What are the printing techniques of denim fabrics

With the continuous development of printing and dyeing technology, the style of denim fabrics continues to change. Printed denim fabrics are widely favored by consumers for their three-dimensional and realistic style. In terms of its printing process, the denim industry currently mainly involves discharge printing and transfer printing.

Discharge printing is to print a discharge agent on the fabric dyed with ground color to make the printed pattern become white, which is called white discharge; to make the printing pattern appear lighter ground color is called half-draw; to make the printed pattern The appearance of other colors is called color plucking. Discharge printing can print bright and complex patterns on large-area ground-colored printed fabrics, and the pattern outlines are clear and rich in three-dimensionality.

In transfer printing, the dye is printed on the transfer printing paper first, and then the dye in the pattern is transferred to the textile through processing during the transfer printing, and fixed to form the pattern. According to different transfer methods, transfer printing can be divided into thermal transfer printing and cold transfer printing. Thermal transfer printing refers to the printing process in which the printed paper with disperse dye patterns is transferred to the fabric under a certain temperature and pressure. It is especially suitable for polyester fabrics. Cold transfer printing refers to the printing process in which the printed paper with reactive dye patterns is transferred to the cotton cloth that has been dipped in lye under a certain pressure, and then the printing process is cold piled and fixed.

Because the cold transfer printing technology can directly use the transfer printing paper at room temperature, the popular elements can be transferred to the denim fabric by the high-precision cold transfer printing machine, and the effect of bright colors, clear layers and exquisite patterns can be obtained. At the same time, cold transfer printing has attracted the attention of consumers and industry professionals due to the use of cold-batch fixation in the fixing process, which has a shorter process flow and is more energy-saving and environmentally friendly.

However, because most denim fabric manufacturers do not have cold transfer printing equipment, and the required transfer paper plate-making costs are expensive and the transfer paper is difficult to recycle after use, this makes the production cost of the fabric high. In addition, the organizational structure of denim fabrics is rich and changeable. The fiber materials and organizational designs of many fabrics are not suitable for cold transfer printing technology, which restricts the application of this technology in denim production.