Textile Printing

I t i s t h e p ro c e s s o f a p p l y i n g colour tofabricin defi nitepatternsor desi

gns. 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.
The main objectives of textile printings are the production of attractive
designs with well defined boundaries made by the artistic arrangement
of a motif or motifs in one or more colors. Printed fabrics are well
protected from friction and washing if dyes or pigments are applied
properly on fiber. A strong bonding is formed between dyes and fibers.
Steps in textile printing:
Textile printing is carried out in different steps, such as:
At first, fabrics should be pre-treated before printing.
Printing paste must be prepared by using printing ingredients;
printing performance depends on a well printing paste.
Then, making an impression of the print paste on the fabric by
using any of the printing methods, which is required.
After that, drying is carried out on printed fabric.
Steaming is carried out on printed fabric for fixing the printing
paste on the fabric.
At last, printing fabrics are neutralized by the after-treatment
process.

History of Textile Printing:

Early forms of textile printing are stencil work, highly developed by
Japanese artists, and block printing. In the latter method a block of
wood, copper, or other material bearing a design in intaglio with the dye
paste applied to the surface is pressed on the fabric and struck with a
mallet. A separate block is used for each color, and pitch pins at the
corners guide the placing of the blocks to assure accurate repeating of
the pattern. In cylinder or roller printing, developed c.1785, the fabric is
carried on a rotating central cylinder and pressed by a series of rollers
each bearing one color. The design is engraved on the copper rollers by
1 | Page

hand or machine pressure or etched by pantograph or photoengraving

methods; the color paste is applied to the rollers through feed rollers
rotating in a color box, the color being scraped off the smooth portion of
the rollers with knives.
More recent printing processes include screen printing, a hand method
especially suitable for large patterns with soft outlines, in which screens,
one for each color, are placed on the fabric and the color paste pressed
through by a wooden squeegee; spray printing, in which a spray gun
forces the color through a screen; and electro coating, used to apply a
patterned pile. Color may be applied by the various processes directly;
by the discharge method, which uses chemicals to destroy a portion of a
previously dyed ground; or by the resist, or reserve, method, which
prevents the development of a subsequently applied color to a portion
of the fabric treated with a chemical or with a mechanical resist.

Styles of Printing:
A process for producing a pattern on yarns, warp, fabric, or carpet by
any of a large number of printing methods. The color or other treating
material, usually in the form of a paste, is deposited onto the fabric
which is then usually treated with steam, heat, or chemicals for fixation.
There are three different printing 'styles' used to produce patterned
effects on textiles, these being termed direct, discharge and resist. Each
of these will be described in turn.
Direct Printing Style
This method involves the direct application of the color design to the
fabric and is the most common method of textile printing. The dyes
used for direct printing are those which would normally be used for a
conventional dyeing of the fabric type concerned.
Discharge Printing Style
In this method the fabric is pre-dyed to a solid shade by a traditional
dyeing process and the color is then destroyed locally, by chemicals
incorporated in the print paste especially for that purpose. The result is
a white patterned discharge on a colored ground. In white discharge
printing, the fabric is piece dyed, then printed with a paste containing a
chemical that reduces the dye and hence removes the color where the
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white designs are desired. In colored discharge printing, a color is

added to the discharge paste in order to replace the discharged color
with another shade.
Resist Printing Style
In this method of printing the fabric is first printed with a substance
called a 'resist' which will prevent the dye from being taken up in a
subsequent dyeing process.
The resist functions by either
mechanically preventing the
dye from reaching local areas
of the fabric or by chemically
reacting with the dye or the
fiber, to prevent adsorption.
A printing method in which
the design can be produced:
(1) by applying a resist agent
in the desired design, then
dyeing the fabric, in which
case, the design remains
white although the rest of the
fabric is dyed; or (2) by including a resist agent and a dye in the paste
which is applied for the design, in which case, the color of the design is
not affected by subsequent dyeing of the fabric background.

Methods of Printing:
There are several methods of printing; the main methods are as follows:

BLOCK PRINTING
Block printing is a printing technique for producing patterns by means of
carving a design into a wooden block. The raised part is coated with ink
and prints the design on fabric or paper which is similar to modern day
stamping. It is the oldest form of printing known to man and has since
been replaced by silk screening.
Block Printing is one of the oldest types of printmaking, and has been
around for thousands of years. There is evidence that it existed as early
as the fifth century BC, with actual fragments found from as early as the
fifteenth century. It has been done around the world, with roots in India,
China and Japan.
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Since there is such a long history of block printing, there are many
different techniques, but it is essentially using a carved material covered
in ink to transfer an image on to
paper or fabric. Block printing
can be done with wood, linoleum,
rubber, or many other materials,
but we use linoleum for this work.
Images that are printed with this
technique are typically much
bolder than other types of
printmaking: since the blocks are
carved by hand, there is often
less detail and more texture to
the prints. It is possible however,
when using a very small knife, to carve blocks with a huge amount of
detail.
Block printing is also known as relief printing because the ink leaves a
raised texture on the paper. This is different than letterpress where the
image is applied with enough pressure to leave an indent on the paper;
typically block printing is done by hand, so the ink sits on the surface
adding a raised texture to the paper.

