Method facilitating textile preparation for direct-to-garment printing

Abstract

A method facilitating preparation of textiles and/or garments to facilitate use of a direct-to-garment (DTG) printing process to apply graphics to the garments is provided. The method includes the application of a pretreatment during a textile and/or garment-making process to obviate the need to apply pretreatment to a finished garment immediately before DTG printing.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A method for treating a knitted fabric with a pretreatment, making a t-shirt for use in a direct-to-garment printing process from the knitted fabric, and then printing of a graphic on the t-shirt for use in the direct-to-garment printing process, the method comprising:
 providing a pretreatment and a dye;   providing a knitted fabric made from fibers for application of the pretreatment and the dye thereto;   applying the dye of a preselected color to the knitted fabric, the applying of the dye achieving coloration of the knitted fabric;   applying the pretreatment to the knitted fabric, the applying of the pretreatment to the knitted fabric permitting a t-shirt to be formed therefrom to be suitable for use in the direct-to-garment printing process for printing on some or all surface areas of the t-shirt, the pretreatment being adapted to both prevent ink used for the direct-to-garment printing process from running and wicking through the knitted fabric and to provide wash fastness of the ink applied to the t-shirt to be formed from the knitted fabric;   after completion of applying the pretreatment, heat drying the pretreatment on the knitted fabric;   after completion of the heat drying act, creating the t-shirt for use in a direct-to-garment printing process from the knitted fabric; and   using the direct-to-garment printing process to print a graphic with ink on both an exterior and an interior of the t-shirt without applying additional pretreatment to the t-shirt after the creating of the t-shirt.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein portions of the acts of applying the dye and applying the pretreatment are performed simultaneously. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the knitted fabric includes one of polyester and cotton. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein applying the pretreatment includes one of spraying the pretreatment onto the knitted fabric, rolling the pretreatment onto the knitted fabric, and brushing the pretreatment onto the knitted fabric. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein applying the pretreatment includes dipping the knitted fabric in the pretreatment. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein applying the pretreatment includes soaking the knitted fabric in the pretreatment. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the preselected color of the knitted fabric used to create the t-shirt is a darker color than the graphic printed onto the t-shirt using the direct-to-garment printing process. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the ink used to print the graphic is one of white and CMYK colors. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the graphic printed onto the t-shirt using the direct-to-garment printing process is a lighter-colored graphic than the preselected color of the knitted fabric. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the ink used to print the graphic is one of white and CMYK colors. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein applying the pretreatment includes spraying the pretreatment onto the knitted fabric. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ink used to print the graphic is one of white and CMYK colors. 
     
     
         13 . A method for treating a knitted fabric with a pretreatment, making a t-shirt for use in a direct-to-garment printing process from the knitted fabric, and then printing of a graphic on the t-shirt for use in the direct-to-garment printing process, the method comprising:
 providing a pretreatment and a dye;   providing a knitted fabric made from fibers for application of the pretreatment and the dye thereto;   applying the dye of a preselected color to the knitted fabric, the applying of the dye achieving coloration of the knitted fabric,   applying the pretreatment to the knitted fabric, the applying of the pretreatment to the knitted fabric permitting a t-shirt to be formed therefrom to be suitable for use in the direct-to-garment printing process for printing on some or all surface areas of the t-shirt, the pretreatment being adapted to both prevent ink used for the direct-to-garment printing process from running and wicking through the knitted fabric and to provide wash fastness of the ink applied to the t-shirt to be formed from the knitted fabric;   after completion of applying the pretreatment, heat drying the pretreatment on the knitted fabric;   after completion of the heat drying act, creating the t-shirt for use in a direct-to-garment printing process from the knitted fabric; and   using the direct-to-garment printing process to print a graphic with ink selected from at least one of white and CMYK colors, on both an exterior and an interior of the t-shirt being printed with the graphic without applying additional pretreatment to the t-shirt after the creating of the t-shirt, the preselected color of the knitted fabric used to create the t-shirt being a darker color than the graphic printed onto both the exterior and the interior the t-shirt.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein portions of the acts of applying the dye and applying the pretreatment are performed simultaneously. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the knitted fabric includes one of polyester and cotton. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein applying the pretreatment includes spraying the pretreatment onto the knitted fabric. 
     
     
         17 . A method for treating a fabric with a pretreatment to facilitate printing of a graphic thereon, the method comprising:
 applying the pretreatment to the fabric prior to making the fabric into a garment via at least one of a spraying process, a rolling process, a brushing process, a dipping process, and a soaking process;   drying the pretreatment onto the garment prior to making the fabric into the garment via at least one of an air drying process and a heat drying process; and   creating at least a portion of the garment from the fabric.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the fabric is one of polyester and cotton and is at least one of a woven fabric, a knitted fabric, and a milled fabric. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising dyeing the fabric a selected color. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein applying the pretreatment and the dyeing of the fabric are performed simultaneously.