Section outline

  • Digital Textile Printing technology is developed with the continuous improvement of computer technology and gradually formed as one of the high-tech products which combine machinery and computer electronic information technology. The emergence and continuous improvement of Digital Textile Printing technology have brought a new concept to the textile printing and dyeing industry. Its advanced production principles and means lead textile printing and dyeing industry to unprecedented opportunities for development. 

    Computing power is employed for three distinct stages in the process of printing textiles digitally. First comes the design work, involving a textile print designer; second, processing the image so that it is in a suitable form for printing; and third, controlling the printer so that each pixel is laid down in the right place with the right mix of inks.


    • RIP Software for Inkjet Digital Textile Printing Lesson



      The digital print method is reliant on digital designs to feed the process. Design information must be delivered to the inkjet printer in digital form. The design file is often prepared and supplied in such universal formats as .tif or .jpg files that hold the pattern and color information the printer software requires for image processing and color management. These files are then interpreted for output at the printer by specialized software programs for color management and raster image processing or `RIP'.

      The digital design environment provides a flexibility that is a key advantage of inkjet printing. 

      As long as the design remains digital, it is possible to make quick changes to pattern or coloration. Digital designs are easily stored or archived and retrieved on demand for production purposes. It is possible to harness such design archives, so that customers can review designs from previous lines or seasons and update or reorder as the market dictates. In the digital print environment it is also possible to create highly unique designs that illustrate special tonal or photographic detail and and are almost unlimited in terms of color number and design length.

      There is also the applicability for print engineering according to the shape of cut parts and to enhance overall product design.

    • Book: COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY FOR TEXTILES AND APPAREL File

      The textile and apparel industry comprises a complex network of interrelated sectors that produce fi bers, spin yarns, fabricate cloth, and dye/fi nish/ print and manufacture apparel. Computer technology is one of the most important tools contributing to the signifi cant advancement of this industry. The transition towards digital solutions and computerization is an irreversible trend today and will accelerate in the future.