Digital textile printing

As a result of the downturn in the last years and the economic pressure two major changes are seen in the global textile printing market: more individual designs and shorter run lengths. To reduce sampling costs the ink jet printing technology is penetrating into textile printing. The economics of ink jet printing are the main driver of this technique. The costs per m(2) for ink jet printing are lower for short run lengths than in traditional screen printing. This switches for longer runs. The turning point is an individual factor for every textile printing company. End user require certain coloration and handling properties for production goods as well as for samples. Ink jet inks have to meet these criteria in combination with the right pre- or post-treatment systems. The choice of colorants for textile inks and the performance on the fabric are different from the graphic industry. Multi-step processing systems are reactive and Acid, dye inks. The easier single-step systems are disperse dye and pigment ink systems. BASF established inks based on all four colorants. The future of the ink jet technology in textile printing for sampling and production depends on the two factors, costs per m(2) and running speed.