Printing Spunlace Nonwoven Fabric Products

I. Detailed Process Flow of Four Printing Techniques

(1) Screen Printing Process Flow

Screen printing is a traditional printing technique that transfers ink through a screen printing plate onto the surface of water-stitch nonwoven fabric. It is suitable for small-batch, high-precision, and personalized pattern printing. The specific process is as follows:

Preparation before printing: Based on the customer's pattern requirements, use professional software (such as Adobe Illustrator) to design and color split the pattern; then make a screen printing plate, apply photosensitive gel evenly on the screen, expose and develop to form a mesh in the pattern area and a closed area in the non-pattern area， making a plate that matches the pattern.

Base material pre-treatment： Select the spunlace nonwoven fabric produced by the company as the base material (commonly used polyester and viscose blended base materials)， first clean the surface (remove dust and impurities)， then perform hydrophilic treatment or anti-static treatment according to the characteristics of the ink to improve the adhesion between the ink and the base material， avoiding ink smudging and ink bleeding during printing.

Positioning and fixation： Flatly fix the pre-treated spunlace nonwoven fabric on the printing table， use a positioning device to ensure the precise position of the base material， avoiding offset caused by movement during printing.

Ink blending： According to the customer's requirements for color and fastness， select eco-friendly water-based ink or solvent-based ink， mix the colors in proportion to ensure uniform color， and add a curing agent to enhance the adhesion and water-wash resistance of the ink.

Printing operation： Pour the blended ink into the ink tank of the screen printing plate， use a scraper to scrape the ink evenly and at a uniform speed along the surface of the printing plate. The ink penetrates through the mesh of the screen printing plate to the surface of the spunlace nonwoven fabric， forming a clear pattern. If multi-color printing is required， replace the printing plate in sequence according to the color order， repeating the printing process to ensure precise color superposition.

Drying and curing： The printed nonwoven fabric enters the hot air drying equipment， set the temperature according to the ink type (water-based ink 60-80℃， solvent-based ink 80-100℃)， and dry for 10-30 minutes to fully cure the ink on the base material surface， enhancing the pattern fastness and preventing color bleeding.

Quality inspection and adjustment： Check the clarity， color consistency， and no missing printing or smudging of the printed patterns， repair or reject the failed products， and qualified products enter the subsequent cutting process.

(2) Round Screen Printing Process Flow

Round screen printing is a continuous printing process achieved through the rotation of a circular screen cylinder. It is suitable for large-scale， continuous pattern production， with high efficiency and strong consistency of patterns. The specific process is as follows：

Round screen production： According to the pattern design， make a pattern mesh on the metal round screen through laser engraving or photosensitive technology. Install bearings and transmission devices at both ends of the round screen to facilitate subsequent rotation printing.

Material conveying: The water-sprayed non-woven fabric base material is continuously conveyed to the printing machine through the unwinding device, and tension control device ensures the base material is flat and free of wrinkles. The conveying speed precisely matches the rotation speed of the cylinder screen (usually 5-20 m/min).

Ink supply: An ink supply system is set up inside each cylinder screen to continuously inject the prepared ink into the cylinder screen. The ink penetrates the perforated mesh of the cylinder screen onto the base material surface, while the scraper outside the cylinder screen removes the excess ink to ensure clear patterns.

Multi-color offset printing: For multi-color printing, multiple sets of cylinder screens are arranged in the printing machine according to color sequence. The base material passes through each set of cylinder screens in sequence to complete the overlay printing of different colors. Precise transmission control ensures that the color offset error is less than 0.1mm.

Continuous drying: The printed base material enters a continuous hot air drying tunnel, with a drying temperature of 80-120℃. The drying length is set according to the conveying speed (usually 5-10 meters), ensuring that the ink is fully cured and avoiding the base material from shrinking and deforming due to high temperature.

Post-processing and cutting: After drying, the products can undergo waterproof and anti-stain finishing according to requirements. Then, they are cut into rolls or sheets by the cutting equipment according to the preset specifications. Qualified products are stored in the warehouse.

