AOP Fabric Printing
Digital Printing on Fabric —
All-Over Print (AOP)
Digital printing on fabric in roll form — AOP (all-over print) across the full width of the cloth, with no repeat limits, no colour constraints, and no screens. Macrofast runs two digital AOP routes: pigment for immediate, wash-stable results on all fibres, and reactive for deep dye penetration and superior fastness on cellulosic fabrics.
Pigment AOP
Versatile all-over printing. Works on any fibre.
Pigment digital printing applies water-based pigment ink directly to the fabric surface and fixes it with heat — no wet-chemistry wash-off required. This makes pigment AOP applicable to virtually any fibre type: cotton, linen, viscose, modal, polyester blends, and stretch fabrics all print successfully in the pigment route.
The pigment process delivers a soft, matte hand-feel that buyers associate with premium garment printing. Wash-fastness is excellent when properly cured: the fixed pigment is polymer-bound to the fibre and does not bleed on washing. For printed fabric that will be cut and sewn into garments, pigment is the preferred default route.
GOTS-certified pigment inks are used throughout our line — the inks are on the GOTS approved substances list, meaning printed fabric sold under a GOTS claim retains certified organic status through the print step.
Pigment AOP Specifications
- Machines7 wide-format digital AOP machines
- Print width72 inches (183 cm) maximum
- CapacityUp to 3,000 kg fabric per day
- MOQ — wovenFrom 5 metres per design
- MOQ — knitFrom 3 kg per design
- Fibre compatibilityAll fibre types — cotton, linen, viscose, modal, blends, stretch
- Ink systemWater-based pigment — GOTS approved
- RepeatUnlimited — no screen repeat constraint
Reactive AOP
Deeper penetration. Superior fastness on cellulosics.
Reactive digital printing uses reactive dyes that form a covalent bond with the cellulose fibre — specifically cotton, linen, viscose, and lyocell. The dye becomes part of the fibre structure rather than sitting on the surface. This gives reactive printing two properties that pigment cannot replicate: full dye penetration (the colour is the same on both sides of the fabric) and outstanding wash and light fastness ratings.
Reactive printed fabric is the standard choice for home textiles, bedlinen, tablecloths, premium fashion fabrics, and any end use where the fabric will be washed repeatedly at high temperatures and must retain its colour integrity.
After printing, reactive fabric goes through a steaming and washing process that fixes the dye and removes the unfixed portion. This wet process means reactive printing has a higher MOQ than pigment — the chemistry only becomes economical above a minimum batch quantity — but for premium woven cellulosic fabrics, the visual and performance result justifies it.
Reactive AOP Specifications
- Machines2 dedicated reactive digital AOP lines
- Print width72 inches (183 cm) maximum
- CapacityUp to 2,000 kg fabric per day
- MOQ — wovenFrom 20 metres per design
- MOQ — knitFrom 5 kg per design
- Fibre compatibilityCellulosics only — cotton, linen, viscose, lyocell, modal
- Ink systemReactive dye — covalent bond with fibre
- FastnessWash fastness 4–5, rub fastness 4–5 (BS EN ISO 105)
Fabrics We Print
Your fabric — or ours.
We print on fabric you supply (jobwork) or on fabric sourced through our procurement network. In either case, we confirm suitability before the run. Not sure which route suits your fibre? See the full fabrics guide or send us a sample and we'll test it.
Organic Cotton
Single jersey, interlock, pique, poplin — GOTS certified chain of custody
Conventional Cotton
All constructions — knit and woven. Most tested fabric for digital print.
Linen
Plain and slub weave. Reactive AOP recommended for richest saturation on linen.
Viscose
Rayon, EcoVero. Soft, high-drape — excellent colour saturation with reactive.
Modal
Beechwood modal. Smooth surface. Pigment and reactive both suitable.
Cotton–Linen Blend
Popular for AOP fashion fabrics. Reactive preferred for woven blends.
Cotton–Modal Blend
Soft knit blends. Pigment AOP standard choice for knit blends.
Organic Cotton–Spandex
For stretch fabrics. Pigment AOP — ink flexibility confirmed.
Choosing Your Route
Pigment vs. reactive — which is right for your fabric?
Choose Pigment when …
- Printing on knit fabrics (jersey, interlock, rib)
- Your fabric contains polyester, elastane or synthetic blends
- MOQ is below 20 m and you need fast turnaround
- A soft, slightly washed-down colour palette suits the product
- The garment will see regular but not extreme wash cycles
- You need GOTS certification on any fibre type
Choose Reactive when …
- Printing on woven cellulosics — cotton, linen, viscose, lyocell
- Colour depth and vibrancy are critical (home textiles, fashion)
- Superior wash-fastness is a hard requirement (5+ washes at 60°C)
- The end-use involves prolonged sun exposure (outdoor, sunwear)
- You can meet the minimum 20 m woven / 5 kg knit batch size
- Full dye penetration (same colour both sides of fabric) is needed
Not sure which route fits your brief? Send us your fabric spec and end-use requirements — our technical team will advise on the optimal process before any sampling commitment.
Related Services
If you need printing on finished garments or cut panels rather than rolls of fabric, see our digital T-shirt and cut-panel printing or the hybrid screen + digital placement printing service. For the full range of capabilities across all three lines, visit the capabilities overview.
Production Facilities
AOP fabric printing runs from our Annur headquarters (Coimbatore), with 102,000 sq ft of production floor across all three facilities.
View all facilitiesRequest a Sample or Quote
Start with a sample. Scale when you're satisfied.
Share your design files, fabric specification, and target quantity. We'll respond within one business day with a sample plan and a per-metre quote. Our minimum sample run is 5 m for pigment and 20 m for reactive — small enough to commit confidently before a full production order.