Inkjet Printing of Textiles Using Biodegradable Natural Dyes

The advantages of efficient and flexible digital printing are tempered by the serious environmental impact of many synthetic dyes and chemicals. In response to this problem, we prepared cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYK) inks using biodegradable natural dyes for inkjet printing, including gardenia blue, amaranth, gardenia yellow, logwood, and lac. We monitored the prepared inks for 60 days for storage stability evaluation. In addition, we evaluated the printing quality by measuring color strength (K/S), ink penetration, printing sharpness, and color fastness in cotton and silk fabrics. The unique color of each prepared ink was printed well, with good storage stability and excellent printing sharpness. The printing sharpness of cotton fabrics was better than that of silk fabrics. On the other hand, the penetration factor value of silk printing was significantly greater than that of cotton printing. The rubbing fastness and washing fastness were very good for both cotton and silk fabrics. The light fastness of magenta and black ink on silk fabrics was excellent at rating 4/5, but that of cyan ink on cotton and silk was low at rating 2. In addition to CMYK's unique colors, various colors and line images such as flowers, cherries, and leaves could be printed clearly and delicately on the fabric. This study provides a useful model in the textile printing ink field to assess natural dye inks, which are rarely produced. Fabrics using biodegradable natural dyes inks are less destructive to the environment than synthetic dye inks. Another benefit is that the fabrics are harmless to humans and unlikely cause allergies in people with sensitive skin.

Automated summary

The advantages of efficient and flexible digital printing are affected by the negative environmental impact of synthetic dyes and chemicals. In order to address this issue, we developed biodegradable natural dye inks for inkjet printing. These inks were tested for storage stability and printing quality on cotton and silk fabrics. The results showed that the inks had good storage stability, excellent printing sharpness, and high color fastness. This study demonstrates the usefulness and eco-friendly nature of using biodegradable natural dye inks in textile printing.