Course information

Title of the micro-credential: Innovative pretreatment processes for efficient printing

Thematic pathway: Color management in eco-design

Part of module: Role of Digital Printing in Eco-design

EQF level: 6

ECTS credits: 1 ECTS

Mode of delivery: 

Learning methods and duration

Assessment methods

• Initial assesment (quiz): to check starting level in fibres, basic digital printing and simple finishing/pretreatment ideas.

• Formative assessment: Short online quizzes on pretreatment being critical for digital printing, innovative pretreatments and nano-tech based methods, future trends and sustainability. Also a gropu work is included, could be defect analysis task (task to propose the pretreatment and corrections like change in recipe, process or switch metods, in order to obvercoem the typical problems (poor fixation, haloing, low sharpness, poor rub-fastness).

• Summative assessment: mini project (individual or pairs): design and evaluation of a pretreatment concept for efficient and sustainable digital printing (defining the context, reviewing options and selecting pretreatments, evaluating print quality, discussing sustainability. Deliverable: written report. 

General objective

The learner will be introduced to:

• The role of textile pretreatment in digital printing, and how fibre type, surface properties and chemistry influence ink adhesion, colour yield and print durability.
• Conventional and innovative pretreatment methods (including more sustainable and nanotechnology-based approaches) and their suitability for different colorants and substrates.
• Selection, application and evaluation of appropriate pretreatment concepts for specific digital printing applications, balancing print quality, process efficiency and reduced environmental impact.

Timing: 

Responsible institution: University of Zagreb (Croatia)

Contact

Enrollment

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Learning outcomes

Knowledge

After the completion of this module, learners will:

• Understand the role and significance of pretreatment in digital textile printing and its impact on print quality, efficiency and sustainability
• Know how fibre type and substrate properties (absorbency, roughness, chemistry, mechanical properties) influence ink droplet formation and colour yield.
• Understand the principles of nanotechnology-based pretreatents (nanoparticles, Nano-finishes) and their role in enhancing colour strength, sharpness and fastness.
• Recognise current and emerging trends in sustainable pretreatment technologies, including their environmental benefits and limitations.
  

Skills

After the completion of this module, learners will be able to:

• Identify different pretreatment processes on textile materials intended for digital printing. 
• Analyse interaction between textile substrate and pretreatment (wetting, penetration, fixation behaviour) and relate it to observed print properties.
• Select the appropriate pretreatment process considering the characteristics of the textile material and the colorant system (dye or pigment).
• Test and evaluate the quality of colour reproduction on pre-treated textiles in digital printing (e.g. colour strength, sharpness, fastness), using given methods or datasets.
  

Competences

After the completion of this module, learners will:

• Design and justify a pre-treatment concept for a specific digital printing application, balancing required print quality, process efficiency and reduced environmental impact.
• Evaluate and optimise pretreatment processes within a digital printing workflow to minimise waste, resource use and ecological footprint.
• Collaborate and communicate with designers and technologists about pretreatment choices and their implications for eco-design and sustainable product development.