The variables that affect colour in the digital textile printing process

Becky Gooby

The development of digital printing is a major change within the textile design process as a designer is no longer restricted to number of colours, repeat patterns, and may include photographic images and intricate detail. With digital print it is now possible to print anything between a metre, or hundreds of metres, at the click of a button. However, there is a marked difference between screen-colour and print colour. A textiles designer using Computer Aided Design (CAD) to create a design will be required to experiment with a number of variables in order to feel more confident about the outcome when using digital fabric printing.

There are numerous variables[1] that affect colour fidelity in the digital textile print process. Many of these are out of the designers control and difficult to predict. Some are distinct to DTP, such as the structure and composition of the fabric substrates[2], the fabric pre-coating[3] and the secondary processes[4]. Others are problems shared with the reprographics and photographic industry[5]. A textile designer will be required to experiment with a number of variables in order to feel colour confident.

An early identification of the variables that affect colour outcome was outlined and presented at the Progress in Colour Studies Conference in London, September 2016.[6] The findings set out twenty-three variables that impact on printed colour but Provost[7] ascertains that there are at least forty which need to be considered. Many will be out of the designer’s control[8] but gaining an understanding of their impact will assist designers to identify and resolve colour issues.

[1] Gooby, B. 2016.

Variables that affect colour in digital textile printing PICS2016. University College London, UK.

Provost, J. 2011. Be Prepared: Pre-treatment is the Key to Success in Digital Textile Printing. Digital Textile.

[2] George, B., Ujje, H., Govindaraj, M., Freeman, H. & Tonelli, A. 2006. Integration of fabric formation and coloration processes. Digital Printing of Textiles, 123-44.

Ingamells, W. 1993. Colour for textiles. Society of Dyers and Colourists.

[3] Hawkyard, C. 2006. Substrate preparation for ink-jet printing

. In: Ujiie, H. (ed.) Digital printing of textiles. Woodhead Publishing.

Provost, J. 2011. Be Prepared: Pre-treatment is the Key to Success in Digital Textile Printing. Digital Textile.

[4] Tyler, D. J. 2005. Textile Digital Printing Technologies. Textile Progress, 37, 1-65.

[5] Fraser, B. M., Chris; Bunting, Fred 2004. Real World Color Management California, Peachpit Press

[6] https://digitaltextileprintingblog.wordpress.com/2016/10/03/dissemination-pics2016-conference-2/

[7] Provost, J. 2011. Be Prepared: Pre-treatment is the Key to Success in Digital Textile Printing. Digital Textile.

[8] Henry, P. 2014. The development of a new colour-picker tool., University of Leeds.

Becky Gooby

3D3 Doctoral Researcher

Tip

Tip