Quality of a good thickener

The qualities of a good thickener are given below:

1. The thickener must be stable and compatible with the dyes and auxiliaries to be used.
2. It should have certain physical and chemical properties such as viscosity, flow property, ability to wet and adhere.
3. The thickener film should dry properly on the fabric to prevent bleeding of the color beyond the boundaries of the design (to ensure print sharpness).
4. The thickener should not have affinity for the dyes and chemicals.
5. Once the dye is transferred from the thickener films (during steaming), the removal of the thickener should be easy.