In textile digital printing, a large number of printing heads ensure high-quality pattern design and fast production speed. However, because the nozzle is too close to the fabric, some fabrics cannot be used for digital printing. For example, some off-line fabrics will contact the nozzle and cause damage.
- Cotton, hemp, silk, viscose
There are two processes for digital printing of cotton, linen, silk, and viscose, active digital printing, and pigment direct jet printing. The active digital printing is directly sprayed on the fabric through the digital printing machine, but the fabric needs treatment in the early stage, which is called sizing. Otherwise, the color cannot be applied. Active digital printing is complicated, requiring pretreatment, printing, steaming, water-based, qualitative, etc.
Paint direct jet printing is directly sprayed on the fabric through the digital direct jet printing machine. It does not need the sizing, steaming, and washing processes in reactive printing. It can be directly fixed at high temperatures after printing. And the paint digital direct jet printing can be directly sprayed on black fabrics.
- Polyester chemical fiber
The color fastness of thermal sublimation printing on polyester is slightly lower than that of dispersed ink printing. But in the clothing industry, this is an acceptable compromise for sustainable production.
- Blended fabric
Blended fabric refers to the fabric composed of two different types of materials. Usually, the digital printing machine can handle the blended fabric with a proportion of 70-30%. For example, the blended fabric composed of 70% cotton and 30% polyester can be printed with reactive ink. However, for 60-40% of blended fabrics, the use of digital printing will have limitations in color depth.
- Nylon
Nylon fabric can not be dyed or printed in a high-temperature environment, so direct jet printing is often used for printing, and acid dyes are also used. The most difficult point of acid dyes lies in the unstable color and poor color fastness after printing. These problems have existed for a long time.
- Wool
It is feasible to use a digital printing machine to print on wool fabric, but it depends on the type of wool fabric used. However, the nozzle must be as far away from the fabric as possible during production. The diameter of wool yarn is five times that of the nozzle in the nozzle, so the nozzle will be seriously damaged.
- Silk
Silk can be printed with reactive ink (better color fastness) or acid ink (wider color gamut).
- Polyamide Lycra
Polyamide Lycra is a kind of fabric mainly used for swimwear. It can be printed on polyamide Lycra by a digital printing machine, preferably with acid ink. Using acid ink, you can get the highest color brightness, the best washing fastness, salt water resistance, and chlorine bleaching fastness.