Let's review all of the great options you have with InfiTex!
Fabric and how it's finished delivers comfort
Add print, dye, wash, brush, peach - it all comes together in a fine garment and those special moments in life.
First we need to select the right fabric.
Knit Fabric
Knit fabrics are made from one or more long interconnecting and looping yarns. Knits typically stretch, and are used mostly for casual, comfortable clothing.
Woven Fabrics
Woven fabrics are created on a loom by weaving two or more threads together at right angles. This process creates a strong fabric with a specific texture, and characteristics that are best suited for dress shirts, denim and outerwear.
Natural Fibers
Natural fabrics are created from natural fibers that come from animals and plants. Some examples include cotton, linen, silk and wool.
Man Made Fibers
Synthetic fabrics are made from artificial, or “man-made” fibers. These fibers are derived from petroleum and created through a chemical process. These fabrics include polyester, nylon, and acrylic.
Blends
Simply put, a blend is when two or more types of fibers are combined together into one fabric. Blends are created to improve the feel, performance, or durability of the fabric. For example, when cotton and spandex are combined, it creates a fabric that is lightweight, cool, and stretches.
Recycled Fabrics
Recycled fabrics are made from waste material that is reprocessed into new fibers, and then spun into new yarns and fabrics. There are two main types of recycled fabrics: those that are made from recycled fabric or clothing, and those that are created from other waste materials such as plastic water bottles.
Your InfiTex design team member will advise and help make recommendations on your fabric selection.
Then we select print & dye options
Digital Printing
Digital print sublimation allows for full color high-resolution images to be transferred onto fabric or a finished garment. There are two main digital printing methods: Sublimation & Direct Digital Printing.
The technology behind both printers is the same, but the media that is fed into the machine and the processes to get the fabric ready differ between the two methods. With sublimation, an image is printed on coated paper which is then transferred onto polyester-based fabric under extreme heat & pressure using a heat transfer machine.
The direct digital printing method works by feeding the fabric into the printer and directly printing on it. Both processes are VERY versatile and yield vibrant results without limiting the number of colors used in the print. Fine details & gradients can be achieved through digital printing more easily than with traditional screen print methods.
For those with a passion for the distressed or vintage look, blended fabrics with 5% to 10% content made up of natural fibers will give your print serious vintage vibes!
Screen Printing - Semi Automated
Screen printing is by far the most common printing process today. There are two basic types of methods: flat bed printing and rotary printing. Screen printing can be done on many different types of fabrics ranging from cotton to polyester, on both natural and man-made fibers.
Screen printing techniques work on both knits and wovens. You will achieve the most authentic and long-lasting results from screen printing. Colors can be custom mixed to match any standard with clean and saturated vibrancy.
Alternative inks are also available. They can be glow in the dark, tall stack, bubble, rubberized, fuzzy, glittery and the list goes on and on,
Curing times for your inks will limit the speed of your printing process.
Flat Screen Printing - Automated
Flat bed printing uses a squeegee to push ink through the openings in a screen onto the fabric. Different screens are used for each color in the design, which are then laid out sequentially on the printer so as to align with the previous screens print to create the finished artwork. The color penetration into the fabric is superb for very deep and rich results.
These machines are work-horses and are for large production runs. They can take as many as 5 hours to clean, re-screen and be made ready for the next print job. Each automated flat screen machine can routinely print as many as 10,000 yards per shift.
Roller Screen Printing - Automated
Rotary printing uses copper or silk mesh cylinders or “rollers” that are engraved with each position of the artwork. Each color requires a unique cylinder. With each revolution of the roller, a different color of the design is printed in sequence on the designated area of the fabric in the space left unprinted by the previous wheel to create the finished artwork.
The limitation of colors in a roller printing machine is the number of rollers the machine is designed with. Many of these printers are designed with as many as 12 rollers.
These machines are designed for very large production runs. teardown, cleaning and re-screening can take nearly a whole shift. Each automated roller print machine can routinely print 20,000 yards per shift.
InfiTex brushing & peaching options
Brushing
Brushing is a finishing process used to raise the surface fibres of a fabric. The fabric undergoes a mechanical brushing process in which fine, metal or ceramic brushe tines mounted on rotating cylinders are spun. As the cylinders rotate the fabric is pulled across them, carefully rubbing (brushing) the fabric to produce fine fibres from the knit or woven yarns. This creates an extra softness and loft on the brushed surface of the fabric.
For example a fresh terry fabric can have the loop side brushed and then it becomes the fleece that you like so much on the inside of your favorite hoodie or sweats. The loft that the brushing gives also adds an extra level of insulative warmth.
Peaching
Peaching is like brushing in that it is a finishing process used to raise the surface fibres of a fabric. The key difference is that instead of fine, metal or ceramic brush tines mounted on rotating cylinders, peaching cylinders are covered with an abrasive wrap much like heavy grit sandpaper. As the cylinders rotate the fabric is pulled across them, carefully rubbing (peaching) the fabric to produce micro-fine fibres from the woven or knit yarns. This creates an extra softness on the surface of the fabric.
This is a process frequently used on womens leggings. The resulting texture of the peached fabric against the skin is often characterized as feeling "buttery" soft and smooth.
