Original scientific paper

Digital inkjet printing quality assessment affected by topographical and morphological elements of the fabric surface structure

Marijana Tkalec ; University of Zagreb Faculty of Textile Technology, Zagreb, Croatia
Martina Glogar ; University of Zagreb Faculty of Textile Technology, Zagreb, Croatia *
Ivana Čorak ; University of Zagreb Faculty of Textile Technology, Zagreb, Croatia
Deja Muck ; University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Ljubljana, Slovenia

* Corresponding author.

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of fabric structure and surface topography on colour reproduction and the quality of digital inkjet printing with reactive inks. The study was conducted on three 100% cotton fabrics made from identical yarns and with the same warp and weft densities, but differing in weave structure: plain weave 1/1, twill 2/1, and mixed panama 2/1. Following appropriate pretreatment, the samples were digitally printed using a Mimaki Tx2-1600 printer. Spectrophotometric, image, visual, and microscopic analyses were applied to evaluate the influence of fabric structure. Spectrophotometric measurements revealed differences in the spectral and colorimetric characteristics of the same colours reproduced on fabrics with different structures. The calculated ΔE* values between structurally different samples exceeded the defined acceptance threshold (ΔE* = 2). Image analysis of a printed line with a nominal width of 1.00 mm revealed differences in the area and perimeter of the printed element, indicating different degrees of lateral ink spreading and reproduction regularity. The lowest area and perimeter values were obtained for the plain weave 1/1 fabric, while the highest values were obtained for the mixed panama 2/1 fabric. Visual and microscopic analyses of the photographic print further revealed differences in the reproduction of image details associated with fabric surface structure. Overall, the results demonstrate that the structure and surface topography of the textile substrate play an important role in colour reproduction, the accuracy of graphic element reproduction, and the overall quality of digital inkjet printing.

Keywords

Fabric topography; colour reproduction; digital inkjet printing; image analysis; ImageJ

Hrčak ID:

350378

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/350378

Publication date:

4.10.2025.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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