November 2019

A Textile Today Initiative l Published with Volume 12, Issue 11 l Pages 97 to 106

9 fashion girls show

us how to wear this
season's coolest
print trends

Best method to print

T-shirts

Latest textile printing

technologies

November 2019

Textile printing can be a
good option to build career
Mohammad Nurul Alam
Figure 1: Auko Tex Group set a world class design studio and a graphics designer is
working there to innovate new concept.
A career in textile printing has
an enormous opportunity to
extend occupational success in
Bangladesh. But the expertise has
never grown from the graduates of
fashion or print institutes. Ideally,
a textile printing factory requires
plenty of human hand involvement
and also it has an extensive
production floor to maintain.
So, overall team and floor
management is the prime area of
responsibility that is considered
for textile printing management.
In this respect, new graduates
can grab this area for career
development as well as to stand for
greater innovation in textile printing.
Why new generation is reluctant
to start a career in textile printing
A production assistant or manager
does many different low-level
tasks on the floor. Even an entry-
Bangladesh Textile Today | Volume 12, Issue 11
level job is more laborious and
not comfortable for the fresh
graduates because of the overall
factory environment.
When it comes to building a career
in manufacturing, parents and
well-wishers sometimes feel the
young is sinking in the sea. Most
relatively psycho-social concept
barrier comes into play with
working in a factory, as well as this
not good choice to start a career,
type of mindset.
This pragmatist mindset is not
really inspiring for young-fresh
graduates who are willing to begin
a career in textile printing. Let’s
scrutinize the key factors:
Remote location of the factory:
Sometimes people love manufacturing
jobs but feel reluctant to do a job
in factories because factories are
located in remote areas and the roads
Editorial
and highways of Bangladesh are
not always suitable for a long time
journey.
Saiful Islam, Manager, Print and
Emb at SAG Fashion International
Ltd and General Secretary at
Screen Print Welfare Association
of Bangladesh said, “Most of the
fresh graduates want to have
executive jobs. We see that
production-related jobs are always
done by the under graduates. The
main reason behind this is the
distance of the factory location
from the main city.”
The industry is constantly
changing: The production
industry is highly competitive and
evolving rapidly, especially with
new technologies. Sometimes
the quick adaption becomes
overwhelming for the freshers.
Managing people: Effectively
managing people in the textile
printing sector requires strong
leadership skills, the capacity
to interact with varied people.
Managing hundreds of workers
sometimes gets very difficult
and a tough job. Instead of fresh
graduates rather think to go for
executive jobs in the corporate
environment.
Working conditions: A textile
printing factory is generally hot
in temperature due to its electric
dryer and curing process. Though
many Bangladeshi factories are
designed to ensure a comfortable
working condition to eliminate injury
possibility for the workers. But a
fresher might not have that extra
financial capacity to ensure that.
Printing expert Saiful Islam opined,
“When I started my career in
99

