Hans Raj Mahila Maha Vidyalaya, Jalandhr
Techniques of Prints
Dr. Rakhi Mehta.
Head Design Dept, HRMMV.
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.
The dyes used in printing are the same as used in dyeing but these are used in the form of paste. Mordants are used for treating fabrics if necessary
Types of Printing
In printing, wooden blocks, stencils, engraved plates, rollers, or silkscreens 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 a pattern or design.
Many types of fabric gums, resins and binders are used for making the dye paste. Based on these, printing has been divided into two categories
Hand Printing
Hand printing refers to when a cloth is printed with hand, without any machinery or automatic tools
Hand printing textiles includes:
Hand printing
Block printing
Screen Printing
Stencil Printing
1. Block printing
This process is the earliest, simplest and slowest of all printing methods. A design is drawn on, or transferred to, prepared wooden blocks. A separate block is required for each distinct color in the design. A block cutter carves out the wood manually. The block is dipped In the prepared color paste and the block is pressed firmly and steadily on the cloth, striking it smartly on the back with a wooden mallet. Block printing is a slow and repetitive process, carried over the entire fabric. It is costly and a uniform pressure is needed to transfer the color.
2. Screen Printing
Screen printing is a process where ink is forced through a mesh screen onto a surface. Making certain areas of the screen impervious to printing ink creates a stencil, which blocks the printing ink from passing through the screen.
Screen printing is of two types:
Flat screen printing
In this method, the cloth to be printed is stretched on the table which is padded. The screen is made of either wooden or metal fame over which, a silk or nylon gauze has been stretched. A separate screen is required for each color. The area desired to not be printed is covered with a water proof varnish(of hardened gelatin enamel or some other insoluble filler). The screen is then placed over the material and the color paste is brushed over the surface and lightly pressed. the fabric is allowed to dry The screens are generally 4-6 ft tall.
Rotary Screen Printing
Rotary screen is usually made of rolling cylinders. These cylinders were wrapped with a cylinder printing screen. Putting printing ink on the printing cylinder, rolling on printed objects, then the colorful patterns were printed on the object.
3. Stencil printing
Stencil printing originated in Japan. It has high costs. In this printing, the design must be first cut on cardboard, wood or metal. The stencil may have fine, delicate designs or they may have large spaces through which a great amount of color could be applied. A stencil design is usually limited to applicating only one color at a time and is generally used for narrow fabric. Like block printing, this method is very slow.
Machine Printing
It is a process of printing on textiles and garments using specialized or modified inkjet technology. Inkjet printing on fabric is also possible with an inkjet printer by using fabric sheets with a removable paper backing.
Three types of machine printing techniques are:
Machine printing
Resist printing
Transfer printing
Direct roller printing
1. Resist printing
In this, a resistance paste is printed first on the white fabric and the fabric is then piece dyeing. The dye penetrates into the area not covered by the resistance paste.
The materials such as clay or gum are put in a patterned format places where the color is not required. The fabric is subsequently immersed in the dye. The parts where the resist is applied remain unchanged from the dyes effects. Afterwards, the resist is removed, leaving behind a pattern
2. Transfer Printing
This method was introduced in 1960’s. the process utilizes a basic chemical principal whereby certain substance can be passed from one surface to another from solid to vapor while heated and returns to solid when cooled.
This is a two stage process:
Process of Transfer Printing
3. Direct Roller Printing
This method of printing was developed in 1785. with this method, thousands of yard of fabric can be printed in an hour.
This consists of several copper cylinders which are engraved with design. The actual printing of the fabric take a very little time, but the engraving of the design on the rollers is a hard and intricate work, and lasts very long. The roller is as wide as the cloth. The number of rollers depends upon the number of colors used in the design as one roller can only paint one color.
The roller printing consists a large central cylinder around which passes the fabric to be printed. This cylinder rotates with the moving fabric. Against the fabric and this central cylinder, press a number of color printing rollers. Each roller contributes one color.
Each of these rollers are made of copper and engraved with the design, these are placed close to the furnisher rollers which move in intervals, containing the color or the dye. The dye is absorbed by the brush-like surface and transferred to the design engraved rollers.
Next to the design roller is a big iron cylinder where the cloth is drawn as it is printed. The cloth to be printed, a rubberized blanket(for padding) and a Gray cloth is passed between the engraved rollers. The blanket gives a good surface for sharp printing and the Gray cloth protects the blanket beside, absorbing the excess dye.
Printing machines with this kind can be provided with up to 14 color printing rollers, as they are able to produce patterns in 14 colors.
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