United Kingdom
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Cottons, Silks, Jerseys, Recycled Poly-fabrics & more
Quantity, Wholesalers and Students
Sustainably & ethically made in London, UK, since 2002
You can take advantage of our wholesale prices or use our dropshipping service to sell without ever holding inventory. Plus, we offer discounts on all products which you can pass on to your customers.
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We offer a 40% discount for UK students on custom fabric printing and more..
Pigment printing is a popular technique for both natural and synthetic fabrics. At Contrado, we primarily use pigment printing for our natural fabrics.
If you imagine a home printer moving back and forth to deposit the ink on paper, then you've already got a pretty good idea of how pigment dye printing works. The fabric is placed beneath the printer, and the pigment is deposited, which has a composition that is slightly different from other inks. The pigment inks use tiny colour particles held in suspension rather than liquid dyes. They're also lighter in colour, meaning the printer needs to layer the pigment. The printer does this repeatedly to create the desired colour, which is quite satisfying to watch.
Pigment digital fabric printing is a localised technique, meaning the dye is applied only to the customised areas of the fabric. This often ends up being the entire surface of the fabric. This method of printing is similar to painting, and pigment-printed fabrics are even sometimes called painted fabrics. The pigments sit on the fabric's surface, just as paint would.
Even though the pigment rests on top of the fabric, the colour is still long-lasting. The state-of-the-art technology and advanced printers we use make the printing results enduring.
Pigment printing on fabric can produce a broad range of colours that can easily match the original design. Tones are true to the digital design, which is important for tone matching. For light colours and pastels, this type of printing works exceptionally well.
Pigment dye fabric printing is a technique that has been around for quite a while, so over time, it has become a more cost-effective method of printing. In comparison to other newer techniques, pigment printing is economical.
Despite the process of layering pigment with the printer, it's still a fast process. This is because printing is the most intensive step, and little else is involved before and after this process. We can typically send your printed fabric out to you within 1-2 days. This is great for projects that need a quick turnaround and students who might be on deadlines.
While other printing methods can only print on certain fabrics, pigment printing is more versatile. Both natural and synthetic textiles can be pigment printed, which allows for many design possibilities. This includes blended fabrics as well, for example, where natural fabrics may be strengthened with elastane.
