Analysis of Knitted Garment Printing Process

Knitwear, combined with its versatile design techniques and unique knit texture, brings new visual effects and dress experience to consumers. Among them, the application of more printing decoration techniques has become an important expression and innovative method for the design of knitted products. Moreover, knitted garment printing has the advantages of large quantities and long product cycles in comparison with the printing and dyeing of dyeing and finishing fabrics. It also embodies the advantages of a small batch and tailor-made, which greatly satisfy people's current fast-paced life and different clothing. demand. The following only describes the categories and characteristics of the popularity of knitted garment printing.

1, knitted garments popular printing process analysis

Knitted garment printing can basically be divided into several major categories such as screen printing, transfer printing, and hand-painting according to different processes.

1.1 Screen Printing Screen Printing is the most widely used knitting garment printing technology. It is made of screen-printing materials, printing film on the printing plate (function to prevent the passage of ink) and graphics (by the external force of the scraping pressure of the ink is printed on the substrate), thus forming a printing pattern. The entire printing process includes the preliminary computer color separation design - a film out of the film - drying network - printing - drying steps.

General printing paste is divided into two types of glue and water slurry, so the printing is divided into offset and watermark.

1.1.1. Slurry printing Slurry printing is the most common process in the printing of knitted garments. It is also the most basic printing process in the screen printing industry. Its working principle is similar to that of dyeing, but the difference is that it "stains" a certain area of ​​the fabric into the color needed for the flower position. This process can be printed on almost all light-colored fabrics. The water paste in the water paste printing is a water-soluble resin paste, which is used to reconcile and dilute the pigment pigments printed on the clothes. It belongs to the auxiliary agent, does not show color itself, is transparent, and is soluble in water. After the printed matter is dried, it is dissolved in the first few washes, and the pigment is combined with the fabric and is insoluble in water. The printed part of the water paste will become soft after washing, which is exactly the same as that of the unprinted part.

Advantages: The water paste printing is very mature in terms of feel, color brightness, color fastness, and process experience. It is the most common printing process. It is more suitable for large-area printing patterns, has a good fastness, and can print better results at a relatively low price. Insufficient: The limitations of the water printing process cannot be applied to all dark fabrics. Multi-color printing ink paste color part is easy to produce color change. Applicable knitwear category: mainly used for white, light-colored knitted T-shirt printing and knitted underwear products. For example, the white round neck short-sleeved T-shirt in Figure 1 belongs to the basic design. It looks like a disorganized and regular pattern of personalized water paste printing designs through the front of the chest, thus improving the overall apparel. Aesthetic vision.

1.1.2. Paste Printing Paste printing is also one of the common screen printing. Its appearance and widespread application are after the water paste printing, because the paste has a gel coverage, thus overcoming the water paste printing. Limitation, adapt to a variety of color depth and material printing. After drying, there will be a layer of plastic printed surface, and it is not airtight. Therefore, for T-shirts worn in the summer, do not use large areas of glue printing. The large area of ​​the pattern is best to use water to print, then embellish some of the mortar, so that it can not only solve the problem of large areas of mortar hard, but also highlight the layering of the pattern.

Advantages: Wide range of applications, high color reproduction, good texture, elasticity, lustre, can cover the background color of all dark clothing, including black (see Figure 2 glue print). The glue printing does not require water washing and steaming, which is in line with the current policy direction of energy conservation, consumption reduction, transformation and upgrading, and coincides with the concept of low-carbon environmental protection initiated by the current society. Insufficient: The traditional glue printing has a harder feel and poor air permeability. However, with the use of binders in coating colorants and the optimization of formulation processes, the use of paste printing to replace water paste printing has gradually become a trend. Applicable Knitwear Category: Knitwear commonly used for outerwear. However, with the development of the latest coating printing technology, especially the promotion of low-temperature self-crosslinking environmental protection adhesives and the emergence of high-quality paint-printed silk products in the market, people have thought about the alternative printing of dye printing with glue printing. It is possible that this type of printing technology is expected to make a difference in the field of non-clothing of knitted garments.

1.1.3. Foam Printing Foam Printing, also known as three-dimensional printing, is developed on the basis of the glue printing process. The principle is to add several certain proportions of high expansion coefficient chemicals to the glue printing dyes. After being dried, the printed bits are foamed at a high temperature of 200-300°C to achieve a three-dimensional effect similar to "relief" and elastic, like foamed sponge products.

Advantages: printing effect three-dimensional. Inadequate: only suitable for monochrome point, line printing, not suitable for block and dot printing. Combined with other forms of printing process can achieve good results. Applicable knitwear categories: knitted sportswear and casual wear are often used.

1.1.4. Discharging Printing Discharging printing refers to printing on a colored fabric with a discharge agent and destroying some pigments that have been dyed, so that a variety of patterns and patterns can be printed. This method can be divided into white (white) and pattern is colored (pull) 2 kinds. The latter dyeing method makes the fabric pattern fine, but the process is complicated and the cost is high. Discharge printing process is widely used in the printing of knitted T-shirt designs. Figure 4: The part of the dendrite in the discharge printing piece adopts the discharge technique, which can create ordinary fabrics with special pattern effects with varying shades and mottled appearance. It expresses new feelings in the visual and clothing styles, and adds knitted garments. Personalized performance means.

