Dec. 16, 2024
With the increasing market demand for digital printing, the performance and quality of pigment ink continue to improve. As a greener, sustainable alternative, pigment ink has become the choice of most environmentally conscious companies.
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Pigment ink is compatible with blended fabrics
As a result of the development investments made by ink manufacturers, now pigment inks can be adapted to a wide range of fabric types, providing perfect print results on blended, natural and synthetic fabrics. Pigment printing has become a high-quality and reliable solution for textile printing.
The compatibility of pigment ink with both natural and synthetic fabrics makes pigment ink the most versatile choice for printing. In addition, pigment ink adheres to the top of the material, making it particularly effective on polyester/cotton fabrics. The compatibility of pigment inks with blended fabrics has made them increasingly popular in the casual apparel market.
Pigment ink is more convenient
Pigment inks reduce the number of steps in the printing process. There is no need to steam and wash the fabric after printing, saving processing time and energy consumption. In today's increasingly environmentally conscious world, eliminating the need to steam and wash fabrics can effectively reduce carbon emissions. Therefore, switching to digital pigment ink is also a more environmentally friendly and sustainable option.
Improvement of color quality
Digital pigment inks allow for a dramatic increase in color fastness and color brightness, with results that are virtually indistinguishable from reactive and heat sublimation printing techniques. Innovations in ink chemistry and fabric pretreatment have improved the quality of printed textiles. Because pigments do not have adhesive properties, previous water-based pigment inks had lower wash fastness than other digital inks. With the correct pretreatment of the fabric, high color brightness can be ensured and the quality of the finished textile can be significantly improved.
Excellent light fastness
Colorfastness is an important technical criterion in the printing industry, and another outstanding property of pigment inks is their excellent lightfastness. This makes digital pigment printing ideal for both domestic and outdoor textiles. Excellent light fastness does not mean that wash fastness is reduced. Pre-treatment ensures that colors remain bright and vibrant so that the application can also be used in the fashion market.
Improve operational efficiency and performance
The rapid development of pigment inks has made them better suited to the growing number of printers without risking downtime. Quality pigmented inks help keep printers running smoothly and efficiently for optimum operational performance.
As the global population grows, the demand for stylish, sustainable, and customizable clothing has grown. Brands are searching for more cost-effective and customizable textile printing methods and materials as personal styles become more eccentric thanks to the rise of social media and the ease of sharing individual fashion to global audiences.
The global market of textile printing, comprising both analog (rotary screen printing) and digital printing technologies, is expected to exceed $260 billion by , according to Grandview Research. Pigment inks, in particular, dominate the direct-to-fabric inkjet printing industry, accounting for 57% of the market.
What's more, the rising demand for customizable and eco-friendly fashion has the textile industry looking to pigment ink for DTG printing to satisfy the needs of a growing customer base that prioritizes authenticity and sustainability. Pigment ink offers low energy and water consumption, paired with the ease of personalization that supports agile marketing in the garment industry.
Pigment Ink and the DTG Printing Market
Pigment inks have taken the textile industry by storm. These versatile inkjet inks offer compatibility with high-speed printhead technology, mass customization, individual personalization, and even sustainability benefits for short-run print demands across multiple markets.
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Pigment ink was introduced to the textile printing industry barely more than a decade ago. Since then, countless clothing brands, printing companies, and ink manufacturers like Kao Collins have adopted water-based pigment formulations that deliver high-quality results when printed on fabrics or garments.
What are Water Based Pigment Inks?
Printing textiles with water-based pigment ink involves a combination of solid colorants and polymers binding the ink to fabric with the application of heat.
However, pigment ink is never completely absorbed into the fabric.
This contrasts with the dye-sublimation process of textile printing, which transfers ink from a special paper to the fabric. It is absorbed and usually coated to protect the printed designs from fading or chafing.
Advantages of Pigment Ink for Textile Printing
Water-based pigment inks support the industry's most common DTG printing applications, in addition to offering several advantages over dye sublimation inks:
The alternative DTG technique, dye-sublimation, comes with several disadvantages, including narrow textile range, washability, dye migration, and higher cost per print because of the labor-intensive process.
Sustainability Benefits
Pigment ink is considered one of the most environmentally-friendly and sustainable ink options available for the textile printing industry today.
More brands are considering water-based pigment ink an ideal choice for DTG printing since it helps them meet increasing consumer demands for more eco-friendly and sustainable products. The textile industry has traditionally faced considerable scrutiny for environmental waste due to its contribution to global pollution.
With the rise of public demand for sustainable business practices in all industries, textile printing companies are looking to ink manufacturers for more eco-friendly alternatives. According to an article from Forbes, the hope is to limit the 'hidden cost' of the textile industry, which is water pollution.
Due to its low use of water and energy paired with non-toxic chemicals and biodegradable makeup, pigment ink supports the efforts to achieve greater environmental responsibility.
Moreover, when choosing pigment inks for textile materials, the quality of the products improves. Long-lasting color, soft to the touch, water resistance, and durability during wash is just some of the benefits customers experience with pigment inks.
On the business side, pigment inks do not clog print heads, provide excellent performance on high-speed industrial piezo heads, adapt to a range of textile substrates, and provide instant color matching.
And, compared to established dye-sublimation, no transfer papers are required.
Applications
Pigment ink applications for the textile industry include clothing, upholstery for furniture, and soft signage for graphic display.
Unlike other inks for textile printing, water-based pigment inks have fewer limitations on the fabrics that can be printed. The ink can print on 100% cotton, poly blends (50% cotton/50% polyester), tri-blends, and silk.
LUNAJET
In addition to a more sustainable chemical make-up, pigment inks also offer a variety of benefits to LUNAJET users. The ink incorporates nano-pigments that are better for the health of print nozzles, the ability to print on a wide range of textiles (including synthetics), and a wide color gamut. LUNAJET offers flexibility without cracking.
Want more information on textile pigment ink? Feel free to contact us.
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