Aug 06,2026
Summary: The boom in the outdoor industry has driven widespread use of nylon fabrics. However, digital printing on nylon has long faced industry-wide challenges, including poor cyan fixation, staining of white grounds, and insufficient light fastness. HONGSAM SILKMATE® acid dye inks are formulated for nylon, silk, and wool. The high-performance color series achieves 5–6 grade light-fastness after 160 hours of exposure. The products carry authoritative environmental certifications and are supported by a complete range of auxiliaries and mature processes. They deliver stable printing and high yield rates, making them a preferred choice for high-end nylon digital printing in export production.
Rising interest in health and quality of life has brought hiking, camping, trail running, snow sports, yoga, and other outdoor activities into everyday life. This surge has accelerated demands for professional functional apparel.
Traditional cotton and polyester often fall short in high-intensity outdoor use—cotton lacks strength, yet polyester has limited moisture management. Nylon (polyamide, PA) stands out with a breaking strength six times that of cotton, a density 18% lower than polyester, excellent abrasion resistance, and good moisture absorption and release (regain of 4.5%, comfortable next to the skin). These properties have made it the material of choice for outdoor apparel, swimwear, mountaineering clothing, and high-end carpets.
As younger consumers become the main buying force, plain solid colors no longer meet demand for personalization and variety. Digital printing, free from color-separation and repeat limitations, capable of small-batch quick response, and more eco-friendly with lower paste consumption, is rapidly replacing conventional dyeing and printing.
Nylon fiber ends carry amino groups that readily form ionic/electrostatic bonds with the sulfonic acid groups in acid dyes, producing bright colors and good fastness. Yet digital printing on nylon has been suffering from low cyan fixation, poor wash fastness, and inadequate lightfastness.
Drawing on more than 20 years of technical experience, HONGSAM selected and optimized dyes from over 30 acid dye raw materials to create the SILKMATE® acid dye ink range and supporting system specifically for nylon and protein fibers (silk and wool):
· Benchmark high-lightfastness series
Acid turquoise and magenta typically show weak lightfastness. HONGSAM screened high-lightfast dye molecules and developed two specialty colors—HC High-Lightfast Cyan and HM High-Lightfast Magenta. Under identical test conditions these improve lightfastness by 0.5–1 grade, reaching grade 6 after 160 hours of light exposure. This meets the requirements of outdoor garments such as hard-shell jackets, fishing wear, and cycling apparel that must resist long-term sun exposure without fading. Fluorescent magenta and fluorescent yellow specialty colors have also been added to meet the high-saturation visual needs of fashion sportswear brands. The inks offer a wide color gamut, high saturation, and excellent reproduction of fine dots and gradients.
· High fixation rate reduces downstream environmental load
High dye uptake and fixation leave far less unfixed dye. This lowers water consumption in subsequent washing and significantly reduces wastewater treatment load, aligning with the energy-saving and environmental goals of dyeing and printing plants.
· Authoritative environmental credentials
SILKMATE® acid dye inks were listed in the China Dyeing and Printing Association’s 12th batch of recommended energy-saving and emission-reduction advanced technologies in 2018. They have obtained OEKO-TEX® ECO PASSPORT and ZDHC MRSL Level 3 certification, meeting the high entry standards of European and American markets.
HONGSAM supplies not only the core inks but also matching pre-treatment pastes AP-01 (liquid) / AP-03 (powder), neutral soaping agent AW-01, fixation agent AF-01, and other pre- and post-treatment auxiliaries for standardized one-stop delivery.
Available colors: K, C, M, Y, R, B, OR, HC (High Cyan), HM (High Magenta), VM, FM, FY, LK, LM, and others.
Suitable fabrics: nylon/polyamide, silk, wool, etc. Widely used for mountaineering wear, sportswear, swimwear, fashion fabrics, and high-end carpets.
Compatible printheads: Kyocera KJ4B, Ricoh G5/G6, StarFire SG1024, Epson i3200/S3200, and other mainstream industrial piezoelectric heads. The inks support continuous long-run printing with no clogging, ensuring production stability.
Nylon acid digital printing process: Fabric preparation → Fabric padding/slurry application → Digital printing → Drying → Steam fixation → Washing and fixation → Drying and setting.
Each step is closely linked and the process is relatively complex. Final print quality depends on strict control of every stage. Even minor deviations can affect color appearance, fastness, and overall hand feel. Printing plants must therefore apply precise process management throughout to keep every operation accurate and standardized.
Case 1 – Kunshan wool/nylon cut-piece processor
Previously the plant suffered from low cyan fixation and poor wash fastness with other inks, leading to heavy dye waste and easy staining of white grounds. Trials with multiple domestic and overseas inks failed to solve the problem. After switching to HONGSAM SILKMATE® acid inks the cyan issue was resolved and finished-product pass rates rose significantly.
Case 2 – High-end carpet printer supplying IKEA
The products target premium European and American consumers and require 5–6 grade lightfastness after 160 hours of sunlight exposure. With HONGSAM SILKMATE® high-performance series inks, both solid colors and compound shades such as light grey and pink consistently met the standard when tested by third-party laboratories, enabling the plant to enter the high-end international supply chain.
(1) Acid inks will corrode and damage digital printheads over long-term use.
This is a misunderstanding often held by those new to digital printing. “Acid” refers to the presence of acidic groups in the dye structure that enable dyeing in an acidic medium; the ink itself can be formulated and maintained at a mildly alkaline pH that is optimal for printheads. Acid inks do not suffer from hydrolysis, maintain stable pH during storage, and are safe for printheads.
(2) Cyan (Cyan) on nylon digital prints washes off easily or stains white grounds because washing is insufficient.
This is a fixation-rate and dye-saturation issue that cannot be solved by more washing alone. If the cyan dye has not been structurally optimized, extra washing simply redistributes unfixed dye and increases secondary staining of white grounds. The fundamental solution is a high-fixation cyan ink whose formulation has been optimized, combined with a dedicated acid fixation agent (such as HONGSAM AF-01) in the after-treatment to block residual amino groups and eliminate white-ground staining.
HONGSAM one-stop nylon printing solution helps you overcome technical barriers and seize market opportunities. For years HONGSAM has adhered to the principles of “Science, Integrity, Beyond, Environmentalist,” embedding water-based and eco-friendly attributes into every product. Beyond supplying inks and advanced printing solutions, HONGSAM acts as a connecting force under its “HONGSAM+” operating concept, linking equipment manufacturers, channel partners, and end users. Through joint marketing and deep technical support, it helps partners convert technological strengths into market advantages and achieve mutual success through complementary strengths.
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