David Savastano, Editor07.31.18
The digital textile market is one of the most promising opportunities for inkjet printing. The overall global textiles market has been valued at $830 billion in 2015, reaching an estimated $1.2 trillion by 2025, according to Grand View Research, Inc.
Of that, the printing of textiles has been estimated at more than $160 billion annually, with the vast majority of the market being screenprinted. Industry leaders report that perhaps 2% of that total is digitally printed.
Initially, inkjet was used by a few pioneers for samples, prototypes and customizing textiles. However, this is changing as the benefits of inkjet printing of textiles becomes more apparent and the printing technology continues to improve.
Estimates of the digital textile printing market suggest a billion-dollar industry that is growing fast. According to MarketsandMarkets’ study, “Digital Textile Printing Market by Printing Process (Roll to Roll, DTG), Ink Type (Sublimation, Pigment, Reactive, Acid), Application (Textile & Decor, Industrial, Soft Signage, Direct to Garment), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2023,” the digital textile printing segment is anticipated to generate $1.76 billion in sales for 2018. MarketsandMarkets expects the segment to grow at a CAGR of 5.59% through 2023, reaching $2.31 billion by 2023.
MarketsandMarkets cites a variety of reasons for this growth, including sustainability, new technologies, quicker fashion cycles, reduced cost and the growth of e-commerce.
This falls in line with earlier research on the field. For example, Allied Market Research reported that the global digital textile printing market was $1.245 billion in 2015, potentially reaching $3.9 billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 17.9% between 2016 and 2022, in “Digital Textile Printing Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2014-2022.”
Smithers Pira placed the value of digital textile printing at €1.17 billion in 2016, with 12.3% CAGR through 2021, reaching €2.42 billion in 2021, in its study, “The Future of Digital Textile Printing to 2021.”
Fashion Designers Offer Their Perspective
For leading fashion designers, the advantages of printing textiles through inkjet has proved to be a gamechanger.
Gabriel Asfour has been in the fashion industry since 1991 and cofounded threeASFOUR, along with Angela Donhauser and Adi Gil, in 2005. He said that much has changed since digital printing technologies have come into use.
“Back in 1991, if you were doing a silk screen print, each color was a screen,” recalled Asfour, who exhibited some of threeASFOUR’s newest designs during Epson’s Digital Couture event at New York Fashion Week earlier this year. “It was very limited in terms of what you could do, and the cost of printing and minimums were high. For an artwork with 20 colors, you had to have 20 screens, and each additional screen takes more time to make and increases in cost. We had to be careful not to use many colors. With digital printing we can use millions of colors.
“We have been using digital printing since 2006,” added Asfour. “It makes a big difference. In terms of advantages, first of all is time. It would take at least a month to get a design cycle approved. The second is precision.”
In particular, Asfour noted that he works with intricate designs. “The ability to print pictures opens up many more ideas,” Asfour observed. “We have been experimenting with fractal patterns. They are extremely detailed. If you print these with silk screen, it would be very difficult to get the details.”
Candice Cuoco, the founder of CANDICE CUOCO the brand, started designing textiles three years ago. She noted that digital printing cuts the cost and time and broadens horizons.
“You can really tell a story,” said Cuoco, who showed some of her latest designs at Epson’s Digital Couture. “Just having that one tool really does breathe life into your design. You can customize your textile and literally print it that day.
Being flexible in the amount of material that can be printed digitally is a huge advantage.
“Digital printing cuts down on waste. I can print two yards, 200 yards and even 2,000 yards depending on what that order or season calls for,” said Cuoco. “Retailers aren’t interested in buying 2,000 yards of garments all of the time. It is crucial to be flexible because the market is tough. I can print enough fabric for one sample, and I can change the fabric for any sample if need be.”
Digital Textiles and the Ink Industry
Ink manufacturers report they are seeing more opportunities for digital textile printing.
Monika Dees, product manager, professional imaging, Epson America, Inc., said that she is seeing increasing interest in digital textile printing.
“Digital textile printing continues to gain ground as demand for greater flexibility (shorter runs, fabric types, complex designs) increase,” Dees reported. “There is currently a dramatic shift happening in the apparel market from mass producing for an entire season to smaller production runs that will only be in stores for as little as two weeks, also known as the fast-fashion trend. The smaller production runs allow retailers to constantly have modern designs in store to keep customers coming back, as well as reducing excess inventory.”
“Printed textiles have traditionally been featured across many markets, from carpets to apparel and home furnishing to soft signage, and all of these markets have usually used screenprinting techniques over the years,” said Tony Cox, business manager, Sun Chemical. “These markets continue to be strong with an excellent growth forecast over the coming years. This growth has been energized by the adoption of digital printing in the textile market and has created some new and exciting opportunities.”
Lisa Cane, brand marketing manager, Mimaki USA, Inc., said that digital textile printing continues to be an exciting front.
“This area has so much potential, and we continue to see growth,” Cane said. “Soft signage continues to expand. However, home furnishing and decorative spaces are becoming more relevant. As a result, fabric suppliers and manufacturers have developed ways for their products to be utilized across the four major technologies of sublimation, solvent, latex and UV LED curable. This space will continue to expand due to the just in time, on-demand capabilities digital provides.
