Chitosan, a naturally available biopolymer which is now increasingly used as a functional finish on textile substrates to impart antimicrobial characteristics and increase dye uptake of fabrics, was blended with different ratios of gelatinized starch. The chitosan was extracted and characterized by IR, 1H-NMR, and X-ray powder diffraction. These blends were tested as thickeners in textile screen printing using Curcuma tinctoria as natural dye. The rheological properties and the viscosity of the printing paste were measured. The effect of chitosan on the printing properties of different fabrics (natural, blends, and synthetic fabrics) was studied by measuring the color strength value (K/S) and related color parameters of the printed fabrics. The antimicrobial properties of printed fabrics were assessed. The results proved that the printed fabrics using these new thickeners showed increase in the color strength value (K/S) giving darker color which means that chitosan increased the dye uptake on fabrics. Fastness properties of the printed fabrics to washing, rubbing, perspiration, and light have also been improved. The treated fabrics were found to be antimicrobial.
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