APPAREL AND TEXTILE PRODUCTION II Fabric Dyeing, Printing, and Finishes

Dyeing A method of giving color to textiles using coloring agents called dyes.

Colorfast implies that the color in a fabric will not fade or change with normal use and care.

Textile products are dyed at the following stages: Fiber (Excellent) Yarn (Best) Piece (Better) Garment (Good)

Fiber Dyeing Involves dyeing the fibers before they are spun into yarns. Advantages include: Good colorfastness Uniform color throughout fiber Clear, rich colors

Fiber Dyeing

Yarn Dyeing Involves dyeing the yarns before weaving or knitting them into fabric. Advantages include: Good color absorption

Fabric Examples include: Plaids Checks Stripes

Yarn Dyeing

Piece Dyeing Involves dyeing the fabric after it is woven or knitted. Advantages include: Most common dyeing method Lease expensive Very fast

Disadvantages include: Mostly solid colors Less dye penetration into the fibers and yarns

Piece Dyeing

Fabric Examples include: Solid colored garments “Heathered” garments

Garment Dyeing Involves dyeing the garments to fill retail orders for requested colors. Advantages include: This method is gaining in popularity. Garment producers can wait and dye only the colors ordered by stores.

Garment Dyeing

Fabric Printing A process for adding color, pattern or design to the surface of fabric. It is done on the right side of the fabric with the wrong side being unprinted or much lighter than the right side.

Roller Printing Color for the design is applied to fabric as it goes through a series of rollers. Rollers are engraved (carved) with the design to be printed. Each color has a different roller.

Advantages include: Simple and fast Inexpensive Most common printing method

Roller Printing

Screen Printing Done on flat screen frames and is similar to stenciling. Each color has its own screen.

Advantages include: Good for large designs Better quality designs than roller printing method

Disadvantages include: Slow printing method

Screen Printing by Hand

Screen Printing by Machine

Rotary Screen Printing A combination of roller and screen printing. Dye is transferred through screens that roll over the fabric.

Advantages include: Can print large designs Accurate and fast This method is gaining in popularity.

Rotary Screen Printing

Heat Transfer Printing The desired dyes and patterns are placed onto paper using a rotary screen printer. The paper is placed on the fabric and with heat and pressure the colors and patterns are transferred to the fabric.

T-shirts are printed using this method. Like a “temporary tattoo” for fabric

Heat Transfer Printing

Digital Printing The newest method of fabric printing. It is like ink-jet printing with a computer but rolls the fabric through an extra-wide printer. Droplets of color are “spit” onto the fabric.

Advantages include: Fast Inexpensive Environmentally safe Can print small or large amounts of fabric at the same time

Digital Printing