Digital Printing Technical Notes
Digital textile printing is an inkjet-based printing method that allows printers to print high-quality patterns on a variety of fabrics. However, some fabrics are not suitable for this particular printing technique. In this article, we specify which fabrics can and cannot be used for digital printing on textiles. To fully understand why certain fabrics cannot be used for digital printing, it is necessary to understand digital printing technology.
For digital printing, the fabric is first pretreated and then passed through an inkjet printer at high speed. Textile digital printers use digitally printable patterns to read the correct color information and print the color onto the fabric.
The fabric is colored using tiny droplets of ink produced by nozzles. The nozzle is located a few millimeters above the fabric.
digital printing machine
Textile digital printing materials
In digital textile printing, the large number of nozzles on the printer ensures high-quality pattern design and fast production speed. However, some fabrics cannot be used for digital printing because the nozzle is too close to the fabric. For example, some yarn ends on the fabric can come into contact with the nozzle, causing damage.
Textile digital printing technology can be used on woven and knitted fabrics. Below, we explain in detail which materials are suitable for digital printing and which are not:
1. Cotton
Cotton is a natural fiber that is widely used in clothing for its high moisture resistance, comfort and durability. We can print on cotton with digital printing machine. To achieve the highest possible quality, most digital printers use reactive inks, as this type of ink provides the highest washfastness on cotton.
digital printing cotton
2. Viscose/Rayon
Another natural fiber widely used in the fashion industry is viscose/rayon. Can be printed on viscose/rayon using a digital printer. As with printing on cotton, the best results are obtained by printing on viscose/rayon with reactive inks.
digital printing viscose
3. Wool
It is possible to print on wool fabric, but it depends on the type of wool fabric. If you're printing on "fuzzy" wool fabric, which means there's a lot of fuzz on the surface of the fabric, the nozzle must be as far away from the fabric as possible. The diameter of the wool yarn is five times the diameter of the nozzle in the nozzle and can seriously damage the nozzle.
Therefore, it is very important to choose a digital printing machine that allows the printhead to print at a higher position from the fabric. Our printer supports a 4mm nozzle height, which allows us to digitally print on any type of wool fabric.
digitally printed wool
4. Silk
Another natural fiber suitable for digital printing is silk. Silk can be printed with reactive inks with very good color fastness. Silk is always the first choice of our customers, please contact us (contact@hzfengyin.com) for details.
digitally printed silk
5. Polyester
Over the past few years, polyester has become an increasingly popular fabric in the fashion world. However, the most commonly used dispersion inks for polyester printing do not work well on inkjet digital printers. A typical problem is contamination of the press with flying ink.
As a result, printers have turned to paper-based sublimation transfer printing. Recently, FY Textile has successfully switched to direct printing on polyester fabrics using sublimation inks. The latter requires a more expensive printing machine because the machine needs to add a guide belt to hold the fabric, but saves paper costs and does not require steam or water washing. Follow us for the latest news on this new technology.
Digitally printed polyester
6. blended fabric
Blended fabrics are fabrics composed of two different types of materials, which can be a challenge for digital printers. In textile digital printing, only one ink can be used by a single device. Since each material requires a different type of ink, as a printing company, it is necessary to use inks that are suitable for the main materials that make up the fabric. It also means the ink doesn't tint on other materials, resulting in a lighter, whiter finish.
Usually, textile digital printing machines can process blended fabrics in the proportion of 70-30%. For example, a blend of 70% cotton and 30% polyester can be printed with reactive inks. However, for 60-40% blended fabrics, the use of digital printing has limitations in terms of color depth.
digital printing mix
With digital printing of textiles, high-quality patterns can be printed on a variety of fabrics.
Digital textile printing can print almost any fabric, helping to improve print quality and productivity. Due to these special reasons, more and more traditional printing enterprises are transforming to digital printing.