Full Guide to Non-Woven Bag Printing

Non-woven bags are made from materials that are not woven together i.e., unlike other bags, they are not made from a series of threads that are woven together. Instead, they are made from a series of fibers that are bonded together.

Printing on non-woven bags offers many benefits, especially serving as an effective way to promote your business or brand. Made in a variety of sizes and shapes, your personalized logo or message can be printed on the bags to increase your brand awareness.

In this article, we will explore the details of non-woven bag printing, the benefits, applications, materials, types, factors to consider, and many more.

A Brief Introduction to Non-Woven Bags

Aside from being a great alternative to other types of bags, non-woven bags have numerous benefits, and applications, and can be made with various materials.

Benefits of Non-Woven Bags

Environmentally Friendly: Non-woven bags are made from recyclable and biodegradable materials, which are eco-friendly and help maintain environmental sustainability.

Durable: They are made from strong and durable materials that can hold a lot of weight and withstand multiple uses. Also, they are resistant to wear, tear, and rips, which makes them reusable and long-lasting.

Versatile: Printing on non-woven fabric can be used for various purposes, such as promotions, shopping, or storing belongings. They can be designed in a variety of styles and colors, making them usable across several applications.

Cost-Effective: When compared with other bags, non-woven bags are cost-effective as they are relatively less expensive to make. This is because they are made from natural materials that are eco-friendly, and the manufacturing process is quite simple.

Easy to Clean: Non-woven bags are very simple to clean. Just with soap and water or a neat wet rag, they will return to their clean state. This means they can be used to carry dirty items with the certainty that their cleanliness can be restored easily.

Foldable: Non-woven bags are designed to be compact and foldable, allowing for easy storage and transport. They can be taken along on travels without occupying much space.

Advertising Tool: Non-woven bags can be customized with your brand’s logo, which helps to establish your brand identity and create more awareness. They are creatively designed to attract customers.

Liquid Repellent: Custom-printed non-woven bags are waterproof; they have the capability of resisting water. This means that you can use them at the beach and during rainy seasons.

Common Applications of Non-Woven Bags

Shopping/Grocery Bags: Non-woven bags are a popular choice for shopping and grocery bags, as they are strong, last long, and can be used to carry a lot of weight.

Promotional Bags: Non-woven bags serve as promotional tools, as they can be easily customized with your business logo or other branding. They are popularly used for trade show giveaways to create more awareness for the business.

Gift Bags: Custom non-woven bags make great gift bags, as they come in a variety of colors and styles. Also, they can be customized with a personal message or monogram that connects with the gift recipient.

Beach Bags: Non-woven bags are lightweight and easy to carry, which makes them suitable for use around the beach. Also, the bags are water-repellent, meaning users’ belongings will be protected.

Tote Bags: Non-woven bags make great tote bags. They are crafted to be stylish, strong, and capable of carrying a lot of weight. These bags can be used for carrying groceries, books, or work supplies.

Types of Non-Woven Bag Materials

Polypropylene (PP): This is a thermoplastic polymer used to make non-woven bags because of its lightweight, strength, and resistance to moisture, chemicals, and abrasion. It also possesses great resistance to heat.

Polyethylene (PE): This is another type of thermoplastic polymer used because of its excellent flexibility, transparency, and resistance to moisture. It’s often used to make non-woven bags for carrying only lightweight items.

Polyester (PET): This is a synthetic fiber popularly used because of its outstanding strength, durability, and capability to withstand stretching and shrinking. This material is often used because of its vibrant colors, smooth texture, and support for detailed prints.

Nylon: This is a strong synthetic polymer popularly known for its excellent tensile strength, elasticity, and resistance to abrasion. Non-woven bag printing made with this material can carry heavy loads and are resistant to moisture or mildew.

Biodegradable Non-Woven Materials: These are plant-based materials that can be naturally broken down by microorganisms, which makes them environmentally friendly. Non-woven bags made with these materials support environmental sustainability goals.

Types of Non-Woven Bag Printing Techniques

There are 4 basic types of non-woven bag printing techniques, which include flexographic (flexo) printing, screen printing, heat transfer printing, and digital printing. Each has its advantages and applications. They are discussed below.

