your sales reps, graphic or art reproductions, interior design fabrics,
and so much more. The possibilities are so many, since so many industries and
products involve some type of fabric in at least one of their products. With digital
textile printing you do not need to create screens to print your fabrics, which not
only is time saving, but also cost effective. [5]
Downside
The major downside to digital printing is the cost. As with any new technology, the
costs are always high when it first becomes available. As time goes on and the
technology continues to develop it will undoubtedly become more affordable.
When dealing with printing services, expect to pay around $20 to $40 per yard of
finished fabric. Most services have no minimums and allow you to purchase 1 yard
at a time. Some have minimums and set-up fees but the cost per yard may be
lower. The typical turn-around time is 3-4 weeks, but may be more if the base
fabric is out of stock.
If you’re considering having your printing done in-house, digital printers typically
sell for $10,000 to $70,000. Keep in mind that you’ll also need to purchase
equipment for curing the ink and a dedicated computer to run the printing software.
Flock Printing
Flocking is the technique of depositing many small fiber particles,

called "flock" onto a surface of a fabric to produce design. Instead of dyes, an
adhesive is used to affix the flocks on the fabric. Then, roller printing produces
design on its surface. Nowadays, this is done by the application of high-voltage
electric field too. Flocks of cotton, wool, rayon, nylon and acrylic are all used for
the purpose. [6]
Recipe:
Flock paste - 90%
Fixer (nylon)- 10%
And Flock powder (synthetic or cotton)
Sequence of flock Printing
Table preparation
↓
Fabric plaited on the table
↓
Apply flock paste with the help of screen
↓
Flock powder apply with the help of flock gun
↓
Manually dry by hanging for 30 mints
↓
Curing at 180°c (belt speed 3 m/min)
↓

Brushing
↓
Delivery [7]
FOIL PRINTING
Foil printing is to print some pattern with the foil on the fabric for shiny effect.
There are two kind of foil printing method. In the first method, the pattern is
printed by a foil/transfer adhesive on the fabric, and then pressed with foil paper by
hot steel roller. The pressure is generally 5-6 bar on printed portion and at 190
degree Celcius on fusing machine for 8-12 seconds.
In foil printing, the quality of the adhesive is very important. Generally it is made
up of acrylic co-polymer with water as diluent. Cheaper qualities show very poor
stretch, loss of softness and smoothness after five washes and look very unlike the
original print. The foil should not stick to cured inks under pressure. Normally a
matting agent is added to avoid sticking.
In the second method, printing is done on the foil paper first, and then foil is
pressed on the fabric with hot steel roller or iron.
Foil paper is called the stamping foil paper. Actually it is not the paper but the
detachable foil film on the plastic base. Generally it is PET film of 15 micron
thickness, available in widths of 640 or 1500mm. [8]

Transfer printing :
Transfer printing is the term used to describe textile and related printing processes
in which the design is first printed on to a flexible nontextile substrate and later
transferred by a separate process to a textile. It may be asked why this devious
route should be chosen instead of directly printing the fabric.
The reasons are largely commercial but, on occasion, technical as well and are
based on the following considerations:
1. Designs may be printed and stored on a relatively cheap and nonbulky substrate
such as paper, and printed on to the more expensive textile with rapid response to
sales demand.
2. The production of short-run repeat orders is much easier by transfer processes
than it is by direct printing.
3. The design may be applied to the textile with relatively low skill input and low
reject rates.
4. Stock volume and storage costs are lower when designs are held on paper rather
than on printed textiles.
5. Certain designs and effects can be produced only by the use of transfers
(particularly on garments or garment panels).

6. Many complex designs can be produced more easily and accurately on paper
than on textiles.
7. Most transfer-printing processes enable textile printing to be carried out using
simple, relatively inexpensive equipment with modest space requirements, without
effluent production or any need for washing-off.
Against these advantages may be set the relative lack of flexibility inherent in
transfer printing:
no single transfer-printing method is universally applicable to a wide range of
textile fibres. While a printer with a conventional rotary-screen printing set-up can
proceed to print cotton, polyester, blends and so forth without doing a great deal
beyond changing the printing ink used, the transfer printer hoping to have the same
flexibility would need to have available a range of equipment suited to the variety
of systems that have to be used for different dyes and substrates using transfer
technology.
In addition factors such as stock costs, response time and so on do not always
apply and unlike dyers, most printers are able to operate without steaming or
washing by using pigment-printing methods. Thus a balance exists which not only
permits but even requires the coexistence of direct and transfer printing. The
relative importance of the two methods consequently varies with fluctuations of the
market, fashion and fibre preference. [9]
Heat transfer printing :
The popularity of polyester fabrics led to the development of a completely new
form of printing: heat transfer printing, which prints the pattern on paper with
carefully selected dyes. The paper is then applied to the fabric by passing the two
together through a type of hot calendar, and the pattern is transferred from one to
the other.

