The 16th Annual

NC State University
Undergraduate Research Symposium

 

 

Design Abstracts


Abstracts are listed in alphabetical order by the last name of the corresponding author.

 

 

 

 

 

  • Biological Sciences abstracts

Applied Sciences (Crop, Poultry, Animal, and Horticultural Sciences)

Ecology, Environmental, Conservation, Botanical
Molecular, Biochemical, Genetics, Cell Biology
Zoology, Physiology, Behavior, Neurobiology

 

 

 

Student Author(s): 

Hagan, Diane

Department(s):

Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management

Research Mentor(s): 

Traci May/Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management

Title of Presentation:

Color Variation in Digital Textile Printing: Influence of Fiber Content and Other Substrate Characteristics

 

The purpose of this research is to study variations in colors that are digitally printed on textile substrates composed of different fibers, identify major and minor factors that contribute to these variations, and seek ways to control these variations. Nine fabrics that differed in weave structure, fiber composition, and/or preprinted color were characterized according to molecular structure, physical properties, and pre-printed color (after pretreatment). Based on previous research, these substrate properties were expected to influence the resulting color in the printed fabric. A multicolor design was printed on all of the fabrics with a large format textile printer that used cyan, magenta, yellow, black (CMYK), and turquoise and orange dye-based inks. Because of the dye affinity of the selected fabrics, reactive dye inks, as opposed to acid dye inks, were used for the printing. After fabrics were steamed and washed, coloration differences were assessed by comparing fabrics visually side-by-side in a controlled environment and objectively with a colorimeter. The color differences made the relationship between the various fibers and the fixed selection of dyes apparent. The primary factor that affected coloration differences among the fabrics was the molecular structure of the fiber in the textile substrate, or the fiber content, while the minor factors like the preprinted color and weave structure of the fabric gave only slight variation in the printed color. Many previous researchers have shown that color management systems (CMS) have been a major way to control the color discrepancies in digital textile printing. This work demonstrates the importance of including fiber content of the substrate as a variable in color management systems.

 

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Last modified February 2007 by Sharon E. Hunt, WordHunting