Digital textile printing in detail
Also known as: Digital textile print, DTP, Inkjet textile printing
Direct inkjet printing onto textiles without screens — enables photo-realistic motifs, small runs and personalisation.
Description
In digital textile printing, ink droplets (reactive, acid, disperse, pigment or sublimation inks) are jetted directly from inkjet nozzles onto the fabric. Unlike screen printing, no screens are required, making even single pieces economical. Resolutions of 600-1,200 dpi enable photo-realistic motifs with a theoretically unlimited number of colours.
For cotton, reactive ink is preferred (steaming at 102-105 °C and post-washing for fixation); for polyester, sublimation ink (transfer or direct); across all fibres, pigment ink with binder is gaining ground. The digital share of textile printing (as of the mid-2020s) is still below 10 %, but grows at double-digit rates annually.
- Process: drop-on-demand inkjet, 600-1200 dpi
- Inks: reactive (CO), sublimation (PES), pigment (universal), acid (PA/WV)
- Pros: no screens, small runs, photorealistic
- Cons: lower print speed, higher ink cost per m²
Properties
| Process | Drop-on-demand inkjet, 600-1200 dpi |
|---|---|
| Ink types | Reactive, sublimation, pigment, acid, disperse |
| Resolution | Typically 720-1440 dpi |
| Economics | Cost-effective from 1 piece to medium runs |
Related product categories
Sources & references
2- Wikipedia: Textildruck Wikipedia — Freie Enzyklopädie https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Textildruck
- FESPA: Digital textile printing fespa.com https://www.fespa.com/en/knowledge/digital-textile-printing
