Textile printing is the process of applying color to fabric in definite patterns or designs. 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 in dyeing properly the whole fabric is uniformly covered with one color, whereas in printing one or more colors are applied to it in certain parts only, and in sharply defined patterns.
In printing, wooden blocks, stencils, engraved plates, rollers, or silk-screens can be used to place colors on the fabric. Colorants used in printing contain dyes thickened to prevent the color from spreading by capillary attraction beyond the limits of the pattern or design.
What is Fabric Printing?
Using several printing methods, fabric printing is the process of imprinting designs or patterns into textiles. It’s a well-liked technique for producing unique textile goods, such as home furnishings and apparel.
Applying ink, dye, or other pigments to the fabric’s surface in order to produce a particular pattern or design is the norm for the fabric printing process. Screen printing, digital printing, block printing, and other printing methods are among the ones utilized in the production of fabric.
How is Printed Fabric Made?
Fashion designers, or more often textile designers, create pattern renders using software applications like Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop.
Once the design is locked in, the next call is picking the right fabric and the ideal printing method. It’s crucial to find the right combination of the two and make sure the two are compatible – avoiding any fabric quality issues and print defects along the way.
To make sure that these prints are of top-notch quality and last long, some fabrics may also undergo pre-treatment or finishing techniques to lock those prints in. These processes ensure that the pigments adhere properly during printing and will not fade off or bleed.
So, if you’ve had your garments all turn red after laundry day, chances are, that’s the poor-quality crimson shirt that you bought for 80% off!
And just like how garments undergo a sample review process, fabric prints may also undergo several rounds of sampling to get the desired final outcome.
In manufacturing lingo, we call this the print strike off – a test print of a design or print on fabric, allowing fashion designers and manufacturers to check the design accuracy, assess color and quality, confirm fabric compatibility, and make any necessary adjustments before finally proceeding with full-scale production.
6 Common Types of Fabric Printing Methods
There are dozens of ways to create custom fabric prints, and it can become overwhelming.
So, we’ll cover the 6 most common types of textile printing methods in the fashion industry. I’ll talk about how each method is done, what type of products they’re commonly used in, along with some pros and cons that you’ll need to consider.
#1. Screen Printing.
Screen printing or stencil printing is one of the most common types of fabric printing methods. It involves creating a stencil (screen) for each color in the design and then using a squeegee to push ink through the screen onto the fabric.
This printing technique is known for giving off vibrant, long-lasting prints. There are a few types of screen-printing techniques, such as rotary screen printing and flat screen printing.
Suitable for: T-shirts, sweatshirts, scarves
Advantages:
- Cost-effective for large orders
- High color vibrancy and durability
- Suitable for both simple and complex designs
Disadvantages:
- Setup costs can be high for multiple colors
- Not ideal for small runs due to setup time
- Limited color gradients and fine details
#2. Roller Printing.
Roller printing involves the use of engraved metal rollers to apply consistent and intricate patterns onto fabric. These rollers are coated with ink and pressed onto the fabric as it passes through a series of rollers.
Suitable for: Various types of products such as dresses, skirts, and blouses
Advantages:
- Allows for intricate and continuous patterns
- Efficient for large-scale production due to its continuous printing process
- Consistent and high-quality results
Disadvantages:
- Limited flexibility for custom or one-off designs
- High setup costs for creating custom rollers
#3. Digital Printing.
Digital printing is a modern fabric printing method that works much like your home ink-jet printer but on a larger scale.
It allows fashion designers to create intricate, full-color designs directly onto fabric with precision and detail – making it a versatile choice for creating custom clothing and accessories.
Suitable for: Custom clothing like t-shirts, dresses, leggings, and personalized accessories like scarves and hats
Advantages:
- Low setup costs, ideal for small runs
- High color vibrancy and detail
- Quick turnaround time
Disadvantages:
- Cost per unit can be high for larger orders
- Limited to fabric types compatible with the printer
#4. Heat Transfer Printing.
