Canwil Textiles is an Atlanta-based custom fabric printing company. We specialize in dye sublimation printing for promotional, commercial and home uses.
With custom fabric printing, you can express yourself or your brand image by creating fabric pieces that scream “YOU.”
Let’s talk about our fabric printing services and how you can get the most of our print capabilities.
Digitally printing on fabric is known as dye sublimation printing. Dyes and fabrics are chosen to work together in order to print high-quality images.
Digital custom fabric printing became popular in the 1980s. The alternative, screen printing was the traditional method of placing images onto fabric. The difference? Digital printing dyes the fabric while silk screening places an image on TOP of the fabric. Also, dye sublimation allows for higher resolution images to be placed on fabric.
Heat and dye factor greatly in digital fabric printing. Together, they are able to place quality images on a variety of fabrics. Specialty dyes diffuse to create crisp, unique designs.
For even more intense visuals, digital printing experts heat dyes anywhere between 380 to 420 degrees. This achieves the best saturation.
Generally, one color is applied to the fabric at a time. Once each color has been printed, a final coating of protectant is rolled on to preserve the imagery.
And that’s the whole process! Now let’s discuss what kinds of fabrics we print on.
According to Wikipedia, “Woodblock printing is a technique for printing text, images or patterns used widely throughout East Asia and probably originating in China in antiquity as a method of printing on textiles and later paper. As a method of printing on cloth, the earliest surviving examples from China date to before 220.
Textile printing was known in Europe, via the Islamic world, from about the 12th century, and widely used. However, the European dyes tended to liquify, which restricted the use of printed patterns. Fairly large and ambitious designs were printed for decorative purposes such as wall-hangings and lectern-cloths, where this was less of a problem as they did not need washing. When paper became common, the technology was rapidly used on that for woodcut prints. Superior cloth was also imported from Islamic countries, but this was much more expensive.”
Meanwhile, the Incas of Peru, Chile and the Aztecs of Mexico also practiced fabric printing before the Spanish Invasion of 1519. Unfortunately, due to the lack of record-keeping prior to this time, it’s had to say if there are lost works that existed well before.
As we head into modern times, “There were many dyehouses in England in the latter half of the 17th century, Lancaster being one area and on the River Lea near London another. Plain cloth was put through a prolonged bleaching process which prepared the material to receive and hold applied color; this process vastly improved the color durability of English calicoes and required a great deal of water from nearby rivers.
One dyehouse was started by John Meakins, a London Quaker who lived in Cripplegate. When he died, he passed his dyehouse to his son-in-law Benjamin Ollive, Citizen and Dyer, who moved the dye-works to Bromley Hall where it remained in the family until 1823, known as Benjamin Ollive and Company, Ollive & Talwin, Joseph Talwin & Company and later Talwin & Foster. Samples of their fabrics and designs can be found in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Smithsonian Copper-Hewett in New York.”
In Europe, calico printing was important to commercial industries and developed there much more rapidly than in England. During the last twenty years of the 17th century, “and the earlier ones of the 18th new dye works were started in France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. It was only in 1738 that calico printing was first, practiced in Scotland, and not until twenty-six years later that Messrs Clayton of Bamber Bridge, near Preston, established in 1764 the first print-works in Lancashire, and thus laid the foundation of the industry.”
At Canwil Textiles, we print on a variety of fabrics depending on your application. Our fabric experts work closely with you to find the right material.
Are you looking to print on a different material? Contact one of our experts to help you determine the best fabric for your application.
For commercial uses, wide format printers are invaluable. Wide format printing allows direct-to-fabric printing. Use our wide format capabilities for many projects including wallpapers, fabric upholstery and more. At Canwil, we’re able to print up to 48 inches. This capability allows us to meet customer demands for a variety of uses and industries.
Not sure if you need wide format digital fabric printing? Contact us today to learn more about what we can do for you.
Let’s talk a little more about wallpaper printing:
Use your imagination to create stunning wallpaper prints. Our fabrics and technology allow us to create interesting designs for homes, businesses and art installations. Photographic quality prints are possible with custom digital fabric printing.
With proper installation, wallpaper fabric can will stretch and contract naturally with the building wall. Canwil’s custom printed fabric can even withstand high-traffic commercial spaces. With the right protection, walls can be cleaned to remove dirt and grime.
We welcome both commercial and residential orders. Wholesale and bulk orders are available as well.
To be sure you like the color and print, we can send you a test swatch before we print your whole design. This way, you can decide if it will work for your space. If you plan to buy an image from, say, a stock image site, be sure to get the best quality, highest resolution image possible. This will help when creating the large format print.
“Digital textile printing is often referred to as direct-to-garment printing, DTG printing, or digital garment printing. It is a process of printing on textiles and garments using specialized or modified inkjet technology. Inkjet printing on fabric is also possible with an inkjet printer by using fabric sheets with a removable paper backing. Today, major inkjet technology manufacturers can offer specialized products designed for direct printing on textiles, not only for sampling but also for bulk production.
Since the early 1990s, inkjet technology and specially developed water-based ink (known as dye-sublimation or disperse direct ink) have made it possible to print directly onto polyester fabric. This is mainly related to visual communication in retail and brand promotion (flags, banners and other point of sales applications). Printing onto nylon and silk can be done by using an acid ink. Reactive ink is used for cellulose based fibers such as cotton and linen. Inkjet technology in digital textile printing allows for single pieces, mid-run production and even long-run alternatives to screen printed fabric.”
Certainly, Canwil’s custom digital fabric printing is scalable for whatever your need is. We’ll work closely with you (and your budget) to create a custom piece that suits your needs. Our wholesale offering means you get the most bang for your buck.
Canwil Textiles are your premier Atlanta printers. We are a local, leading supplier of various textile products. Accordingly, with our manufacturing capabilities, we’re able to provide businesses with all things textile related. Our industrial fabrics are used in filtration, conveyor, v-belt, high-temperature applications, and much more.
Ready to discuss your needs or place an order? Contact us today.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Textile_printing
