Pad Printed Apparel

Abstract

A tagless article of apparel formed from a knitted fabric having a selected thickness, the article of apparel having inner and outer surfaces, and a product label pad printed directly on the inner surface from a cliché with an ink composition comprising an ink, a solvent, and a hardener, the cliché having a depth sufficient to cause the ink composition to penetrate the inner surface of the fabric to a depth less than the thickness of the fabric.

1 . A tagless article of apparel, comprising:
 an article of apparel formed from a textile substrate having a selected thickness between an inner surface and an outer surface of the textile substrate; and   a pattern comprising product label information printed directly on one of the inner surface or the outer surface, wherein the pattern penetrates the inner surface or the outer surface of the textile substrate to a depth less than the thickness of the textile substrate, and the pattern is not substantially visible from the other surface of the inner surface or the outer surface, the pattern formed from an ink composition comprising an ink, a solvent, and a hardener.   
     
     
         2 . The tagless article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the article of apparel is selected from the group consisting of underwear, outerwear, activewear, and intimate apparel. 
     
     
         3 . The tagless article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the article of apparel is formed from materials selected from the group consisting of cotton, polyester, nylon, elastomers, and combinations thereof 
     
     
         4 . The tagless article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the textile substrate is at least about 40 microns. 
     
     
         5 . The tagless article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the pattern printed on one of the inner surface or the outer surface is configured to be pad printed with a cliché the cliché having a depth of between about 40 microns and 100 microns. 
     
     
         6 . The tagless article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the ink is acrylic-based. 
     
     
         7 . The tagless article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the solvent is quick drying. 
     
     
         8 . The tagless article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the hardener is durability-enhancing. 
     
     
         9 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . The tagless article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the textile substrate is a knitted textile substrate. 
     
     
         24 . The tagless article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the pattern comprises a plurality of colors. 
     
     
         25 . The tagless article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the pattern is an embellishment. 
     
     
         26 . The tagless article of apparel of  claim 25 , wherein the embellishment comprises a plurality of colors. 
     
     
         27 . The tagless article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the pattern is printed directly on the inner surface, and the pattern is not substantially visible from the outer surface. 
     
     
         28 . The tagless article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the pattern printed on the textile substrate is readable following at least fifty launderings of the article of apparel. 
     
     
         29 . A method for pad printing a pattern on a textile substrate with a pad printing machine having a cliché, at least one printing pad, and at least one printing area, the method comprising the steps of:
 positioning a textile substrate on the printing area of the pad printing machine, the textile substrate having a selected thickness and inner and outer surfaces; 
 transferring a pattern from the cliché to the at least one printing pad, the pattern having a depth less than the thickness of the textile substrate between the inner surface and the outer surface and formed from a composition including an ink, a solvent, and a hardener, such that the composition dries without penetrating the entire thickness of the textile substrate; and 
 transferring the pattern from the at least one printing pad to one of the inner surface or the outer surface of the textile substrate, wherein the pattern penetrates the inner surface or the outer surface of the textile substrate to a depth less than the thickness of the textile substrate, and the pattern is not substantially visible from the other surface of the inner surface or the outer surface. 
 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the textile substrate comprises a knitted textile substrate. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the textile substrate comprises an article of apparel. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the article of apparel is at least one of underwear, outerwear, activewear, or intimate apparel. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the textile substrate is formed from materials selected from the group consisting of cotton, polyester, nylon, and elastomers. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the textile substrate has a thickness of at least about 40 microns. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the cliche has a depth of between about 40 microns and 100 microns. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the pattern is comprised of a plurality of colors. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the pattern is an embellishment. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the embellishment is comprised of a plurality of colors. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the pattern is transferred to the inner surface, and the pattern is not substantially visible from the outer surface. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the transferred pattern is printed on the textile substrate such that the pattern is readable following at least fifty launderings. 
     
     
         41 . A tagless article of apparel, comprising:
 an article of apparel formed from a textile substrate having a selected thickness between an inner surface and an outer surface of the textile substrate; and   a pattern comprising product label information printed directly on one of the inner surface or the outer surface, wherein the pattern penetrates the inner surface or the outer surface of the textile substrate to a depth less than the thickness of the textile substrate, and the pattern is readable following at least fifty launderings of the article of apparel, the pattern formed from an ink composition comprising an ink, a solvent, and a hardener.   
     
     
         42 . The tagless article of apparel of  claim 41 , wherein the pattern is printed directly on the inner surface, and the pattern is not substantially visible from the outer surface.