“PFP fabric” stands for Prepared for Print fabric – a textile that has been specially pre-treated so it’s ready for high-quality printing. In practical terms, PFP fabrics are scoured, cleaned, and often bleached to a uniform white or neutral base, with all manufacturing residues removed. Crucially, no finishing chemicals (like softeners or coatings) remain on a PFP fabric, ensuring it will readily accept dyes or inks during printing without unforeseen reactions. The result is a consistently prepared cloth with a clean surface and color, which helps produce sharp, accurate print results. In the context of textile production, PFP is one of several “semi-finished” fabric states – similar to fabrics “prepared for dyeing” (PFD) or “ready for dyeing” (RFD) – but optimized for printing processes. This article will explore how PFP fabrics differ from raw greige materials and other prepared fabrics, why proper preparation is critical for color accuracy, how manufacturers remove sizing and oils in the PFP process, and common fiber types (cotton, rayon, polyester) that undergo PFP treatment for use by textile printers.
The Difference Between Greige, PFP, and RFD (Ready for Dye)
Unprocessed greige fabric (bottom) has a dull, off-white shade with visible specks and impurities, whereas a prepared fabric (top) that’s been scoured and bleached is clean white. Prepared fabrics like PFP or RFD serve as a neutral, contaminant-free canvas for dyeing or printing.
To understand PFP in context, it helps to compare it with greige and RFD fabrics:
- Greige Fabric: “Greige” (or grey) fabric refers to textile straight from the loom or knitting machine, completely unfinished and raw. It still contains natural oils, waxes, sizing agents, and other impurities from production. Greige cloth is usually an off-white, grayish-beige color with visible specks (e.g. seed husks in cotton) and even residual starch from weaving. In this state it is not ready for dyeing or printing because the impurities and uneven absorbency will cause patchy, unreliable results. Greige is the cheapest form of fabric and requires further processing before use.
- RFD Fabric (Ready for Dyeing): RFD is a fabric that has been Scoured and Bleached to remove the greige impurities, making it “ready for dyeing.” In an RFD process, the cloth is thoroughly cleaned – desized (to strip off woven-in starches), scoured (to remove natural waxes, oils, and dirt), and bleached to a white or near-white state. The color of an RFD fabric is pure white, in contrast to greige’s creamy off-white tone. By stripping out waxes and oils, the fabric becomes hydrophilic and able to absorb dyes evenly, improving color uptake and uniformity across the length of fabric. RFD (sometimes called PFD – Prepared For Dyeing) fabric has no finishing chemicals or dyes on it, so it readily accepts new coloration. It’s more expensive than greige due to the extra processing. Manufacturers often order RFD fabric when they intend to do their own custom dyeing or printing on the prepared fabric later.
- PFP Fabric (Prepared for Print): PFP fabric is very similar to RFD in that it is also extensively pre-treated (scoured, washed, bleached) to be free of contaminants and uniformly white. The key distinction is that Prepared for Print indicates the fabric is optimized for printing processes (such as screen printing, digital inkjet, sublimation, etc.) rather than piece-dyeing. In practice, a “PFP” textile will have all the same cleaning as an RFD, and likewise contain no additives that could inhibit dye or ink uptake. In fact, PFP and RFD are often used interchangeably up to the pre-treatment stage, and a fabric prepared for one can typically be used for the other. Some mills do make a subtle distinction: for example, an RFD fabric might undergo extra bleaching or optical whitening to attain a brilliant white suited for certain dyeing needs, whereas a PFP fabric might skip optical brighteners to ensure neutrality under print inks. But fundamentally, PFP means the fabric is ready to print on, with a consistent white base and no interfering finishes. PFP fabrics have consistent surface and color, which helps printers achieve accurate colors and sharp details in the final print.
(In summary, greige is raw and unprepared, RFD/PFD is scoured & bleached for uniform dyeing, and PFP is scoured & bleached for printing – all falling under the umbrella of “prepared fabrics” that are free of finishes and ideal for adding color.)
Why PFP is Critical for Color Accuracy
Using PFP fabric is critical for achieving color accuracy and print quality in textile printing. Printing on an improperly prepared or greige fabric can lead to a host of color problems. For one, any natural pigment or tint in an unbleached fabric will adulterate the print colors – imagine trying to print a bright yellow design on an off-white/beige cotton; the design would look muted or dirty because the base fabric isn’t pure white. PFP fabrics solve this by providing a neutral white canvas, so the printed colors appear as intended without a tinted backdrop shining through.
