Sawgrass Technologies, Inc., today announced AATCC testing and three-year outdoor durability of M-Textile ink, a water-based modified-pigment ink that prints on natural and man-made textiles with no wet post-processing.
M-Textile inks are a completely new and represent a new category of digital textile inks. The exclusive binder-free formula eliminates the head-clogging, maintenance and downtime associated with traditional water-based pigment inks. The one-ink-prints-all approach enables M-Textile to replace acid, reactive and disperse dyes, which call for steaming, washing, drying and, at times, waste-water treatment. M-Textile inks print on Cotton, Polyester, Cotton-Polyester Blends, Silk, Nylon, Wool and other natural fibers.
M-Textile ink contains no hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) or toxic air pollutants (TAPs). Requiring only 3 minutes of inline heat fixation, this extremely versatile ink saves time, energy and capital, making it an integral part of a sustainable, on-demand digital textile printing platform.
Sawgrass M-Textile ink has recently undergone AATCC testing at the University of Philadelphia. Tests included colour fastness to Light (UV), Laundering, Wet and Dry Crocking and Perspiration. Based on the test results, Sawgrass asserts that M-TT meets the prevailing AATCC colour fastness standards for a wide variety of digital textile printing applications.
M-Textile inks are compatible with the industry’s most popular digital textile printers including Mimaki, Roland, Mutoh, Splash of Color, d.gen, ATP and DuPont Artistri.
I.T. Strategies releases new white paper – Sawgrass M-TT ink and the Digital Textile Printing Industry.
I.T. Strategies releases a new white paper entitled Sawgrass M-Textile ink and the Digital Textile Printing Industry which details the projected growth of the digital textile printing industry and the roll Sawgrass M-Textile ink may play. One comment from an early beta tester perhaps suggests the future for this ink: “Sawgrass ink could be the vehicle to create a digital textile printing industry in the U.S.”.
US Digital Textile Printing Growth
According to the white paper, I.T. Strategies estimates that in 2008 an installed base of just over 5,000 digital textile printers (units) produced more than 546 million square feet of digitally printed textiles. By 2012, the installed base is forecasted to grow to about 8,300 digital textile printers producing 880 million square feet of digitally printed textiles. I.T. Strategies projects that retail expenditures for finished output will grow to $1.6 billion in 2012.
One Ink Prints All
M-Textile inks are a completely new and totally revolutionary new category of digital textile inks. The exclusive binder-free formula eliminates the head-clogging, maintenance and downtime associated with traditional water-based pigment inks. The one-ink-prints-all approach enables M- M-Textile inks print on Cotton, Polyester, Cotton-Polyester Blends, Silk, Nylon, Wool and other natural fibers. Applications may include Apparel and Accessories, Home Furnishings, Soft Signage and Specialty Fabrics.
AATCC Testing and Three-Year Outdoor Durability
Sawgrass M-Textile ink has recently undergone American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) testing at the University of Philadelphia. Based on the test results, Sawgrass asserts that M-TT meets the prevailing AATCC color fastness standards for a wide variety of digital textile printing applications.
AATCC Color Fastness Test Methods performed include:
16 (UV) Light
61-IIA Laundering
8 Wet and Dry Crocking
15 Perspiration
Sustainable, On-Demand Digital Textile Printing
In addition to replacing conventional pigment inks, M-Textile ink also replaces acid, reactive and disperse dyes, which call for steaming, washing, drying and, at times, waste-water treatment. M-Textile ink contains no hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) or toxic air pollutants (TAPs). Requiring only 3 minutes of inline heat fixation, this extremely versatile ink saves time, energy and capital, making it an integral part of a sustainable, on-demand digital textile printing platform.
Sawgrass Technologies Inc.
www.sawgrassink.com