(III) Thermal Transfer Printing Process Flow

Thermal transfer printing is a process that transfers the pattern from the transfer paper to the surface of the water-sprayed non-woven fabric through high temperature. It is suitable for complex and high-precision patterns, especially good at gradient color and fine pattern printing. The specific process is as follows:

Transfer paper production: The customer's designed pattern is printed on the special transfer paper using a digital printing device. Select thermal sublimation ink to ensure bright and clear pattern colors and clear details. The transfer paper needs to be dried to avoid ink adhesion.

Base material pre-treatment: Select an appropriate spunlace non-woven fabric base material (such as polyester or polyester-containing blended base material is preferred, as thermal sublimation ink has stronger adhesion to polyester fibers). Perform surface smoothing treatment to remove wrinkles and impurities, ensuring a tight pattern adhesion during transfer.

Hot press transfer: Align the pattern-printed side of the transfer paper with the surface of the spunlace non-woven fabric, and place it in the thermal transfer printing machine. Set the hot press parameters (temperature 160-200℃, pressure 0.5-1.5MPa, time 10-30 seconds). Through high-temperature and high-pressure, the ink on the transfer paper sublimates, penetrates and solidifies in the fibers of the spunlace non-woven fabric, forming the pattern.

Cooling and peeling: After the hot press is completed, the product is sent to the cooling device for rapid cooling (to room temperature). Then, the transfer paper is peeled off from the base material surface. At this point, the pattern has been firmly transferred to the surface of the non-woven fabric without any residual ink.

Quality inspection: Check the clarity of the pattern, color reproduction accuracy, and whether there are any missed transfers or blurriness. Test the water wash resistance of the pattern (wash 5-10 times without obvious color fading). Qualified products enter the subsequent processing stage.

(IV) Digital Printing Process Flow

Digital printing is a process that prints patterns directly on the surface of the spunlace non-woven fabric using a digital printer, without the need to make printing plates. It is highly flexible and suitable for small batch, personalized, and rapid customized orders. The specific process is as follows:

Pattern digital processing: The customer's pattern is processed by professional software (such as Photoshop, CorelDRAW) for resolution adjustment (usually 300-600dpi), color calibration to ensure accurate color reproduction and clear details after printing.

Base material preparation: Select spunlace non-woven fabric base material. According to the printer type (piezoelectric, thermal foaming), perform surface coating treatment (such as coating an ink-absorbing layer), to improve the absorbency of the base material for ink and avoid ink smudging and diffusion during printing. Printing parameters setting: Set the printing parameters in the digital printing machine control system, including printing accuracy, ink dosage, printing speed (usually 1-5m/min), adjust the printing nozzle height according to the thickness of the substrate, and ensure an appropriate distance between the nozzle and the substrate (generally 1-3mm).

Direct printing: Fix the pre-treated spunlace non-woven fabric on the printer conveyor belt, start the equipment, and the printer nozzle directly sprays ink onto the substrate surface according to the digital pattern, forming continuous patterns. If multi-color printing is required, the nozzle sprays ink synchronously according to the color sequence to achieve color overlay.

Drying and fixation: The printed products enter the drying equipment, which uses hot air drying or infrared drying (temperature 60-90℃, time 5-15 minutes), to quickly solidify the ink and enhance the pattern durability, while avoiding ink adhesion.

Post-processing: According to requirements, perform softening treatment or anti-static treatment, then cut and inspect, and store the qualified products.

II. Overall advantages of printed spunlace non-woven fabric

High degree of pattern customization: Four printing techniques cover all scenarios from simple single-color to complex multi-color, from batch production to small-batch customization. Whether it is a customer-exclusive LOGO, festival-themed patterns, or gradient colors, or fine patterns, they can all be achieved through the corresponding techniques, meeting the personalized design needs of different industries and helping downstream customers create differentiated products.

Rich and vivid color expression: Using environmentally friendly high-fidelity ink and advanced printing technology, the color reproduction of the patterns is high, capable of presenting 1670 million colors. Especially, heat transfer printing and digital printing perform well in gradient colors and color transitions, accurately reproducing the colors of the design draft, making the product appearance more attractive, suitable for visually-oriented fields such as cosmetics, home furnishing, and gifts.

