Producing method of printed matter and printer

Abstract

To provide a printing method and a printer capable of readily alleviating lowering of motor functionality of a clothing on which an image was printed.SOLUTION: A method includes a step of printing an image by ejecting a pretreatment liquid that aggregates ink onto clothing, ejecting white ink onto the clothing onto which the pretreatment liquid has been ejected, and ejecting color ink onto the clothing onto which the pretreatment liquid and white ink have been ejected. In the printing step, when printing in a high-stretch area during exercise in which the degree of stretch during exercise of the wearer is greater than in other areas of the clothing, the amount of pretreatment liquid ejected is set to an appropriate amount or more and the amount of white ink ejected is set to less than an appropriate amount in at least a part of the high-stretch area during exercise.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing a printed item and a printing apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART There is known a technique for producing a printed item by printing an image such as letters, pictures, or designs onto fabric such as clothing.

[0003] When an image is printed on clothing, the fabric in the area where the image is printed becomes stiff, making it difficult for the wearer to exercise, which may reduce the athletic functionality of the clothing.

[0004] In this regard, Patent Document 1 discloses a garment that improves athletic functionality by placing a fabric with a higher stretch rate than the fabric constituting the body in at least a portion of the upper arm portion of the sleeve.

[0005] Using this technology, it is possible to reduce the decline in athletic functionality even when images are printed on clothing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-218121 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, the technology of Patent Document 1 is a large-scale technique that requires partial modification of the material of the clothing, and is not easy to implement.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and has an object to provide a method for producing a printed textile product and a printing device that can easily reduce the deterioration of the athletic functionality of clothing on which an image is printed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for producing a printed textile, the method including the steps of discharging a pretreatment liquid that aggregates ink onto clothing, discharging white ink onto the clothing onto which the pretreatment liquid has been discharged, and discharging color inks onto the clothing onto which the pretreatment liquid and the white ink have been discharged, to print an image, wherein in the printing step, when printing is performed in a high-elasticity region of the clothing where the degree of elasticity during exercise by a wearer is greater than in other regions, the amount of pretreatment liquid discharged is set to be equal to or greater than an appropriate amount, and the amount of white ink discharged is set to be less than an appropriate amount, in at least a part of the high-elasticity region.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing device comprising: a first ejection unit that ejects a pretreatment liquid that aggregates ink; a second ejection unit that ejects white ink; a third ejection unit that ejects color inks; and a control unit that controls the first ejection unit to eject the pretreatment liquid onto clothing, the second ejection unit to eject white ink onto the clothing onto which the pretreatment liquid has been ejected, and the third ejection unit to eject color ink onto the clothing onto which the pretreatment liquid and the white ink have been ejected, to print an image, wherein the control unit, when printing in a high-elasticity region of the clothing where the degree of elasticity during exercise by a wearer is greater than in other regions, controls the first ejection unit to eject an appropriate amount of pretreatment liquid or more, and the second ejection unit to eject an appropriate amount of white ink or less, in at least a part of the high-elasticity region. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to easily reduce the deterioration of the athletic functionality of clothing on which images are printed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a printing unit of the printing device shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of clothing on which an image is printed, showing the front of the clothing. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a view showing the back of the garment shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] 5 is a diagram showing a white ink reduced region and a pretreatment liquid reduced region on the clothing shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the results of a tensile test in an experimental example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The same or equivalent parts and components are designated by the same or equivalent reference numerals throughout the drawings.

[0014] The following embodiments are examples of devices that embody the technical idea of ​​the present invention, and the technical idea of ​​the present invention does not limit the materials, shapes, structures, arrangements, etc. of each component to those described below. The technical idea of ​​the present invention can be modified in various ways within the scope of the claims.

[0015] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a printing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a printing unit of the printing device shown in Fig. 1. In Fig. 2, the direction perpendicular to the paper surface is the up-down direction, and the front side of the paper surface is the up direction. In Fig. 2, the front-rear and left-right directions are the front-rear and left-right directions.

[0016] 1, the printing device 1 according to this embodiment includes a printing unit 2, a conveying unit 3, and a control unit 4. The printing device 1 is a so-called garment printer that uses clothing such as a T-shirt as a printing medium.

[0017] The printing unit 2 performs printing on clothing made of fabric using an inkjet method. As shown in FIG.

[0018] Examples of fabrics that can be used to make clothing include natural fibers such as cotton, silk, wool, and linen; chemical fibers such as polyester, acrylic, polyurethane, nylon, rayon, cupra, and acetate; and blends of these fibers. The fabrics may be woven, knitted, or nonwoven.

[0019] The head unit 11 performs printing by ejecting a pretreatment liquid, white ink, and color inks onto clothing. The head unit 11 includes a pretreatment liquid ejection head (corresponding to a first ejection unit) 21, a white ink ejection head (corresponding to a second ejection unit) 22, a plurality of color ink ejection heads (corresponding to a third ejection unit) 23, and a head holder 24.

[0020] The pretreatment liquid ejection head 21 ejects the pretreatment liquid. The pretreatment liquid ejection head 21 has a plurality of nozzles (not shown) that open on its lower surface (ejection surface) and are arranged along the front-rear direction (sub-scanning direction), and ejects the pretreatment liquid from the nozzles. The pretreatment liquid will be described in detail later.

[0021] The white ink ejection head 22 ejects white ink. The white ink ejection head 22 has the same configuration as the pretreatment liquid ejection head 21, except for the liquid that it ejects. The white ink ejection head 22 is disposed behind the pretreatment liquid ejection head 21 in the front-rear direction (sub-scanning direction). Details of the white ink will be described later.

[0022] The color ink ejection heads 23 eject color inks. In this embodiment, four color ink ejection heads 23 are provided. The four color ink ejection heads 23 eject inks of different colors (for example, black, cyan, magenta, and yellow). The color ink ejection heads 23 have the same configuration as the pretreatment liquid ejection head 21, except that they eject different liquids. The four color ink ejection heads 23 are arranged behind the white ink ejection head 22 in the front-to-rear direction (sub-scanning direction). The four color ink ejection heads 23 are arranged side by side in the left-to-right direction (main scanning direction). Details of the color inks will be described later.

[0023] The head holder 24 holds the pretreatment liquid ejection head 21, the white ink ejection head 22, and the four color ink ejection heads 23.

[0024] The rail portion 12 moves the head unit 11 back and forth in the left and right direction (main scanning direction).

[0025] The transport unit 3 has a support unit (not shown) that supports the clothing, which is the printing medium, and transports the clothing supported by the support unit in a transport direction (sub-scanning direction) from the front to the back below the head unit 11.

