Printing introduces an elegant look to a garment with the designs and patterns. There are two ways to apply a print on fabric either by hand or either by machine.
Hand Printing
Hand printing is the traditional way of printing through hands followed by the centuries. Block printing, screen printing, and stencil printing are types of hand printing.
Block Printing
Block printing refers to the use of blocks made of wood. The unwanted parts of the block are slit to carve a design on it. These blocks are then dipped in the ink and the pressure is applied on the fabric, to transfer the designs on the fabric.
Screen Printing
In the screen printing method, the ink is transferred through a wollen screen (also known as mesh stencil) on the fabric. Screen printing is either done with the flat or cylindrical screen.
Stencil Printing
In stencil printing, the design first slit from the cardboard, wood, or metal. These slit designs are known as stencils. On fabric, the designs are transferred with the use of stencils by applying ink. Generally, stencil printing is used for narrow width of fabric like block printing.
Machine Printing
Machine Printing is the modern way of printing with the involvement of advanced technology.
Duplex Printing
Duplex printing pertains to the printing on every facet of the fabric. The fabric has to travel through the roller printing machine for imprinting the design on it.
Transfer Printing
Transfer printing is related to the process in which the substances are heated or cooled to transfer its state from solid to vapour and vapour to solid respectively. Due to the heat, the dye vaporizes on the paper which is then fed into the machine. Later the fabric absorbs the dye.
Photo Printing
In the photo printing process, the chemical coating is applied to the fabric which is light sensitive. The negative of the design is set to the fabric and the light is forged to fall on it. Through this process the design of negative prints on the fabric.
Roller Printing
In roller printing, cylinders or rollers with the designs are put to use. The number of rollers depends upon the number of colors to be used in printing.
The fabric travels through these rollers to print the design on it. The Roller printing machine comprises a large central cylindrical roller, which makes the fabric travel easily. If there are 5 different colors in design then the fabric has to pass through the 5 rollers. In this way, the print is transferred to the fabric.