Figure 2: Some Print factories are maintaining good working condition and Masco print
is one of them.
a print factory, I felt the job is
totally not suitable to take as
a longtime career because of the
hot environment as well as dizzy
atmosphere. However, I took the
challenge and negotiated all the
difficult situations and now I feel
good that my choice was not wrong.”
Chances of error: A study found
that 23% of all unplanned downtime
in textile printing is the result of
human error and the error may cost
thousands of dollars. So, people
always try to avoid textile printing
if they have really other areas of
opportunity to build a career.
Opportunity of career
development in textile printing
A career in the textile printing
sector has a range of manual
labor and operational jobs to
highly-technical and managerial
positions. Most of the textile
printing production is now done by
machinery, computers and robots.
Consequently, technical experts
are needed to control production,
programmer and maintain these
specialist pieces of equipment.
So, a textile printing factory is
included with much expertise
both from the pre-production and
production aspects.
Why choose textile printing for
developing a career
• Textile print need expertise: The
expertise in textile printing is not
enough, still it is waiting for the
person who is capable to handle
the latest technology as well as
new trends.
• People in textile print has little
100
education or no education:
Many of the printing mills do not
have people those can read or
speak English even they are not
able to explain anything because
of barrier in communication. So,
fresh graduates can grab the
opportunity and build a career.
• Available job opportunity:
As mentioned the sector has
a lack of expertise so the job
opportunity is enormous.
• To be a future entrepreneur:
Getting the expertise in the
sector the new generation can
adapt the required knowledge and
experience. This can help them to
be a future entrepreneur because
to set up a print factory never cost
much and it needs expertise and
marketing network only.
Scope of area to build expertise
in the textile printing
Textile print production manager:
The main role of a Production
Manager is to oversee the
manufacturing process within the
factory. He is responsible for planning
production schedules and ensuring
that the production process is carried
out within the budget.
Textile print quality assurance
manager: Quality Assurance
Managers help to develop and
maintain quality standards. They
play a crucial role in the factory
by ensuring that textile print meet
certain thresholds of acceptability.
Research and development
analyst in textile print: A Research
and Development (R&D) manager
performs a number of highly
important roles in a printing mill.
Bangladesh Textile Today |
They are responsible for research,
innovation and implementing
new ideas into the factory and
overseeing the development of
new products.
Sadrul Alom Sumon, President,
Screen Print Welfare Association
of Bangladesh told Textile Today,
“The research and development is
kind of laboratories that postdocs
work in because this area is in
charge of product discovery.
The development section of
the manufacturing unit and
troubleshoot can help to discover
new products.”
Marketing manager for textile
print: A textile print manager is
responsible for print marketing
to get work orders from the RMG
factories. He has to maintain
and oversee the production of
all promotional materials and
marketing campaigns.
Graphics designer: Graphic
designers are generally visual
communicators, who create visual
concepts by hand or by using a
computer. They create concepts
and use computer software to
communicate their ideas. A textile
print factory cannot run unless it
hires a graphics designer to develop
printing design and concept. So,
there is an enormous opportunity
is waiting for those who want to
create a prosperous career.
Raihan Khan a student of the
Shanto-Mariam University of
Creative Technology said, “I
always dream for a career that
can help me to develop and
improve my internal and external
capability. So, it is only the career
of a graphics designer that can
extend my career up to the highest
level of success and can give
an opportunity to do the job in
various organizations.”
In conclusion, it can be said that
there are endless opportunities
lying to develop a career in textile
printing. Because Bangladesh
is the second-highest apparel
manufacturer after China and
printing is becoming a popular
trend in fashion.
Volume 12, Issue 11
 P r i n t i n g To d a y

ARC ensures
Both Kissel + Wolf GmbH were
founded in 1893 at Germany
and it was 125th anniversary for

chrome free
the company that they proudly
celebrated it last year. Kissel +
Wolf provides solutions in the

emulsions
fields of printing form chemistry
(screen and textile printing),
adhesives, cleaning agents, resists

for screen
and coatings as well as services for
product development and custom
manufacturing. It also oriented

printing
itself to fulfill the demands of
the market using the synergy of
three branches of industry: screen
printing, textile printing and
BTT Interview
adhesives.
Dirk Oelschläger, Technical Sales
Manager at Kissel + Wolf GmbH
for the brands ULANO, KIWO,
ARC visited Bangladesh recently
for its market promotion. He is
responsible for sales and technical
support of the incorporated brands
in Africa, Middle East, Indian Sub-
Continent, and parts of Europe.
He is an experienced chemical
engineer with many years of
international sales activities for
complex industrial products.
Textile Today had a conversation
with him related to chemical
business and to get a market
overview in the RMG sector.

