SGIA Journal Garment Edition Spring 2016 - 36

1. Digital dye-sub printer for
sportswear
2. Digital disperse (direct or dye-sub)
printer for flags/banners
3. Digital reactive-dye printer
Digital Dye Sub Printer for Sportswear

In the case of a digital dye-sub printer for
sportswear, the most common setup would
be where panels of paper are printed (print
and cut) or where complete rolls of paper
are printed.
The dye sub process usually takes place
in a kind of table setting, where pieces of
fabric are combined with pieces of paper
in a press. In the press the design is then
transferred from paper to fabric.
Another common setup is where the
paper is printed in rolls, and the designs
on these rolls of paper are continuously
transferred into a dye-sub calender with a
belt (for the heat, pressure and time).
No washing is needed, so it's a fairly
straightforward process, with only a few
parameters.
Pros:
* Easy process
* No washing
* Fast
* Cost efficient
* Levelling
Cons:
* No through print (backside is white)
* Limited fastnesses (migration,
pleating)
* Fabric gets flattened under high
pressure and temperature, so any
structure will usually disappear
* Yellowing of the fabric may occur

this area of the market would normally be
a digital roll-to-roll printer, using either
dye-sub inks (specifically targeted for
direct printing) or sometimes disperse inks
specifically developed for direct printing.
These specific inks have a colorless carrying
medium, while traditional dye-sub inks may
have a light-brownish carrying medium.
Fixation is frequently done on a
traditional calender or a contact-heat roller
system. For banners and flags that will be
used inside, there is usually no washing
process required following fixation. For
any product that is destined to be used
outside, a simple washing procedure is
advised to get rid of any unfixed colorants.
A special feature for this market is the
possibility to do double-sided printing.
By printing direct on a non-pretreated
(in most cases) fabric, the inks will easily
migrate to the backside of the fabric.
Sometimes pretreatment is added to
prevent vertical migration (bleeding).
Pros:
* Still a fairly easy process (no washing)
* Two-sided print possibilities
Cons:
* High chance of color bleeding
* Without washing outdoor use not
possible
* Fabric will get stretched during
fixation
* Colors usually not very bright

The main issues that this type of
producer can experience when trying to
convert to the ladies' fashion market are:
* Pretreating fabric is needed in order
to prevent migration/bleeding and to
maximize color depth
The main issues that this type of * Reductive clearing (washing) is
producer can experience when trying to
needed to minimize all non-fixed
convert to the ladies' fashion market are
dyestuff and such companies often
as below:
have no washing equipment or
* Through print (at least to a certain
experience
extend) is in many cases needed
* Finishing of fabric is usually needed
* Market commonly uses very thin fabrics
to give the fabric the finished
* Delicate fabrics, sometimes with some
properties that are required
structure for design purposes, may get
excessively flattened or hardened in a
For all of the above, rather large
calender
equipment is needed. Certain suppliers
* Fastness requirements may not be
in the digital-textile printing market are
reached through the possibilities
capable of supplying small equipment
of the standard dye-sub inks. In
(targeted for the digital market), but
the ladies' fashion market higher
usually this needs to be done on large
fastnesses are needed than can be
and expensive equipment (washing line,
obtained through this dye-sub
padder, stenter) that is typically only
printing process.
available at large conventional printers.
Digital Disperse (Direct or Dye-Sub)
Printer for Flags and Banners

Digital Reactive Dye Printer

Manufacturers that are currently in the
The most common setup for a printer in market for printing reactives on digital
34 | SGIA Journal ■ Spring 2016

equipment usually have digital printing
equipment that has a printing blanket.
This stabilizes the fabric dimensions
during printing from roll to roll.
These manufacturers commonly pretreat
all the fabrics themselves, and after printing
they will steam the fabric and afterwards
wash and then finish the fabric.
Pros:
* High fastnesses
* Relatively large color gamut
* Fabric is heated at high temperature
but it remains 'untouched,' so normally
handle doesn't change too much
Cons:
* Difficult processes
* Many parameters for pretreating,
steaming, washing
When a digital reactive-dye printer
wants to change to direct-disperse dyes,
there are usually only a few things that
actually change.
Due to the changes in dye and fabric,
there will be a need for a different
pretreatment. Furthermore, the fixation
process (steaming) needs to be done at
roughly 175°C instead of 102°C.
Most modern steamers have the option
to do this type of high-temperature steam
fixation. The washing process (reductive
clearing) needs harsher chemicals, but is
still a fairly regular washing process. Also,
the finishing process is common to this
type of producer.
If high-temperature steaming is not
possible, it is no problem to use a hotroller-type calender (no belt needed, so low
investment level). Fixation can even be done
using a thermosol process (short time, high
heat, on a stenter), although this is probably
not the best choice for the long run; it can
easily create sublimation or fogging inside
the stenter with a relatively high risk of
staining the white areas of the fabric.
What is holding the manufacturers
back, then, considering the market for
digitally printed polyester fashion is
increasing and thus attractive?
In actuality, they are not being held
back, but unfortunately it's not only the
theory that is at work. In the practice of
printing polyester for ladies' fashion, there
is far more happening. Going through the
aforementioned, issues there are positive and
negative remarks on all different methods.
Coming from the more traditional
reactive-dye printing market, we have seen
many producers actually invest into digital
dye-sub - not because they wanted to, but
because no real solution was available to do
direct printing on to polyester.
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SGIA Journal Garment Edition Spring 2016

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