The desire of adding color and design to textile materials is almost as old as mankind.  Early civilizations used color and design to distinguish themselves and to set themselves apart from others.  Textile printing is the most important and versatile of the techniques used to add design, color, and specialty to textile  fabrics.  It can be thought of  as the coloring technique that combines art, engineering, and dyeing technology  to produce textile product images that had
previously only existed in the imagination of the textile designer.  Textile printing can realistically be considered localized dyeing.  In ancient times, man sought these designs and images mainly for clothing or apparel, but in today’s marketplace, textile printing is important for upholstery, domestics (sheets, towels, draperies), floor coverings, and numerous other uses.  
 
The exact origin of textile printing is difficult to determine.  However, a number of early civilizations developed various  techniques for imparting color and design to textile garments.  Batik is a modern art form for developing unique dyed patterns on textile fabrics very similar to textile printing.  Batik is characterized by unique patterns and color combinations as well as the appearance of fracture lines due to the cracking of the wax during the dyeing process.  Batik is derived from the Japanese term, “Ambatik,” which means “dabbing,” “writing,” or “drawing.”  In Egypt, records from 23-79 AD  describe a hot wax technique similar to batik.  The early Egyptians also used ink-carved designs on the ends of wooden cylinders to print on fabrics as early as 400 AD.  In Europe, the earliest evidence of textile printing is provided by a wooden block discovered in France dated to the end of the 14th century.  The family name “Tuchdruckers” or “textile printers” was well known in Germany by 1440.  In the United States, woodcut block printing was practiced in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania by the 1770’s.  A tremendous breakthrough occurred in 1783 when James Bell, a Scotsman, invented engraved roller printing. 
 
The development of screen-printing began in Japan in the middle of the 17th century.  Early development involved the use of design stencils held together by fine silk threads or even human hair.  The designs were laid onto textile fabrics and color was applied only to the areas outside of the designs.  Since the silk threads were so fine, they were not apparent in the final fabric design.  The Japanese technique was taken to France where modern flat screen printing was developed, initially using silk fabric stretched over a wooden frame.
 
Before the modern methods of textile printing are discussed in detail, some specific information on textile material must be covered.  The properties of fibers, yarns, and fabric constructions impact the textile printing processes as well as the characteristics of the final printed fabrics.