IMBIBING SOLUTIONS, METHOD OF PRE-TREATING SUBSTRATES WITH IMBIBING/COATING SOLUTIONS IN PREPARATION FOR DIGITAL PRINTING

A method of producing a printed substrate so as to improve the adhesion, colorfastness and washfastness of ink jet inks including reactive and acid dye-based ink jet inks printed onto the substrate, the method includes the steps of providing a substrate, treating the substrate with an aqueous coating formulation comprising NMMO, a cationic polymer or copolymer, and a fabric softener, treating the substrate with an imbibing aqueous solution of either urea, and a component selected from sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate or combinations thereof, or ammonium salts of multifunctional weak acids, drying the substrate, printing on the substrate with an ink jet ink containing acid or reactive dye-based inks depending on the coating, and optionally post treating the printed substrate with a curing step.