[0026] The control unit 4 controls the overall operation of the printing device 1. The control unit 4 is configured with a CPU, RAM, ROM, a hard disk, and the like.

[0027] Specifically, the control unit 4 controls the pretreatment liquid ejection head 21 to eject the pretreatment liquid onto the clothes, the white ink ejection head 22 to eject the white ink onto the clothes onto which the pretreatment liquid has been ejected, and the color ink ejection head 23 to eject the color ink onto the clothes onto which the pretreatment liquid and the white ink have been ejected, thereby printing an image.

[0028] Furthermore, when printing in a highly stretchable area of ​​clothing during exercise, the control unit 4 controls the amount of pretreatment liquid ejected by the pretreatment liquid ejection head 21 to be greater than or equal to an appropriate amount, and the amount of white ink ejected by the white ink ejection head 22 to be less than an appropriate amount, in at least a portion of the highly stretchable area during exercise.

[0029] The highly stretchable region during exercise is a region that stretches more than other regions when the wearer exercises, such as a region near the wearer's joints.

[0030] Furthermore, the appropriate ejection amounts of the pretreatment liquid and the white ink are appropriate ejection amounts of the pretreatment liquid and the white ink for obtaining good print quality when printing an image on clothing by ejecting the pretreatment liquid, white ink, and color inks as described above. The appropriate ejection amounts of the pretreatment liquid and the white ink are determined depending on the material, thickness, etc. of the fabric of the clothing. The appropriate ejection amounts of the pretreatment liquid and the white ink depending on the clothing are determined by experiments, etc.

[0031] In addition, the amount of pretreatment liquid ejected and the amount of white ink ejected in the area within the highly stretchable area during exercise where the amount of pretreatment liquid ejected is greater than or equal to an appropriate amount and the amount of white ink ejected is less than an appropriate amount are also determined by experiment, etc., depending on the clothing.

[0032] Next, the pretreatment liquid will be described.

[0033] The pretreatment liquid is a liquid that aggregates the ink, and preferably contains an aggregating agent and water.

[0034] The flocculant may be a component that has the effect of flocculating the coloring material in the ink on the fabric of clothing, which is the printing medium. When ink is further applied to the fabric to which the pretreatment liquid has been applied, the coloring material in the ink aggregates on the fabric, thereby increasing the image density and preventing image bleeding. Specific examples of the flocculant include metal salts, cationic polymers, organic acids, and the like, or combinations of these.

[0035] The total amount of the flocculant, in terms of the amount of active ingredients, is preferably 1 to 30 mass %, more preferably 3 to 30 mass %, and even more preferably 5 to 15 mass %, relative to the total amount of the pretreatment liquid.

[0036] As the metal salt, a polyvalent metal salt can be preferably used.

[0037] Polyvalent metal salts are composed of divalent or higher polyvalent metal ions and anions. Examples of divalent or higher polyvalent metal ions include Ca. 2+ , Mg 2+ , Cu 2+ , Ni 2+ , Zn 2+ , Ba 2+ Examples of anions include Cl - , NO 3- , CH3COO - , I - , Br - , ClO3 - Specific examples of polyvalent metal salts include calcium chloride, calcium nitrate, magnesium nitrate, copper nitrate, calcium acetate, and magnesium acetate.

[0038] As the cationic polymer, a cationic water-soluble resin can be preferably used. Examples of the cationic water-soluble resin include polyethyleneimine (PEI), polyvinylamine, polyallylamine and its salts, polyvinylpyridine, and cationic acrylamide copolymers. More specifically, for example, polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride can be used.

[0039] Examples of organic acids include formic acid, acetic acid, oxalic acid, malic acid, citric acid, and ascorbic acid.

[0040] The pretreatment liquid preferably contains water, but may contain a water-soluble organic solvent in addition to or instead of water.

[0041] The water is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include ion-exchanged water, distilled water, and ultrapure water.

[0042] The amount of water is preferably 30 to 90 mass %, more preferably 40 to 85 mass %, and even more preferably 50 to 80 mass %, based on the total amount of the pretreatment liquid.

[0043] As the water-soluble organic solvent, an organic compound that is liquid at room temperature (25°C) and dissolves in water can be used, and it is preferable to use a water-soluble organic solvent that is uniformly miscible with the same volume of water at 20°C under 1 atmosphere. For example, lower alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, isopropanol, 1-butanol, 2-butanol, isobutanol, 1,3-propanediol, 1,3-butanediol, 1,2-butanediol, 1,2-pentanediol, 1,2-hexanediol, and 2-methyl-2-propanol; Glycols such as ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, tripropylene glycol, and polypropylene glycol; Glycerols such as glycerin, diglycerin, triglycerin, and polyglycerin; acetins such as monoacetin and diacetin; glycol ethers such as ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, ethylene glycol monopropyl ether, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, diethylene glycol monopropyl ether, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, triethylene glycol monomethyl ether, triethylene glycol monoethyl ether, triethylene glycol monopropyl ether, triethylene glycol monobutyl ether, tetraethylene glycol monomethyl ether, tetraethylene glycol monoethyl ether, tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether, and tetraethylene glycol diethyl ether; Examples of usable solvents include β-thiodiglycol and sulfolane. The boiling point of the water-soluble organic solvent is preferably 100°C or higher, and more preferably 150°C or higher.

[0044] These water-soluble organic solvents may be used alone or in combination of two or more. When two or more water-soluble organic solvents are contained, the total content of the water-soluble organic solvents is preferably 10 to 50 mass %, more preferably 15 to 40 mass %, and even more preferably 15 to 30 mass %, based on the total amount of the pretreatment liquid.

[0045] The pretreatment liquid may further contain a surfactant. The surfactant may be an anionic surfactant, a cationic surfactant, an amphoteric surfactant, or a nonionic surfactant, with a nonionic surfactant being more preferred. Furthermore, either a low-molecular-weight surfactant or a high-molecular-weight surfactant may be used.

[0046] The HLB value of the surfactant is preferably 5-20, and more preferably 10-18.

[0047] Examples of nonionic surfactants include ester surfactants such as glycerin fatty acid esters and fatty acid sorbitan esters; ether surfactants such as polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers, polyoxyethylene alkylphenyl ethers and polyoxypropylene alkyl ethers; ether ester surfactants such as polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters; acetylene surfactants; silicone surfactants; fluorine surfactants; etc. Among these, acetylene surfactants such as acetylene glycol surfactants are preferably used.

[0048] Examples of the acetylene surfactant include an acetylene glycol surfactant, an acetylene alcohol surfactant, and a surfactant having an acetylene group.

[0049] The acetylene glycol surfactant is a glycol having an acetylene group, preferably a glycol having a symmetrical structure with the acetylene group located in the center, and may have a structure in which ethylene oxide is added to acetylene glycol.

