Method and apparatus for ink jet printing on textiles

摘要

Ink jet printing is provided on large area substrates such as wide width textile webs. The printheads are driven by linear servo motors across a bridge that extends across the substrate. The timing of the jetting of the ink is coordinated with the motion of the printheads, so that the heads can be rapidly moved and the ink can be jetted while the printheads are accelerating or decelerating as they move on the bridge. Preferably, ultraviolet (UV) light curable ink is jetted and first partially cured with UV light and then subjected to heating to more completely reduce uncured monomers of the ink on the substrate.