Can you Clearly Distinguish the Five Digital Textile Inks during Sublimation Printing?

As we know, the ink with many types, can you clearly distinguish them? If you can't do that, I hope my artical can help you! The Introduction of Digital Textile Inks: Disperse, Reactive, Acid, Pigment.

Go more in depth with “Dye Sublimation” Digital Textile Inks.
“Dye sublimation” is commonly known as digital textile printing for many in the industry, but virtually it is just one of several processes that can be used. Theoretically any wide-format printer that able to print on textile can be called a fabric printer. In this article we are speaking only about true digital textile printers that are engineered to bond or infuse ink into fabric rather than technologies such as latex or UV that lay ink on top of the surface of fabric. All the inks we mention below utilize water-soluble dyes.

Let’s look at the difference of inks: disperse, reactive, acid and pigment.
Disperse inks are the well-known type of digital textile inks, and this is often utilized in the process of dye sublimation. Disperse inks penetrate directly into the fibers of the substrate, becoming part of the textile itself. And they are broken down into low-energy, medium-energy and high-energy dispersion. For example, dye sublimation inks are literally a low-energy dye dispersion, most generally used for transfer printing from paper to textile. The sublimation process needs the use of a calendar to deliver heat and pressure. Once the ink and carrier is heated to a high temperature (typically around 380-400 degrees F) the carrier evaporates and the dye turns to gas. Then the gas is received by the “open” synthetic fibers, after they cool, fibers shut and encapsulate the colorant, that then returns to a solid, actually dye the textile.

Reactive ink has dyes. It applied to pretreated fabric by setting chemical bonds with cellulose and then fixated. Reactive inks are most suitable for linen, rayon, nylon and other cellulosic materials.

Acid inks need pretreated material for fixation and are printed directly onto the textile then evaporated to set the ink. The acid inks dye textiles by producing ionic or electrostatic bonds with those such as silk, wool, and nylon. It must be mentioned that fabric with reactive and acid ink must be washed after transfer so that any residue can be removed. Reactive and acid-based inks also should be set into the fabrics with a post-heating process to set the dyes permanently.

Pigment inks are finely ground powder existed in liquid carriers with binders. Where sublimation creates constancy when the dye is encapsulated into a polymer, pigments are bonded to natural fabrics using binders and a heat calender process. Digitally printed fabrics are in high demand, so this is an area we expect to see significant growth in the future.

Here is a conclusion of which inks are best for specific types of fabric:
Disperse and sublimation inks are utilized on polyester, acetate rayon, poly-Lycra® and acrylics and post-treatment heat is required.

Reactive dyes are suitable for various sorts of textiles like cotton, linen, rayon, nylon and other cellulosic textiles. Pre- and post-treatment are required.
Acid dyes works best on several kinds of fabrics, such as wool, silk, polyamides, cashmere, angora and nylon, also post-treatment is required.

Pigment inks are utilized in cotton and natural fabrics better. Post-treatment heat process is needed.

Our specialty is to offer “one-stop sublimation printing solution”.
In the process of printing and transferring, the printer, paper, ink, transfer machine, cutting machine and even the software which can deal with pictures are all sold in our company.

Please believe that our professional degree. Engaged in sublimation transfer printing industry for many years, we can provide the best advice for you.

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