[0050] Commercially available acetylene surfactants include, for example, the Surfynol series manufactured by Evonik Industries, such as "Surfynol 104E," "Surfynol 104H," "Surfynol 420," "Surfynol 440," "Surfynol 465," and "Surfynol 485," and the Olfin series manufactured by Nissin Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., such as "Olfin E1004," "Olfin E1010," and "Olfin E1020" (all trade names).

[0051] Examples of silicone surfactants include polyether-modified silicone surfactants, alkyl-aralkyl-co-modified silicone surfactants, and acrylic silicone surfactants.

[0052] Examples of commercially available silicone surfactants include "Silface SAG002" and "Silface 503A" manufactured by Nissin Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. (both are trade names).

[0053] Other nonionic surfactants include polyoxyethylene alkyl ether surfactants such as those in the Emulgen series manufactured by Kao Corporation, including "Emulgen 102KG," "Emulgen 103," "Emulgen 104P," "Emulgen 105," "Emulgen 106," "Emulgen 108," "Emulgen 120," "Emulgen 147," "Emulgen 150," "Emulgen 220," "Emulgen 350," "Emulgen 404," "Emulgen 420," "Emulgen 705," "Emulgen 707," "Emulgen 709," "Emulgen 1108," "Emulgen 4085," and "Emulgen 2025G" (all trade names).

[0054] Examples of anionic surfactants include the Emeral series, manufactured by Kao Corporation, such as "Emeral 0," "Emeral 10," "Emeral 2F," "Emeral 40," and "Emeral 20C," the Neopelex series, such as "Neopelex GS," "Neopelex G-15," "Neopelex G-25," and "Neopelex G-65," the Pelex series, such as "Pelex OT-P," "Pelex TR," "Pelex CS," "Pelex TA," "Pelex SS-L," and "Pelex SS-H," and the Demol series, such as "Demol N," "Demol NL," "Demol RN," and "Demol MS" (all of which are trade names).

[0055] Examples of cationic surfactants include the Acetamine series (manufactured by Kao Corporation) such as "Acetamine 24" and "Acetamine 86," the Cortamine series (manufactured by Kao Corporation) such as "Cortamine 24P," "Cortamine 86P," "Cortamine 60W," and "Cortamine 86W," and the Sanisol series (manufactured by Kao Corporation) such as "Sanisol C" and "Sanisol B-50" (all trade names).

[0056] Examples of amphoteric surfactants include the Amphitol series manufactured by Kao Corporation, such as Amphitol 20BS, Amphitol 24B, Amphitol 86B, Amphitol 20YB, and Amphitol 20N (all trade names).

[0057] The surfactants may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0058] The amount of the surfactant, in terms of active ingredient, is preferably 0.1 to 10 mass %, more preferably 0.2 to 5 mass %, relative to the total amount of the pretreatment liquid. When two or more surfactants are used, the above content of the surfactants refers to the total content thereof.

[0059] The pretreatment liquid may further contain other components, such as a pH adjuster, a preservative, a rust inhibitor, and an antifoaming agent.

[0060] The method for producing the pretreatment liquid is not particularly limited, and the pretreatment liquid can be produced by any known method. For example, the pretreatment liquid can be obtained by dispersing all of the components in a mixer such as a Three-One Motor, either all at once or in portions, and then passing the mixture through a filter such as a membrane filter, if desired.

[0061] Next, the above-mentioned white ink will be described.

[0062] White ink is ejected onto the fabric to conceal the color of the fabric, making the printed image easier to see, even when the fabric of the clothing, which is the printing medium, is a dark color such as black.

[0063] The white ink can contain a white pigment as a coloring material. By containing the white pigment, the white ink can be used to form an image that exhibits white color. The white pigment may be either an inorganic pigment or an organic pigment, or a combination of these may be used.

[0064] Examples of white pigments include white inorganic pigments such as titanium oxide, zinc oxide, zinc sulfide, antimony oxide, and zirconium oxide. Furthermore, white organic pigments such as hollow resin microparticles and solid resin microparticles can also be used. Among these, titanium oxide pigments are preferred from the viewpoint of opacity. The average particle diameter of the white pigment is preferably 50 nm or more, 100 nm or more, or 200 nm or more from the viewpoint of opacity, and preferably 500 nm or less, 400 nm or less, or 300 nm or less from the viewpoint of discharge stability. The average particle diameter of titanium oxide pigments is more preferably 200 to 300 nm from the viewpoints of opacity and discharge stability. When using titanium oxide pigments, it is preferable to use those that have been surface-treated with alumina, silica, or the like to suppress photocatalytic activity. The amount of surface treatment is preferably 5 to 20% by mass of the pigment.

[0065] A self-dispersing pigment may be used as the white pigment. A self-dispersing pigment is a pigment in which a hydrophilic functional group has been introduced onto the pigment surface by chemical or physical treatment. The hydrophilic functional group introduced into the self-dispersing pigment is preferably ionic, and by charging the pigment surface anionically or cationic, the pigment particles can be stably dispersed in water due to electrostatic repulsion. Preferred anionic functional groups include carboxyl groups, sulfo groups, and phosphate groups. Preferred cationic functional groups include quaternary ammonium groups and quaternary phosphonium groups.

[0066] These hydrophilic functional groups may be bonded directly to the pigment surface or via other atomic groups. Examples of such other atomic groups include, but are not limited to, alkylene groups, phenylene groups, and naphthylene groups. Examples of methods for treating the pigment surface include diazotization, sulfonation, hypochlorous acid treatment, humic acid treatment, and vacuum plasma treatment.

[0067] The white pigment may be a pigment dispersion in which the pigment is dispersed in advance with a pigment dispersant, or a microencapsulated pigment in which the pigment is coated with a resin.

[0068] The white pigment may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

[0069] From the viewpoint of hiding power and the like, the amount of the white pigment is preferably 5 to 30% by mass, more preferably 8 to 20% by mass, and even more preferably 10 to 12% by mass, based on the total amount of the white ink.

[0070] In order to stably disperse the white pigment in the white ink, a pigment dispersant such as a polymer dispersant or a surfactant-type dispersant can be used.

