What Are The Common Fabric Printing Defects in Fabrics?
For fabric buyers, it is essential to be familiar with the common printing defects that can occur in fabrics during production. If these errors are not spotted before the goods leave the premises, they could result in costly losses for you and your organization. Whether it’s a defect caused by equipment malfunction or human error, recognizing these mistakes early on is key to avoiding costly returns down the road.
In this blog post, we will explore different fabric printing defects that can arise during fabric production and what causes them, so you minimize potential damages. Read on to learn more about spotting common printing defects in fabrics!
Misfits Flushing Scrimps Bleeding Color Out Mottled Stick-ins Crack or Misalignment Pattern Bending Uneven Printing Double Printing Unwanted Pigment Marking Frame Marks Doctor Mark Watermark
1. Misfits
Misfits are a common problem in fabric printing that can cause unwanted effects on the finished product. These errors occur when the individual colors of a design do not align appropriately with one another, resulting in unprinted areas or unintended overlaps between different elements.
Put simply, misfits are caused when the colored ink screens are out of register, meaning they don't line up precisely with one another as they should. This can be due to a number of factors, such as improper alignment of the screens or problems with the material being printed on (such as an uneven surface). Misfits could have disastrous results for designers and customers alike, ruining what could have been a beautiful piece of artwork if it had been printed correctly.
2. Wicking / Flushing
Wicking or flushing in fabric printing is a defect that can occur when ink bleeds outside the printed pattern outline. This creates an undesired halo or shadowing effect surrounding the design.
The cause of this defect is usually attributed to the low viscosity of the print paste, which leads to poor adhesion to the fabric. Additionally, incorrect screen mesh tension, improper emulsion coating, and inadequate drying time before printing are also potential causes for this issue. Furthermore, the degree of wicking can vary depending on the fabric's quality and characteristics, having a more apparent effect on highly absorbent fabrics.
3. Scrimps
Scrimp is a fabric printing defect that can be costly and time-consuming to fix. It occurs when the fabric experiences a crease beneath one of the screens during printing, which then leaves a large empty space on the fabric once it returns to its natural state. Scrimp is an essential concern for textile printers because it can lead to a decrease in print quality and an increase in waste materials.
The leading cause of scrimp is improper tension of the fabric as it passes through the printer, which causes the crease, or ‘scrimps,’ to appear on the finished product. Moreover, any wrinkles left on the fabric before printing begins can become pressed into the design and contribute to scrimp problems later down the line.
4. Bleeding
Bleeding in fabric printing is a common defect caused by slow ink drying on the material. It occurs when ink from an earlier layer bleeds and smears into a subsequent layer or coating applied to the material. Bleeding can be difficult to diagnose since it can appear as either faint, irregular patches in printed sheets or large splotches of color extending past the intended design.
It is most often seen when using low-viscosity inks, such as those used for screen printing and digital printing. High concentrations of dyestuff found in print pastes may also contribute to bleeding, leading to discoloration of fabrics and a less-than-ideal result.
5. Color Out
Color out in fabric printing occurs when the existing color in the printing machine's reservoir runs low. The most common causes are when the quantity of printed fabric is too large or exceeds what was expected, or printing with clogged printheads that cause uneven ink to be sprayed. In the vast majority of cases, color out caused by improper mixing or thinning of the color itself.
The consequences of having color out on a printing machine can be disastrous for businesses and customers alike. If not caught early enough, it may lead to uneven coloring across fabrics or fading images which will have to be discarded and reprinted at extra cost, damaging the bottom line.
6. Mottled
Mottled, also known as the mottling effect or mottle printing, is a fabric printing defect that can occur when the color is applied unevenly. This results in an irregular pattern of spots or lines that may have different shades or textures than the rest of the fabric. The mottled effect can have a variety of causes, including poor mixing of dyes, incorrect dye concentrations, improper temperature control, and inadequate pressure or speed during printing.
In some cases, it can even be caused by dust particles settling on the fabric before printing. The result is a blotchy pattern that detracts from the overall look and feel of the fabric. It is important to detect the mottled effect early in production to reduce waste and ensure consistent product quality. Although mottled fabrics are often rejected for use, there are still ways to salvage them with dyeing techniques such as over-dyeing or spot-dyeing.
7. Stick-ins
Stick-in is a common phenomenon in fabric printing that can cause a small unprinted circle to appear in the design. The problem is caused by a tiny fiber or piece of lint getting caught in the screen opening during manufacturing. The resulting circle may be tough to detect and is sometimes missed during the long run.
