Digital fabric printing is a relatively new inkjet printing technology that can print any design on fabrics like cotton, silk, and polyester. The process involves pre-treating the fabric, feeding it through a printer that applies tiny ink droplets to form the design, and then curing the ink using steam or heat. Digital fabric printing allows for photographic quality images and unlimited colors to be printed across the entire fabric surface with advantages like lower setup costs for short runs and variable data capability. However, it also has disadvantages like higher costs for larger productions and slower printing speeds compared to traditional fabric printing methods.

1. DIGITAL
FABRIC
PRINTING

2. WHAT IS DIGITAL FABRIC
PRINTING?
DIGITAL FABRIC printing is relatively new
technology with tons of applications.
It is described as an inkjet based method of
printing colorants onto fabric.
Digital fabric printing can print any design on
all kinds of fabric like cotton, silk or poly etc.,

3. CLASSIFICATION OF
PRINTING
Direct printing
Resist printing
Discharge printing
Flocking

4. PRE TREATMENT FOR
DIGITAL PRINT
Before going to digital print, all
fabric need to be coated with
chemicals and prepared for digital
printing.

5. PROCESS OF PRINTING
During the printing process, the fabric is fed
through the printer using feed roller and ink is
applied to surface of fabric in the form of thousand
tiny droplets.
Fabric is printed by digital printers with the
design printed on computer using ink jet based
method of printing colorants onto fabric.
 The fabric is then passed through steam/heat
chamber to cure the ink.
The steamed fabric required washing and drying.

7. VARIOUS STAGES
To fix the impression permanently on the fabric,
the printing process involves the following
stages:
Pre treatment of fabric
Preparation of colors
Preparation of printing paste
Impression of paste on fabric using printing methods
Drying of fabric
 Fixing the printing with steam or hot air
After process treatments

9. ADVANTAGES
The image can be printed all over the entitre item
with no difficulty in printing all the way to the
edges.
This technology is capable of converting any
graphic print on fabric.
 There is no limitation on number of colors.
 It can create both photographic and tonal
graphics with multiple shades and color options on
fabric.
 Setup costs are lower for short runs.
Variable data capability.

10. DISADVANTAGES
Backside of fabric is always is
white.
Sampling and production cost is
high
Cost and lead time will be high for
bigger run.
Speed of digital printing is very
slow.

11. LIMITATIONS
Metallic colors cannot be printed by
these machines.
Incase of flat color printing, there can
be a gamut of colors which the machine
cannot produce.
Maximum width of printing is
150cm/58 degrees.