[0071] Examples of commercially available polymer dispersants include the TEGO Disperse series manufactured by EVONIK, such as "TEGO Disperse 740W," "TEGO Disperse 750W," "TEGO Disperse 755W," "TEGO Disperse 757W," and "TEGO Disperse 760W," and the Solsperse series manufactured by Lubrizol Japan, such as "Solsperse 20000," "Solsperse 27000," "Solsperse 41000," "Solsperse 41090," "Solsperse 43000," "Solsperse 44000," and "Solsperse 46000." Examples include the JONCRYL series manufactured by BASF Japan Ltd., such as "JONCRYL 57," "JONCRYL 60," "JONCRYL 62," "JONCRYL 63," "JONCRYL 71," and "JONCRYL 501," and the like; manufactured by BYK Japan Co., Ltd., "DISPERBYK-102," "DISPERBYK-185," "DISPERBYK-190," "DISPERBYK-193," and "DISPERBYK-199," and the like; and manufactured by Dai-ichi Kogyo Seiyaku Co., Ltd., "Polyvinylpyrrolidone K-30" and "Polyvinylpyrrolidone K-90" (all trade names).

[0072] Examples of surfactant-type dispersants include anionic surfactants such as the Demol series manufactured by Kao Corporation, including "Demol P," "Demol EP," "Demol N," "Demol RN," "Demol NL," "Demol RNL," and "Demol T-45," and nonionic surfactants such as the Emulgen series manufactured by Kao Corporation, including "Emulgen A-60," "Emulgen A-90," "Emulgen A-500," "Emulgen B-40," "Emulgen L-40," and "Emulgen 420" (all trade names).

[0073] The pigment dispersants may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0074] When a pigment dispersant is used, its content in the ink varies depending on the type and is not particularly limited, but in general, the mass ratio of the active ingredient to the white pigment is preferably 0.005 to 0.5.

[0075] The white ink preferably contains water, and water may be the main solvent. The water is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that it contains as few ionic components as possible. In particular, from the viewpoint of the storage stability of the white ink, it is preferable that the content of polyvalent metal ions such as calcium is low. As the water, for example, ion-exchanged water, distilled water, ultrapure water, etc. may be used.

[0076] From the viewpoint of adjusting the ink viscosity, the water content is preferably 30 to 90% by mass, more preferably 40 to 85% by mass, and even more preferably 50 to 80% by mass, of the total amount of the white ink.

[0077] The white ink may contain a water-soluble organic solvent.

[0078] The water-soluble organic solvent can be selected from those described above for the pretreatment liquid.

[0079] Among these, glycols, glycerins, or combinations thereof are preferred from the viewpoints of adjusting ink viscosity and moisturizing properties. Preferred glycols include ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, and tripropylene glycol. Preferred glycerins are glycerin.

[0080] The water-soluble organic solvents may be used alone or in combination of two or more. When two or more water-soluble organic solvents are contained, the total content of the water-soluble organic solvents is preferably 10 to 50% by mass, more preferably 15 to 40% by mass, and even more preferably 15 to 30% by mass, relative to the total mass of the white ink.

[0081] The white ink may further contain a surfactant. The surfactant may be selected from those described above for the pretreatment liquid. The surfactant may be an anionic surfactant, a cationic surfactant, an amphoteric surfactant, or a nonionic surfactant, with nonionic surfactants being more preferred. Furthermore, either a low-molecular-weight surfactant or a high-molecular-weight surfactant may be used.

[0082] The content of the surfactant is preferably 0.1 to 5% by mass, and more preferably 0.2 to 2% by mass, relative to the total amount of the white ink.

[0083] The white ink may further contain a water-dispersible resin, a water-soluble resin, or a combination thereof. From the viewpoint of sufficiently fixing the pigment to the fabric and thereby obtaining high coloring properties with a small amount of pigment, it is preferable that the white ink contains at least one of a water-dispersible resin and a water-soluble resin.

[0084] Examples of water-soluble resins include polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrylic acid, neutralized polyacrylic acid, acrylic acid / maleic acid copolymer, acrylic acid / sulfonic acid copolymer, styrene / maleic acid copolymer, etc. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0085] The water-dispersible resin is preferably resin particles that can be dispersed in an aqueous solvent. The water-dispersible resin can be blended into the ink, for example, as an oil-in-water resin emulsion.

[0086] The water-dispersible resin may be a self-emulsifying resin in which a hydrophilic component is introduced to stably disperse it in water, or may be a resin that becomes water-dispersible by the use of an external emulsifier.

[0087] From the viewpoint of inkjet ejection properties, the average particle size of the water-dispersible resin is preferably 300 nm or less, more preferably 200 nm or less, and even more preferably 150 nm or less. For example, the average particle size of the water-dispersible resin may be in the range of 10 nm to 300 nm.

[0088] Here, the average particle size of the resin is a volume-based average particle size, and is a value measured by a light scattering method.

[0089] The water-dispersible resin may be anionic, cationic, nonionic, or amphoteric. From the viewpoint of more stably dispersing the water-dispersible resin in the aqueous ink, the water-dispersible resin is preferably anionic or nonionic.

[0090] The water-dispersible resin is preferably an anionic water-dispersible resin having an anionic functional group such as a carboxy group, a sulfo group, or a hydroxy group.

[0091] The type of water-dispersible resin used is preferably a resin that forms a transparent coating film. The water-dispersible resin can be blended as a resin emulsion when producing the ink.

[0092] Representative examples include urethane resins, (meth)acrylic resins, styrene / (meth)acrylic resins, polyester resins, olefin resins, vinyl chloride resins, vinyl acetate resins, melamine resins, amide resins, ethylene-vinyl chloride copolymer resins, styrene-(meth)acrylic resins, styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer resins, vinyl acetate-(meth)acrylic copolymer resins, vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer resins, silicone resins, and composite resins thereof.

[0093] The water-dispersible resin is preferably a water-dispersible urethane resin, a water-dispersible polyester resin, or a combination thereof.

[0094] Examples of commercially available water-dispersible resins include "Superflex 470" (water-dispersible urethane resin) manufactured by Daiichi Kogyo Seiyaku Co., Ltd. and "Elitel KT9204" (water-dispersible polyester resin) manufactured by Unitika Ltd. (both are trade names).

[0095] The above-mentioned water-dispersible resins may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0096] The water-dispersible resin preferably has a nonvolatile content of 1% by mass or more, more preferably 5% by mass or more, and even more preferably 10% by mass or more, based on the total amount of the white ink. The water-dispersible resin preferably has a nonvolatile content of 40% by mass or less, more preferably 30% by mass or less, and even more preferably 20% by mass or less, based on the total amount of the white ink. For example, the water-dispersible resin preferably has a nonvolatile content of 1 to 40% by mass, more preferably 5 to 30% by mass, and even more preferably 10 to 20% by mass, based on the total amount of the white ink.

[0097] The mass ratio of the nonvolatile content of the water-dispersible resin to the pigment is preferably 0.1 to 10, more preferably 1 to 3, per 1 pigment.

