The Application and Technology of Digital Printing Machines in the Textile Industry

With the increasing maturity of ink used in digital color printing, digital color printing machines have been widely promoted and applied in the textile industry.  The main processes include sublimation transfer printing, sublimation direct spraying, pure cotton coating direct spraying, reactive printing, and acid printing processes.  Different processes are applied to different textile materials, and the specific introduction is as follows:

Thermal sublimation transfer printing

• It is to process the images that need to be printed by computer, print them on special paper through a printer, and then use a hot press printing machine to transfer the images on the paper to polyester, nylon, and synthetic (light colored) materials.
• The sublimation transfer printing process is suitable for textiles made of polyester and nylon synthetic materials.
• Our company uses machines YC1604, YC1800, and YC3200, all of which are rolling machines and use ink called sublimation ink.

Thermal sublimation direct spray

1. It is to spray a special coating on polyester, nylon, and synthetic (light colored) materials to dry naturally.
2. Print the desired image directly onto the material using sublimation ink after computer processing, and then bake it in an oven attached to the device (the purpose of baking is to make the image appear more vivid and have stronger color fastness)
3. The advantage of thermal sublimation direct spraying is that it can spray color on every part of the surface, making the material present a more delicate pattern
4. The main suitable materials are mesh shoe materials, blankets, and knitted sweaters.
5. Suitable models include tablet machines and roll up machines, and the ink used includes sublimation transfer ink and dispersion ink.  Also known as direct spray sublimation ink.

Direct spraying of paint

• The direct spraying process of paint is mainly suitable for printing directly on cut pieces or rolls with a cotton content of 35% or more, and then baking them in an oven to fix the color
• It is mostly suitable for the clothing industry, where flat panel printers are mainly used for cutting, and tape conveyors or (YC-1972) are used for cutting fabrics
• Currently, clothing colors vary in the market. Domestic ink is mainly suitable for direct spraying of light colored materials, while imported ink (DuPont ink or Korean ink) is needed for dark colored materials. Additionally, pre dyed white low materials can be used for direct spraying with domestic paint ink
• Printing formed by covering the fabric with paint
• The suitable models are tablet machines and textile tape guides.  The ink used is called paint direct spray ink.

Active printing

In the active printing industry, it is collectively referred to as active technology. The production process of active technology is very complex, and the specific process is as follows:

Sizing -drying -printing -drying -steaming- washing -soap washing -drying

• Reactive printing mainly uses reactive ink to directly print on the material to be printed. Due to the large size of the particles in the reactive ink, industrial grade nozzles (Konica, Ricoh) are required for printing to ensure smooth ink supply.
• The active process is to allow the active ink to react with fiber molecules to achieve the best color fastness and vividness. The samples made by the active process have a very full color and saturation, and the fabric has excellent dust resistance, high cleanliness, and long-term washing without fading
• Reactive printing and dyeing are suitable for various types of cotton, yarn fabrics, mixed yarn textiles, home textile products, and so on.  Home textile materials include: polyester, nylon, synthetic fiber, real silk, silk, linen, pure cotton, TC fabric, polyester fabric, animal fur, etc.  Targeted marketing based on different customer needs and product market added value.
• Suitable machines are large tablet machines and tape conveyors.  Using industrial heads can make colors more vivid.  The ink used is called active textile ink.

Acid printing

• Acid printing is mainly suitable for printing silk, animal fur, wool sweaters, and nylon
• Acidic printing and dyeing process is equivalent to active printing and dyeing process, and its production process is the same as active printing. Pre press semi-finished product sizing and base coating → drying → digital printing → drying → steaming → water washing (fixing) → soap washing → drying → post finishing
• Acidic printing is mainly used for woolen sweaters, minks, rabbit hair, silk, and high-end fur clothing.
• The acidic printing sample has a very high color and a soft touch.
• Suitable machines are large tablet machines and tape conveyors.  Using industrial heads can make colors more vivid.  The ink used is called acidic textile ink.