Textile Today: How many brands
and what product ranges are
Kissel + Wolf offering?
Dirk Oelschläger: Since the
company was founded in 1893
and acquired by the Eisenbeiss
family in 1956, tradition and
innovation have gone with
importance in a long term and
global outlook. Kissel + Wolf
GmbH is the mother company
of the KIWO, ARC (Albert Rose
Chemicals) and ULANO brands.
Each brand is specialized to screen
and textile printing and supplies
chemical products to worldwide
manufacturers. The brands are
providing below specific range of
product -
KIWO is a leading manufacturer
of chemical products for screen
making and specialty adhesives.
The product range for this brand
includes screen making chemicals,
emulsions, cleaners, adhesives and
resists & coatings.
ARC is a name known worldwide
to all successful textile printers
since decades. The systematic
chemistry of ARC stands for the
safe and economic production
of perfect textile rotary and flat
screens.
ULANO manufactures and supplies
a wide range of screen emulsions,
related chemicals, masking and
capillary films, indirect films and
inkjet media.
Textile Today: What is the
sustainability approach of ARC
product?
Dirk Oelschläger: Chromium
sensitizers are used to sensitize
rotary emulsions for exposure
and as a bonding enhancer for
laser engraving. Because it is a
genotoxic carcinogen, chromium
(VI) and chromium-dichromate
where listed relatively early on

Bangladesh Textile Today | Volume 12, Issue 11 101

P r i n t i n g To d a y
the European Chemical Agency
(ECHA) candidates list as
‘Substances of Very High Concern:
(SHVC)’ in the Registration,
Evaluation, Authorization and
Restriction and Chemicals
(REACH) regulations.
For this reason, from September
2017, without prior authorization,
no more products can be
manufactured, which contain
chromium (VI) or requiring this
hazardous material for application
and processing by a customer.
So, to provide the chrome free
product in the market was the
biggest challenge and a greatest
approach to sustainability. We
have below specialized products
that no chrome exists -
• Chrome free emulsions for rotary
screen printing,
• Chrome free emulsions for flat-
bed screen printing,
• Adhesives for flat-bed frame and
rotary end rings & retouching
Textile Today: What is the
specification ARC offers in its
product?
Dirk Oelschläger: We believe,
doing business means taking
the responsibility for hazardous
and non-hazardous issues in
the product and to practice the
correct technical methods. Thus,
for years we have placed great
importance on environmentally
friendly product and production
processes. We ensure below
product specification -
• Chrome free sensitizing
• Ingredients comply with REACH
regulation, ensuring future
availability
• Lower workplace risk and less
environmental pollution
• Longer storage stability of
sensitized emulsions
• Suitable for dip and double
squeegee coating
• Stock coating possible
• Good printing resistance
Textile Today: Please share us
about R&D process and the
innovation of ARC?
102
ARC brought numerous innovations to the market
Polytex W 690
Pre-sensitized SBQ-emulsion for
T-Shirt and garment printing
Texsol 499 Tex
Diazo-sensitized emulsion for
Flat-bed large format Screen
Printing
Dirk Oelschläger: We have
reach Application Laboratory to
meet the growing demands and
requirements of our customers.
Therefore, Kissel + Wolf GmbH
has invested in new machines to
enrich Applications Laboratory as
well as to be optimally prepared
for the future. Our advanced
technical know-how is combined
with high quality raw materials. So
we brought numerous innovations
to the market and influenced the
entire industry.
Around 15 % of our employees
work in these areas, which means
we remain globally competitive
and innovative.
Textile Today: What is ARC’s
biggest strengths?
Dirk Oelschläger: Our name
stands for performance,
competence and reliability
because we have depth knowledge
of industries, markets and current
technologies. Our greatest
strengths lies in our experience,
future vision and staying in touch
with people and industry.
Textile Today: What customer
relationship ARC maintain to
expand in new market?
Dirk Oelschläger: We keep
dialog with our customers across
the globe, who expressed their
experience with thousands of
application techniques and
this is one of the keys to our
success. That’s why review and
input from customer becomes
Rotacoat 326 Q Red
1-component pre-sensitized
chrome-free emulsion for textile
rotary printing
an important ingredient in our
product development. So product
care – including the systematic
improvement of products – is of the
utmost importance at Kissel + Wolf.
Textile Today: How do you see
Bangladesh market to be a most
prospective for your company?
Dirk Oelschläger: Bangladesh is
one of the biggest apparel exports
in the world. So, we always see
this market as most pretention for
our business. We know the global
downturn trend in apparel market
may affect our business as well
including Bangladesh, but it will not
be continuous downturn for all time.
After certain period of time I
believe the down turn tendency
will over and the growth level
will move from a highest pick
to general growth level. That
means the market will be slow but
will remain and exist in a stable
growth. But the growth will never
as previous period of time.
Textile Today: How does KIWO
ARC do brand marketing and
distribution in Bangladesh?
Dirk Oelschläger: Our sole
distributor in Bangladesh is the
Well-Chem Enterprise which is
a division of Zahan-Tex Pvt Co.
Ltd. Corporate Office: House-14,
Road-13, Sector-4, Uttara, and
Dhaka, Bangladesh. Well-Chem
Enterprise is providing all the local
support on behalf of ARC for a
comprehensive technical solution.
Bangladesh Textile Today | Volume 12, Issue 11
 THE CHALLENGE OF CHROME FREE
TOTAL ENGRAVING SOLUTION
Chromium sensitizers are used to sensitize rotary emulsions for exposure and as a bonding enhancer for laser
engraving. Because it is a genotoxic carcinogen, chromium (VI) and chromium-dichromate where listed relatively
early on the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) CANDIDATES LIST AS “Substances of Very High Concern: (SHVC)
IN THE Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction and Chemicals (REACH) regulations.
For this reason, from Sept., 2017, without prior authorization, no more products can be manufactured, which
contain chromium (VI) or requiring this hazardous material for application and processing by a customer.

