Ink Type
Textile Inks
Kao manufactures and supplies textile inks for industrial printers using Piezo Drop-on-Demand (DOD) printheads for single-pass direct-to-fabric printing of garments and other textiles.
Common Applications
Digital printing of garments and fabrics for interior design has transformed those industries, supporting more sustainable and eco-friendly production for textile printing applications.
Products Printed with Textile Inkjet Inks
- Apparel
- Furniture upholstering
- Wallpaper
- Soft signage
- Flags
Inkjet Inks for Textile Printing
For the textile industry, using the correct printing ink is critical for producing optimal results. With the variety of natural, synthetic, and blended materials used in textile products, industrial printers require inks that are formulated for the unique needs and characteristics of these diverse fabrics.
Dye Sublimation Inks
On polyester and cotton-poly blends, our low-energy CMYK disperse-dye inks for Piezo printing systems produce rich, long-lasting colours on polyester and cotton-poly blends. The non-hazardous water-based ink reacts in less than a minute at 200°C.
Pigment-Based Inks
Versatile pigment-based inks from Kao offer unique advantages for printing cotton and cellulose fibres, poly-cotton blends, and polyester.
LED-Curable Inks
Our LED inks may be used for printing textiles such as flags, soft furnishings, signage, leather, and synthetic materials. LED curing lamps produce little to no heat, making them well-suited for natural materials and synthetic fabrics that are susceptible to the adverse effects of higher temperatures.
Benefits
- Crockfast
We use high-quality colourants and polymers to achieve better abrasion resistance
- Jet-ability
All inks offer optimum jetting for uninterrupted printing that maximises production and minimises waste.
- Non-hazardous
Accidental exposure to our non-toxic inks does not pose a health risk to humans.
- Vibrant colours and detail
Our direct-to-fabric inks produce vibrant colours with deep saturation and finer detail.
Sustainability
Kao inkjet inks for textile printers support the circular economy by significantly reducing water consumption in the production process and minimising energy consumption when post-processing is required.
Textile production is the second leading contributor to global water pollution, and Kao is committed to lessening the industry’s environmental impact through more sustainable inks and digital printing solutions.
Learn more about our Sustainability Initiatives
Custom Ink Formulation
Please browse our catalogue of standard inks. If you’re unsure which ink is best for your application, please send us a sample of your substrate. An ink technician will promptly and thoroughly evaluate your needs and make an ink recommendation to match the printhead model and substrate. If one of our standard inks doesn’t meet your needs, our experienced chemists will customise one that will meet your requirements and specifications.