Custom Printed Shade Nets: Sunsafe’s Specialised In-House Printing Capability

Custom Printed Shade Nets: Sunsafe’s Specialised In-House Printing Capability

Shade nets have traditionally performed a functional role. They manage sunlight, create shade and protect spaces, crops and materials.

At Sunsafe, we saw an opportunity to make shade net do more.

We developed an in-house printing process that transforms conventional shade net into a customised, identifiable and brandable technical textile. Organisations can now combine the functional advantages of shade net with printed names, logos, messages and customised designs.

This development represents one of Sunsafe’s specialised manufacturing capabilities and one of our most value-added shade net solutions.

Printing on Shade Net Is Different from Printing on Fabric

Printing a conventional fabric is relatively straightforward because it provides a continuous surface.

Shade net does not.

Its knitted construction contains open spaces that allow air and light to pass through. The material also flexes, stretches and moves during processing.

Therefore, achieving a recognisable and repeatable print directly on shade net requires control over the material, printing process, ink behaviour and movement of the net.

Sunsafe developed its process specifically around these characteristics rather than treating shade net like conventional fabric.

In-House Roll-to-Roll Printing on Shade Nets up to 2,000 mm Wide

Sunsafe operates an in-house roll-to-roll printing facility for shade nets.

The facility can process shade-net fabric up to 2,000 mm (80 inches) in width.

Roll-to-roll processing allows continuous lengths of shade net to pass through the printing system. This makes the process suitable for commercial quantities and repeating designs.

Depending on the application, the printed artwork can include a company name, logo, symbol, campaign message or other customised identification.

The design can repeat along the length of the roll according to the required printing pattern.

Keeping this operation in-house also gives Sunsafe greater control over production, printing and final inspection.

Specially Developed Ink for Outdoor Shade-Net Applications

Printing the design was only part of the challenge.

Shade nets commonly operate outdoors. Therefore, conventional printing that looks good immediately after production may not be sufficient.

The printed material can face sunlight, water, humidity and changing atmospheric conditions during actual use.

Sunsafe has developed an ink system specifically for its shade-net printing process. The objective is to achieve good adhesion and help the print withstand normal outdoor atmospheric and water exposure.

This development is particularly important for applications where the printed net remains installed outdoors for extended periods.

Rather than simply adding printing as a finishing operation, Sunsafe has developed the printing process and ink around the actual working environment of shade net.

From Shade Material to a Communication Surface

This capability changes what a shade net can accomplish.

A conventional shade net primarily performs its physical function. A custom printed shade net can perform that function while simultaneously carrying an organisation’s identity or message.

For example, printing can be considered for:

• Corporate and institutional branding – names, logos and project identification.
• Tree plantation projects – identification of organisations supporting plantation and environmental initiatives.
• NGO and CSR activities – displaying the organisation or sponsor associated with a project.
• Agricultural and nursery applications – identification of farms, nurseries, brands or demonstration projects.
• Government and institutional projects – project names, departments or public-awareness messages.
• Events and temporary installations – customised branding on functional shade-net installations.
• Dealers and private-label requirements – customised identification for suitable bulk requirements.

This combination of utility and communication creates applications that conventional unprinted shade net cannot address.

A Real-World Application: Tree Plantation

One of the practical applications of Sunsafe’s printed shade nets is in tree-plantation activities.

Sunsafe currently supplies customised printed shade nets for use by Sadbhavna Seva Foundation, Rajkot, an organisation involved in tree-plantation initiatives.

In such projects, shade net can go beyond being an anonymous material.

Printing allows the organisation’s identity or message to remain visible on the installed material. This creates a connection between the physical plantation activity and the organisation undertaking or supporting it.

The application demonstrates an important advantage of customised printing: the shade net itself becomes part of the project’s identity.

Manufactured, Printed and Controlled In-House

The value of this capability goes beyond owning a printing machine.

Sunsafe is already a shade-net manufacturer. Therefore, we understand the knitted substrate before it reaches the printing stage.

Bringing manufacturing and printing together allows us to consider the complete product:

Shade-net construction → Printing requirement → Ink performance → Finished printed roll → Application

This integrated approach is particularly valuable for customised and bulk projects.

Customers can discuss the required shade net, dimensions, printing design, repeat pattern and intended application with one manufacturer rather than coordinating separate shade-net and printing suppliers.

Custom Printing Opens New Possibilities for Shade Net

Technical textiles do not always have to remain anonymous.

For organisations investing in plantations, agriculture, infrastructure, CSR activities or other large projects, identification can have significant value.

Sunsafe’s custom shade-net printing capability combines that identification with a functional technical textile.

With in-house roll-to-roll printing on shade nets up to 2,000 mm wide, customised design capability and an ink system developed for outdoor applications, Sunsafe can develop printed shade-net solutions around specific project requirements.

It is a specialised capability built not merely to print on shade net, but to add value to what shade net can do.

Custom Printed Shade Net Enquiries

For bulk or project requirements, customers can share their application, shade-net specification, required dimensions, artwork or logo, printing pattern and quantity with Sunsafe.

Our team can then evaluate the requirement and recommend a suitable customised printed shade-net solution. Contact Sunsafe to discuss your project.

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