Even more important are the chemical and physical impurities present in unprepared cloth. Residual sizing agents (starch or synthetic polymers applied during weaving) and lubricating oils can prevent inks or dyes from properly wetting the fiber. The result is uneven color absorption – some areas might not take the dye at all, causing blotchy, faded spots. In fact, it’s reported that as many as 80% of textile printing defects are traced back to inadequate fabric preparation. Common issues include colors bleeding or failing to fix in areas where oils lingered, leading to specks or loss of detail, and overall duller prints because the fiber wasn’t fully receptive.
PFP processing eliminates these issues by making the fabric absorbent, clean, and chemically receptive. Removing waxes and pectin from cotton, for example, greatly improves its ability to take up dyes uniformly, yielding brighter and more even color results. Likewise, scouring out knitting oils from polyester prevents dark dye spots or “fish eyes” where ink would otherwise resist. Because a PFP textile has been thoroughly cleaned, print inks can bond directly with the fibers, leading to true-to-design colors and sharp, well-defined printed lines.
Finally, proper preparation also enhances color fastness and consistency. Dyes that penetrate and fix onto a clean fiber will exhibit better wash durability and less crocking (rubbing off) than if they were applied to a soiled fiber. A well-prepared fabric also ensures that the same color recipe yields the same shade on every batch – essential for repeat orders – since the base fabric isn’t varying in greige impurities. In summary, skipping PFP may save upfront cost, but it sacrifices quality. For any professional textile printing, using PFP fabric is considered a best practice to achieve reliable, vibrant, and accurate colors on the final product.
Removing Sizing and Oils: The PFP Manufacturing Process
How do mills transform a coarse greige fabric into PFP quality? The manufacturing process for PFP fabrics consists of several wet-processing steps designed to remove sizing, oils, waxes, and natural pigments from the material. The general process flow is as follows:
- Desizing: The greige fabric is first treated to remove “size,” which is the starch or synthetic polymer coating applied to yarns before weaving. Desizing typically involves washing the fabric in enzyme or chemical baths that dissolve the sizing agents. Removing sizing is critical; otherwise, that starch would block dye/ink absorption in those areas.
- Scouring: After desizing, the fabric is scoured in hot alkaline baths (often with caustic soda and detergents). Scouring removes natural oils, waxes, fats, and other impurities inherent to the fibers, as well as any remaining lubricants or dirt. For example, cotton contains waxy pectins and seed residues that are scour-cleansed, and polyester knits carry knitting oils that a scour will strip away. This step makes the fabric hydrophilic (water-absorbing) and pristinely clean, which is essential for even dyeing/printing.
- Bleaching: Once the fabric is clean, the next step is bleaching to eliminate the natural color and achieve a white base. Commonly, an oxidative bleach (like hydrogen peroxide) is used for cotton and rayon, while synthetic fibers may be treated with optical whitening agents. Bleaching brightens the textile by removing or decolorizing pigments – for instance, raw cotton’s creamy yellow tint is bleached to a near-white. In many cases, optical brighteners (fluorescent whitening compounds) can be added during or after bleaching to yield an extra-bright white that’s “whiter than white” (similar to bright computer paper). The end result after bleaching is a fabric that is uniformly white and visually free of impurities.
- Mercerization (for cotton and certain celluloses): An optional but common step for PFP cotton is mercerization. In this process, the cotton fabric is treated with concentrated caustic soda under tension. Mercerization causes the cotton fiber to swell and reorganize, which increases its dye affinity and gives it a lustrous, smoother appearance. Mercerized cotton PFP fabric will absorb inks/dyes more readily and consistently, allowing for sharper prints and richer colors, especially important in detailed print work. (Rayon and other regenerated cellulose may not require mercerization because their production inherently yields a very absorbent fiber.)
- Final Washing and Drying: After these chemical treatments, the fabric undergoes thorough washing to rinse out all residual chemicals. The prepared fabric is then dried in an open-width form (stenter frame), meaning it is held at full width as it dries. This not only dries the fabric but for synthetics like polyester it also acts as a heat-setting step – stabilizing the dimensions and preventing shrinkage during high-temperature printing later. The fabric coming off this step is now PFP – Prepared for Printing: immaculately clean, flat and even, free of sizing or oils, and ready to accept dyes or print paste uniformly.
Throughout this PFP process, quality control is critical. Each step contributes to removing a class of impurities and improving the fabric’s print readiness. For instance, if any silicone-based softener or coating were applied (sometimes mills add those to make fabric feel smoother), it must be avoided or removed because even trace amounts can act like a water-repellent finish and ruin printability. The outcome of all these preparatory steps is a fabric in a semi-finished state – not yet colored or fully finished – but in the ideal condition for subsequent coloration processes like printing or custom dyeing.