Flexographic (Flexo) Printing

Flexographic (Flexo) printing is a modern version of letterpress developed with high-speed rotary functionality. It involves the use of a flexible relief plate that is mounted on a cylinder. The plate is filled with the desired ink and brought into contact with the non-woven bag. Through this process, the ink is transferred to the bag.

This printing technique is well-suited for a high volume of non-woven bags, and it can be used with a wide variety of colors and designs.

Advantages

• Relatively inexpensive: Flexo printing is cost-effective for large production runs, which makes it ideal for bulk orders.
• High speed: Thanks to its high-speed printing capabilities, it allows for fast production.
• Versatility: This printing technique supports the use of various colors, designs, and styles.
• Good ink coverage: It offers excellent ink coverage, resulting in vibrant and bold prints.

Applications

• Grocery bags
• Promotional bags
• Laundry bags

Screen Printing

Screen printing, which is also known as silk screen printing, is another versatile printing process that’s widely used for non-woven bags. 

It involves the use of a screen, which is a mesh that is stretched over a frame. The screen is coated with a blocking agent, with the function of stopping ink from passing through the areas that are not to be printed. Then, the ink is applied to the screen and pushed through the open areas onto the bag.

This non-woven bag printing technique can be used to print a wide variety of colors and designs, with a thick ink deposit.

Advantages

• Vibrant Colors: Screen printing is suitable for rich and vibrant colors, as it produces bold and eye-catching designs.
• Versatility: It can be used on a wide range of materials, including polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester, nylon, and biodegradable non-woven materials.
• Long-Lasting prints: Screen prints are highly durable and won’t fade off despite repeated use and washing.
• Thick Ink Deposit: This printing technique creates thick ink deposits, resulting in prints with a textured feel.

Applications

• Gift bags
• Tote bags
• Beach bags

Heat Transfer Printing

Heat transfer printing is a unique process that involves the use of heat to move an image from a transfer sheet to a non-woven bag. For this technique, the transfer sheet is coated with ink, and the image is printed onto the sheet using a heat press. Then, the transfer sheet is put on the non-woven bag, and the heat press is used to move the image to the bag.

Heat transfer printing also supports versatile prints with various colors, designs, and styles, and it is relatively quick and easy.

Advantages

• Full-Color Printing: Heat transfer printing allows for full-color prints, even intricate designs and color gradients without compromising on quality.
• Quick and Easy: Simple to carry out, requires minimal setup time, and can be easily adjusted for different designs and colors.
• Durability: The prints are highly durable, and can resist fading and cracking even after multiple washes.
• Smooth Finish: The transferred design is often smooth with an even finish on the bag’s surface.

Applications

• Clothing bags
• Accessories bags
• Luggage bags

Digital Printing

Digital printing is a technique that involves the use of computer-controlled equipment to print images directly onto non-woven bags. In terms of quality, this printing process is highly-rated, as it can accurately reproduce intricate designs, gradients, and small text, ensuring a visually appealing final product. 

Also, it’s perfect for small-batch or customized orders, as each bag can have a unique design without incurring extra expenses.

However, it is more expensive than other printing techniques, and it is not as well-suited for printing large quantities of bags.

Advantages

• High-quality output: Digital printing supports precise and high-resolution printing, which results in vibrant and detailed images.
• Design versatility: It allows the printing of complex and multi-colored designs without any additional costs.
• Quick turnaround: Digital printing enables fast production times and allows for the completion of urgent or time-sensitive orders.

Applications

• Event bags
• Trade show bags
• Corporate bags

Factors to Consider When Choosing Non-Woven Bag Printing Techniques

When choosing a custom-printed non-woven bag technique, there are certain factors you need to put into consideration. They include design complexity, print quality, production volume, and cost considerations.

Let’s discuss each of these factors to understand their relevance in the decision-making process.

Design Complexity

The complexity of the design plays an important role in determining the appropriate printing technique. So, you need to choose a printing technique that can accurately reproduce the details and colors of your design.

Printing on non-woven fabric sometimes involves features like intricate patterns, gradients, or small text elements that require high precision and accuracy. In cases like this, you need to consider a printing process like digital printing that can replicate fine details and vibrant colors.

