What is the process of digital printing on fabric

How Is Digital Printing Done on Fabric?

How Is Digital Printing Performed on Fabric? Nowadays, digital printing is a fun and easy way to decorate fabric with any design you choose. Because of advanced technology, digital printing from a computer is much faster, detailed and gives you more options to customize the designs. What actually takes place when we create an animation? In simple terms, we can look at the process step by step.

1. Working on the Initial Concept

First, a design must be created for digital fabric printing. Typically, graphics are designed on a computer by either a graphic designer or artist using software such as Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator. A customizable design could include a pattern, a brand symbol or a picture with lots of details. Digital printing uses a digital file directly which means creating complex and colorful designs is much easier.

2. Working with the strands of fabric

The fabric must be prepared correctly before the ink is applied. Most clothing is treated to make the colors appear brighter and the ink adhere better to the fabric. Most likely, the process will start with washing the material and then adding a specific coating or primer to synthetic polyester. At this stage, the colors are locked in so they stay vivid for a longer time after printing.

3. Installing the Printer

Then, you need to set up the printer. They resemble big inkjet printers you have at home, except these are made for printing on large fabric rolls. For some printers, the fabric is loaded as sheets onto the printer, whereas for others it comes as rolls. The machine reads the digital pattern and is ready to carefully apply the needed ink onto the fabric.

4. Making a Printed Design

At this stage, the printer uses tiny nozzles to apply drops of special textile ink onto the fabric. This is achieved because the printer follows the detailed instructions from the digital design file. It is unlike traditional screen printing, where you need a separate screen for each color and it struggles with detailed pictures.

5. Resolving the Ink

Printed ink is given time to set or be fixed after printing so that it will stick to and last on the fabric. Depending on the ink, you may steam, press or use UV light for curing. The process helps maintain the colors’ brightness and durability, even after laundry.

6. Cleaning and Handling

When the fabric is finished being dyed, it is rinsed again to take off extra dye and chemical substances. As a result, the fabric is soft and does not have any debris on it. Once the fabric is washed, extra steps are needed such as drying, heat setting or making it water-resistant.

7. Cutting the fabric

and then sewing the pieces together After that, the worn fabric is put together and sewn to finish the item which could be clothing, upholstery, curtains or other options. With digital printing, manufacturers are able to produce unique designs or small numbers of fashion items easily.

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