“From our perspective, customization and on-demand production are the major contributing factors,” Cane added.
“We are seeing rapid growth in the fashion clothing, apparel, costuming and home furnishings sectors of the digital textile market,” Jim Lambert, VP, and GM for INX International Ink Co., said. “This market segment will continue to see tremendous growth, with a large part of the growth to come direct-to-fabric versus transfer.
“The increase in demand is due to improved print quality, unique design capabilities, reduced lead times and improvements in quality control standards,” Lambert noted. “We are also seeing higher demands due to the customization and personalization digital print provides.”
Ink suppliers report that they are also seeing increasing interest from designers.
“The design and color flexibility that can be achieved with digital printing is attracting a lot of new designers and stimulating new creative designs,” Cox observed. “These designs are utilizing a broad range of fabrics and ink technologies. The advances in ink technology are a major factor in being able to achieve these new designs.”
“Digitally printing textiles produces fabric quicker than traditional screenprinting, while having the ability to produce a wider color gamut, sharp lines, no bleed, and print photography and designs that are impossible with screenprinting,” Dees said.
“Due to increased cross compatibility of materials from suppliers, now customers can integrate new technologies to offer textile decorating, or utilize existing ones to capture more business,” Cane pointed out. “Designers can alter designs on the fly and produce one-offs all the way to mass production with digital solutions in a cost-effective manner. This puts the control in the hands of the designer and enables them to create new and exciting products.”
Cox said that Sun Chemical is adding resources to the growing area. “Sun Chemical continues to see solid growth in the digital textile printing market that has led us to pursue more research and development,” Cox added. “The key markets where digital printing of textiles is frequently used is in apparel and fashion, sportswear, home furnishings, and soft signage, including flags and banners.”
“It will continue to grow as inkjet is the only proven digital technology today that can cater the migration from traditional to digital,” Dees concluded. “There’s growing interest because designers have realized that with this technology there’s really no limit to their creativity. Epson has taken great steps to promote the endless possibilities of the technology via our Digital Couture project during NYFW, now in its fourth rendition.”
Opportunities Ahead
When all is said, the key to the growth of digital textile printing will be driven by designers, and Cuoco and Asfour like what they are seeing.
“Anything is now possible,” said Cuoco. “It does not hinder your creativity. You can also print on anything you want, even difficult things like velvet. With Epson I can get that beautiful quality. The color is beautiful and the quality is there.”
“The sky is the limit with digital,” Asfour concluded. “We can print any technique, any feel. We can print a fabric so it looks and feels like denim, for example. We do a lot of high-tech printing and more… threeASFOUR has always been interested in technology.”
Of that, the printing of textiles has been estimated at more than $160 billion annually, with the vast majority of the market being screenprinted. Industry leaders report that perhaps 2% of that total is digitally printed.
Initially, inkjet was used by a few pioneers for samples, prototypes and customizing textiles. However, this is changing as the benefits of inkjet printing of textiles becomes more apparent and the printing technology continues to improve.
Estimates of the digital textile printing market suggest a billion-dollar industry that is growing fast. According to MarketsandMarkets’ study, “Digital Textile Printing Market by Printing Process (Roll to Roll, DTG), Ink Type (Sublimation, Pigment, Reactive, Acid), Application (Textile & Decor, Industrial, Soft Signage, Direct to Garment), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2023,” the digital textile printing segment is anticipated to generate $1.76 billion in sales for 2018. MarketsandMarkets expects the segment to grow at a CAGR of 5.59% through 2023, reaching $2.31 billion by 2023.
MarketsandMarkets cites a variety of reasons for this growth, including sustainability, new technologies, quicker fashion cycles, reduced cost and the growth of e-commerce.
This falls in line with earlier research on the field. For example, Allied Market Research reported that the global digital textile printing market was $1.245 billion in 2015, potentially reaching $3.9 billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 17.9% between 2016 and 2022, in “Digital Textile Printing Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2014-2022.”
Smithers Pira placed the value of digital textile printing at €1.17 billion in 2016, with 12.3% CAGR through 2021, reaching €2.42 billion in 2021, in its study, “The Future of Digital Textile Printing to 2021.”
Fashion Designers Offer Their Perspective
For leading fashion designers, the advantages of printing textiles through inkjet has proved to be a gamechanger.
Gabriel Asfour has been in the fashion industry since 1991 and cofounded threeASFOUR, along with Angela Donhauser and Adi Gil, in 2005. He said that much has changed since digital printing technologies have come into use.
“Back in 1991, if you were doing a silk screen print, each color was a screen,” recalled Asfour, who exhibited some of threeASFOUR’s newest designs during Epson’s Digital Couture event at New York Fashion Week earlier this year. “It was very limited in terms of what you could do, and the cost of printing and minimums were high. For an artwork with 20 colors, you had to have 20 screens, and each additional screen takes more time to make and increases in cost. We had to be careful not to use many colors. With digital printing we can use millions of colors.
“We have been using digital printing since 2006,” added Asfour. “It makes a big difference. In terms of advantages, first of all is time. It would take at least a month to get a design cycle approved. The second is precision.”
