Textile printing
Textile printing is used to signify the production, by various means of colored patterns on designs upon all sorts of textile fiber.
Textile printing is the most important and versatile of the techniques used to add design, color, and specialty to textile fabrics. In other words, dyes and pigments are applied locally or discontinuously to produce the various designs. In fact, printing is described as ‘localized dyeing.’ The forces which operate between the dye and the fiber (on mechanical retention, hydrogen bonding, chemical reaction, electrostatic attraction etc.) are the same in dyeing and printing.
The term 'colorant' is used here because it covers both dyes and Pigments
STEPS OF PRINTING
Preparation of the fabric
Preparation of the print paste.
Printing the fabric.
Drying the printed fabric.
Fixation of the printed dye or pigment.
Afterwashing.
STYLES OF PRINTING
Percentage of rejection is lower than the discharge method
Direct style
Discharge: white and colored
Resist style
Raised style
Flock style
crimp/ crepon style
Burn out style
Difference between Resist and Discharge printing
| Discharge printing | Resist Printing |
| Always sharp in outline, bright in appearance and give perfect and sparkling whites due to the bleaching effect on the discharging agent | Generally subdued and the colors are less bright; the outlines of the printing motifs are less sharp |
| Drastic chemical action is required to destroy the color | Little or no chemical action is involved to prevent fixation of color |
| Costs is higher and ingredients has to be selected carefully to facilitate complete destruction of color | Little or no chemical action is involved to prevent fixation of color |
| Cost is lower requiring less chemicals and auxiliaries | Cost is lower requiring less chemicals and auxiliaries |
| Applicable to those colors which can be discharged and has limitations; and also it is generally difficult to get reproducible results in all operations | Effective in all cases as almost colors are capable of being resisted |
| Relatively low chemical stability and fastness property of printed fabric | Printed fabric has great chemical stability and fastness properties |
METHODS OF PRINTING
Block printing
Stencil printing
Roller printing
Screen Printing
Hand screen
Semi automatic flat screen
Rotary screen
Transfer printing
Flat bed
Continuous transfer
Vaccum transfer
Digital Inkjet Printing
