Digital printing and finishing method for fabrics and the like

1. A method of digital printing fabrics, the method comprising:

supplying a fabric from a first reel by unwinding,

applying an ink-fixing solution to the supplied fabric,

compensating a speed of a conveyor belt with a speed of the fabric unwound from the first reel;

adhering the fabric to the conveyor belt,

with the fabric adhered to the conveyor belt, digitally printing an ink onto the fabric using a plurality of bars transversally extending above the conveyor belt and provided with ink-jet printing heads, while continuously moving the conveyor belt and electronically controlling the printing heads and synchronizing the printing heads with movement of the conveyor belt, thereby allowing continuous printing,

drying the fabric, and then

winding the dried fabric onto a second reel or arranging the dried fabric in sheets;

wherein the above steps are performed in corresponding stations arranged in sequence while the fabric is continuously passing through the stations.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the ink-fixing solution comprises impregnating with the ink-fixing solution fibers of fabric unwound from the first reel before the unwound fabric reaches the conveyor belt.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of digitally printing comprises digitally printing fibers of the fabric impregnated with the ink-fixing solution.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein applying the ink-fixing solution comprises immersing fabric unwound from the first reel in a tank containing the ink-fixing solution.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising eliminating excess ink-fixing solution from the fibers of the fabric before digitally printing the fabric.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising fixing the ink on the printed fabric between the digital printing and the drying.

7. The method of claim 6 , fixing the ink comprises steaming the printed fabric in a steaming chamber.

8. The method of claim 7 , comprising a step of washing said printed and steamed fabric to eliminate from said fabric excess part of said ink, said washing step being comprised between said steaming step and said drying step.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein steaming the printed fabric comprises keeping the steaming chamber at atmospheric pressure conditions and maintaining the fabric in the steaming chamber for 10 to 40 seconds.

10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising washing the printed fabric to remove excess ink between the ink fixing and the drying.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the ink-fixing solution to the fabric occurs between the unwinding and the speed compensation.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein adhering the fabric to the conveyor belt comprises adhesively adhering the fabric to the conveyor belt.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the printing heads are arranged on each one of said bars in such a manner as to cover the width of said conveyor belt.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ink-fixing solution is an aqueous ink-fixing solution.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the aqueous ink-fixing solution comprises pH stabilization compounds pH stabilization salts or mixtures thereof.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein digitally printing the fabric comprises applying reactive inks.

17. A method of digital printing fabrics, the method comprising:

supplying a fabric from a first reel by unwinding,

applying an ink-fixing solution comprising a pH stabilizer to the fabric by impregnating,

compensating a speed of a conveyor belt with a speed of the fabric unwound from the first reel;

adhering the fabric to the conveyor belt,

while the fabric is adhered to the conveyor belt, digitally printing the adhered fabric using a plurality of bars transversally extending above the conveyor belt and provided with ink-jet printing heads while continuously moving the conveyor belt and electronically controlling the printing heads and synchronizing the printing heads with movement of the conveyor belt, wherein the digitally printing includes digitally printing fibers of the fabric impregnated with the ink fixing solution with reactive ink,

steaming the printed fabric through a steaming chamber to fix the ink to the fabric,

drying the steamed fabric, and

winding the dried fabric onto a second reel or arranging the dried fabric in sheets;

wherein the above steps are performed in corresponding stations arranged in sequence while the fabric is continuously passing through the stations.

18. A method of digital printing fabrics comprising the following sequence of steps:

supplying a fabric from a first reel by unwinding,

applying an aqueous ink-fixing solution comprising a pH stabilizer to the fabric by impregnating,

compensating a speed of a conveyor belt with a speed of the fabric unwound from the first reel;

adhering the fabric to the conveyor belt,

while the fabric is adhered to the conveyor belt, digitally printing the fabric using a plurality of bars transversally extending above the conveyor belt and provided with ink-jet printing heads while continuously moving the conveyor belt and electronically controlling the printing heads and synchronizing the printing heads with movement of the conveyor belt, wherein the digitally printing includes digitally printing fibers of the fabric impregnated with the ink fixing solution with reactive ink,

drying the printed fabric, and

winding the dried fabric onto a second reel or arranging the dried fabric in sheets;

wherein the above steps are performed in corresponding stations arranged in sequence while the fabric is continuously passing through the stations.