In particular, Asfour noted that he works with intricate designs. “The ability to print pictures opens up many more ideas,” Asfour observed. “We have been experimenting with fractal patterns. They are extremely detailed. If you print these with silk screen, it would be very difficult to get the details.”
Candice Cuoco, the founder of CANDICE CUOCO the brand, started designing textiles three years ago. She noted that digital printing cuts the cost and time and broadens horizons.
“You can really tell a story,” said Cuoco, who showed some of her latest designs at Epson’s Digital Couture. “Just having that one tool really does breathe life into your design. You can customize your textile and literally print it that day.
Being flexible in the amount of material that can be printed digitally is a huge advantage.
“Digital printing cuts down on waste. I can print two yards, 200 yards and even 2,000 yards depending on what that order or season calls for,” said Cuoco. “Retailers aren’t interested in buying 2,000 yards of garments all of the time. It is crucial to be flexible because the market is tough. I can print enough fabric for one sample, and I can change the fabric for any sample if need be.”
Digital Textiles and the Ink Industry
Ink manufacturers report they are seeing more opportunities for digital textile printing.
Monika Dees, product manager, professional imaging, Epson America, Inc., said that she is seeing increasing interest in digital textile printing.
“Digital textile printing continues to gain ground as demand for greater flexibility (shorter runs, fabric types, complex designs) increase,” Dees reported. “There is currently a dramatic shift happening in the apparel market from mass producing for an entire season to smaller production runs that will only be in stores for as little as two weeks, also known as the fast-fashion trend. The smaller production runs allow retailers to constantly have modern designs in store to keep customers coming back, as well as reducing excess inventory.”
“Printed textiles have traditionally been featured across many markets, from carpets to apparel and home furnishing to soft signage, and all of these markets have usually used screenprinting techniques over the years,” said Tony Cox, business manager, Sun Chemical. “These markets continue to be strong with an excellent growth forecast over the coming years. This growth has been energized by the adoption of digital printing in the textile market and has created some new and exciting opportunities.”
Lisa Cane, brand marketing manager, Mimaki USA, Inc., said that digital textile printing continues to be an exciting front.
“This area has so much potential, and we continue to see growth,” Cane said. “Soft signage continues to expand. However, home furnishing and decorative spaces are becoming more relevant. As a result, fabric suppliers and manufacturers have developed ways for their products to be utilized across the four major technologies of sublimation, solvent, latex and UV LED curable. This space will continue to expand due to the just in time, on-demand capabilities digital provides.
“From our perspective, customization and on-demand production are the major contributing factors,” Cane added.
“We are seeing rapid growth in the fashion clothing, apparel, costuming and home furnishings sectors of the digital textile market,” Jim Lambert, VP, and GM for INX International Ink Co., said. “This market segment will continue to see tremendous growth, with a large part of the growth to come direct-to-fabric versus transfer.
“The increase in demand is due to improved print quality, unique design capabilities, reduced lead times and improvements in quality control standards,” Lambert noted. “We are also seeing higher demands due to the customization and personalization digital print provides.”
Ink suppliers report that they are also seeing increasing interest from designers.
“The design and color flexibility that can be achieved with digital printing is attracting a lot of new designers and stimulating new creative designs,” Cox observed. “These designs are utilizing a broad range of fabrics and ink technologies. The advances in ink technology are a major factor in being able to achieve these new designs.”
“Digitally printing textiles produces fabric quicker than traditional screenprinting, while having the ability to produce a wider color gamut, sharp lines, no bleed, and print photography and designs that are impossible with screenprinting,” Dees said.
“Due to increased cross compatibility of materials from suppliers, now customers can integrate new technologies to offer textile decorating, or utilize existing ones to capture more business,” Cane pointed out. “Designers can alter designs on the fly and produce one-offs all the way to mass production with digital solutions in a cost-effective manner. This puts the control in the hands of the designer and enables them to create new and exciting products.”
Cox said that Sun Chemical is adding resources to the growing area. “Sun Chemical continues to see solid growth in the digital textile printing market that has led us to pursue more research and development,” Cox added. “The key markets where digital printing of textiles is frequently used is in apparel and fashion, sportswear, home furnishings, and soft signage, including flags and banners.”
“It will continue to grow as inkjet is the only proven digital technology today that can cater the migration from traditional to digital,” Dees concluded. “There’s growing interest because designers have realized that with this technology there’s really no limit to their creativity. Epson has taken great steps to promote the endless possibilities of the technology via our Digital Couture project during NYFW, now in its fourth rendition.”
Opportunities Ahead
When all is said, the key to the growth of digital textile printing will be driven by designers, and Cuoco and Asfour like what they are seeing.
“Anything is now possible,” said Cuoco. “It does not hinder your creativity. You can also print on anything you want, even difficult things like velvet. With Epson I can get that beautiful quality. The color is beautiful and the quality is there.”
“The sky is the limit with digital,” Asfour concluded. “We can print any technique, any feel. We can print a fabric so it looks and feels like denim, for example. We do a lot of high-tech printing and more… threeASFOUR has always been interested in technology.”
