Digital Printing

Presented by, A.Preethi, 12MAT05

Introduction to Digital Printing

Digital printing refers to methods of printing from a digital based image directly to a variety of media. It usually refers to professional printing where small run jobs from desktop publishing and other digital sources are printed using large format and/or high volume laser or inkjet printers. It is a non-contact method of substrate decoration.

Digital Printing Technology

There are various technologies available for digital printing. Among these the most popular is inkjet prining technology. The principle of operation involves, directing minute droplets of ink, from a nozzle, on to the printing substrate. Although there are different ways of producing the droplets, a common feature is the computer control of droplet position inkjet and drop on demand. Their application can be further subdivided as indicated below.

Continuous Flow
In this technology, a continuous stream of ink is produced by forcing it through a narrow nozzle at a pressure of about 3 x 105 Pa. The resulting high velocity breaks the ink stream into fine droplets. Directional control over the droplets is obtained by inducing an electrostatic charge on them as they leave the nozzle. The charged droplets then pass through a set of like charged pates which repel and deflect the droplets to the gutter ( collection reservoir.) for recycling (continuous binary inkjet) or to the required position in the substrate (continuous multi deflection inkjet).

Thermal Inkjet or Bubble Jet Technology

Bubble Jet printer uses a small heating element to create pressure droplets on demand within the ink reservoir. The small quantity of ink present in each nozzle is heated by a resistive heating element actuatted by the digital data stream. The ink boils creating a bubble which forces an equivalent volume of ink droplet through the nozzle and on to the substrate. Thermal inkjets offer low cost print heads but suffer from slow speed. In thermal inkjet printers two variations are available- side shooter thermal inkjet and rear shooter thermal inkjet. Thermal printers are well suited for low volume printing. The system restricts the use of binder containing pigment inks. The high temperatures cause often decomposition of ink components, which leads to nozzle clogging. Therefore, only thermally stable inks can be used.

Piezo Drop on Demand Technology

This is one of the simplest ways of generating drops on demand. It makes use of the Piezo Electric effect in which small electronic impulses delivered to suitable crystalline materials causes them to expand. This transducer, incorporated in the ink chamber, enables pressure pulses to be created in the ink. Droplets are generated intermittently according to the electronic signals received. Several variations exist if the basic mechanism by whichh srystal of Lead Zirconium Titanates(PZT) turn electrical signals into mechanical pressure pulses to produce ink droplets. There are shear mode, bend mode, push mode, squeeze mode or hybrid or coupled mode. These printers have the advantage of much greater print head life than the thermal based systems ( 100 times). Piezo inkjet printers are now in use in a number of printers for textile substrates. A number of companies are producing and developing wide format piezo printers for printing wider width cloth.

Pretreatment
Fabric are pretreated with various surface active agents, gums and fine particulate coatings inorder to maximise the absorbency and reactivity of the textile substrate towards the inks, while minimizing their spreading to prevent loss of defintion and coor intensity. Many patented and propreitory formulations exists, ranging from simple formulations of soda ash, alginate and urea to more sophisticated combinations of cationic agents, softeners, polymers and inorganic particulates such as fumed silica. Many of these have been aimed at fashion fabrics such as cotton, silk, nylon and wool.