Heat transfer printing involves printing the design onto a certain type of transfer paper and then heat-pressing it onto fabric. If you’ve ever gotten a customized shirt or mug with your company logo on it – chances, are it was made using this method.
Suitable for: Various personalized clothing items like custom T-shirts, jerseys, and sportswear
Advantages:
- Ideal for low to medium runs
- Suitable for complex designs and full-color prints
- Quick turnaround time
Disadvantages:
- Prints may crack or fade over time
- Not as durable as some other methods
#5. Dye Sublimation Printing.
This is a multi-step process that produces some of the best results of all the fabric printing methods. Designs are printed onto a thermal transfer paper, known as dye sublimation paper.
This is then used to create the print on the fabric. Both heat and pressure are used to permanently bond the inks to the fibres of the fabric. This leaves your fabric as soft as it was before it was printed on.
The deep infusion technique penetrates specialist water-based inks deep into the textile, which makes your print permanent. Perfect for intricate details as well as colours.
Suitable for: Sportswear, swimwear, outdoor apparel
Advantages:
- High color vibrancy and durability
- Excellent for all-over prints
- Ideal for synthetic fabrics
Disadvantages:
- Not suitable for natural fibers like cotton
- Requires specific equipment and materials
#6. Block Printing.
Block printing is a traditional method using carved blocks to apply ink onto fabric. It’s known for its handmade and artisanal appeal – but, it’s not the quickest way to make lots of items as it is often done manually by skilled artisans.
Suitable for: Artisanal and bohemian style clothing and accessories
Advantages:
- Unique, rustic appearance
- Low setup costs
- Suitable for small-scale production
Disadvantages:
- Time-consuming for large orders
- Limited to simple designs
- Requires skilled artisans
#7. Direct to Garment Digital Printing (DTG).
As the name implies, digital printing means directly printing patterns on fabrics. Digital printing uses DTG printer to finish the whole printing. In the process, specialized DTG printer sprays water ink to fabrics to print the patterns to the clothes like T-shirt.
In the printed process, the surface of the fabrics will be colored by ink through printhead, so as to print patterns of high quality and long-lasting pattern, looking like a part of the clothes.
In today’s garment decoration world, screen printing and heat transfers have become limited, while direct to garment (DTG) printing offers the flexibility and diversity required for every modern T-shirt printing shop to stay competitive.
Advantages:
- Utilizing digital printing technology, patterns printed by DTG printers are very delicate and bright.
- Able to print different forms of patterns and meet customer’s needs of personalized design.
- DTG printer will not use chemical products, no harm to environment.
Disadvantages:
- Digital printing needs to spray a layer of care solution to do pre-treatment firstly. And then use heat press machine to iron the fabrics. After that, spray ink to start printing.
- Fabrics limitation. Fabrics need to contain more than 60% cotton.
- High cost. Related printer, ink and other consumables are expensive.
Does Printing Method Matter?
After surveying the different printing methods that are commonly used, it is evident that there are significant differences and outcomes between the common printing methods. However, there is more at stake than just the quality of a print when it comes to textile printing.
The textile production industry has large implications on the sustainability of the environment and economies around the world. Traditional methods of printing have been resource intensive and resulted in large amounts of contaminated waters flowing into waterways and sewers, harming the environment and the health of off-shore, local communities.
The types of inks used in the various textile printing methods can also have a large impact on global health. All over the world, humans are coming into contact with printed fabrics in many ways every day.
From the clothes we wear, to furniture, to bedding – we are literally rubbing shoulders with printed fabrics.
Ongoing research continues to show that fabric particle shedding is a legitimate health and environmental concern. With this in mind, the types of inks and chemicals used in the printing process definitely does matter.
One more way that the printing method matters is the impact it can have on supporting small businesses and local economies. Traditional methods of printing have not been as friendly toward the small business owner with the large order minimums and setup fees required.
The development of printing methods that enable fast turnaround, no setup costs, and repeatable precision has made the textile industry much more friendly toward small businesses.