[0098] The total amount of the water-dispersible resin and the water-soluble resin is preferably 1% by mass or more, more preferably 5% by mass or more, and even more preferably 10% by mass or more, based on the total amount of the white ink, in terms of nonvolatile content. The total amount of the water-dispersible resin and the water-soluble resin is preferably 40% by mass or less, more preferably 30% by mass or less, and even more preferably 20% by mass or less, based on the total amount of the white ink, in terms of nonvolatile content. For example, the total amount of the water-dispersible resin and the water-soluble resin is preferably 1 to 40% by mass, more preferably 5 to 30% by mass, and even more preferably 10 to 20% by mass, based on the total amount of the white ink, in terms of nonvolatile content.

[0099] The total amount of the water-dispersible resin and the water-soluble resin is preferably 0.1 to 10, more preferably 1 to 3, in terms of the mass ratio of the nonvolatile content to the pigment.

[0100] The white ink may further contain other components such as a pH adjuster, a preservative, a rust inhibitor, an antifoaming agent, and an amine compound.

[0101] The method for producing the white ink is not particularly limited, and the ink can be produced by any known method. For example, all of the components are added to a stirrer such as a Three-One Motor or the like all at once or in portions, and dispersed, and if desired, the mixture is passed through a filter such as a membrane filter to obtain an ink.

[0102] From the viewpoint of storage stability of the ink, the pH of the white ink is preferably 7.0 to 10.0, and more preferably 7.5 to 9.0.

[0103] The viscosity of the white ink can be adjusted as appropriate, but from the standpoint of ejection properties, for example, it is preferable that the viscosity at 23° C. is 1 to 30 mPa·s.

[0104] Next, the above-mentioned color inks will be described.

[0105] Examples of color ink include black ink, cyan ink, magenta ink, yellow ink, and other inks other than white ink.

[0106] The color ink may contain, as a colorant, a pigment, a dye, or a combination thereof, and preferably contains a pigment.

[0107] The pigment preferably includes a non-white pigment.

[0108] Non-white pigments include organic pigments such as azo pigments, phthalocyanine pigments, polycyclic pigments, and dye lake pigments, as well as inorganic pigments such as carbon black and metal oxides. Azo pigments include soluble azo lake pigments, insoluble azo pigments, and condensed azo pigments. Phthalocyanine pigments include metal phthalocyanine pigments and metal-free phthalocyanine pigments. Polycyclic pigments include quinacridone pigments, perylene pigments, perinone pigments, isoindoline pigments, isoindolinone pigments, dioxazine pigments, thioindigo pigments, anthraquinone pigments, quinophthalone pigments, metal complex pigments, and diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP). Carbon black includes furnace carbon black, lamp black, acetylene black, and channel black. These pigments may be used alone or in combination.

[0109] From the viewpoints of ejection stability and storage stability, the average particle size of the pigment particles in the ink is preferably 300 nm or less, more preferably 150 nm or less, and even more preferably 100 nm or less, as the volume-based average value in the particle size distribution measured by dynamic light scattering.

[0110] The non-white pigment may be a self-dispersing pigment, the details of which are as described above for the white pigment.

[0111] Preferred examples of self-dispersing pigments that can be used include the CAB-O-JET series manufactured by Cabot Corporation, such as "CAB-O-JET200," "CAB-O-JET300," "CAB-O-JET250C," "CAB-O-JET260M," "CAB-O-JET270," and "CAB-O-JET450C," and products manufactured by Orient Chemical Industries Co., Ltd., such as "BONJET BLACK CW-1," "BONJET BLACK CW-2," "BONJET BLACK CW-3," and "BONJET BLACK CW-4" (all trade names).

[0112] As the pigment, a microencapsulated pigment in which the pigment is coated with a resin may be used.

[0113] A pigment dispersion in which the pigment is previously dispersed with a pigment dispersant may be used. Commercially available pigment dispersions in which the pigment is dispersed with a pigment dispersant include, for example, the HOSTAJET series manufactured by Clariant and the FUJI SP series manufactured by Fuji Pigment Co., Ltd.

[0114] As the dye, water-soluble dyes and water-soluble dyes made water-soluble by reduction or the like can be preferably used from among basic dyes, acid dyes, direct dyes, soluble vat dyes, acid mordant dyes, mordant dyes, reactive dyes, vat dyes, sulfur dyes, etc. Also preferably used are disperse dyes such as azo-based, anthraquinone-based, azomethine-based, and nitro-based dyes. These may be used alone or in combination.

[0115] The coloring materials may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0116] From the viewpoint of print density and ink viscosity, the content of the color material is preferably 0.1 to 20% by mass, more preferably 1 to 15% by mass, and even more preferably 2 to 7% by mass, based on the total amount of color ink.

[0117] When a pigment is used as a coloring material in a color ink, a pigment dispersant, typically a polymer dispersant, a surfactant-type dispersant, etc., can be used to stably disperse the pigment in the color ink. The pigment dispersant can be selected from those described above for the white ink, for example.

[0118] When a pigment dispersant is used, the content in the color ink varies depending on the type and is not particularly limited, but in general, the mass ratio of the active ingredient to the pigment is preferably 0.005 to 0.5.

[0119] The color ink preferably contains water. The color ink may contain a water-soluble organic solvent in addition to or instead of water. Details of the water and the water-soluble organic solvent are as described above for the white ink. The water-soluble organic solvent may be selected from those described above for the white ink, for example.

[0120] From the viewpoint of adjusting the ink viscosity, the water content is preferably 20% by mass to 80% by mass, and more preferably 30% by mass to 70% by mass, based on the total amount of the color ink.

[0121] The amount of the water-soluble organic solvent is preferably 5 to 50% by mass, and more preferably 10 to 30% by mass, based on the total amount of the color ink.

[0122] The color ink may further contain a surfactant. The surfactant may be selected from those described above for the white ink. Among these, nonionic surfactants are preferred, and acetylene-based surfactants such as acetylene glycol-based surfactants are more preferred.

[0123] The amount of the surfactant in terms of active ingredients is preferably 0.1 to 10% by mass, more preferably 0.2 to 5% by mass, based on the total amount of the color ink.

[0124] The color ink may further contain a resin such as a water-dispersible resin or a water-soluble resin. For example, by including a fixing resin in the color ink, the fixation of the printed image to the fabric and the coating strength of the image can be further improved. From the viewpoint of obtaining ejection properties and storage stability suitable for inkjet inks, the color ink preferably contains a water-dispersible resin. The water-dispersible resin is preferably blended into the color ink in the form of a water-in-oil emulsion and is preferably dispersible in the color ink in the form of resin particles. The water-dispersible resin can be selected from those described above for the white ink, and may be a water-dispersible urethane resin, other water-dispersible resins, or a combination thereof.