HEAT TRANSFER PRODUCT APPLICATIONS
• Point of purchase banners, signage, displays, skirting, carpeting, etc.
• Advertising specialties - mouse pads, wrist pads, beverage insulators, clip
boards, etc.
• Ceramic tiles, wall murals and interior design
• Snow skis, snow boards, cycling helmets, in-line skates, water sports
equipment
• Gaming tables , chips
• Lettering, Rhinestones/crystals
• Uni-sub wood, clipboards, plaques, signage, vending machines message
boards, table tops, counter tops, flooring, etc.
• Microfiber based sports apparel, T-shirts, caps, swimsuits, jackets, tote bags,
cut apparel parts, large format textiles, etc.
Puff Printing:

Puff Printing is an additive to plastisol inks which raises the print off the garment,
creating a 3D feel and look to the design. Mostly used when printing on apparel.
Puff ink is an opaque base that raises up when heat set to provide a raised print
effect.
With a high level of pigment to provide a solid coverage of ink onto black and dark
fabrics, printing Puff inks is similar to that of Opaque inks with a modification to
the standard printing technique. Screen's are elevated above the item by 5-7mm to
enable the full amount of ink to flow through onto the garment and not get stuck in
the screen. Full details of this process are on
Suited to printing 100% cotton through to 100% polyester, and all blends/ mixtures
in between, Puff fabric inks do not require a white base coat to be pre-printed
under colours for solid coverage (as with old style Permaset inks).
A thicker ink due to the high levels of pigments, Puff ink is commonly mixed with
Retarder to make the ink 'wetter' and more workable during printing. Retarder
mixes with the base of the ink to thin the ink without thinning the pigment, adding
water also thins the ink, but also thins the pigments as well.
Other Details:
• Permanent puff ink mark
• Three-dimensional look
• Suitable for apparel printing
Rubber printing :
Rubber printing is one of the mos important printing processes. After apparel
manufacturing, printing is done on the surface of the farbric.
Recipe:
Rubber -60%
Clear -38%

Fix-2%
Advantages:
a. Soft hand feeling
b. Non-Sticky back
c. High gloss
d. Excellent elongation
e. Excellent opaque
f. High fastness to wash
What is High Density Printing :
High Density is a popular special effect that rises straight up off the shirt and has a
hard rubbery feel with sharp edges. A High density print has slight glossy finish.
The source of this image is Anomaly Ink.
To get these effects about 20% of the puff base is taken which is then mix with
colored inks to make it 100%. The base is Vinylidene chloride based polymer and
the inks are Acrylic co-polymers.
Then it is printed in 5-8 rounds depending upon height required on normal screen
( 2 flood/ 2 strokes). After that 3 rounds of printing is given with 150 micron film
screen and then 2 rounds with 220 micron capillary film screen depending upon the
height. [10]
Glitter Printing:

Glitter printing enables the fabric to show glittering granules on the fabric. For this
Glitter powder is used.
Glitter Powder is generally PET with size of 1/8" to 1/256". It is cut into square
and hexagon shape. It is available in metallic, rainbow, laser and iridescent colors.
Generally it comes in 25 kg bag. A typical glitter power substance is heat resistant
to 170 degree celcius and is acid and alkaline proof. The picture of the glitter
powder is as given below:
[11]
To Print, first glitter paste is prepared. Glitter powder is added in the Glitter ink,
under stirring slowly to avoid lumb formation. Glitter ink is made of acrylic co-
polymer. Then it is screen printed using Bull nose squeegee .The mesh size should
not be more than 20 T .

Conclusion:
Now days Printing is an essential part of modern Textile. The desire to use textile
fabrics as a carrier of designs for decoration or identification has existed for many
centuries. The development of modern equipment and colorant technology has
enabled textile manufacturers to be able to reproduce highly colored textile designs
with excellent colorfastness. This can be performed on a wide variety of fibers and
fabric constructions, employing cost effective processes.
However, as good as textile-printing technology is today, the processes are
continuing to improve. New technologies and new developments in existing
methods promise to continue the expansion of the capabilities of textile printing
well into the future.
REFERENCES:
1. http://www.slideshare.net/sheshir/printing-35004815
2. http://www.slideshare.net/rajeevsharan/printing-process-9841472
3. http://www.onlineclothingstudy.com/2011/03/how-to-choose-right-methods-for-garment.html
4. http://textilelearner.blogspot.com/2011/07/textile-printing-what-is-textile_6758.html
5. http://www.digifab.com/fabrics/dig_tex_prn.htm
6. http://www.teonline.com/knowledge-centre/printing-textile-services.html
7. http://textilefashionstudy.com/process-sequence-of-flock-printing-on-cotton-fabric/
8. http://mytextilenotes.blogspot.com/2010/09/what-is-foil-printing.html
9. http://textilelearner.blogspot.com/2012/03/transfer-printing-process.html
10. http://mytextilenotes.blogspot.com/2010/09/what-is-high-density-printing.html
11. http://mytextilenotes.blogspot.com/2010/09/what-is-high-density-printing.html

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