Chrome free emulsions for PRODUCT BENEFITS

Rotary Screen Printing:
Arcalack ® • Chrome free sensitizing
Rotacoat®
Arcagel® • Ingredients comply with REACH regulation,
ensuring future availability
Chrome free emulsions for
Flat-bed Screen Printing: • Lower workplace risk and less environmental
pollution
Texsol 499 Tex®
Polytex W690® • Longer storage stability of sensitized emulsions
Polytex Gamma®
• Suitable for dip and double squeegee coating
Adhesives for Flat-bed Frame & • Stock coating possible
Rotary End Ring & Retouching:
Arcabond 300 / Arcadur 300® • Good printing resistance
Arcabond R 900 H / Arcadur R 900 H®
Estelan 1799®

Sole Distributor:
WELL-CHEM ENTERPRISE
Division of ZHAN-TEX PVT CO. LTD.
Corporate Office: House-14, Road-13, ALBERT ROSE CHEMICALS
Sector-4, Uttara, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Division of Kissel + Wolf GmbH
Tel: +02-7912353, Cell: +01713013073 +01711606073 In den Ziegelwiesen 6.69168 Wiesloch Germany
E-mail: zhantex@gmail.com Phone + 49 6222 578-0 Fax +49 6222 578-100
www.zhantexbd.com arc@kiwo.de, www.albert-rose-chemicals.eu
P r i n t i n g To d a y
Best method
to print T-shirts
FT Research Team
T-shirts are among the most worn
and popular garments of present
clothing used today. To be specific
printed T-shirt is one of the sought
garments currently. Due to the
revolution in the textile printing
industry any theme with color
can be printed and can depict the
wearer’s persona.
The T-shirt market was valued at
US$ 185.1 Bn in 2016. The market is
further growing at a CAGR of 6.0%
over the forecast period 2017 –
2025, according to research.
In this article, it will be discussed
which method is best to print on
a T-shirt, including vibrancy, color
matching and durability. Two of
the most used method to print a
T-shirt, one is direct to garment
(DTG) printing and another is
screen printing.
Screen printed T-shirts have
been a standard form for as far
as the history goes back. But
became widespread in the ’70s
and remains the most widely used
mode of T-shirt printing. Modern
Figure 1: A dramatic difference in color vibrancy: screen printing (left) vs. DTG (right).
Courtesy: Collected
104
innovations have made this form
more efficient and higher quality.
Direct to Garment (DTG) has been
around for barely 15 years but
exploded globally due to higher-
quality prints, easy affordability
and cheap attributes.
In recent years, the direct to
garment printing is seen a rise
due to economical, faster, cleaner
methods and requires a small
initial investment. In the process
of automation, direct to garment
printing (DTG) is a new process of
printing on textile materials in an
automatic process by a specialized
printer – costs anywhere from
$15,000 up to $800,000.
A company can start taking
low-quantity, on-demand orders
without the usual setup cost and
effort of screen printing. In fact,
maximum online on-demand
printing companies are using DTG
printing machinery.
Let’s find out which method is best
suited and why:
Vibrancy: In terms of color
Bangladesh Textile Today |
saturation and brightness screen
printing stands out. It uses
plastisol ink – typically composed
of PVC particles – which are
tremendously dense and available
in a wide range of precise colors.
Whereas, digital printing uses
water-based inks – the CMYK
(cyan, magenta, yellow and black)
color model to make various
shades – which lack the opacity
and vibrancy, especially on darker
garments.
Color blending: To create smooth
gradients and a range of colors
by blending a lesser amount of
colors DTG printers exactly do
that. With a giant inkjet printer and
using CMYK color blends create a
spectrum of colors with excellent
color blending.
Whereas, screen printers can take
spot colors and create a spectrum
making it less efficient, especially
for smaller orders.
DTG inks are water-based and
more transparent than plastisol
that allows the ink to overlap and
blend, making beautiful, smooth
gradients.
Color matching: Matching colors
precisely is greatly important
when it comes to corporate
branding. Using Pantone color-
matching system, screen printing
can replicate any color the client
needs. That includes those outside
the range of CMYK, super-
saturated colors and specialty inks.
With DTG, matching the colors will
almost always going to be off. The
key cause is that the underbase
isn’t opaque enough, so the shirt
color drains through. Darker shirts
and color shirts can easily become
problematic when trying to color
match.
Meaning when a manufacturer
needs to completely need to
match exact colors for a brand,
screen printing is the answer.
Printing details: Nowadays in the
textile printing industry, printing
detail is the smallest parts of
the design on a T-shirt – fine
lines, small type, textures or tiny
Volume 12, Issue 11

