Overview of clothing printing technology

Clothing printing is an essential technical means in the modern textile industry. It improves the beauty and personalization of clothing by printing various patterns on fabrics. This article will introduce the main types of clothing printing, including screen printing and digital printing, as well as subdivide multiple processes and their application scenarios.

Screen printing

Screen printing is the most traditional and widely used printing process. Its basic principle is to transfer ink to fabric using a screen template. Screen printing has the characteristics of bright colours and strong coverage and is suitable for mass production. Standard screen printing processes include:

Offset printing: suitable for all kinds of fabrics, especially dark fabrics, but pay attention to the problem of pattern discolouration.

Watermark: Use water-based, environmentally friendly, non-toxic ink suitable for light-coloured fabrics.

Imitation hot stamping printing: Use special inks and processes to produce a similar hot stamping effect, suitable for high-end clothing.

Digital printing

Digital printing is a high-tech printing method that has emerged in recent years. It is divided into digital direct printing and digital thermal transfer printing.

Digital direct printing: Directly spray digital images onto fabrics, suitable for minor batch customization and complex patterns but with high fabric requirements.

Digital thermal transfer printing: Transferring patterns from transfer paper to fabrics through heat pressing, with bright colours but high costs.

Comparison and selection

Screen printing and digital printing each have their advantages and disadvantages. Screen printing is suitable for mass production, low cost, and strong colour expression, while digital printing is flexible and suitable for personalized customization and complex patterns.

Conclusion

Choosing the proper printing process according to production needs and fabric characteristics can significantly improve the market competitiveness of products. In the future, with the development of technology, printing processes will become more diversified and efficient.