Digital Printing of Textiles

The evolution and progression of digital printing of textiles; A designer’s perspective – digital versus traditional. Part 1 Printer / print head: Inkjet printing technology (CIJ / DOD); Drop formation and impaction; Industrial production printers - DuPont Artistri™ 2020 Textile Printing System; Industrial production printers – DReAM; Industrial production printers - Miami’s Tx series; Integration of fabric formation and coloration processes. Part 2 Printer software: Digital image design, data encoding and formation of printed images; Digital colour management; ICC color management for digital inkjet textile printing. Part 3 Digital printing coloration: Substrate preparation for ink-jet printing; Pigmented ink formulation; Formulation of aqueous inkjet ink; Effect of pretreatment on print quality and its measurement; Ink jet printing of cationized cotton with reactive inks. Part 4 Design and business: Digital printing and mass customization; Just–In–Time printing; Design and workflow in digital inkjet printing.

At present the textile industry produces the majority of its 34 billion square yards of printed textile fabric by screen printing. However as we move into the digital age developments in digital printing of paper are being adapted more and more for the textile market. Inkjet textile printing is growing while growth in analog textile printing remains stagnant. As digital print technologies improve offering faster production and larger cost-effective print runs, digital printing will grow to become the technology that provides the majority of the world’s printed textiles.

This comprehensive introduction to the subject is broken into five sections. After two introductory chapters, it goes on to look in a number of detailed chapters at printer and print head technologies. The next section examines the printer software required for successful colour design and management. The digital printing colouration process is explored next, with chapters on substrate preparation, pigmented ink, aqueous inkjet ink, pre-treatment and printing on cationized cotton with reactive inks. The book is concluded with three chapters on the design and business aspect of digital printing.

Digital printing of textiles contains fundamental technical explanations along with recent research, and is an invaluable guide for product developers, retailers, designers and academic researchers.

• Provides coverage of all the current developments in digital textile printing
• Covers important areas such as printer and print head technologies, printer software, digital printing colouration and design and business for digital printing

Product developers, retailers, designers and academic researchers