1.2. Transfer printing Transfer printing technology is a kind of printing technology popular in recent years. The principle of general thermal transfer printing is to print (print) the pattern onto transfer paper first, and then print the pattern on the T-shirt fabric through high temperature and high pressure. . It is based on the sublimation characteristics of some disperse dyes, selects the disperse dyes sublimated at 150-230°C, and mixes them with the paste to make "color inks", and then prints the "color inks" according to different design pattern requirements. Transfer paper (this is a special kind of paper, it is called transfer paper), and then transfer the printed pattern printed paper and fabric closely, under the control of a certain temperature, pressure and time, the dye from the printing paper Transfer to the fabric, through the diffusion into the fabric inside, so as to achieve the purpose of coloring.

Thermal transfer printing is mainly for knitted garments made of polyester fabrics, but how to carry out transfer printing and printing processing for knitted garments made of natural fibers such as cotton, wool, and silk, has only recently been tackled and industrialized as a technical problem, that is, cold transfer. Printing technology, which is the first printing method to the appropriate water-soluble dye ink (such as reactive dyes or weak acid dyes), printing on the special paper to print the pattern or text, printed into a transfer printing paper. The alkali-laminated fabric and the transfer paper simultaneously enter the transfer roller, and the same operation as the thermal transfer printing, that is, the side on which the dye ink is transferred on the transfer printing paper is adhered to the printed fabric, and then the dye ink is pressed by the pressure. Separation and peeling from the paper, transferring the pattern or text on the transfer printing paper to the fabric. This type of printing method is characterized by a strong type of fabric, a short process flow, a free design, and a vivid and fine print pattern.

Advantages: The operation is rapid and convenient, and does not require complex front-end processes such as film, plate making, and color adjustment, which makes the customization of small-batch or even single-piece printing a reality. With direct computer output, it is possible to produce photo-quality photo prints with vivid colors. Inadequate: relatively low color fastness, high cost of mass customization. There is still a gap between hand feel and long-term fastness compared with screen printing. There are also major limitations in the location, such as where it is not suitable for the collar or seams. In addition, when using cotton products, the effect is not as good as that of chemical fiber fabrics.

1.3, hand-painted hand-painted by virtue of its unique operability, easy to implement, free and flexible to convey the pattern design. The operator can paint directly on the fabric with acrylic paint or textile dye, or use inkjet printing. Figure 6 shows the sample (a) and the final sweater ready-to-wear item (b) completed by students. Free and random patterns, the use of blooming pens, quite Chinese style charm, color matching and clothing color coordination, after all, is a successful student work.

1.4, other special category printing 1.4.1, flocking printing strong three-dimensional, printing patterns with the light receiving surface of different subtle changes in light and shade, rich visual effects. The working principle is to transfer the high-strength compound resin adhesive brightener onto the surface of the substrate with a screen containing a desired flower position, and then let the fiber piles be charged through a high-voltage electrostatic field of several hundred thousand volts. The fluff is evenly and evenly “impacted” to the adhesive, and a layer of fluff is “laid” on the surface of the fabric and then cured at a high temperature. Mostly applied to the knitwear of fashion models.

1.4.2. Hot Stamping Silver The application of this technology enables the printing pattern to exhibit a metallic impression of a new printing effect, dazzling and flashing. The principle is to add special chemicals in the printing paste, which is a very ideal printing decoration process.

1.4.3 Digital Printing Digital printing is the product of the trend of low-carbon environmental protection. It is a printing method that uses a computer-controlled jet printer to directly spray dye onto fabrics. With high production efficiency and unaffected by pattern style, area and color, it can achieve photo effect. However, due to the high cost, it is mainly used in high-grade knitted fabrics.

In addition, innovations in production processes are spurring the emergence of new types of printing. Photosensitive, thermal-sensitive coating, luminous printing, fragrance printing, photo printing, etc. are applied to knitted garments to create a variety of dress options for consumers. To meet people's differentiated consumer demand, there is a good prospect for the development of knitted apparel products.

2、Comprehensive process performance printing

The above is the application of a common single printing and dyeing process on knitted garments. However, it is not uncommon for multiple, multi-process crossover innovations. The combination of water slurry and hot stamping silver, the combination of foaming process and glue and so on. In addition, the cross-border combination of the printing process and other types of decorative processes has expanded the design of knitted garments. For example, the combination of the glue craft used in knitting children's wear design and the appliqué or embroidery is also the highlight of the flat and three-dimensional effect, the combination of the printing process and hot drilling, and so on.

3, the impact of printing process on the design of knitted garments

Through the above analysis, it is not difficult to notice that the application of printing is becoming the main feature of the design of knitted garments, and the trend of intensified display under the hands of designers. In the latest release of the autumn and winter 2011 fashion, many big brands have launched print clothing costumes, unique and innovative enough to blow up the new fashion. The diversified and composite design of the printing process is affected by the knitwear design. If the designer has enough knowledge of various printing processes, he can better select the best process that is suitable for the performance of the design content, better express the design, and realize the process. Perfect combination with art.