printing

Glossaries

Term	Main definition
printing	There are several basic methods or techniques used in printing textiles: Hand methods Block. Usually the blocks are made of wood, engraved by hand, or imbedded with wire nails or metal strips, or pieces of rubber to form a design. Used extensively in India. Screen. A wooden or metal frame on which a fine even silk or polyester fabric is stretched and blocked in predetermined areas by a variety of processes to allow a dye-gum to be pressed through the open areas with a squeegee. The blocked areas act as a stencil. Practised in Japan since the eighth century. Known as Table printing in the United States of America. Mechanical methods Screen. Similar to the hand method but more automated with the squeegee being mechanically passed from one side of the screen to the other. Rotary screen. While the squeegee is static, unlike the flat screen method, the engraved cylindrical metal screen rotates as the cloth is moved. Sometimes as many as 12 to 14 cylinders, each printing a seperate colour, can be used on the same print table. *Roller.* The design is engraved by line into the surface of a metal roller, the engrave line being filled with the dye and then transferred to the cloth under slight pressure. *Duplex.* Printing by rollers on both sides of the fabric at the same time so that the design coincides and produces a reversible fabric. *Sublistatic.* Printing a fabric, usually polyester, from a pre-printed (with dye) patterned paper. Sometimes referred to as transfer or heat transfer printing.

Term

Main definition

printing

There are several basic methods or techniques used in printing textiles:

Hand methods

Block. Usually the blocks are made of wood, engraved by hand, or imbedded with wire nails or metal strips, or pieces of rubber to form a design. Used extensively in India.
Screen. A wooden or metal frame on which a fine even silk or polyester fabric is stretched and blocked in predetermined areas by a variety of processes to allow a dye-gum to be pressed through the open areas with a squeegee. The blocked areas act as a stencil. Practised in Japan since the eighth century. Known as Table printing in the United States of America.

Mechanical methods

Screen. Similar to the hand method but more automated with the squeegee being mechanically passed from one side of the screen to the other.
Rotary screen. While the squeegee is static, unlike the flat screen method, the engraved cylindrical metal screen rotates as the cloth is moved. Sometimes as many as 12 to 14 cylinders, each printing a seperate colour, can be used on the same print table.
Roller. The design is engraved by line into the surface of a metal roller, the engrave line being filled with the dye and then transferred to the cloth under slight pressure.
Duplex. Printing by rollers on both sides of the fabric at the same time so that the design coincides and produces a reversible fabric.
Sublistatic. Printing a fabric, usually polyester, from a pre-printed (with dye) patterned paper. Sometimes referred to as transfer or heat transfer printing.