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“Thickeners” [1,2] used in textile printing are high molecular weight compounds, giving viscous pastes in water. These impart stickiness and plasticity to the printing paste so that it can be applied to a fabric surface without spreading and be capable of maintaining the design outlines even under high pressure. Their main function is to hold or adhere the dye particles in the desired place on the fabric until the transfer of dye into the fabric and its fixation are complete.
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Bajaj et al. (1984) studied this question.
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