Many different methods exist for print on fabric, making final decisions challenging. Do you think reactive printing might work for your undertaking? What sets it apart from other forms of printing, and what are its benefits?
The reactive printing method will be examined in detail today. What follows is a complete guide to the most important aspects of this novel and powerful printing technique.
Grasp the concept of reactive printing
Using a reactive printing procedure, colour may be fixed into a cloth for good. This means it will hold up well to several washings and will not fade. Because of the greater colour production, the colours are more vivid and resistant to rubbing. This method works well with protein fibres found in natural fabrics like silk, cotton, wool, cashmere, linen, hemp, etc. Textiles made from synthetic materials or polymers do not work well with reactive printing.
How does it work
Reactive printing is a technique that permanently imprints designs into the fibres of a cloth using reactive dye and steam. After the cloth has been prepared, it is printed with reactive dyes using an inkjet printer. The dye is then "set" into the cloth by steaming them at a high temperature. The chemical interaction between the dye, the pre-treatment, and the steam generates a covalent bond, infusing the fibre with colour. After the cloth has been pretreated and dyed, it is washed to remove the excess of both, leaving behind a design that is both vivid and resistant to wear.
Printing process
Before printing, a specific coating is applied to the cloth. This provides a strong connection between the dye and the fibres of the cloth.
The cloth with the reactive dye is printed using an inkjet.
The printed cloth is treated with a high-pressure steamer set to a very high temperature in order to fix the colours into the fibres. As a result, it guarantees that the print will persist through several washes without losing its lustre.
The printed cloth goes through a washing process to get rid of any remaining pre-treatment or excess colour.
Nature of reactive dye
Perhaps you're confused about the difference between reactive dye and pigment and other types of dye. For printing onto protein fibres like silk, linen, and cotton, a reactive dye is utilised. This sort of dye forms a covalent link with the fibres of a textile when its molecules are disseminated into the fibres.
This dye is available in a broad spectrum of vivid hues, and it's as potent as they come. Also, using reactive dye, it is possible to permanently infuse patterns into materials. To ensure that your artwork and all of its colours are accurately replicated on the cloth, this dye delivers a high colour yield. You won't have to settle for less while working with intricate designs. Prints can withstand several washings without losing their colour or quality.
Positive aspects of reactive printing
Reactive printing results in durable, high-quality prints. In addition to its many other advantages, the reactive printing technique also provides increased resistance to wear and washing. Products may be cleaned repeatedly without losing their shape or colour. The highest quality digital printing is achieved using the reactive printing mode. It is often used for high-end fibres like silk because of how efficient it is. The amount of pigment extracted is rather high. Whenever you need it, the brightest colours and precise tonalities may be printed precisely how you like.
On the other hand, sublimation printing utilises the CMYK colour space to produce a wide range of colours. Instead, reactive printing employs seven dyes to create subtler and more nuanced tones.
Things which distinguishes it
Printing onto fabric may be done in a number of techniques, including sublimation, pigment printing, and reactive dye printing. Sublimation employs the use of a heat press and ink as opposed to high-temperature steaming and dye. The manner in which the colour is anchored into the cloth is distinct, but no less powerful. Pigment printing requires the cloth to be pre-treated so that the ink can adhere to the surface. Natural fabrics like pure cotton fibres fare the best in this scenario.
As the name suggests, reactive printing involves a chemical interaction between the ink and the fibres of the cloth. Reactive dye printing provides greater durability in textiles. No matter how many times you wash them at 40 degrees, they will retain their original hue. High-quality, long-lasting patterns are a guarantee when you use reactive printing.
Criticism of reactive printing
Reactive printing has been criticised for a long time because it wastes so much water. Often, printers would utilise industrial-sized washing machines to wash the cloth to remove extra colours and treatment. This may result in water waste spilling into adjacent rivers, hurting the ecology. This approach wastes more water than is required and does not properly dispose of garbage, which has negative effects on the environment.
To overcome this, at Contrado we utilise extremely modern washing machines that specialise in small batch washing. This means we only utilise the quantity of water required. We carefully monitor our method to make sure it doesn't hurt the environment and properly dispose of any ink or water waste that is produced.
Conclusion
Finally, when printing on natural and protein fibres, reactive printing is your best bet. The very efficient method of permanently printing on fabric by binding the fibre and dye together. Reactive printing is the best method for printing on organic materials, no matter how intricate or colourful the design.
In that case, why delay any longer? Print out the results and judge for yourself. And if you are looking for a trustable brand for high quality authentic fabric then you can end your quest with fabriclore. Here you can have a huge variety of dyeable fabric in order to print them. We source our fabrics from local fabric manufacturers to ensure high level quality. With us explore the heavy range of dyeable fabrics so that you can experiment with reactive printing and designs. So be ready to be creative with designs.