Figure 2: With a giant inkjet printer
and using CMYK color blends DTG
print creates a spectrum of colors with
excellent color blending.
elements – is gaining popularity.
With screen printing, making
tiniest of dots to make even a
magnifying dot is no way possible.
Screen printing uses halftone dots.
Most screen-printing halftones
are output from a raster image
processor (RIP) program at
anywhere from 30 to 65 lines per
inch (LPI) before being burned
to screens. The lesser the LPI, the
bigger the dot.
DTG uses halftones as well, and
these digital machines can print up
to 1,200 dots per inch (DPI), and
use diffusion dither. Makes much
better imitation of small details.
Durability: Durability means after
how many washes the color of
a T-shirt will still hold without
fading. There are various factors
that will ensure this – quality of the
machine, the inks used to print, the
pretreatment, the underbase and
the curing.
Direct to garment printing
always limped in this due to the
above-mentioned factors and
will last countable washes (be it
10 to 100++). On the other hand,
screen printing doesn’t have this
durability issue.
Comfort and Feel: Comfort and
feel in a T-shirt means:
• If the ink clogs up the fibers
• How heavy the print feels on the
shirt
• If the texture is rough on the skin
In screen printing inks are heavier
P r i n t i n g To d a y
Figure 3: In terms of printing tiniest of details DTG (Right) is best. Courtesy: BELLA CANVAS
on a T-shirt. Whereas DTG does Examples of specialty inks and
not have these issues and are additives are commonly used
really comfortable. like water-based, discharge, puff,
fluorescent, metallic, glitter, glow
Versatility: Means the ability to
in the dark, suede, high-density,
print on a variety of textiles, as
soft hand, clear gel, shimmer,
well as a variety of garment styles,
crackle, cork, plasticharge.
print locations and placements.
Specialty printing on T-shirt is a
Here, DTG is limited to some
trial and error at first, but once the
extent. It mostly works excellent
manufacturer gets the hang of it,
on cotton but struggled with
successful results are extraordinary
50/50 blends, and executes poorly
and satisfying. Screen-printing
on polyester. It doesn’t work on
specialty inks can depict a
moisture-wicking fabrics at all
T-shirt design like zero else, and
without special treatment, and
expressively intensify the value for
even then, it’s not recommended.
resale.
Though the newer systems
proclaim printing on all kinds of Globally when people think
fabric but are not widely used in about T-shirts, they reflect screen
the industry. printing. Though DTG has made
some progress but no way near
On the other hand, screen printing
to specialty printing. When
works on cotton, blends, polyester,
DTG technology becomes more
canvas, denim, performance and
advanced, and more universal, to
moisture-wicking fabrics like
the point where people can’t tell
rayon, and any color garment.
the difference, then popularity
Consistency: In this segment, might no longer be a factor. Till
screen printing has to ensure many then, screen printing remains
processes critically the exact way, favorite.
like; screen tension, clogged mesh,
ink viscosity, dot gain, flash dryer
temperature, squeegee sharpness,
squeegee pressure, squeegee
angle, registration, and placement.
Each of these can make a
difference.
In DTG, a machine processes a
