By Arun Rao
Solunaris, a wholly owned subsidiary of Jay Chemical Industries Pvt. Ltd., was founded in Wiesbaden, Germany, in 2010 with the mission to serve global customers with high-quality products and services in the field of digital textile printing. Over the years, it has established itself as a significant player in the reactive and sublimation digital textile ink market.
The company has rapidly gained recognition for its innovative inks under the brand name Antelos®.
Solunaris offers a comprehensive range of Antelos® digital textile printing inks, designed for use on both natural cellulosic and synthetic fibres. These inks are compatible with all leading print head technologies. The company’s ethos is built on solving customer challenges by developing advanced ink formulations and providing top-tier technical support.
The Value of Technical Support in Digital Textile Printing
One of the major differentiators for Solunaris in the competitive textile ink market is its unwavering commitment to providing comprehensive technical and troubleshooting support to its customers. According to Mr. Sandeep Gupta, General Manager (Asia Pacific) at Solunaris, optimizing the quality of printed output often requires substantial technical support from the company. Many customers need expert guidance to create the right synergies between padding recipes in pretreatment, derive accurate profiles (ink calibration) for various substrates and print head technologies, and optimize post-treatment processes. Of course, all this needs to be complemented by high-performing inks like Solunaris’ Antelos® inks.
Solunaris’ team, which possesses in-depth knowledge and years of experience with all key components of digital printing, supports customers across all these aspects, ensuring a seamless production process.
Expanding Manufacturing Capabilities: A Shift to India
Solunaris’ decision to establish a manufacturing facility in Ahmedabad in 2013 was a strategic move to meet the rising demand in the Asia-Pacific region. This state-of-the-art, fully automatic plant operates on a Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) system, underscoring the company’s strong commitment to both sustainability and operational efficiency.
As a fully backward-integrated company, Solunaris is proud to market only self-manufactured products, enabling the company to maintain complete control over the quality and consistency of its finished products (inks) from the raw material stage. This combination of innovation, sustainability, and quality control positions Solunaris as a leader in the textile printing ink industry
Strong Market Presence in Surat: The Heart of India’s Textile Industry
Surat, known as India’s largest textile hub, has been a key driver in Solunaris’ growth. With the city now accounting for over 50% of India’s digitally printed fabrics, Solunaris has successfully secured a significant market share in the region’s textile ink industry.
The textile industry in Surat is highly dynamic, continuously adopting new technologies to meet the challenges of a rapidly evolving market. As reactive and sublimation printing machines gain popularity, Solunaris is strategically positioned to capitalize on this trend. According to Mr. Gupta, Solunaris’ presence in Surat is a testament to the company’s commitment to innovation and its foresight in tapping into emerging market opportunities.
The Growing Demand for Digital, Reactive and Sublimation Printing Inks
The Indian textile industry is experiencing a significant transformation, driven by increasing investments in digital printing technologies. Mr. Gupta pointed out that the rising consumption of textile inks has led to higher manufacturing volumes, which in turn has contributed to a reduction in ink production costs. Although there is still a cost disparity between conventional and digital printing methods, this gap is steadily narrowing, making digital printing increasingly cost-competitive.
One of the key advantages of digital printing is the ability to print fabrics on-demand, eliminating the need for pre-printed fabric inventories. This flexibility and efficiency are expected to drive continued growth in the digital printing sector, benefiting both Solunaris and the broader digital printing ink market. As these trends continue to evolve, Solunaris is well-positioned to leverage its expertise and infrastructure to capitalize on the expanding demand for digital textile inks. Solunaris exports its inks to more than 12 countries globally and this list is continuously expanding.
Recognition for Quality: Meeting Stringent Industry Standards
Solunaris inks are both Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) approved and compliant with Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Level 3, underscoring the company’s commitment to producing high-quality and sustainable products.
The company places great emphasis on quality assurance and control, coupled with technical expertise and quick response times, which are key differentiators that drive customer satisfaction and reinforce Solunaris’ credibility in the market. Solunaris does not take its current success for granted and continuously strives to add value for its customers, ensuring that it remains a trusted partner in the digital textile printing industry.
A Commitment to Sustainability: R&D and Innovation
Sustainability is at the core of Solunaris’ research and development efforts. The company’s R&D team is dedicated to making its inks both eco-friendlier and high performing, with a focus on achieving superior application fastness properties and optimized uses of utilities. These innovations contribute to reduced water and energy consumption, aligning with the company’s commitment to environmental responsibility.
To ensure its inks perform optimally across a range of print head technologies, Solunaris has equipped its R&D department with various printers suitable for reactive and sublimation inks. This enables the company to provide tailored solutions for different print head models, ensuring that its customers receive inks that meet their specific needs and performance requirements. Through these efforts, Solunaris continues to lead the way in developing sustainable, high-quality textile inks.
The Future of Pigment Inks: A Sustainable and Efficient Solution
One of the most exciting developments at Solunaris is the upcoming launch of Pigment inks, which are expected to offer significant benefits to both end users and the environment. Pigment inks are highly versatile, as they can be used on both natural and synthetic fibres, making them a popular choice for fabric printers.
According to Mr. Gupta, Solunaris has observed promising developments in the pigment ink segment. One of the key advantages of pigment-based printing is its simpler, one-step process for pre-treatment, with no need for chemical post-treatment, compared to the more complex reactive printing process. Since pigments lack a natural affinity to the fibre, adhesion is achieved through the use of binders, specifically a co-polymer.
However, Mr. Gupta highlights that the binder plays a critical role in determining many characteristics of the final product. Despite the benefits, the harsh feel of the fabric, lower application fastness properties, and the higher cost of pigment inks have limited their widespread adoption. As a result, the use of pigment inks remains somewhat restricted, and their momentum in the market is still limited. Nonetheless, the launch of Solunaris’ pigment inks is a step forward, and the company continues to refine its formulations to enhance their performance and broaden their applications.
