Printing Technology

What is screen printing

Textile printing refers to the production of designs of any kind that could not be made on textile fabrics by normal weaving/knitting techniques. Before the printing process, the cloth should be thoroughly prepared by different wet process namely designing, scouring and bleaching. Printing is mainly done on finished fabrics, curtain clothes, ladies dress materials, bed sheets, bed covers, fabric for children garments, gents shirts etc. to improve its attractiveness, marketability etc.

Screen printing can be done in single colour or in combination of different colours as per end use requirement. Colour combination is an important area by which the appearance of an ordinary fabric can be improved to a maximum extent. It is, therefore, necessary that the quality printing material, chemicals and printing screen should be good so that printed items are fully accepted in the market.

The various steps involved in printing process are

1.preparation of printing paste,

2.printing of fabric,

3.fixation of dye stuff by curing/steaming,

4.washing off,

5.calendering,

6.folding and packing.

It uses a rigid frame to support a porous mesh (screen) which, in turn, supports a stencil (design). Screens containing the designs is placed over the table and the dye paste is pressed over the screen by means of rubber squeezer. The stencil lets dye paste pass through the mesh (print area) and blocks it everywhere else, to produce an image. A variety of mesh/stencil/squeegee combinations provide a wide range of printing capabilities, thus making screen printing one of the most versatile printing processes known. This same versatility appeals to entrepreneurs in a nearly unlimited number of industries; the wide variety of uses makes screen printing that much more attractive.The selection of dyes and gums depends on the construction of basic cloth to be printed and their end use. After printing, the printed clothes are cured or steamed for the fixation of the colour. Later, the printed material is thoroughly washed to remove loose dye stuffs. Then, it is calendered, folded and packed for the delivery.

   
Quality Control and Standards

A quality printed item should have good fastness to washing, rubbing and light. This can be achieved by properly fixing the print on the cloth by curing or steaming. Dyes to be used should be of good quality and capable of giving bright shades. Printing quality is not covered by any specifications.

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