[0125] The content of the water-dispersible resin is preferably 1 to 30% by mass, more preferably 3 to 30% by mass, and even more preferably 5 to 20% by mass, based on the total amount of the color ink.

[0126] The color ink may further contain a crosslinking agent. When the color ink contains a crosslinking agent, the coating strength of the image can be further increased. By increasing the coating strength, cracking of the image can be further suppressed even after washing the printed material. Examples of crosslinking agents include carbodiimide compounds, isocyanate compounds, and oxazoline compounds.

[0127] The content of the crosslinking agent is preferably 0.1 to 5% by mass, and more preferably 0.2 to 2% by mass, based on the total amount of the color ink.

[0128] The color ink may further contain other components such as a pH adjuster, a preservative, a rust inhibitor, and an antifoaming agent.

[0129] The method for producing the color ink is not particularly limited, and the ink can be produced by any known method. For example, all the components are added to a stirrer such as a Three-One Motor all at once or in portions, and dispersed, and if desired, the mixture is passed through a filter such as a membrane filter to obtain an ink.

[0130] The pH of the color ink is preferably 7.0 to 10.0, more preferably 7.5 to 9.0, from the viewpoint of storage stability of the ink.

[0131] The viscosity of the color ink can be adjusted as appropriate, but from the viewpoint of ejection properties, for example, the viscosity at 23° C. is preferably 1 to 30 mPa·s.

[0132] Next, the operation of the printing device 1 will be described.

[0133] First, the control unit 4 controls the transport unit 3 to move the garment, which is the print medium placed on the support unit, to the initial print position. Here, the garment has been placed on the support unit of the transport unit 3 by the user or other means.

[0134] Next, the control unit 4 moves the head unit 11 in the main scanning direction, and causes the pretreatment liquid ejection head 21 to eject the pretreatment liquid onto the same area on the garment as the area where an image based on the image data of the printing target is to be formed with color inks, thereby completing the ejection operation for the first pass.

[0135] Next, the control unit 4 moves the garment backward by a predetermined distance using the conveying unit 3. Next, the control unit 4 moves the head unit 11 in the direction opposite to the ejection direction of the previous pass, and ejects the pretreatment liquid from the pretreatment liquid ejection head 21 and the white ink from the white ink ejection head 22.

[0136] Here, the control unit 4 ejects the white ink onto the same area on the garment as the area onto which the pretreatment liquid was ejected in the previous pass. The control unit 4 controls the ejection of the white ink to be performed by the wet-on-wet method.

[0137] Next, the control unit 4 causes the transport unit 3 to move the garment backward by a predetermined distance. Next, the control unit 4 causes the head unit 11 to move in the opposite direction to the ejection operation of the previous pass, while ejecting pretreatment liquid from the pretreatment liquid ejection head 21 and white ink from the white ink ejection head 22, and simultaneously ejecting color inks from the color ink ejection head 23 onto the area on the garment onto which the pretreatment liquid and white ink had been ejected up to the previous pass, thereby forming an image. The control unit 4 controls the ejection of the color inks to be performed using a wet-on-wet method.

[0138] The control unit 4 alternately repeats the movement of the head unit 11 in the main scanning direction and the movement toward the rear of the clothing as described above, and executes the steps of ejecting pretreatment liquid onto the clothing, ejecting white ink onto the area on the clothing onto which the pretreatment liquid has been ejected, and ejecting color ink onto the area on the clothing onto which the pretreatment liquid and white ink have been ejected, thereby printing an image on the clothing.

[0139] Here, when printing in a highly stretchable area of ​​clothing during exercise, as described above, the control unit 4 controls the amount of pretreatment liquid ejected by the pretreatment liquid ejection head 21 to be equal to or greater than the appropriate amount, and the amount of white ink ejected by the white ink ejection head 22 to be less than the appropriate amount, in at least a portion of the highly stretchable area during exercise.

[0140] Specifically, in this embodiment, the control unit 4 forms white ink reduced regions and pretreatment liquid reduced regions in alternating stripes within the exercise high elasticity region. Here, the white ink reduced regions are regions where the ejection amount of the pretreatment liquid is equal to or greater than the appropriate amount, but the ejection amount of the white ink is less than the appropriate amount. The pretreatment liquid reduced regions are regions where the ejection amount of the pretreatment liquid is less than the appropriate amount, but the ejection amount of the white ink is equal to or greater than the appropriate amount.

[0141] By providing the white ink reduced region, it is possible to reduce the deterioration of athletic functionality, as will be described later. Furthermore, by alternately forming the white ink reduced region and the pretreatment liquid reduced region, it is possible to reduce the deterioration of athletic functionality while suppressing the deterioration of the washing fastness of the garment, as will be described later.

[0142] An example of clothing (textile-printed material) on which an image has been printed by the above-described operation is shown in Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a diagram showing the front of the clothing, and Figure 4 is a diagram showing the back of the clothing. Figure 5 shows the white ink-reduced region and the pretreatment liquid-reduced region of the clothing shown in Figures 3 and 4.

[0143] In the examples of FIGS. 3 and 4, images are printed in left and right shoulder sleeve print areas 32, a front print area 33, and a back print area 34 of a garment 31 which is a T-shirt.

[0144] The shoulder / sleeve printing region 32 is an area consisting of the shoulders and sleeves of the garment 31. The shoulder / sleeve printing region 32 includes the shoulder area that stretches relatively greatly with movement of the shoulder joints of the wearer of the garment 31, and corresponds to a highly stretchable region during movement.

[0145] As shown in FIG. 5, in the shoulder / sleeve printing area 32, white ink reduced areas 35 and pretreatment liquid reduced areas 36 are formed in alternating stripes.

[0146] That is, in the shoulder / sleeve printing region 32, when the white ink is ejected after the pretreatment liquid is ejected, the ejection amount of the pretreatment liquid is more than the appropriate amount and the ejection amount of the white ink is less than the appropriate amount in the white ink reduced region 35, and the ejection amount of the pretreatment liquid is less than the appropriate amount and the ejection amount of the white ink is more than the appropriate amount in the pretreatment liquid reduced region 36. After the pretreatment liquid and white ink are ejected in this way, the color inks are ejected, and an image in the shoulder / sleeve printing region 32 as shown in Figures 3 and 4 is formed.

[0147] In the white ink reduced region 35, the amount of pretreatment liquid is more than the appropriate amount, but the amount of white ink is less than the appropriate amount, so the white ink reacts with the pretreatment liquid on the surface of the fabric and coagulates, forming a thin ink film on the fabric. This reduces fabric stiffness. Therefore, by providing the white ink reduced region 35, it is possible to reduce the deterioration of athletic functionality.

