TEXTILE CHEMICAL PROCESSING

[ASSIGNMENT]
PRINTING PROCESSES:

There are five main methods of printing a fabric, these being the block, roller, screen,
heat transfer and ink-jet methods. The heat transfer method differs from the others in
that it involves the transfer of color from the design printed on paper through the vapour
phase into the fibres of the fabric. With the other methods the dye or pigment is applied
to the fabric surface through a print paste medium. The ink jet printing process
however is a comparatively recent innovation and is referred to as a 'non-impact'
method, because the print paste is fired on to the textile from a jet which is not actually
in contact with the fabric.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF PRINTING METHODS

BLOCK PRINTING:

The blocks are usually made of wood and the design is hand carved, so that it stands
out in relief against the background surface. The print paste is applied to the design
surface on the block and the block then pressed against the fabric. The process is
repeated with different designs and colours until the pattern is complete.
ROLLER PRINTING:

Roller printing has traditionally been preferred for long production runs because of the
very high speeds possible. It is also a versatile technique since up to a dozen different
colours can be printed simultaneously. The basic roller printing equipment consists of
a number of copper faced rollers in which the design is etched. There is a separate
printing roller for each colour being printed. Each of the rollers rotates over the fabric
under pressure against an iron pressure roller. A blanket and backing cloth rotate over
the pressure roller under the fabric and provide a flexible support for the fabric being
printed. A colour doctor blade removes paste or fibres adhering to the roller after
contact with the fabric. After the impression stage the fabric passes to the drying and
steaming stages.

SCREEN PRINTING

This type of printing has increased enormously in its use in recent years because of
its versatility and the development of rotary screen printing machines which are
capable of very high rates of production. An additional significant advantage is that
heavy depths of shade can be produced by screen printing, a feature which has always
been a limitation of roller printing because of the restriction to the amount of print paste
which can be held in the shallow depth of the engraving on the print roller. Worldwide,
some 61% of all printed textile fabric is produced by the rotary screen method and
23% by flat screen printing.

There are two basic types of screen printing process, the flat screen and the rotary
screen methods.

HEAT TRANSFER PRINTING

Transfer printing techniques involve the transfer of a design from one medium to
another. The most common form used is heat transfer printing in which the design is
printed initially on to a special paper, using conventional printing machinery. The paper
is then placed in close contact with the fabric and heated, when the dyes sublime and
transfer to the fabric through the vapor phase.

INK-JET PRINTING

There has been considerable interest in the technology surrounding non-impact

RESIST PRINTING

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.

PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING

A method of printing from photoengraved rollers. The resultant design looks like a
photograph. The designs may also be photographed on a silk screen which is used in
screen printing.

PIGMENT PRINTING

Printing by the use of pigments instead of dyes. The pigments do notpenetrate the
fiber but are affixed to the surface of the fabric by means of synthetic resins whichare
cured after application to make them insoluble. The pigments are insoluble, and
application isin the form of water-in-oil or oil-in-water emulsions of pigment pastes and
resins. The colors produced are bright and generally fat except to crocking.

BLOTCH PRINTING

A process wherein the background color of a design is printed rather than dyed.

BURN-OUT PRINTING

A method of printing to obtain a raised design on a sheer ground. The design is applied
with a special chemical onto a fabric woven of pairs of threads of different fibers. One
of the fibers is then destroyed locally by chemical action. Burn-out printing is often
used on velvet. The product of this operation is known as a burnt-out print.
DIRECT PRINTING:

A process wherein the colors for the desired designs are applied directly to the white
or dyed cloth, as distinguished from discharge printing and resist printing.

DISCHARGE PRINTING

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
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.

DUPLEX PRINTING

A method of printing a pattern on the face and the back of a fabric with equal clarity

Styles of Printing:

The various processes by which fabrics are printed with different types of chemicals
are meant the styles of printing or print style. There are various styles of printing
available among which following are the most important.

A. Direct style
B. Discharge style
C. Resist style
A. Direct printing style:
The direct style is the easiest and least expensive of the three main printing styles. It
involves the printing of a pattern with dyes directly onto white fabric. This style is
suitable for the printing of both simple and complicated designs; color matching with
the original design is also easy. Thereby, this is the most popular and most
extensively used style for mass produced printed fabrics.
B. Discharge style of printing:
The literal meaning of the word “discharge” is to eliminate or to remove. It means the
style of printing which can produce a white or colored effect on a previously dyed
fabric ground.

This discharging of color from previously dyed ground is carried out by a discharging
agent, which is capable of destroying color by oxidation and reduction.

The discharging agents are – oxidizing agent (i.e. Potassium chlorate, Na-chlorate
etc.) or reducing agent (i.e. Rongalite-c, Stannous chloride etc.)
TYPES OF DISCHARGE PRINTING STYLE:

2 types of discharging styles are available. White discharge and colored discharge.

a. White discharge:

The fabric is dyed with certain class of dye and then printed (according required
design) with a print paste containing “Reducing agent” (usually “Rongolite C”) with no
dyes. After printing, the fabric is steamed. The reducing agent on the printed portion
destroys the ground color and thus produced a white on base color.

b. Color discharge:

The fabric is dyed with certain class of dye and then printed (according to required
design) with a print paste containing “Reducing agent” (usually “Rongolite C”) with
dyestuff. After printing, the fabric is steamed. The reducing agent on the printed portion
destroys the ground color and due to the presence of dye in print paste, the new color
is replaced with the design area. Thus it produces a color-color combination.

C. Resist style of printing:

The literal meaning of the term “Resist” is to prevent or to hinder. A resist (wax or other
resinous substance) solution is applied according print design that will prevent the
fixation of any coloring agent employed after words on that area.

It is one of the oldest printing style in which two resulting pattern can be obtained. In
resist printing the fabric is first printed with an agent that resists either dye penetration
or dye fixation. During subsequent dyeing, only the areas free of the resist agent are
colored.
Types of resist printing style:

2 types of resist styles are available. White resist and colored resist.

a. White resist:
No color is added to the resist print paste. After printing according to design the fabric
dried and then dyed so the unprinted portion will be dyed. The printed portion will be
un-dyed. Thus it gives a color-white combination.
b. Color resist:
Required color is added to the resist printing paste. After printing according to design
the fabric dried and then dyed so the unprinted portion will be dyed according to dye’s
color and the printed portion will be printed according print paste color. This it gives a
color-color combination.