General considerations regarding further processing
1.Tolerances
All textiles, and in particular knitted fabrics, are subject to certain production deviations with regard to weight, colour, width and other properties. In order to keep such deviations to a minimum, efforts should always be made to use fabrics from only one production batch in a particular process.
2. Transport and storage
In order to prevent buckling and damage due to pressure points, rolls should always be transported and stored in a fully horizontal position at moderate temperatures and a moderate humidity level. Excessive humidity or dryness can seriously affect coating properties, particularly in the case of fabrics coated for digital direct printing.
3. Defect tolerances
Certain defects are unfortunately unavoidable in the context of textile production. Small stains, stitch abnormalities and stopmarks are inherent in these textiles and must therefore be accepted. The printing process should always be closely monitored in order to prevent damage to the printer or the print head.
4. Shrinkage due to washing or heat
Synthetic fabrics can shrink when washed or exposed to heat. The degree of shrinkage depends on the material, structure and process (40° wash, steaming or calendering). Minimized shrinkage is always an important parameter in our production process. Depending on the item and its application, it may be necessary to use a pre-shrunk version or – for example in the case of transfer printing – to preshrink the fabric oneself in a calender. When large surfaces are to match exactly, we recommend using a sample piece to determine exact degrees of shrinkage for a particular production lot.
5. Flame-retardant fabrics
Flame-retardant fabrics are either manufactured using flame-retardant yarns (such as TREVIRA CS®) or are treated for flame retardancy during finishing. Assessments and certificates are provided for the state of the fabrics at the time of dispatch. Due to the variety of possible treatments to follow (laminating, washing, steaming, calendering, …) and the many different printing techniques and inks available (screen printing, transfer printing, direct printing with dispersion inks, UV-curable inks, solvent inks, …), we are not in a position to indicate the degree of flame retardancy of the finished products. In general it can be said that fabrics made of flame-retardant yarns have permanent flame-retardant properties (which cannot be washed out) while fabrics which have been subsequently treated for flame retardancy should not be washed so as to retain the flame-retardant properties. In case of doubt, we recommend testing the fabrics after processing.
6. Calenders
Calenders used in transfer printing or the fusing of dispersion inks should generally be equipped with air suction equipment. Finishing and ink residue and also residual moisture in the fabric or the finish can lead to evaporation and increased humidity. In order to prevent soiling of the calender mat, sufficiently thick protective paper should accompany the run and the fusing temperature should not exceed 195°. Regular maintenance and cleaning of the calender helps to prevent soiling.
7. Subsequent cutting (dividing of rolls)
Any subsequent cutting of large-width rolls (e.g. 310 cm into three 103-cm sections) is done at extra cost and at the risk of the customer. The cuts are made on the finished roll and can vary up to 1 cm in either direction. The repetition of the variation with each revolution of the roll leads to a wavy edge which must always be recut or sewn under during further processing. Divided rolls must be accepted as is.
8. INKTeX+ Lotos®
Please note the additional processing guidelines at: www.g-o-friedrich.com/engl/lotos.pdf
9. The colour “natural white”
The colour “natural white” is equivalent to the original colour of the yarn, i.e. the fabric is not dyed in order to achieve a particular colour. If the original colour of the yarn changes, the colour “natural white” also changes for this article.
10. Environmental and health impact assessment for printed materials coated with “FL, BC, FC, FLBA, FLBE, FLBJ, FLBM, FLBN and others“
Contact between skin and textiles
It should be noted that the finishing conforms to the requirements of the current German Bedarfsgegenständeverordnung (German Consumer Goods Ordinance) and parts of the Oeko-Tex Standard 100. Only those textile auxiliaries, dye preparations and chemicals are used that have been approved according to the relevant statutory chemical regulations, such as the Foodstuffs and Commodities Act or the Chemicals Prohibition Ordinance, and as well in accordance with special regulations such as the End of Life Vehicle (ELV) Directive. Thus it can be assumed that, given appropriate processing, no health risk is involved.
Vapors posing a potential health risk
Providing that appropriate care is taken during processing, no health risks are posed in this context. The following specifications must, however, be met: No fabric shall be subjected to treatment at a temperature of over 210° C, as decomposition and the formation of possible corrosive or otherwise damaging vapors cannot be ruled out under such severe thermal stress. Air suction equipment is absolutely essential for any fusing or calandering processes, as the finishes and dyes themselves also contain additives. Please refer to the safety data sheet provided by the ink manufacturer, which should include information on potential hazards and preventive measures.
Residue on calanders, etc.
Residues on the processing machines cannot be ruled out in the case of fabrics with a coating directly on the fibres that is designed to improve printability (such as FL, FLBA, FLBE ….), especially when large quantities are being processed. The use of sufficiently thick protective paper along with regular and thorough cleaning is therefore always required. It should be noted that the dye itself also leaves a residue during fusing.
11. Printing results, colourfastness, moiré
Printing results and colourfastness (friction resistance, lightfastness, washability, bleeding) are always the combined result of all the components that are involved (printer, ink type, ink manufacturer, drying, fusing, transport, storage, environmental factors [humidity, etc.]) and cannot be generally guaranteed. For this reason it is imperative that every new combination and every change in a component be tested by the user. Moiré can result with direct Inkjet printing if the screen structure and the fabric structure coincides. No changes to the fabric are possible in order to influence this effect, thus no liability can be accepted for moiré. Steps that can be of help include changing the printing resolution, checking/adjusting the orientation of the printing heads, and/or printing on the other side of the fabric.