Wide adaptability of processes: For different order sizes and complexity of patterns, flexible selection of printing techniques can be made. Small-batch (from tens of meters to several hundred meters), personalized orders prefer screen printing or digital printing; large-batch (from several thousand meters to tens of thousands of meters), continuous pattern orders prefer round screen printing; complex and fine, gradient-color orders prefer heat transfer printing, ensuring the optimal balance of production efficiency and cost.

Excellent pattern durability: Through optimizing the ink formula and curing process, the patterns have good water washing resistance, wear resistance, and light resistance. After testing, the product shows a color fading grade of GB/T 3921-2008 standard 4 levels or above after regular water washing (water temperature 30-40℃, washing 5-15 times); in the abrasion test (Martindele abrasion tester), after 500 times of friction, there is no obvious pattern wear, ensuring the product appearance remains intact after long-term use.

III. Core features of printed spunlace non-woven fabric

Environmentally friendly and safe without hazards: Select environmentally friendly ink that complies with EU REACH regulations and GB 18401-2010 "National Textile Product Basic Safety Technical Specifications" (such as water-based ink, heat transfer ink), with no toxic or harmful substances discharged during the production process, no formaldehyde or heavy metal residues in the product, no irritation to the skin, suitable for scenarios with high safety requirements such as infant products, medical care, cosmetics.

Preservation of excellent base material properties: The printing process forms patterns on the base material surface without damaging the original fiber structure of the spunlace non-woven fabric, so the product still maintains softness, breathability, and skin-friendly characteristics. After testing, the breathability of the printed spunlace non-woven fabric only decreases by 5%-10% (much lower than the industry average 15%-20% reduction), ensuring that the use comfort is not affected, suitable for hygiene products, intimate care, etc. scenarios. High production flexibility: Digital printing and screen printing do not require the production of complex printing plates. The pattern replacement cycle is short (digital printing can achieve "immediate reprinting", while the screen printing plate production only takes 1-2 days). It can quickly respond to customers' urgent orders and design adjustment needs. Round screen printing requires the production of round screens, but the batch production efficiency is high, which can meet the rapid delivery of large-scale orders. The overall production flexibility covers the different needs of customers.

Diverse application scenarios: The combination of the richness of patterns and the excellent performance of the substrate enables products to be suitable for various industry scenarios. From daily beauty tools, hygiene products, to home decoration, gift packaging, to medical care, outdoor products, all can meet the appearance and functional requirements of each scenario through different printing processes and pattern designs.

V. Weight range of printed spunlace non-woven fabric

The printed spunlace non-woven fabric produced by Changshu Yongdeli spunlace Non-Woven Fabric Co., Ltd. has a weight range that is flexibly adjusted according to the characteristics of the substrate and the requirements of the printing process, covering 25g/㎡ - 120g/㎡. The characteristics of each weight range and the applicable printing processes and scenarios are as follows:

Low weight products (25g/㎡ - 45g/㎡): Light and thin texture, fine fabric surface, excellent breathability, suitable for screen printing and digital printing (small batch, fine patterns). Mainly applicable to hygiene product surfaces (such as the surface of high-end baby diapers, female hygiene products, enhancing the aesthetic appeal by printing simple patterns), beauty care products (such as makeup pads, makeup removal pads, printing brand LOGOs or simple patterns), inner layers of medical masks (printing light color patterns to enhance product recognition), etc., which are sensitive to thickness and weight.

Medium weight products (46g/㎡ - 80g/㎡): Combining lightness and certain strength, good fabric flatness, suitable for all four printing processes (round screen printing as the main process, batch production; heat transfer printing as the auxiliary process, complex patterns). Widely used in wet wipes substrates (such as high-end baby wet wipes, adult care wet wipes, printing cartoon patterns or instructions), home cleaning cloths (such as kitchen cleaning cloths, bathroom wiping cloths, printing colorful decorative patterns), decorative layers of medical dressings (such as the surface of band-aids, printing simple patterns to alleviate patients' psychological discomfort), gift packaging inner linings (such as cosmetics, jewelry packaging inner linings, printing brand patterns to enhance grade) and so on.

