Abstract:

Knitted shirts are an appropriate carrier of easily readable information, and therefore, in recent years, QR Codes have been very often printed on T-shirts. With the purpose of investigating QR Code fastness printed on textiles, in this paper a methodology is proposed for the durability assessment of functionally printed knitted fabrics that includes the implementation of long-term care and wearing simulation - which the T-shirts are exposed to over their lifetime. Dimensional changes after multiple washing and drying cycles were determined for non-printed and functionally printed white knitting, as well as the abrasion resistance and tendency to surface pilling after multiple rubbing cycles. The effect of usage simulation on the functional print’s durability was defined, as well as the color fastness, readability and aesthetic properties. It was found that the structure of knitted fabrics, their dimensional stability, the number of care and wear cycles performed, the printing technique and size of black modules in the QR Code all have an influence on the results obtained.