The concept and characteristics of digital printing technology

First, the concept of digital printing technology

Digital printing technology is a high-tech product that integrates mechanical and computer electronic information technology with the continuous development of computer technology. It first appeared in the mid-1990s, and the emergence and continuous improvement of this technology. Bringing a brand-new concept to the textile printing and dyeing industry, its advanced production principles and methods have brought unprecedented opportunities for the development of textile printing and dyeing.

In a nutshell, digital printing involves the digital input of a pattern pattern to a computer, editing and processing by a computer-printed color rendering system (CAD), and computer-controlled micro piezo ink jets to directly jet the special dye solution. On the textile, form the desired pattern. The promotion and application of digital printing technology will have a major impact on the development of China's textile industry in the 21st century.

(1) Promote enterprise production methods and business models

For a long time, due to the limitations of traditional technology, the production of printed products must reach a certain scale and quantity, and the company will be able to benefit. With the development of economy, the demand of the market is more and more diversified and individualized. The emergence of digital printing technology has solved this long-standing problem that has plagued businesses. In the past, a product took several days or even dozens of days from design to delivery. Customers now choose the pattern and fabric, and the finished product can be handed in 1 to 2 hours, which can better meet the personalized needs of consumers wearing or decorating. Some people predict that ZI century digital technology will be combined with network technology with the fastest speed, and then achieve a completely personalized, one-on-one tailored business model.

(2) It will satisfy people's individual needs to the greatest extent and improve people's quality of life.

For textile designers, it is an excellent tool for personal creativity so that they can fully display their creative talents and turn the most ideal works into real products. Digital printing is rich in color, with four colors and spot colors, printing 16.7 million colors. For the vast number of consumers, from home decoration to clothing, travel supplies can be personalized according to personal preferences. In this sense, the emergence of a new technology will also drive a new market and stimulate a new round of consumer demand.

(3) Digital printing will directly promote the development of "green textiles" and "green manufacturing."

Because the digital printing is directly loaded in the special box into the dyeing liquid, it is not wasted and there is no waste water pollution. It eliminates the dyeing liquid discharged from the pulping room printing machine to achieve the pollution-free printing process. Films are also omitted. Wire, silver tube and other materials are consumed. This not only reduces the burden on the enterprise, but also achieves the requirements of environmental protection.

Second, the characteristics of digital printing technology

The production process of digital printing is simply to input the computer through various digitized means such as scanning, digital photographs, images or computerized processing and various digital patterns. After processing by the computer separation printing system, it is passed by dedicated RIP software. Its jet printing system directly sprays all kinds of special dyes (active, dispersed, and acidic main coatings) onto various fabrics or other media, and after processing and processing, it obtains all kinds of high demands on various textile fabrics. Accurate printing products have the following advantages over traditional printing and dyeing processes:

1. The digital printing production process has greatly shortened the original process route, the speed of receiving orders, and greatly reduced the cost of proofing.

Due to the digital printing production process, the process of color separation drafting, film making, and net making in the traditional printing process is eliminated, thereby greatly shortening the production time. The method of accepting tricks can be achieved through various advanced methods such as CD-ROM, E-mail, etc. The general proofing time does not exceed one working day, while the traditional proofing period is generally around one week. In addition, the cost of proofing is greatly reduced due to the simplification of the process. The shortening of the proofing period and the reduction of the cost of proofing, which in today's time is money, efficiency is the life of the market competition rules, undoubtedly brings more market opportunities to the company.

2. The principle of digital printing technology makes its products break the limitations of the traditional production of the color and the length of the flower back, can make the textile fabric to achieve high-grade printing printing effect.

Because digital printing technology can use digital patterns, color measurement, color matching and jet printing can be performed by computers, so that the color of digital printing products can theoretically reach 16.7 million kinds, which breaks through the limitations of traditional textile printing and dyeing patterns, especially in color With the printing of high-precision patterns such as gradients and moirés, digital printing is technically incomparable. In addition, the pattern of traditional printing is often limited by the length of "flower back", and the concept of "flower back" does not exist during the digital printing process, which greatly expands the space for design of textile designs and enhances the grade of products.

3. Digital printing production truly enables small-batch, fast-response production processes with no restrictions on production batch sizes.

As the digital printing production process is fully realized with computerized digital production, so that the production flexibility is greatly improved, some products can even be delivered on the same day, and are readily available. In addition, due to the application of computer technology, printing series of patterns of the same pattern with different tones, and the designer's constant modification of the patterns in the production process has become a major technical advantage of digital printing production in contrast to traditional printing production.

4. The high-precision printing process does not use water in the printing process.

The use of dyes in the printing process is “assigned on demand” by the computer, so that during the printing process, there is no wastage of dyes and no waste water is generated. During the printing process controlled by the computer, no noise is generated, making the printing process No pollution is generated and the green production process is realized. The production of textile printing is thus freed from the past high-energy, high-pollution and high-noise production processes, achieving a low-energy and non-polluting production process and bringing about the production of textile printing and dyeing. A technological revolution.

Source: Packaging Expo