[0148] On the other hand, in the white ink reduced region 35, the washing fastness is lower than when the amount of white ink is more than the appropriate amount.

[0149] In the pretreatment liquid reduced region 36, the amount of pretreatment liquid is less than the appropriate amount and the amount of white ink is more than the appropriate amount, so that the fabric becomes stiff, but sufficient washing fastness can be ensured.

[0150] Therefore, by forming the white ink reduced regions 35 and the pretreatment liquid reduced regions 36 in an alternating striped pattern, it is possible to prevent the fabric from becoming stiff while suppressing a decrease in washing fastness in the shoulder / sleeve printed regions 32. As a result, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the washing fastness of the garment 31 while also reducing a decrease in athletic functionality.

[0151] Incidentally, in the white ink reduced region 35, the amount of white ink is less than the appropriate amount, and therefore the concealing property is reduced. In contrast, in the pretreatment liquid reduced region 36, the amount of pretreatment liquid is less than the appropriate amount, and therefore the concealing property is reduced in both the white ink reduced region 35 and the pretreatment liquid reduced region 36. In other words, because the concealing property is reduced in both the white ink reduced region 35 and the pretreatment liquid reduced region 36, even if these regions are formed in alternating stripes, the striped pattern is prevented from being noticeable.

[0152] The ejection amounts of the pretreatment liquid and the white ink in the white ink reduced region 35 and the pretreatment liquid reduced region 36, respectively, are determined by experiments or the like.

[0153] The front printing area 33 is formed on the front body of the garment 31, and the back printing area 34 is formed on the back body. The front printing area 33 and the back printing area 34 are formed in areas that have a relatively small degree of stretch when the wearer of the garment 31 exercises. Therefore, even if the fabric in the front printing area 33 and the back printing area 34 becomes stiff, the impact on the athletic functionality of the garment 31 is small.

[0154] Therefore, in the front printing region 33 and the back printing region 34, the amount of pretreatment liquid ejected may be set to an appropriate amount or more and the amount of white ink ejected may be set to an appropriate amount or less, as in the pretreatment liquid reduced region 36, or the amounts of pretreatment liquid and white ink ejected may be set to their appropriate amounts.

[0155] Next, an example of an experiment conducted to confirm the difference in the hardness (feel) of printed fabric due to differences in the ejection amounts of the pretreatment liquid and white ink will be described.

[0156] The formulation of the pretreatment liquid used in this experiment is shown in Table 1. The raw materials were mixed according to the formulation shown in Table 1 and stirred with a mix rotor at 100 rpm for 20 minutes to obtain a pretreatment liquid.

[0157] [Table 1]

[0158] The formulation of the white ink used in this experiment is shown in Table 2. The raw materials were mixed according to the formulation shown in Table 2 and stirred with a mix rotor at 100 rpm for 20 minutes to obtain a white ink.

[0159] The white pigment dispersions shown in Table 2 were obtained by the following method.

[0160] 400 g of titanium dioxide "R-21N" (manufactured by Sakai Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) as a white pigment and 20 g (5 g of active ingredient) of "Demol EP" (manufactured by Kao Corporation) as a pigment dispersant were mixed with 580 g of ion-exchanged water, and the mixture was dispersed with 0.5 mm diameter zirconia beads using a bead mill (manufactured by Shinmaru Enterprises Co., Ltd., DYNO-MILL KDL A type) at a filling rate of 80% and a residence time of 5 minutes, yielding a white pigment dispersion (pigment content 40% by mass).

[0161] [Table 2]

[0162] Two inkjet printers (Mastermind textile printer "MMP-8130") were prepared, and the pretreatment liquid was introduced into the first printer and white ink into the second printer.

[0163] Using the first printer, the pretreatment liquid was ejected onto the entire 100 mm × 200 mm area of ​​three polyester fabrics. Next, using the second printer, white ink was ejected onto the area of ​​each of the three fabrics onto which the pretreatment liquid had been ejected, using a wet-on-wet method, to form a 100 mm × 200 mm white solid image. This was then subjected to heat treatment.

[0164] The amounts of pretreatment liquid and white ink ejected onto each of the three pieces of fabric are shown in Table 3 as the amounts of pretreatment liquid and white ink ejected onto test pieces of Samples No. 1 to 3, which are described below, created from each piece of fabric.

[0165] The printed fabric obtained by printing was cut into 20 mm x 100 mm pieces to prepare test pieces. Test pieces Nos. 1 to 3 were obtained from each of the three pieces of fabric. The widths and thicknesses of the test pieces for Samples 1 to 3 are shown in Table 3.

[0166] The amounts of the pretreatment liquid and white ink ejected onto the test pieces of Samples No. 1 to 3 are shown in Table 3. The optimum amount of the pretreatment liquid ejected onto the fabric used in this experiment was 120 g / m2 The optimum amount of white ink ejected is 360 g / m 2 Therefore, in sample No. 1, the ejection amounts of the pretreatment liquid and the white ink are each appropriate. In sample No. 2, the ejection amount of the pretreatment liquid is less than the appropriate amount, and the ejection amount of the white ink is appropriate. In sample No. 3, the ejection amount of the pretreatment liquid is appropriate, and the ejection amount of the white ink is less than the appropriate amount.

[0167] The test pieces of Samples Nos. 1 to 3 were touched with the hands and subjected to a sensory evaluation of texture. The texture was evaluated on a five-point scale: "soft," "soft to normal," "normal," "normal to hard," and "hard." The evaluation results are shown in Table 3.

[0168] [Table 3]

[0169] As shown in Table 3, sample No. 1, which had the appropriate amounts of pretreatment liquid and white ink, and sample No. 2, which had less than the appropriate amount of pretreatment liquid and the appropriate amount of white ink, were rated as "normal to hard," while sample No. 3, which had the appropriate amount of pretreatment liquid and less than the appropriate amount of white ink, was rated as "soft."

[0170] In addition, a tensile test was conducted on the test pieces of Samples No. 1 to 3 using a Strograph VGS manufactured by Toyo Seiki Seisakusho Co., Ltd. under the conditions of a speed of 10 mm / min, a chuck distance of 40 mm, and a tensile length of 40 mm, and the stress-strain curves shown in Figure 6 were obtained.

[0171] As shown in Figure 6, sample No. 3 had lower stress and was softer than samples No. 1 and 2, even at the same strain. Furthermore, sample No. 3 had a stress of 0.3 MPa or less at a strain of 40%, demonstrating sufficient softness to reduce the deterioration of the athletic functionality of the garment.

[0172] As described above, in the printing device 1, when printing in a highly stretchable area of ​​clothing during exercise, the control unit 4 controls the amount of pretreatment liquid ejected by the pretreatment liquid ejection head 21 to be greater than or equal to an appropriate amount, and the amount of white ink ejected by the white ink ejection head 22 to be less than an appropriate amount, in at least a portion of the highly stretchable area during exercise.

