Acid inks. Better performance for printing silk, wool and polyamide

Printing on protein-based fibers while maintaining high-quality standards can be challenging. SPGPrints' acid inks have the ability to bond effectively with these fibers, making them suitable for applications where vibrant colors, intricate details, and durability is essential.

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Main advantages


  • Vibrant colors on materials which do not retain color easily
  • Ideal for the sportswear, fashion and accessories industries
  • High tolerance for chlorine and salt water
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Most important benefits of acid inks

Acid inks are a type of ink formulated for printing on protein-based fibers, such as silk, wool, and polyamide. These inks are known for their versatility, high chlorine and salt water tolerance and ability to produce vibrant and colorfast prints on these fibers. SPGPrints' acid inks penetrate through the fabric, resulting in the printed image being fully visible on the reverse side of the material. The "acid" in the name refers to the fact that these inks require an acidic environment to set correctly on the fabric. This process is achieved through post-printing, which involves steaming the material to fix the colors.

Acid inks form ionic bonds with the fibers, creating a strong and durable connection. This results in excellent color retention, even after multiple washes. These inks are often used for applications requiring intricate detailing and a wide color gamut.

In short, the 3 most important benefits are:

  • High color quality
  • High wash fastness
  • High chlorine and salt water tolerance
Main advantages
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Guide
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Selection Guide for Digital Textile Ink

Select the type of ink that best suits your production process and excel in terms of quality and customer satisfaction . 

Download Ink Selection Guide

Print workflow with acid inks

Using acid inks in your printing process is done with five steps:

Step 1: Pre-treatment 
Prepare fabric by applying a pre-treatment.

Step 2: Print
Print your design with an inkjet printer equipped with acid inks.

Step 3: Steam
Ink fixation into the fabric.

Step 4: Wash
Wash off remaining pre-treatment and ink residue.

Step 5: Finish (optional)
Apply post-treatment and finalize result.

Print workflow
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Get in touch with our Digital Textile Inks experts

Every printing process is different, and the same is true for the challenges you have. We’ve got you covered.

Speak with a specialist