This is because other methods are configured manually, which is prone to human error but the digital printing process is done via the computer. It will display all the intricate parts and immediate corrections can be made.

Print Quality

Print quality is another vital factor to consider. Each of the various printing techniques offers various levels of print quality, resolution, and color vibrancy. Flexographic printing and screen printing are known for their ability to produce high-quality prints, while digital printing is perfect for designs that demand high-definition images, excellent resolution, and precise color matching.

These printing techniques are great for reproducing intricate details and maintaining color accuracy. But, if the design requires special effects like embossing, foil stamping, or raised textures, a technique like heat transfer printing may be more suitable.

Production Volume

The quantity of printed non-woven bags to be produced is another critical factor worth consideration. Techniques like flexographic and screen printing are more efficient for large production runs due to their high-speed capabilities and ability to print on multiple bags simultaneously. They offer the added advantage of being cost-effective.

In contrast, heat transfer printing and digital printing techniques are better suited for smaller or on-demand print runs. They allow for flexibility in printing different designs on each bag, making them perfect for customized or limited-edition productions.

Cost Considerations

Another significant factor to consider is cost. The budget allocated for printing plays a role in executing the desired printing technique. Flexographic and screen printing often offer cost advantages for large volume orders, as the setup costs can be distributed across a higher number of bags. However, for smaller quantities, digital printing and heat transfer techniques are more cost-effective.

It is important to weigh the initial costs, such as setup fees and plate charges, against the per-unit costs of each technique to make an informed decision.

Additionally, ongoing costs, like ink or material expenses, should be taken into consideration, as some printing techniques use specific inks or consumables that affect the overall cost. For instance, digital printing may require specialized inks or pre-treated non-woven fabric, which can impact the cost of each bag printing.

Preparation and Printing Process of Non-Woven Bag Printing

To get a successful non-woven bag printing that replicates the desired design, various preparation and printing processes are involved.

Discussed below are the steps involved:

Designing the Custom Non-Woven Bags

Factors that influence the design of the custom non-woven bags are the sizing & placement, and the color selection & limitation.

Sizing and Placement: When designing custom-printed non-woven bags, it’s crucial to consider the bag’s size and placement of the design elements. The design should be arranged to fit well on the bag without distorting the bag shape and taking into account seams or handles that may affect the layout. The logos, text, and graphics should be appropriately positioned and visible.

Color Selection and Limitations: When selecting colors for printed non-woven bags, it’s important to use only the colors that are compatible with the bag. Light-colored bags support a wider range of colors and shades, but dark-colored bags are compatible with specific ink types.

Ink Selection

The next step is to select the industrial ink that will be used to print the bags. There are several types of industrial inks, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Some of the commonly used inks for non-woven bag printing are water-based inks, solvent-based inks, and UV-curable inks.

Choosing the right ink is dependent on certain factors:

Adhesion: The selected ink should adhere well to the non-woven bag material to enable durability and resistance to fade. The types of ink most ideal are solvent-based ink, oil-based ink, and UV ink.

Durability: The selected ink should be long-lasting and capable of withstanding wear and tear, including exposure to sunlight and moisture. The types of ink most ideal are solvent-based ink and oil-based ink.

Color Vibrancy: The selected ink should provide vibrant and accurate colors, as well as enhance the visual appeal of the printed design. The types of ink most ideal are solvent-based ink and UV ink.

Environmental Considerations: The selected ink should be eco-friendly, free from harmful chemicals, and comply with environmental regulations. The types of ink most ideal are water-based ink and solid-based ink.

Printing Setup

The next step is the printing setup, which involves preparing the printing equipment for the custom-printed non-woven bags.

Prepare the Printing Area: Get a clean and organized workspace for printing. Ensure that the area is well-ventilated and free from contaminants that could affect the printing quality.

Arrange the Printing Equipment: Set up the printing equipment like the printing press and heat press in the perfect spot. Ensure the equipment is in good working condition.

Set up the Non-Woven Bags: Lay out the bags on a flat surface, making sure they are positioned correctly. You could use some fixture or adhesive to hold the bags in place.

