Eco-friendly and sustainable printing

At LAPERLE, we only print on 100% natural fabrics and use eco-friendly inks for a reason.

There is a general misunderstanding or lack of knowledge regarding natural fabrics, and the printing thereof.  I would like to explain the importance and difference why this should be your obvious choice.

Do not be fooled

My mother taught me to smell and feel if something that looks like leather, is indeed genuine leather.  There is a specific logo that is used to indicate genuine leather which means quality.  Same with pure wool products.  We need to teach our children to be able to differentiate between leather, leatherette, and leather-look alike.  All the same with linen and cotton.

There are many people claiming to sell natural fabrics such as linen and cotton, but then it is blended with synthetics like polyester.  We need to know what we are buying and where and how it is being manufactured.  When buying products that are mass produced by underpaid and underaged people, we actually become part of the problem and maintain the vicious cycle.

What is eco-friendly printing?

The advanced technologies behind digital printing, which we do, are more sustainable by nature, than any other method of printing.

As I am no expert in environmental affairs, I however, do know that we need to do our bit to save the planet - and ourselves.  In using eco-friendly inks to print digitally on fabrics, we use less energy, reduce waste, use no water, less space and produce far less C0² emissions.

Digital printing on natural fabrics

Digital fabric printing is an inkjet-based printing method, which enables printers to print high-quality designs onto natural fabrics, such as linens and cottons.

Fabrics need to be pre-treated with a specialized chemical solution (coating) which prepares it to accept the pigment (dye) and to better absorb colour. It also significantly enhances print quality and increases ink longevity.

Images are sent directly to the printer in a digital format such as a Pdf, Jpeg, Tiff, etc. The fabric is fed through the printer, which sprays the dye onto the textile in tiny droplets.

With digital printing, any image you see on a computer screen can be reproduced on fabric, in the same way as your desktop printer prints images on paper.  Keep in mind that the media you are printing on, influences the final product. What you see on your mobile or computer screen, will not be exactly reproduced. Colours may vary, especially on fabric.

The textile pigment inks that we use, contain a binder and a binding agent. With this said, the ink is chemically bonded to the fibres of the fabric when exposed to heat. Fabrics are printed with vibrant colours without losing their breathability and water absorbability.

The ink has a low formaldehyde content and has minimal impact on human skin and the natural environment.

Important terminology

Here is an explanation for the many buzz words we constantly hear:

Digital printing - it is a method of printing from a digital-based image directly on to media.

Eco-friendly - The inks we use, are non-toxic and chemical free, meaning they are much safer to use and better for the environment.

Sustainable - It is the responsibility to conserve natural resources and protect global ecosystems to support health and wellbeing, now and tomorrow.

Organic - Organic describes things that are natural or related to nature. In common usage, organic is used to mean “healthful” or “close to nature.

Natural fabrics - Natural fabric is woven or knitted from fibres that occur in our natural world... Vegetable, or more commonly classed cellulose-based fibres, include cotton, flax(linen), jute, hemp and bamboo. Each fibre type is obtained from a specific part of the plant such as seed, stem, leaf, bark etc.

Let’s get in touch with our conscience, be responsible and make a difference in choosing wisely.