The Printing Process

The first step is to sketch the design. It is important to reverse the
image if you are using text, as the printed image will be the reverse of
what is on the block. Once you have the image ready, and then transfer
the design on to the linoleum to give me an outline of where to carve.

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The next
carve the
away the
dont want
the ink will
the raised
print the
Whatever
untouched
prints onto
Carving a
anywhere
for a small
several weeks or even months depending on the size and
image.

step is to
design. Carve
parts that you
to print, as
be applied to
surfaces to
design.
surface is
will be what
the paper.
block can take
from an hour
piece, to
detail of the

Use a range of knives, with very small-tipped knives for carving outlines
and details, and much larger ones
for cutting away the background.
Carving the blocks takes a lot of
patience, because if your hand
slips it can ruin the whole piece.
With practice, you can learn the
amount of pressure it takes to
carve the material, and the best
techniques to use for certain
designs.

5 | Page

Once the block is carved, trim the excess off with scissors to give it a
straight edge, and then it is ready for printing. There are many different
types of ink on the market, and its important to test them out to find
the best one. Use oil-based inks because they give the best even
coverage and print well on both
fabric and paper, but there are
lots of options out there.
To print, squeeze a small amount
of ink onto a piece of glass or
Plexiglas, and roll it out with a
roller (also called a brayer) to get
a thin, even layer, because its
important to apply the ink evenly
to the block.
Then roll the ink on to the block, making sure there is a thin but even
layer on the whole design. Then take the block and press it down onto
the paper or fabric. You can do this with your hands, a printing barren (a
specific tool to apply
pressure to a block), a
rolling pin, by walking on
it, or with a printing press
whatever it takes to
apply even pressure.

6 | Page

The most important part is applying the

pressure evenly, since the color will be
stronger in some areas of the print than
others if uneven pressure is applied. This
is also a step that takes some practice
and perfecting.
The ink then takes several days to dry, so
unlike other printing processes, there is a
long wait time before the prints are ready
to use. The oil based inks can take from
two days to a week to fully dry, whereas
water-based inks will dry slightly faster.
The inks are made to dry slowly so that
you are able to print without having the
ink dry on the block; if you print with a fast-drying ink or paint, it will
sometimes start to dry before you have even finished the print, giving a
very uneven coverage.

Tips and Advice

Block printing is very popular because of the bold and simple designs
that can be created, but that simplicity takes a lot of steps to achieve.
The technique is excellent for images with just a few colors and fewer
details, but can be difficult to use for images with lots of small text, or
very fine details that tend to break off the block with too many uses.
One of the advantages of block printing is that it can be done on a
surface of almost any size and texture like fabric, paper, canvas, wood
and other materials, and you dont have to worry about fitting it through
a printer or a press.

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Block printing is also an excellent way to produce a something that is

truly handmade, but can be very easily replicated. Carving the block is
time consuming and requires a lot of patience, but once you have the
block you can use it hundreds or thousands of times.
Block printing is also one of the easiest printing methods to get started
with, since the materials needed to start are relatively inexpensive, and
you dont need a lot of equipment for printing. Its a great way to get

into

printmaking!

SCREEN PRINTING:
Screen-printing is the most flexible printing process. It can be used to
print on a wide variety of substrates, including paper, paperboard,
plastics, glass, metals, fabrics, and many other materials including
paper, plastics, glass, metals, nylon and cotton.
Somecommon products from the screen-printing industry include
8 | Page

posters, labels, decals,

signage, and all types of
textiles and electronic circuit
boards. The advantage of
screen-printing over other print
processes is that the press can
print on substrates of any
shape, thickness and size. An
important characteristic of
screen-printing is that a
greater thickness of ink
can be applied to the
substrate as compared to
the other printing
techniques. This allows
for various interesting
effects that cannot be
achieved through the other
printing methods. Because
of the simplicity of the
application process, a wider range of inks and dyes are available for use in
screen-printing than for use in any other printing process.

