Is there any comparative study of deep water fabric dyeing versus inkjet fabric printing?
I have googled this without serious help I don’t know of any comparative study. I am ignorant of the processes currently being used in the textile industry, and can comment only on those processes which are used by artists and small-scale crafters. Perhaps I can give you some alternative terms with which to search further, though. ‘Deep water fabric dyeing’ is known in English as vat dyeing or as immersion dyeing. (In small-scale craft uses, immersion dyeing can be done with a high water ratio for solid colors, or a low water ratio for mottled colors; the latter is frequently referred to as low water immersion dyeing, or LWI.) I don’t know much about the use of inkjet printers in the printing of commercial fabrics. Any sort of dye can be used in an inkjet printer, in theory, and often pigments are used instead. To compare this process to immersion-dyed fabric, you must find out exactly what is in the inks that are used. You may find more information on the different types of dyes that