High weight products (81g/㎡ - 120g/㎡): Moderate thickness, high strength, good stiffness, suitable for round screen printing and heat transfer printing (batch production, complex patterns). Applicable to home decoration materials (such as tablecloths, napkins, curtain fabrics, enhancing the decorative effect by printing large areas of patterns), industrial packaging fabrics (such as high-end electronic product packaging fabrics, gift packaging fabrics, printing brand LOGOs or protective warning patterns), outdoor product substrates (such as lightweight outdoor tent inner linings, sun protection fabric, printing UV protection patterns or brand logos) and so on, which have high requirements for strength and stiffness.

VI. Market scope applicable to printed spunlace non-woven fabric

Beauty and personal care market: It is the core application field of printed spunlace non-woven fabric, relying on the advantages of personalized patterns and skin-friendly substrates, becoming the preferred choice for high-end beauty products. Low weight (25 - 35g/㎡) products are used for makeup pads, makeup removal pads, printing brand LOGOs or simple patterns to enhance product recognition and aesthetics; medium weight (40 - 50g/㎡) products are used for disposable facial wipes, using heat transfer printing to print gradient patterns or cartoon images, which is in line with the aesthetic preferences of young consumers, for example, after a well-known beauty brand adopted the 35g/㎡ printed spunlace non-woven fabric with brand LOGOs for facial wipes, the product sales increased by 28%.

Hygiene products market: In the high-end hygiene products field, printed spunlace non-woven fabric enhances the product value through pattern design. Low-weight (30-40g/㎡) products are used as the surface layer of high-end baby diapers, featuring round screen printing of cartoon patterns and animal images to enhance the product's appeal without affecting its breathability; for the surface layer of women's hygiene products, products with a weight of 35-45g/㎡ are used, featuring light-colored patterns or simple designs to break the monotony of traditional hygiene products and meet high-end consumer demands; for adult incontinence products, products with a weight of 50-60g/㎡ are used, featuring understated patterns to balance aesthetics and practicality.

Home and Decor Market: As consumers' demands for home aesthetics increase, the application of printed spunlace non-woven fabric in the home sector continues to expand. Medium-weight (50-70g/㎡) products are used for home cleaning cloths, such as kitchen cleaning cloths using round screen printing of colorful fruit patterns and geometric patterns, and bathroom wiping cloths featuring ocean elements and plant patterns, making cleaning products part of home decoration; high-weight (80-100g/㎡) products are used for tablecloths and placemats, using heat transfer printing to print complex patterns and retro designs, replacing traditional plastic tablecloths, combining environmental friendliness with decoration, suitable for family gatherings and hotel banquets; curtain fabrics and wall decoration fabrics use 100-120g/㎡ products, printing large-scale patterns to create a personalized home atmosphere.

Gift Packaging and Cultural Products Market: In the field of gift packaging and cultural products, printed spunlace non-woven fabric, due to its environmental friendliness and diverse patterns, has become a substitute for traditional packaging materials. Products with medium to high weight (60-90g/㎡) are used as inner linings for gift packaging (such as jewelry, watches, and high-end cosmetic packaging), and through digital printing or heat transfer printing, brand patterns and holiday-themed patterns (such as Christmas and Spring Festival elements) are printed to enhance the sophistication of the gifts; Cultural products (such as notebook covers, eco-friendly bags, decorative pendants) use 50-70g/㎡ products, printing personalized patterns and illustration images to meet consumers' personalized needs. For example, a cultural studio used the company's 60g/㎡ printed eco-friendly bag with illustrated patterns, and the product sold out immediately upon launch.

Medical and Protection Market: In the medical field, printed spunlace non-woven fabric is suitable for middle and high-end medical scenarios through safe and environmentally friendly printing processes. Products with medium weight (50-60g/㎡) are used for decorative layers of medical dressings (such as the surface of bandages), and screen printing is used to print light-colored simple patterns to alleviate patients' psychological discomfort, while the products meet medical safety standards (no formaldehyde, heavy metal residues); Lightweight medical protection fabric uses 60-70g/㎡ products, printing hospital logos and protection prompt patterns, enhancing product recognition, and suitable for outpatient and health center scenarios.