It is important to note that stick-in differs from other printing defects, such as pinholing and mottling, which are caused by uneven pressure or ink volume. Stick-in is primarily caused by insufficient cleaning of the textile before printing and inadequate maintenance of the screen mesh itself. When fibers and lint particles build up on the mesh over time, they can become lodged in the openings and disrupt the print process. As such, printers need to pay close attention to their cleaning and maintenance procedures in order to avoid this issue altogether.
8. Crack or Misalignment
This problem is often seen in heat transfers, where cracks or misalignments in the fabric print occur when the design is not fully transferred from the paper to the fabric. This is due to a variety of causes but most commonly occurs when the paper is removed while the fabric is still hot. The heat causes the design to stick to the paper, resulting in portions of the image being “cracked off” or misaligned.
The presence of creases or folds in the paper can also lead to misalignment, resulting in gaps and other irregularities in the printed pattern. Additionally, fabrics with a tight weave are often more challenging to print with precision than fabrics with larger openings between threads.
9. Pattern Bending
Pattern bending is an issue that can arise in fabric printing, where the print head may create an undesirable pattern as it moves over the substrate. If the print head is not aligned correctly or if the substrate does not advance evenly, this problem can occur. As a result, a line or band of the unprinted area will form along the straight line where the head has passed.
The severity of this pattern bending depends on various factors, including the size and pressure of the print head and the type of ink being used. This pattern distortion can cause problems such as poor color matching across panels, inconsistent coverage, and fuzzy edges on designs.
10. Uneven Printing
Uneven printing is a common defect that occurs during fabric printing and is characterized by an uneven tone of the design color in patches throughout the fabric. This issue can be caused by many factors, such as improper screen preparation or using a squeegee with inconsistent pressure. Uneven printing can be particularly damaging to textiles since it can affect the look and feel of the finished product. Additionally, it can also lead to problems in cutting, sewing, and other fabrication processes.
11. Double Printing
Double printing in fabric printing is a common defect when the design is not in the correct position. Incorrect designs and incorrect adhesion of the print design to the fabric can cause this. Double printing causes problems such as an uneven color tone and loss of details in the design. Additionally, double prints can ruin intricate patterns or layouts, causing them to be unrecognizable or distorted.
12. Unwanted Pigment Marking
Unwanted pigment marking in fabric printing is an issue that plagues many printing companies and often results in substandard products. It occurs when the pigments used in the printing process become unevenly distributed on the fabric, causing blotches or patches of varying colors and intensities.
This can be caused by various factors, including mechanical abrasion on the mesh screen used during the fabric printing process, improper exposure to light, aged and damaged screens, and incorrect adjustment of tension levels during the print run. The result is a fabric that has an uneven coloration and an overall dull appearance.
13. Frame Marks
Frame marks are an undesirable defect that can occur in fabric printing. Although they look similar to a pattern, they are unexpected and unwelcome defects on printed fabrics. Frame marks appear as lines or stripes across a print, usually caused by the frame's pressure against the fabric, creating an indentation. These marks can be created by improper installation of frames within printing machines, uneven stretching of fabrics, and incorrect type/size frames for particular fabrics.
14. Doctor Mark / Streak
Doctor mark or streak in fabric printing is a type of defect which appears as parallel lines on the fabric, perpendicular to the print. A wrongly set doctor blade will lead to a printing machine failing to clean off and scrape extra ink from engraved rollers, resulting in doctor marks or streaks. Instead of leaving just dye paste in the valleys of engraved areas, it leaves a residue that manifests as streaks on the printed fabric.
The leading causes for this defect are mainly due to the low viscosity of the print paste or a high concentration of dyestuff in the said paste. As such, it is vital to take extra care and caution when setting up the doctor blade to prevent this kind of defect from occurring. Other factors contributing to doctor marks include highly absorbent substrates, which may cause uneven dyeing during production, or incorrect pressure settings on rollers. In addition, low-quality roller engraving with rough edges can also lead to doctor mark problems during the printing process.
15. Watermark
Watermark in fabric printing is an undesired effect that produces a ripple pattern or lightened area on the material. This may result from several problems, including inadequate scouring, surface tension between two textiles, and tainted water before dyeing or tinting on the padding mangle.
Watermark occurs when dye liquor uptake is reduced due to these issues, which causes the fabric not to take up enough of the dye. This leaves a lighter color than desired, creating a ripple pattern or lightened area. It cannot be easy to notice until it has been printed in large quantities and can significantly impact the look and quality of a design.
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