Prepare the Ink: Depending on the printing technique, you would have to prepare the ink accordingly. This involves mixing the inks, ensuring they are perfectly mixed, and pouring them into the printing equipment.

Settings Adjustment: Depending on the printing technique, set the settings on the printing equipment, like the temperature, quality, pressure, and speed.

Full-Scale Production printing

Once the setup is complete, the actual printing process can begin. This basically involves consistently applying the ink onto the non-woven bags in accordance to the predetermined design and specifications.

It’s imperative to maintain consistency throughout the production run by checking the quality of prints from time to time, monitoring the ink levels, and making sure the ink printing equipment is functioning appropriately. Carry out regular inspections to make adjustments as needed to ensure excellent production.

Drying/Curing

After printing, the non-woven bags should be put through a drying or curing process to ensure the ink adheres perfectly for maximum durability. The timeframe can vary depending on the ink type, printing technique, and environmental conditions.

Also, various types of drying or curing can be adopted. They include:

Air Drying: Involves putting the printed non-woven bags at room temperature to dry naturally. However, this process tends to take longer.

Heat Curing: Involves using heat to increase the drying and curing process. This is done by placing the bags in a heated chamber and using a heat press or a conveyor oven.

UV Curing: If UV inks were used, you could put the bags under UV light. UV curing offers fast and efficient drying, typically within a few seconds. The ink adhesion and durability are not compromised.

Choose Suitable Machinery for Printing on Non-woven Fabric 

For your non-woven bag printing to be successful, high-grade machinery must be used. The type of equipment used determines the quality and resolution of the prints produced. 

As a leading printing and packaging solution provider, KETE can help you choose the right machines for your business needs. With this, there is a guarantee of top-quality, high-resolution, and increased production capacity.

The printing machinery should possess these qualities:

Advanced Flexo Technology

Choosing a printing machine with advanced flexographic technology is crucial to achieving high-quality prints. KETE’s super speed flexo printing machine is excellent in performance, supports various ink types, and prints intricate designs with premium detail and color reproduction.

Advanced flexo technology allows high-quality printing of desired designs onto packaging, fine dot reproduction, clean ink transfer, and consistent ink coverage for the best quality.

High-Speed Performance

High-speed performance is essential for improving productivity and reducing printing time. Fast machinery allows for large-volume production runs, which helps to meet tight deadlines. When producing at high speed, the print quality shouldn’t be compromised. The final output must be consistent.

Besides that, the machinery should have quick and smooth material handling capacity, such as automatic feeding systems or continuous printing.

Precise Registration Control

Accurate registration control is needed to align colors and design elements appropriately. The machinery should be equipped with servo-driven registration systems, which allow for precise and automatic adjustment of colors and minimize misalignment issues.

Also, choose non-woven bag printing equipment that offers automatic color adjustment features, which streamlines the process for accurate color registration. Additionally, the machinery should be able to detect registration marks on the non-woven fabric.

Efficient Drying/Curing System

An efficient drying or curing system ensures that the ink on printed non-woven bags adheres well. Machinery that comes with drying and curing systems like hot air dryers, infrared dryers, or UV curing systems.

They help to expedite the drying and curing process, which reduces production time and ensures the durability of the prints.

User-Friendly Operation

User-friendly equipment makes the printing process more efficient and reduces the time operators need to learn all its functionality. Choose printing machinery that offers intuitive interfaces, easy-to-use control panels, and clear instructions for operation and maintenance.

Simple features like automated controls, preset functions, and error detection systems can make the printing process simple, reducing the potential for mistakes.

Conclusion

Non-woven bag printing is a great marketing mechanism for businesses to connect with their customers and attract more leads (Learn: How to Start Non Woven Bags Manufacturing Business). Made with eco-friendly materials, they are skillfully designed through various types of printing techniques, such as flexographic printing, screen printing, heat transfer printing, and digital printing. 

It would be a good idea to make a detailed investigation and consider the factors that influence the printing process, and then you can prepare accordingly to affect the outcome of the printing process.

If you are looking for a reputable custom printed non-woven bags company for suitable machinery, as well as all-around customized flexible printing and packaging solutions, you can contact us. For information on related topics, you can check here.