Digital printing, nappa, Nubuck, Stingray…… Do you really understand these concepts?

Nowadays, more and more people are paying attention to their environmental protection and sustainability, urgently seeking special protection for rare animals. People are constantly thinking about solutions, such as continuously reducing environmental pollution during leather processing and tanning, lowering water usage and the dosage of chemical tannic acid, and even replacing chemical reagents with plants (hemlock bark or oak bark)—” Veg-tan Leather,” a traditional tanning method. Another example is making artificial leather: a layer of resin paint (such as polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, etc.) is applied to nonwoven fabric or textile fiber fabrics (such as nylon), and offset printing is used to create the grain or texture effect of real fur, etc.

Print leather & digital printing

Leather has a wide variety of surface techniques. Like other materials, it can be polished, waxed, embossed, hand-carved, and digitally engraved. Among these, printed leather has become a favorite in the fashion world, emerging endlessly among various trendy products.

Digital printing Leather rarely uses genuine leather or top-grain leather with obvious grains; most use smoother ones artificial leather or a second layer (the Nth layer) of genuine leather. The common feature of both is that they require a PVC film, which improves strength, wear resistance, and cold resistance, and ensures a smooth surface to ensure printing results. Currently, the mainstream digital leather printing products on the market include Manual screen printing with weak solvent inkjet And UV inkjet 。

Handmade screen printing , chrome tanning is done using cashmere leather (the leather is soaked in a chromium-containing tanning agent), then the leather’s leaching aniline is used to dye the leather, followed by water-based pigments to print the pattern onto the leather by hand through a screen screen, and finally the surface is treated with resin and wax.

Weak solvent ink Relatively low-priced, ink blends into the leather during printing. Compared to UV inkjet solutions, it better reproduces the true texture of leather in terms of tactile feel, and is mostly used for printing on white and light-colored leather. Before weak solvent inkjetting, a coating must be applied to wipe the leather; after printing, it must be dried or allowed to evaporate naturally for a long time, resulting in relatively low printing efficiency and poor color reproduction.

UV inkjet This method uses UV printers to print leather. UV printers generally use soft UV ink for leather printing, but a small number use neutral ink based on the properties of the leather and the intended use of the printed leather. UV inkjet solutions are simple and are used for color printing on dark leather. After coating with white ink, the color ink is printed, resulting in precise color reproduction and high color accuracy, but the price is higher.

Napa

Napa (Nappa) is a full-grain leather that retains many of the original animal hide’s texture and imprints. It has slight pigmentation, clear surface texture, and excellent breathability. Nappa is the top layer (first layer) of animal hide, with a natural protective layer that is highly wear-resistant, so artificial coatings are no longer needed. It is very soft, lightweight, and comfortable. Whole grain leather is flexible and water-repellent, allowing for various finishing and processing. It has the best wrapping ability and is a premium material for armchairs, sofas, seat cushions, and headboards.

Nubuck

Nubuck （Imitation chamois leather） generally targets the top layer cow leather Lightly sanded to soften it. Unlike suede, the grain does not disappear completely; instead, the surface preserves all the texture and creates a textured velvet texture. Its appearance closely resembles the skin of a moose, hence it is also called ” chamois leather ”。 At first, this new type of leather did not attract much attention until the Duke of Windsor wore a pair of “Guards.” chamois leather It was during his visit to the United States that this leather became wildly popular.

Suede

Suede leather The word (Suede) comes from the French word “suède.” Because the surface of leather undergoes repeated polishing, the surface grain is evenly polished into a “velvet” texture, almost no longer visible in its original texture. It is usually made from lambskin, cow leather Or water cow leather After processing, it forms a matte and velvety finish. Suede has higher toughness and is more wear-resistant.

Polish stone

Polish stone （Smooth facial skin ）is made by fully polishing whole grain leather, then chrome tanning and re-tanning, dyed with pure aniline, and finally protected with wax and oil, giving it a shinier shine and a more natural appearance.

Artificial suede leather

Alcantara （Artificial suede leather）can be said to be made for environmental protection: it is a coated synthetic microfiber fabric made of 68% polyester and 32% ethyl polyurethane, giving it high stain resistance and abrasion resistance. It feels like high-quality suede, which may be why furniture and supercar manufacturers use it so widely. Alcantara combines excellent softness, elegant style, rich color, durability and strong wear resistance, and easy maintenance.

Stingray

Stingray (Devil Ray Skin) is a rare and precious type of leather, occasionally appearing among well-known furniture brands, such as Italy’s Promemoria, which is considered a top-tier haute couture product in the furniture world. However, to protect rare animals, people began developing artificial or common livestock leather to imitate them, such as the green goat’s skin imitation of the devil ray skin mentioned above.

En-graved Leather

En-graved Leather (Laser-engraved leather) Thick suede is best suited for laser engraving. After setting up the engraving program on the computer, designers can engrave the desired patterns on the leather as required.

Leather weave

Leather weave（Woven leather）  is already one of the common methods of leather surface treatment, drawing inspiration from Eastern weaving techniques of bamboo, mats, and linen, and is widely used in indoor spaces and furniture.

Three-dimensional leather

Three-dimensional leather  First, set up a program on the computer to print the pattern, engrave the pattern onto a rubber pad, then attach the soft leather to the pad and sew it according to the diagram, resulting in a three-dimensional 3D effect containing unique fire-resistant ingredients.

Acoustic leather

Acoustic leather (Soundproof leather): Foglizzo’s acoustic leather is a special perforated leather with seven complex tonal acoustic characteristics developed for its distinctive color. It can be applied to existing acoustic system spaces, such as home theaters and theaters, creating a professional acoustic feast for listeners.