Overview of the Screen

Printing Process
Screen-printing consists
of three elements
The screen which is the
image carrier
The squeegee
Ink

The screen-printing process

uses a porous mesh stretched tightly over a frame made of wood or
9 | Page

metal. Proper tension is essential to accurate color registration. The

mesh is made of porous fabric or stainless steel mesh.

A stencil is produced on the screen either manually or photo chemically.

The stencil defines the image to be printed in other printing
technologies this would be referred to as the image plate.
Screen printing ink is applied to the substrate by placing the screen over
the material. Ink with a paint-like consistency is placed onto the top of
the screen. Ink is then forced through the fine mesh openings using a
squeegee that is drawn across the screen, applying pressure thereby
forcing the ink through the open areas of the screen. Ink will pass
through only in areas where no stencil is applied, thus forming an image
on the printing substrate. The diameter of the threads and the thread
count of the mesh will determine how much ink is deposited onto the
substrates.

Many factors such as composition, size and form, angle, pressure and
speed of the blade (squeegee) determine the quality of the impression
made by the squeegee. At one time most blades were made from
rubber, which, however, is prone to wear and edge nicks and has a
tendency to warp and distort. While blades continue to be made from
rubbers such as neoprene, most are now made from polyurethane,
which can produce, as many as 25,000 impressions without significant
degradation of the image.
Screen preparation:
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Screen (or image transfer) preparation includes a number of steps. First

the customer provides the screen printer with objects, photographs,
text, ideas, or concepts of what they wish to have printed. The printer
must then transfer a "picture" of the artwork to be printed into an image
which can then be processed and eventually used to prepare the screen
stencil. Once the artwork is transferred to a positive image that
will be chemically processed onto the screen fabric (applying the
emulsion or stencil) and eventually mounted onto screen frame that is then
attached to the printing press and production begins.
The silk screen is a wooden or aluminum frame with a fine nylon or silk
mesh stretched over it. The mesh is coated with a light sensitive
emulsion or film, which - when dry - will block the holes in the mesh. The
image that needs to be printed is output to film
either b y c a m e r a o r i m a g e s e t t e r. T h i s fi l m p o s i t i v e a n d
t h e m e s h o n t h e s c r e e n a r e sandwiched together and
exposed to ultraviolet light in a device called a print-down
frame. The screen is then washed with a jet of water which
washes away all the light sensitive emulsion that has not been
hardened by the ultraviolet light. This leaves you with an open stencil
which corresponds exactly to the image that was supplied on the film.
N ex t t h e f a b r i c t o b e p r i n t e d i s p i n n e d o n a w o o d e n t a b l e
s o t h a t i t i s e v e n l y stretched and there are no ripples
.
Alternatively a wax table is used. The surface of the table is covered
with wax. Below there are a network of pipes through which steam
is passed. This causes the wax to soften and the fabric is just
fi rmly pressed on to the table.
Thewoodenframeofthes c r e e n i s fi t t e d w i t h m e t a l h a n d l e s
w h i c h w i l l fi t o n t o t o c o r r e s p o n d i n g w o o d e n protrusions
on the table. This is to aid placement, when two or more colors are
being used. The dye is poured on the screen A rubber blade with
a wooden handle is fi rmly pulled across the top of the screen; it
pushes the ink through the mesh onto the surface of the fabric which is
being printed. Another person stands at the other side of the table. He
takes hold of the rubber blade and repeats the process. Since the nonprinting
areas on the silk screen are blocked out, the ink is pushed through only the porous
areas corresponding to the design and is thus transferred to the fabric.
If m o r e c o l o r s a r e u s e d , t h e p ro c e s s i s re p e a t e d w i t h a n o t h
e r s c re e n a n d c o l o r . T h e screen is always washed with a lot of water

11 | P a g e

immediately after use. If this is not done, the dye dries on the screen and clogs up
the design.

Flatbed
Screen
Printing
In flat bed screen
printing, this process
is
an
automated
version of the older
hand operated silk screen printing. For each color in the print design, a
separate screen must be constructed or engraved.
If the design has four colors, then four separate screens must be
engraved. The modern flat-bed screen-printing machine consists of an
in-feed device, a glue trough, a rotating continuous flat rubber blanket,
flat-bed print table harnesses to lift and lower the flat screens, and a
double-blade squeegee trough. The in-feed device allows for precise
straight feeding of the textile fabric onto the rubber blanket. As the cloth
is fed to the machine, it is lightly glued to the blanket to prevent any
shifting of fabric or distortion during the printing process. The blanket
carries the fabric under the screens, which are in the raised position.
Once under the screens, the fabric stops, the screens are lowered, and
an automatic squeegee trough moves across each screen, pushing print
paste through the design or open areas of the screens. Remember,
there is one screen for each color in the pattern. The screens are raised,
the blanket precisely moves the fabric to the next color, and the process
is repeated. Once each color has been applied, the fabric is removed
from the blanket and then processed through the required fixation
process. The rubber blanket is continuously washed, dried, and rotated
back to the fabric in-feed area. The flat-bed screen process is a semicontinuous, start-stop operation. Flat screen machines are used today
mostly in printing terry towels.

