Abstract: Apparatus for picking a garment having a front and a back and placing the garment over a pallet such that the front and the back of the garment are on the front and the back sides respectively of the pallet. The apparatus comprises a picking arm to approach the garment and then withdraw towards the pallet; and one or more adherence locations on the picking arm, the adherence location being smaller than the first side, the adherence location for contacting the garment and causing adherence of the garment at the contact location, thereby causing the picking arm to pull the front of the garment over the front of the pallet, the back of the garment sliding under the first side onto the back of the pallet. Adherence may involve freezing.

Abstract: An automated system for packaging an item includes a pallet, a packaging station and a controller. The pallet supports both the item and a packaging layer. The package is formed with the packaging layer. The packaging station folds the item and the packaging layer such that the item is enclosed within the packaging layer. The controller controls operation of the system. The item may be for example a textile, a digitally printed textile and/or a garment.

Abstract: A method of printing a garment, particularly for use in sport and outdoor activities, to retain moisture wicking or heat management properties of an underlying fabric. The method comprises mapping active body regions onto a print file for the garment. Thus the print file defines standard print areas and modified print areas where the modified printing areas correspond to the active body regions. Printing onto the garment over the standard print areas uses a standard ink density, but printing onto the garment at the active areas uses a second lower ink density which preserves, or at least does less harm to, wicking and venting properties of the underlying fabric.

Abstract: Novel inkjet ink compositions for forming an image in a form of an elastic film attached to a surface of a stretchable and/or flexible substrate and processes utilizing same for inkjet printing color images on various substrates such as colored and absorptive or impregnable stretchable materials, which are characterized by heightened efficiency in process time, ink and energy consumption, as well as products having durable, wash-fast and abrasion-fast images printed thereon by the process, are disclosed. The novel ink compositions comprise a first part, which contains a property-adjusting agent and a carrier, and a second part which contains an emulsified property-sensitive proto-elastomeric film-forming agent, a colorant and a carrier, such that the second part congeals upon contact with the property-adjusting agent. The second part is digitally applied to the substrate less than 1 second following the application of the first part to the substrate.

Abstract: Provided herein is a method for digitally printing an image on a fabric in the form of a film on the surface of the fabric, such that the film is characterized by improved properties over the entire image. The method is implemented by compiling in a test run a look-up table for at least one functional composition that confers a desired property to the image, and using the look-up table for printing any given image using just the optimal amount of the functional composition and only on portions of the image that require improvement.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for pre-treatment of synthetic fabrics, for example brushed polyester fabric, prior to printing to prevent fibrillation effects of the fabric on the print quality. The apparatus comprises a printing pre-treatment location where fabric is treated prior to printing and a heat source applying heat to a predefined printing area on the fabric at the printing pre-treatment location. The heat applied is sufficient to fuse outwardly extending fibers of the fabric back into the fabric using thermoplastic deformation, thereby to produce a treated printing area for printing. The apparatus may be online with a printer or may be offline and the heat treatment may optionally be combined with spraying.

Abstract: Apparatus for picking a garment having a front and a back and placing the garment over a pallet such that the front and the back of the garment are on the front and the back sides respectively of the pallet. The apparatus comprises a picking arm to approach the garment and then withdraw towards the pallet; and one or more adherence locations on the picking arm, the adherence location being smaller than the first side, the adherence location for contacting the garment and causing adherence of the garment at the contact location, thereby causing the picking arm to pull the front of the garment over the front of the pallet, the back of the garment sliding under the first side onto the back of the pallet. Adherence may involve freezing.

Abstract: A textile printing system for digital printing of colored images onto typically colored fabrics, digitally using print nozzles or other digital means, the nozzles printing print pixels onto the fabrics. The system comprises a print file defining pixel colors for the individual printing pixels; and a deletion unit which deletes print pixels from the print file wherever a respective pixel color is within a threshold distance of the fabric color. The textile printer then prints the print pixels onto the fabric to form a colored image without printing any of the deleted pixels.

Abstract: Provided herein is a process for inkjet printing an antimicrobial layer on a textile substrate, which includes antimicrobial metallic nanoparticles, as well as an article of manufacturing obtainable by the forgoing.

Abstract: Provided herein is a process, compositions and machinery for performing digitally chemical cutting of a fabric, using digital inkjet methodologies and machines, being particularly, but not exclusively, suitable for roll-to-roll printing configuration, and based on digital printing of a fabric-cutting composition and a fabric-penetrating composition directly on the fabric to obtain a cut or perforated fabric.

Abstract: A device for positioning a garment on a printing platen for printing, comprises a gripper to controllably grip onto a first edge of the garment at a first side of the platen; and a sliding mechanism connected to the gripper to slide the gripper from the first side of the platen to a second side of the platen opposite the first side, thereby to pull the garment edge to the second side across the platen and position the garment across the platen for printing. The use of the device may prevent back pain related to repeated loading and unloading of platen-based textile printing devices.

