Digital fabric printing is a relatively new technology with tons of applications. Most commercial fabrics are rotary screen printed; each print run is typically several thousand yards. These fabrics are quite high in price due to the cost and time required to prepare a unique set of screens. Digital printing's big advantage is the ability to do small runs of each design -- there are no screens to prepare.
The inks used in digital printing are formulated specifically for each type of fiber (cotton, silk, polyester, etc.). During the printing process, the fabric is fed through the printer using rollers and ink is applied to the surface in the form of thousands of tiny droplets. The fabric is then finished using heat and/or steam to cure the ink (some inks also require washing and drying). Digitally printed fabric will wash and wear the same as any other fabric.
Designs can be created digitally with almost any graphic design software (Photoshop and Illustrator are the most popular). As well, artwork or photographs can be scanned and then digitally manipulated to make a pattern.
Determine what color model the digital printer (most often CYMK or Lab) and select colors accordingly. Colors will appear differently on the fabric than on the computer screen. Personalizationis a great way to make the fabric unique. Every yard printed can be completely customized and personalized. With digital printing, Lean and Just in Time (JIT) manufacturing is a key attributes -- small runs of fabric can easily be printed for sampling purposes. No more hunting high and low for the perfect print, only to find that it's no longer available. The major downside to digital printing is the cost. As with any new technology, the costs are always high when it first becomes available. As time goes on and the technology continues to develop it will undoubtedly becomemore affordable.
When dealing with printing services, expect to pay around $20 to $50 per yard of finished fabric. Most services have no minimums and allow purchases as low as 1 yard at a time. Some have minimums and set-up fees but the cost per yard may be lower. The typical turn-around time is 2-3 weeks, but may be more if the base fabric is out of stock. Other unique digital resources are new papers like synthetic paper, waterproof paper and vinyl paper.
Oliver David writes articles for blogs on topics like sticker paper and synthetic paper.
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