Advantages
large repeats
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for

Multiple strokes
pile fabrics
Disadvantages

Slow

No

continuous
patterns

Productivity:
From a productivity standpoint, the process is slow with production
speeds in the range of 15-25 yards per minute. Additionally, the method
has obvious design limits. The design repeat size is limited to the width
and length dimensions of the flat screen. Also, no continuous patterns
such as linear stripes are possible with this method. However, this
method offers a number of advantages. Very wide machines can be
constructed to accommodate fabrics such as sheets, blankets,
bedspreads, carpets, or upholstery. Also, this technique allows for
multiple passes or strokes of the squeegee so that large amounts of
print paste can be applied to penetrate pile fabrics such as blankets or
towels. Currently, approximately 15-18% of printed fabric production
worldwide is done on flat-bed screen machines.

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Rotary

printing:
Rotary screen printing is so named because it uses a cylindrical screen
that rotates in a fixed position rather than a flat screen that is raised
and lowered over the same print location. Rotary presses place the
squeegee within the screen. These machines are designed for roll-toroll printing on fabric ranging from narrow to wide-format textiles.

14 | P a g e

In rotary printing, the fabric travels at a consistent speed between the

screen and a steel or rubber impression roller immediately below the
screen. (The impression roller serves the same function as the press bed
on a flatbed press.) As the fabric passes through the rotary unit, the
screen spins at a rate that identically matches the speed of substrate
movement.
The squeegee on a rotary press is in a fixed position with its edge
making contact with the inside surface of the screen precisely at the
point where the screen, substrate, and impression roller come together .
Ink is automatically fed into the center of the screen and collects in a
wedge-shaped well formed by the leading side of the squeegee and
the screens interior surface. The motion of the screen causes this bead
of ink to roll, which forces ink into stencil openings, essentially flooding
the screen without requiring a flood bar. The squeegee then shears the
ink as the stencil and substrate come into contact, allowing the ink to
transfer cleanly to the material.
By converting the screen-printing process from semi-continuous to
continuous, higher production speeds are obtained than in flat bed
printing. Typical speeds are from 50-120 yards per minute for rotary
screen printing depending upon design complexity and fabric
construction. Rotary screen machines are more compact than flat
screen machines for the same number of colors in the pattern.
Therefore, they use less plant floor space.
Also with rotary screens, the size of the design repeat is dependent
upon the circumference of the screens. This was initially seen as a
disadvantage, because the first rotary screens were small in diameter.
However, with todays equipment, screens are available in a range of
sizes and are no longer considered design limited. Todays rotary screen
15 | P a g e

machines are highly productive, allow for the quick changeover of

patterns, have few design limitations, and can be used for both
continuous and discontinuous patterns.

Productivity:
Estimates indicate that this technique controls approximately 65% of
the printed fabric market worldwide. The principle disadvantage of
rotary screen printing is the high fixed cost of the equipment. The
machines are generally not profitable for short yardages of widely
varying patterns, because of
the clean-up and machine
down time when changing
patterns. Flat screen printing
is much more suitable for
high pile fabrics, because
only one squeegee pass is
available with rotary screen.
However, rotary machines
are used for carpet and other
types of pile fabrics. Most
knit fabric is printed by the
rotary
screen
method,
because it does not stress (pull or stretch) the fabric during the process.
The rotary garment screen printing machine, developed in the 1960s, is
the most popular device for screen printing in the industry. Screen
printing on garments currently accounts for over half of the screen
printing activity in the United States.

Advantages
Fast
Quick change over of pattern
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 Continuous pattern
Disadvantages

Design limitations

Small repeats

Transfer Printing:

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Transfer
the
putting
a special
then
printed
transfer
your
hot iron
Heat
great for
clear
defined

printing is
process of
images onto
paper and
using that
paper to
the images to
fabric with a
or hot press.
transfer is
producing
and very well
images.