digital file and prints directly onto
the shirt, there are almost no
variables to fear about. Meaning
consistency is equal to DTG.
Special effects: It is all about
adding additional dimensions to
Figure 4: Screen-printing specialty
a print – raised print, textures,
inks can depict a T-shirt design like
shines, sparkles and glows. nothing else. Courtesy: Collected
P r i n t i n g To d a y
SDC color
community in
Bangladesh
FT Research Team
The vision of the SDC color
community is to be a hub for
building communities and grow
networks and engagement amongst
the color that is being used in the
industry all over the world.
SDC’s global color community is
the gateway to learn more about
color. This community offers
fantastic networking opportunities,
events and online access to the
courses and color knowledge
available on its website (www.
colour.network).
At a recent meeting of the SDC
trustee board, an application
supported by 15 voting members
to form a Region of SDC in
Bangladesh was approved.
The current membership includes
SDC college member BGMEA
University of Fashion & Technology
(BUFT) and SDC company member
Dysin-Chem Ltd. in Bangladesh.
An interim committee has been
formed; Acting Chairman- Sanjeewa
Malaviarachchi; Honorary Secretary-
Figure 1: SDC Day of celebration and AGM 2019 at Merchant Adventurous Hall, York, UK.
106
Sam Erahapola; Honorary Treasurer-
Anup das Gupta, Tharindu Dissanayake,
Afsana Ferdousi, Nalaka Kodithuwakku,
and Ruwanga Yatawara.
“I am glad to witness the
momentous occasion of SDC
taking root in this fertile soil
having enormous textile and
color prospects. Now, the door is
opened for young textile students
and professionals to learn, share
and exposure and compete
internationally with their talents
with the world-leading textile
color community. I would like to
invite you all to join with SDC to
take this opportunity at this early
stage of the region to feed your
innovative ideas and gain benefits
to becoming a world-recognized
textile professional,” said Sanjeewa
Malaviarachchi, Acting Chairman,
Bangladesh SDC.
Membership
This is a fantastic opportunity to
get involved at the early stage of
the Region’s development to feed
ideas and interact with the local
Bangladesh Textile Today |
textile coloration community.
SDC has more than 2000 members
in 50 countries and regions in
the UK and Ireland, Hong Kong,
Pakistan, Sri Lanka and SDC EC
India. Members include:
• Students
• Individual members
• College members
• Company members
Members’ benefits
• Knowledge – access to a
wide range of specialist color
resources.
• Networking – the opportunity to
meet other color professionals
and share knowledge and ideas.
• Career development – achieved
through training, qualifications
and continuous professional
development.
If anyone is actively engaged in
Figure 2: Sanjeewa Malaviarachchi, Acting
Chairman, Bangladesh SDC.
the coloration industry and hold
a relevant qualification or have
substantial relevant experience, can
upgrade membership and progress
towards an SDC qualification.
A program of regional activity is
being developed for 2020 and
will include the Region’s inaugural
meeting; further details will be
announced later this year.
If anyone likes to be part of the
new region, contact Sanjeewa
Malaviararachchi (email: sanjeewa.
malaviarachchi@amefird.com.bd)
or to learn more about the SDC
visit- https://sdc.org.uk
Volume 12, Issue 11