Direct-to-garment printing
AssigneeElcatex, S De R.L. De C.V.
InventorsRenato Murilo de Carvalho Guimarāes, Angel Fernando Alvarado Barrientos, Octavio Rodriguez Torre
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The described systems and methods of direct-to-garment printing (DTG) allow for DTG printing for garments which achieves high definition and good color saturation, such as in dark color garments. The disclosed systems and methods include a pre-treatment solution to immobilize the ink used on the garments for DTG printing and to reduce nearly eliminate ink absorption by the fabric (i.e., by reducing surface availability of polyvalent salt to contact). The disclosed invention also includes a pre-treatment solution including at least one of a polyvalent salt, amorphous nanoparticles, a solid dispersive diluent, a stabilizer solution, a booster, and a tension activator.
Claims21
A system for pre-treating fabric using a sequence of continuous, wet-on-wet impregnation steps, comprising:
- a first phase that receives a feed of the fabric, the first phase configured to saturate the fabric in a first vat with a first liquid to a first pick-up value;
- without drying occurring when the fabric leaves the first phase, a second phase configured to receive a continuous feed of the fabric from the first phase and to saturate the fabric in a second vat with a second liquid that differs from the first liquid and includes a softener, the fabric saturated to a second pick-up value in the second vat that exceeds the first pick-up value;
- and
- without drying occurring when the fabric leaves the second phase, a third phase configured to receive a continuous feed of the fabric from the second phase and to saturate the fabric with a third liquid after the saturation of the fabric by the second liquid is complete and that differs from the first liquid and the second liquid and includes a polyvalent salt, the fabric saturated to a third pick-up value that exceeds the second pick-up value, the fabric remaining saturated at a value between the first pick-up value and the third pick-up value throughout the first phase, second phase, and third phase of pre-treatment.
The system of 14, wherein the second phase includes feeding the fabric from the two rotating rollers of the first vat along two rotating rollers of the second vat having a second liquid, the second phase causing the fabric to be submerged in the second liquid of the second vat.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.