PRINTING

Textile printing is the process of applying color to fabric in definite patterns or

designs. In properly printed fabrics the color is bonded with the fiber, so as to resist
washing and friction. Textile printing is related to dyeing but, whereas in dyeing
proper the whole fabric is uniformly covered with one color, in printing one or
more colors are applied to it in certain parts only, and in sharply defined patterns.

Traditional textile printing techniques may be broadly categorized into three styles:
 Direct printing, in which colorants containing dyes, thickeners, and the
mordant or Substances necessary for fixing the color on the cloth are printed
in the desired Pattern.
 Resist dyeing, in which a wax or other substance is printed onto fabric which
is subsequently dyed. The waxed areas do not accept the dye, leaving
uncolored patterns against a colored ground.
 Discharge printing, in which a bleaching agent is printed onto previously
dyed Fabrics to remove some or all of the color.
Methods of printing:

 Hand block printing

1. It is the simplest technique and is similar to stamping.

2. Blocks are made of wood or metal and designs are hand carved.
3. The print paste is applied on the face of the block which and then pressed down
firmly by hand on the selected portion of fabric.
4. The process is repeated with different design and colors until the pattern is
completed.

Limitations:
- It is slow and laborious process.
- It is not suitable for large quantities goods

 Roller Printing
1. It is a machine method of printing.
2. It is the most economic and fastest way of printing.
3. Engraved copper cylinders rotate over the fabric under pressure against an iron
pressure roller.
4. A sharp blade, called doctor blade, scraps the excess dye from the roller.
5. The fabric to be printed is fed on the pressure cylinder on top of endless rubber
printing blanket to which it is stuck to avoid sideways movement.
6. Designs of upto 12 colours can be printed in this technique.

Limitations:
- High set up time for design change.
- low working speed.
- Unavoidable facing phenomenon.
- Loss in brilliancy of prints, color contamination not possible due to heavy
pressure.
- Depth of prints not possible also due to heavy pressure.
  Screen Printing
It is a form of stencil printing. A synthetic fabric (e.g. nylon) or metal gauze is
stretched taut over a frame. (The Photochemical method is most widely used for
preparation of screen). Some of the holes (depending on the design) are blocked
off (non-printing area) and the printing paste is forced through the open holes by a
rubber or metal blade called squeeze on to the fabric beneath.

 Flat-bed Screen Printing

1. It can be operated by hand or is automatic.
2. A separate screen is required for each colour of the design.
3. Fabric remains stationery and the screen moves.
4. During printing the screen is placed on the fabric against the registration stops
marking to ensure accurate positioning.
5. The viscose print paste is applied against the inside edge of frame then forced
through open pores of the screen by a squeezee.
6. Then screen is then lifted and moved to the next part of the fabric and process
repeated.
7. Printing is carried out on a long flat table covered with a layer of felt and
washable blanket.

Limitations:
- Very low production.
- Joint mark in heavy blotches and stripes
  Rotary Screen Printing
1. Machine allows much faster rate of production with speed of approx. 60
mts/minute .
2. Screens are cylindrical and rotate in contact with the fabric giving continuous
production.
3. The squeezee remains stationery inside the screen and it is the rotation of the
screen against the squeezee which forces the printing paste through the mesh of
screen on the fabric.
4. Up to 26 colours can be printed in rotary screen printing.
5. Recent innovations in rotary screens permit intricate patterns to be printed. This
is not possible in engraved roller printing.

Limitations:
- Cannot print cross border.
- Limited repeat size.
- Uneconomical for printing short runs.
- Heavy wastage of colour while washing screens.
- The fabric to be printed must be flawless e.g. fabrics with slubs, knots, uneven
yarn cannot be printed. Both the flat bed and rotary screen machines the
positioning of each screen can be very precisely controlled by ensuring correct
registration of the pattern.
OTHER METHODS OF PRINTING

Duplex Printing:
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.

Stencil Printing:
The design is first cut in cardboard, wood or metal. The stencils may have fine delicate
designs or large spaces through which colour is applied on the fabric. Its use is limited
due to high costs involved.

Transfer Printing:
The design on a paper is transferred to a fabric by vaporization. There are two main
processes for this-
 Dry Heat Transfer Printing
 Wet Heat Transfer Printing.

In Conventional Heat Transfer Printing, an electrically heated cylinder is used that

presses,
a fabric against a printed paper placed on a heat resistant blanket. In Infrared Heat
Vacuum Transfer Printing, the transfer paper and fabric are passed between infrared
heaters and a perforated cylinder which are protected from excessive heat by a shield.
The Wet Heat Transfer Printing uses heat in a wet atmosphere for vaporizing the dye
pattern from paper to fabric.

Blotch Printing:
It is a direct printing technique where the background color and the design are both
printed onto a white fabric usually in a one operation. Any of the methods like block,
roller or screen may be used.

Airbrush (Spray) Painting:

Designs may be hand painted on fabric or the dye may be applied with a mechanized
airbrush which blows or sprays color on the fabric.

Electrostatic Printing:
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.

Photo Printing:
The fabric is coated with a chemical that is sensitive to light and then any photograph
may be printed on it.
Differential Printing:
It is a technique of printing tufted material made of yarns having different dyeing
properties such as carpets. Up to a ten color effect is possible by careful selection of
yarns, dyestuffs and pattern.

Warp Printing:
It is roller printing applied to warp yarns before they are woven into fabric. For weaving fine
white or neutral color filling yarn is used so that the design on the warp is not obscured, A
variation of warp printing is vigorous printing or mélange. In this technique silver or wool hair is
printed with crosswise stripes using a wooden roller immersed in print paste. Wooden roller
transfer color to rubber roller on which the sliver is passing

Tie Dyeing:
Firm knots are tied in the cloth before it is immersed in a dye. The outside of the
immersed portion is dyed but the inside is not penetrated. There are various forms of Tie dyeing
like 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.

Batik Dyeing:
It is a resist dyeing process. Designs are made with wax on a fabric which is then
Immersed in a dye. The un waxed portion absorbs the color.

Jet Spray Printing:

Designs are imparted to fabrics by spraying colors in a controlled manner through
nozzles.

Digital printing:
In this form of printing micro-sized droplets of dye are placed onto the fabric through an
inkjet print head. The print system software interprets the data supplied by a
Cademic_Textiledigital 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. Digital Textile Printing
Khadi Printing:

In this style of printing, dyed fabric is printed with a paste containing white
pigment TiO2
(Titanium dioxide). Like pigment, khadi too has no affinity to fibre hence binder
and fixing agents (CCL) are used. When colored khadi is required, a small amount
of the required colored pigment is added to the khadi printing paste.

Devore Paste:
Fabrics constructed with both natural and synthetic fibres within the warp and weft
can be printed with a Devore paste. When heated, the paste burns away one of the
fibres, leaving behind a pattern where the other fibre remains.

Flock, glitter and Foil

Fabrics is printed with glue and then heat-pressed with flock paper. The flock
adheres to the glue creating a raised ‘felt’ effect. Glitter and foil are similarly
applied to produce special effects.

Puff print:
When printed and heated, the ink expands on the surface of the fabric.
Expantex is a brand of chemical that produces an embossed effect on fabric and
has a rubbery texture. Three dimensional qualities can be achieved by Printing puff
on the back of fabric. The puff distorts the fabric creating a three-dimensional
effect on the right side of the fabric.