Abstract: A modular textile printing apparatus is made up of multiple modules which are combined together. Each module has one rail for bearing a printing functional unit such as a print head. A second rail perpendicular to the first rail faces the first rail, and carries a printing tray or platen holding items to be printed. The tray moves along the rail. A third rail parallel to said second rail and facing away from the printing functional unit, is also for carrying the tray. The modules are connected together and the apparatus provides a starting point for loading and unloading the trays. The second rails are aligned with each other to form a continuous printing feed along the modules and the third rails are aligned to provide a return path after printing to the starting point for reloading.

Abstract: A modular pallet for a textile printing machine, to hold textile products of different shapes and sizes to allow for effective printing on the products, the modular pallet having two parts, a first part which is fixed to the printing machine and is designed for removably fitting a second, modular part. The second part is made up of a range of exchangeable parts which are shaped and configured for different textile products. Each exchangeable part is able to fit into the first part, so that the pallet can be modified for printing different textile products.

Abstract: A printing machine for printing fabrics on a rotary drum, comprises one or more drums rotatable about a drum axis, that receive tubes of fabric thereon, and a print head placed in proximity to the drum, to print onto the fabric fitted onto the drum. The print head comprises multiple printing nozzles or linear arrays of printing nozzles which are aligned linearly along the axial direction of the drum, which are all at a predefined printing distance from the drum surface or the fabric surface. Also, a rotary drum for a textile printer comprises a groove extending along the length of the drum, and a catch mechanism built into the groove for catching on to a garment or backing for a garment as the drum rotates. The rotation of the drum pulls the caught edge and wraps the garment around the drum ready for rotary drum printing.

Abstract: A garment feeder for feeding a garment for printing, comprises a loading position for a pallet and robotic grippers movable across the loading position to grip a garment from a first side of the loading position and pull the garment in a garment pull direction to a second side of the loading position to load the garment onto the pallet in the loading position. The garment being loaded slips across the loading position on the first side of the pallet perpendicular to the garment pull direction, and one or more sensors detect widthwise edges of the garment, now being pulled onto the pallet by the grippers. The positions of the edges can be used to determine if the garment is being pulled symmetrically onto the pallet. If not then the garment is adjusted to achieve correct positioning for printing.

Abstract: Apparatus for picking a garment having a front and a back and placing the garment over a pallet such that the front and the back of the garment are on the front and the back sides respectively of the pallet. The apparatus comprises a picking arm to approach the garment and then withdraw towards the pallet; and one or more adherence locations on the picking arm, the adherence location being smaller than the first side, the adherence location for contacting the garment using sticky material and causing adherence of the garment via the sticky material at the contact location, thereby causing the picking arm to pull the front of the garment over the front of the pallet, the back of the garment sliding under the first side onto the back of the pallet.

Abstract: Provided are compositions and processes formulated and practiced to reduce the friction-coefficient of the printed area and also of the non-printed areas around the image, wherein the compositions are formulated for use by wet-on-wet techniques in-line of the pre-curing printing process, without pretreating the fabric for softness and smoothness prior to the printing process. The compositions comprise at least 15% by weight of a friction-coefficient reduction agent and having a pH lower than 6.5 so as to effect upon contact immobilization of an ink composition that is being digitally applied on the substrate.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for digital printing comprises placing a medium to be printed on a print table and feeding towards a print head. A finite length of the medium approaching the print head is measured for variations in thickness towards the print head. Then, the height of the print head is adjusted to maintain a predetermined printing distance. Subsequently, if the extent reaches or exceeds the printing distance then it is assumed that wrinkles are present and printing is paused for readjustment of the medium, which may be a textile and more particularly a garment.

Abstract: A system for networked printing of images onto textiles where the entity placing an order for printing has no control over the machines carrying out printing, comprises an electronic network and textile printing machines, belonging to different providers, attached to the network. Each of the printing machines has a corresponding printing quality profile of parameters that indicate abilities of the printer to reproduce an image on a textile. An input enables a user to place an order for textile printing of an image and select or define a required printing quality profile. The parameters of the image itself may demand certain printing quality levels. The textile printing order is sent for printing to a textile printing machine on the network that is selected for a printing quality profile which best matches the profile required. Other parameters such as cost, delivery time may also be considered.

Abstract: Provided herein is a method for forming an image on a dyed synthetic fabric, using a dye-discharge agent, the method is effected by printing an ink composition on the fabric and applying a dye-discharge agent essentially on the same area of the ink composition, wherein applying the dye-discharge agent is effected while the ink composition is still wet (uncured), prior to a curing of the image, and followed by curing the fully formed image, whereas the dye-discharge agent discharged the dye that migrated during the curing step, but not the dyed fabric.