Common PFP Fabrics: Cotton, Rayon, and Polyester
Different fiber types require PFP treatment before printing, and each has its own considerations during preparation. The most common PFP fabrics used by textile printers are cotton, rayon (viscose), and polyester:
- Cotton PFP: Cotton is one of the most popular fabrics for printing (used in apparel, quilting, home textiles, etc.), and it undergoes an extensive preparation. PFP cotton is typically desized, scoured, bleached with peroxide, and often mercerized to improve its print performance. The result is a soft, white cotton fabric with no residual waxes or sizing. Printers favor PFP cotton for techniques like screen printing and digital direct-to-garment (DTG) printing because the absorbent, mercerized fibers yield vibrant, saturated colors. A well-prepared cotton will also have a consistent white point – critical if the design has white backgrounds or if color calibration is important. (Optical brighteners may or may not be used on cotton PFP, depending on whether a neutral white or a bright white is desired for printing.) Importantly, no softeners are added after preparation – a PFP cotton may feel a bit stiffer or rougher than a finished fabric, but this ensures nothing interferes with ink bonding. Once printed and cured, cotton PFP fabrics can also be finished with softeners if needed, but during printing they should be in the pure prepared state.
- Rayon (Viscose) PFP: Rayon, a regenerated cellulose fiber, is known for its soft drape and high absorbency, making it great for taking up dyes and inks. PFP rayon fabric is prepared in a similar manner to cotton – it is scoured to remove any spinneret oils or processing chemicals from fiber production, and bleached to a clean white (rayon fibers are naturally slightly off-white). One advantage of viscose rayon is that it contains no natural wax like cotton does, so it is inherently quite absorbent; however, any surface finishes or lubricants from weaving must still be cleansed. Once prepared, rayon fabric readily accepts reactive dyes, pigments, and other printing inks with excellent color yield. The colors printed on PFP rayon tend to be vibrant because of the fiber’s affinity for dyes. Like cotton, rayon PFP is typically used for fashion prints, scarves, and any application where a smooth, flowing printed fabric is desired. The preparation ensures the fabric remains soft and printable – if rayon were printed in greige state, the results would be uneven due to leftover sizing or treatments. Printers appreciate that PFP rayon can showcase very fine detail in prints, thanks to its smooth fiber surface and prepared absorbency.
- Polyester PFP: Polyester is a synthetic fiber that requires a somewhat different preparation emphasis. Polyester doesn’t have natural oils or wax, but greige polyester yarns and knits are laden with manufacturing oils (spin finishes, knitting lubricants) that must be scoured off. Also, polyester is naturally a bit translucent or slightly gray; it’s often optically brightened during PFP to achieve a crisp white. A PFP polyester fabric will be scoured (sometimes in alkaline or solvent solutions) to remove all oils and contaminants, then usually heat-set to stabilize it. The whitened polyester (often called PFP white) is essential especially for dye-sublimation printing, which is a common method to print on poly. In sublimation, inks do not include white color – any whites in the design come from the fabric itself. Therefore, a bright white PFP polyester provides the necessary background for bright colors; an un-prepared, duller polyester would yield muddied results in comparison. Additionally, PFP poly fabrics have no silicone or anti-static finishes that could repel ink. Printers use PFP polyester for sportswear, banners, swimwear and athletic apparel printing, typically with sublimation or dispersed dyes. The prepared poly ensures excellent color sharpness and consistency; for example, Sportek’s catalog of PFP polyester/spandex fabrics is specifically aimed at sublimation printers who need dependable print quality on poly knits. In short, PFP polyester is what enables bold, permanent prints on synthetic performance fabrics by providing a perfectly clean and stable print substrate.
In conclusion, “Prepared for Print” (PFP) fabrics are the backbone of quality textile printing. Whether it’s a roll of PFP cotton ready for a fashion house’s custom prints, a bolt of PFP rayon awaiting a colorful batik design, or yards of PFP polyester for a sports team’s graphic jerseys – the preparatory work done upfront is what makes the difference. By understanding PFP fabrics and insisting on them, textile printers ensure that their inks and dyes can truly shine. From the removal of every trace of sizing and oils, to the bright neutral canvas it creates, PFP fabric provides the essential foundation for accurate colors, sharp details, and durable prints that meet professional standards. It is this marriage of materials science and art – prepping textiles to be a blank slate for creative imagery – that allows the vibrant prints we enjoy on fabric to come out right every time. The next time you see a crisp print on a cotton T-shirt or a vivid pattern on polyester activewear, know that it likely started as a humble greige fabric that underwent an invisible but vital transformation into PFP, the printer’s perfect canvas.