[0173] This prevents the fabric in the highly stretchable area from becoming stiff during exercise, even when printed in that area, thereby reducing the deterioration of the clothing's athletic functionality.

[0174] Furthermore, by controlling the amount of pretreatment liquid and white ink ejected, it is possible to prevent the fabric in the highly stretchable area from becoming stiff during exercise, eliminating the need for extensive work such as changing the material of part of the garment (the highly stretchable area during exercise).

[0175] Therefore, the printing device 1 can easily reduce the deterioration of the athletic functionality of the clothing on which the image is printed.

[0176] Specifically, the control unit 4 forms alternating stripes of reduced white ink regions and reduced pretreatment liquid regions in the high stretch region during exercise, thereby reducing the deterioration of athletic functionality while suppressing the deterioration of washing fastness of the garment.

[0177] In the above-described embodiment, the white ink reduced region and the pretreatment liquid reduced region are formed in alternating stripes within the high elasticity region during exercise. However, this is not limiting, and for example, the entire high elasticity region during exercise may be a white ink reduced region. Also, for example, a portion of the high elasticity region during exercise may be a white ink reduced region, and the ejection amounts of the pretreatment liquid and the white ink may be set to appropriate amounts in the remaining region.

[0178] In the above-described embodiment, the pretreatment liquid and the white ink are ejected onto the same region on the fabric as the region on which the image is formed with the color inks. However, at least one of the region on which the pretreatment liquid is ejected and the region on which the white ink is ejected may have a portion that does not overlap with the region on the fabric on which the image is formed with the color inks. Furthermore, the region on which the pretreatment liquid is ejected may be an area that includes the region on which the white ink is ejected, but is larger than the region on which the white ink is ejected.

[0179] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, printing is performed by ejecting white ink and color inks using a wet-on-wet method, but a wet-on-dry method may also be used.

[0180] In the above-described embodiment, the printing apparatus 1 is a serial inkjet printing apparatus, but it may be a line inkjet printing apparatus. Furthermore, the pretreatment liquid may be ejected in a separate apparatus from the white ink and the color inks to produce a printed material.

[0181] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the components can be modified and embodied in practice without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, various inventions can be created by appropriately combining multiple components disclosed in the above-described embodiments. For example, some components may be omitted from all the components shown in the embodiments.

[0182] [Note] The present application discloses the following inventions.

[0183] (Appendix 1) a step of discharging a pretreatment liquid that aggregates ink onto the garment, discharging white ink onto the garment onto which the pretreatment liquid has been discharged, and discharging color ink onto the garment onto which the pretreatment liquid and the white ink have been discharged, thereby printing an image; a printing step for printing in a high-elasticity region of the garment where the degree of elasticity during exercise of a wearer is greater than in other regions, the step of ejecting an amount of pretreatment liquid equal to or greater than an appropriate amount and ejecting an amount of white ink less than an appropriate amount in at least a part of the high-elasticity region of the garment.

[0184] (Appendix 2) 2. The method for producing a printed textile product according to claim 1, wherein, in the printing step, when printing on the high elasticity region during exercise, regions where the discharge amount of the pretreatment liquid is equal to or greater than an appropriate amount and the discharge amount of the white ink is less than an appropriate amount and regions where the discharge amount of the pretreatment liquid is less than the appropriate amount and the discharge amount of the white ink is equal to or greater than the appropriate amount are alternately formed in stripes within the high elasticity region during exercise.

[0185] (Appendix 3) a first ejection unit that ejects a pretreatment liquid that aggregates ink; a second ejection unit that ejects white ink; a third ejection unit that ejects color ink; a control unit that controls the first discharge unit to discharge the pretreatment liquid onto the clothes, the second discharge unit to discharge the white ink onto the clothes onto which the pretreatment liquid has been discharged, and the third discharge unit to discharge the color ink onto the clothes onto which the pretreatment liquid and the white ink have been discharged, to print an image, a control unit that controls the amount of pretreatment liquid ejected by the first ejection unit to be equal to or greater than an appropriate amount and the amount of white ink ejected by the second ejection unit to be less than an appropriate amount in at least a part of the high-elasticity area of ​​the clothing, when printing in a high-elasticity area of ​​the clothing where the degree of elasticity during exercise is greater than other areas when the wearer is exercising. [Explanation of symbols]

[0186] 1 Printing device 2 Printing Department 3. Conveyor 4. Control section 11 Head Unit 12 Rail section 21 Pre-treatment liquid ejection head 22 White ink ejection head 23 Color ink ejection head 24 Head holder 31 Clothes 32 Shoulder sleeve printing area 33 Front print area 34 Back printing area 35 White ink reduction area 36 Pretreatment liquid reduction area

Claims

1. a step of discharging a pretreatment liquid that aggregates ink onto the garment, discharging white ink onto the garment onto which the pretreatment liquid has been discharged, and discharging color ink onto the garment onto which the pretreatment liquid and the white ink have been discharged, thereby printing an image; a printing step for printing in a high-elasticity region of the garment where the degree of elasticity during exercise of a wearer is greater than in other regions, the step of ejecting an amount of pretreatment liquid equal to or greater than an appropriate amount and ejecting an amount of white ink less than an appropriate amount in at least a part of the high-elasticity region of the garment.

2. 2. The method for producing a printed textile according to claim 1, wherein, in the printing step, when printing is performed on the high elasticity region during exercise, regions in which the ejection amount of the pretreatment liquid is equal to or greater than an appropriate amount and the ejection amount of the white ink is less than an appropriate amount and regions in which the ejection amount of the pretreatment liquid is less than the appropriate amount and the ejection amount of the white ink is equal to or greater than the appropriate amount are formed alternately in stripes within the high elasticity region during exercise.

3. a first ejection unit that ejects a pretreatment liquid that aggregates ink; a second ejection unit that ejects white ink; a third ejection unit that ejects color ink; a control unit that controls the first discharge unit to discharge the pretreatment liquid onto the clothes, the second discharge unit to discharge the white ink onto the clothes onto which the pretreatment liquid has been discharged, and the third discharge unit to discharge the color ink onto the clothes onto which the pretreatment liquid and the white ink have been discharged, to print an image, a control unit that controls the amount of pretreatment liquid ejected by the first ejection unit to be equal to or greater than an appropriate amount and the amount of white ink ejected by the second ejection unit to be less than an appropriate amount in at least a part of the high-elasticity area of ​​the clothing, when printing in a high-elasticity area of ​​the clothing where the degree of elasticity during exercise by the wearer is greater than in other areas.

Images