18 | P a g e

Supplies
o
cotton
o
Ttransfer
o
cool
(You

Plain
T-shirt.
shirt
paper.
Some
graphics.
can use
whatever
here.)
printer
not laser

you like
o
A
(ink jet
jet).
o
An
iron, with
the
steam
setting switched off.
o
A hard surface, with a couple of tea towels on top. Note: not an
ironing board as this is too
soft for the transfer to
take properly.
Once youve gathered all
your supplies, its really
very simple to transfer
the print onto the T-shirt.
The instructions that
follow work with the
transfer paper , but
obviously check the
instructions on your paper before you go ahead.

Process

19 | P a g e

1.

2.
3.
4.

5.

6.

Practice printing your graphic out onto normal printer paper first.
You want to make sure you know which side of the paper your printer is
using, that the graphic is the right size for your T-shirt and that it looks
how youd like it to once its printed out. Put the white paper over the Tshirt and make sure it all looks right. Its also worth pointing out that
your final graphic will appear as a mirror image of the one in front of
you, so make sure it looks okay this way round. (If youve got words in
your image, you can use the mirror setting on your printer, though
this might not give as clean a print as normal.) But at this stage,
experiment and make sure youre completely happy with your results
before you put it onto the transfer paper.
Print!
Cut round the details of the graphic as closely as you can. Try and
remove as much of the area that has nothing on as possible.
Line up your image onto the T-shirt. The clear side with the print on
should face the fabric, the white side with the squares faces out. Check
and check again that its straight and just as you want it to be.
Iron the paper for around two minutes. Make sure the steam
setting is not switched on. Concentrate on the centre first and then work
your way out to the sides.
Let the paper cool down.
20 | P a g e

7.
and
remove
starting
edges
off
8.

Carefully
slowly
the white
backing,
at one of the
and pulling it
evenly.
Admire your
creation

From a distance, and away from direct

light, the T-shirts look great. Every
little detail of the pattern has been
transferred, crisp and clear onto the Tshirt fronts.
But up close, or in the light, the area
where the transfer has been ironed is
really shiny and stiff, to the point of
being reflective. That area has also

21 | P a g e

lost any stretch, so it sits stiff and solid even when its being worn.
Overall, it definitely looks amateur.
Because we used an image that has lots of black lines with white
space behind it, those areas which should appear neutral show up
shiny. This method would work far better for transferring on a solid block
image, probably with color, rather than one that any blank spaces in.
Then, youd need to cut exactly round the image you had and youd
eliminate this problem of shiny areas where nothing is happening.
You will reassess once theyve been through the wash a few times, as
that might help soften it up a bit, try to use solid image to prevent from
this problem.

Advantages

High quality print

Fewer seconds

Economical for short runs

Pollution free

Disadvantages:

Slow process

Primarily for polyester

22 | P a g e

Other Methods Of Printing:

Stencil Printing
The design is first cut in cardboard, wood or metal. The stencils may
have fine delicate designs or large spaces through which color is applied
on the fabric. Its use is limited due to high costs involved..
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 fi eld 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
I t i s a t e c h n i q u e o f p r i n t i n g t u ft e d m a t e r i a l m a d e o f y a r n s
h a v i n g d i ff e re n t d y e i n g 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.
Tie Dyeing
Fi r m k n o t s a re t i e d i n t h e c l o t h b e f o re i t i s i m m e r s e d i n a
d y e . T h e o u t s i d e o f t h e 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
Plunge Dyeing the gathered, folded or rolled fabric is usually held with
stitching to form specific patterns.
23 | P a g e

Batik Dyeing
I t i s a re s i s t d y e i n g p ro c e s s . D e s i g n s a re m a d e w i t h w a x
o n a f a b r i c w h i c h i s t h e n immersed in a dye. The unwaxed portion
absorbs the color.
Jet Spray Printing
Designsare impartedto 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
ani n k j e t p r i n t h e a d . T h e p r i n t s y s t e m s o f t w a r e i n t e r p r
e t s t h e d a t a s u p p l i e d b y a cademic_Textiledigital image fi le.
The digital image fi le 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.

Conclusion:
At the initial stage of printing, the printing work was done by hand but
day by day this style is changing by utilizing different modern
techniques. Now different types of critical printing is done very easily by
the bless of modern science. Most of the printing machines are
controlled by the computer. Graphic design is mostly use in printing
process. Different types of textile machine manufacturing companies
trying to improve the present techniques of printing methods.
Anyhow, printing process plays an important role in the civilized world.
Multiple colors can be use in printing process. Sometimes printing
properties show the identity of a nation. So, we should give great

24 | P a g e

emphasis on printing process to produce different types of attractive

designs on textile material.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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 file:///D:/report/Block%20Printing%20Basics%20%20TopTenREVIEWS.htm
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%20transfer%20process%20work%20%20-%20Local
%20Hero.htm

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