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Fabrics

Reactive Fabric Printing

This technologically advanced printing method enables us to print on reactive fabric with your designs so that you can create something brilliant.

Rated ‘Excellent’
Rated ‘Excellent’

4.6/5 from 1600+ independent 3rd party reviews

1-2 Days Production
1-2 Days Production

Cottons, Silks, Jerseys, Recycled Poly-fabrics & more

Exclusive Discounts
Exclusive Discounts

Quantity, Wholesalers and Students

Speedy delivery
Speedy delivery

Quick delivery within 2-5 days once shipped

Light Silk Satin 50gsm

A floaty silk satin perfect for scarfs and lightweight accessories. Weighs only 50gsm,

View all Light Silk Satin 50gsm

Silk Twill

Luxurious twill fabric made from 100% real satin. Lightweight at 54gsm.

View all Silk Twill

Silk Crepe de Chine

Airy, lightweight, and wrinkle-free Crepe de Chine made from 100% real silk. 60gsm.

View all Silk Crepe de Chine

Supima Cotton Candy Jersey

Great colour saturation on this high specification cotton jersey.

View all Supima Cotton Candy Jersey

Silk Satin 85gsm

A heavier satin fabric, 100% real Silk. Perfect for clothing and accessories. 85gsm.

View all Silk Satin 85gsm

Wool Silk

Transparent and lightweight wool-silk mix. 113gsm.

View all Wool Silk

Pima Lawn Cotton

100% Supima Cotton lawn, 75gsm. Available with classic pigment print or state-of-the-art reactive print.

View all Pima Lawn Cotton

Organic Janice Cotton Poplin

Organic cotton in a tight and opaque cotton weave. 135gsm.

View all Organic Janice Cotton Poplin

Lino 100% Linen

This natural linen is printed to order with super pigmented reactive inks.

View all Lino 100% Linen

Real Silk Georgette

Lightweight Georgette fabric with crepe texture, floaty and transparent. 50gsm.

View all Real Silk Georgette

Cotton Muslin

View all Cotton Muslin

We offer discounts

Wholesale

Wholesale

Order unique products in bulk for your brand, and we'll offer an exclusive up to 20% discount.

Find out more
Students

Students

We offer a 15% discount for Irealnd students on custom fabric printing and more..

Find out more

How Reactive Printing Works

Reactive printing is a multi-step process that produces absolutely stunning results. In essence, this method relies on a combination of reactive dyes, water, pressure, and heat to make the magic happen. Before we even begin to print on reactive fabric, the fabric itself has to go through a few steps to prepare it. The material is washed and dried to remove any impurities and allow it to absorb the dyes later on. Then, the fabric is coated with a pre-treatment that helps the dye bond to the material. This step is essential to produce the quality of results that reactive printing is known for. An inkjet printer replicates your designs on the fabric using the special reactive dye. Once the fabric is fully printed with dye, a hot, high-pressure steamer locks it all in. Steaming is crucial to ensure the inks are locked into the fabric for the long haul. As the final step, the fabric is washed and dried once again. This step removes the pre-treatment that is applied at the beginning and gets rid of any excess dye, so your fabric is ready to be used.

Digital printing on reactive fabric works by creating a covalent bond between the cellulose fibres in the fabric and the reactive dye. As such, this method of printing works on natural fabrics including cotton, linen, silk, and bamboo. 

The Benefits of Reactive Fabric Printing

Despite the intensive process behind reactive fabric printing, the results are completely worth it. As a result of the hot steam, the dyes are sunken deep into the fabric. Therefore the print on reactive fabric has a remarkably high wash fastness, meaning it won't lose its vibrancy through the washing machine. For projects such as clothing, blankets, and kitchen linens, this is an important quality. You won't have to worry about your design bleeding out in the washer, as reactive printed fabrics can be washed at 40°C without losing their colour. This longevity extends to friction as well, so the dyes won't rub off of the fabric over time either. 

Reactive dyes are available in seven colours that can be mixed to create virtually any colour. Black ink is deeply pigmented as well. This makes colour reproduction exceptionally accurate and true to life. All of the tones and shades in your design will be captured in the final print. 

The print on reactive fabric is highly detailed with sharp lines and bold colours. Any design you can imagine can be impeccably replicated using this printing process.

Luxurious natural fibres such as high-quality silks can be reactively printed, so there's no compromising on quality. This is beneficial as natural textiles are more environmentally friendly, so you will have the opportunity to print your own designs without sacrificing sustainability. With all-natural fabrics, the eco-friendly inks and the material are biodegradable. 

Digital reactive printing is an involved process that produces undeniably superb results. At Contrado, it's one of our favourite printing methods to use, because we know that you'll be wowed by the finished fabric.