David Savastano, Editor10.04.23
With an estimated 2% to 3% of the textile printing market, digital printing of textiles is a solid market, with plenty of opportunity for future growth. As major digital press manufacturers develop new presses for customers, the digital textile printing market is growing quickly.
According to Mordor Intelligence, the digital textile printing market reached more than $3.1 billion in sales in 2023, and is heading to $5.7 billion in 2028, at a rate of 12.84%. Grand View Research places the market at $2.95 billion in 2023, reaching $7.55 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 14.4%. That’s still a small portion of the overall textile printing market; Grand View Research put that market at $146.5 billion in 2018, growing at a CAGR of 8.9%. That leaves plenty of room for growth.
The ink market is also expanding. Allied Market Research estimated the digital textile ink market at $1.1 billion in 2019, growing at 11.6% to $2.665 billion by 2027. Digital textile ink manufacturers believe the future is bright.
Don Whaley, VP of Kornit Digital Americas, reported that according to analyst estimates, the global digital textile printing market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 14.4% from 2023 to 2030, and others predict similar growth. François Aguilar, chief commercial officer for Kao Chimigraf, said the digital textile printing market is growing at a rate of 15-20% per year.
Tim Check, senior product manager, Professional Imaging, Epson America, also observed that the digital textile printing market is continuing to grow.
“While the overall market for textile is also continuing to grow, perhaps at a slightly slower rate, the digital textile printing market is continuing to grow at a good, consistent pace,” Check said.
Paul Edwards, VP of the Digital Division at INX International, noted that the digital textile printing market has been experiencing steady growth.
“The demand for digitally printed textiles is increasing due to various factors, including customization options, reduced environmental impact, faster production times and advancements in technology,” Edwards noted. “The global digital textile printing market was valued at $2.7 billion dollars (U.S.) in 2022, and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.4% from 2023 to 2030.”
Edwards noted that there have been significant advancements in digital textile printing technology that are helping to drive growth.
“These advancements include improved printhead technology, better ink formulations for fabric durability and color vibrancy, enhanced software for color management and design, and the development of larger, faster and more efficient printing equipment,” added Edwards. “All have contributed to the overall quality, speed, and versatility of digital textile printing presses.”
“The digital textile printing continues to grow as we see more adoption of the technology across regions as well as new advancements in digital press equipment by manufacturers, which are indicative of customer demand in this segment,” said Gabriela Kim, DuPont brand and marketing manager.
“If we consider a three- to five-year period, there has certainly been an increase in the percentage of textiles printed using digital technology which now stands at approximately 10 percent,” Simon Daplyn, product and marketing manager, Sun Chemical, observed.
“In general, this period has seen an overall slowdown in printed fabric output with numerous factors at play including the pandemic, where some factories shut down to comply with government guidelines and retail stores reported a significant drop in sales, increased energy costs and global, financial and geopolitical influences with inflation rising across the globe,” Daplyn added.
“As we emerge from this, digital printing is leading the recovery, enabling shorter runs with more agility in terms of design mix, delivery and logistics, allowing a change in approach for inventory management with a more ‘just in time’ strategy. In addition, many research agencies continue to report significant growth potential in the coming years,” Daplyn concluded.
“First is the ability to print on demand,” Check continued. “In lieu of the traditional mass production strategies, with digital, companies can produce a small amount and quickly replenish what is needed. This is encouraging a shift from mass volume printing and analog methods, to digital printing that can turn product around faster and produce only what’s needed, in smaller quantities.
“Leveraging this production strategy, producers can protect themselves against changing trends and unsold merchandise,” added Check. “In the apparel industry, it is difficult to project how long a trend will be in demand, and with digital printing, producers can quickly order additional merchandise as needed, or change direction, in smaller batches, as customer interest changes. This also leads to the second major factor diving industry growth – sustainability. As trends change, with digital printing, printers can quickly adjust to the newest trend and minimize the amount of unsold merchandise going into landfills.”
Whaley noted that digital is versatile and compatible with a wide array of both natural and synthetic materials.
“It’s fast, giving producers the agility to capitalize on sudden trends and opportunities, as well as react to supply chain disruptions and other unforeseen challenges,” said Whaley, adding that the pandemic economy was a boon for digital, in part because its users were able to shift priorities and offer new applications in a very short time.
Whaley also observed that digital textile printing is consistent and repeatable, ideal for sampling, short runs, and reliable long-term fulfillment.
“It’s a natural complement to e-commerce, with digital mechanisms now enabling integration from website to production floor to print system to shipping logistics and tracking – a highly automated, streamlined process to fulfill demand quickly and with little human involvement, which drives business growth for producers,” Whaley said. “It eliminates minimum order quantities (MOQs), a fit for short runs and demands for customization and personalization. It enables on-demand production; by removing predictive-based production from the equation, you minimize overstock waste and ensure healthy profit margins, creating only what is sold.
“The inherent sustainability benefits of on-demand production are amplified by the use of safe, eco-friendly pigment-based inks and water-based consumables, giving producers what they need to answer increasing demand (often regulatory) for responsible production practices,” Whaley added. “The graphic detail and color gamut are unsurpassed, eliminating limitations of screen printing and other analog processes. The application quality can now match the rigorous standards of brands and retailers worldwide, including some of the most exclusive fashion houses.”
Aguilar pointed to shorter run requirements from retailers, while the cost per meter is similar to screen printing for multi-colored designs. He added that lower-cost printers, inks, and printheads are driving positive return on investment (ROI). Aguilar noted that there is a rapid conversion of T-shirt printing to digital/hybrid applications, with replacement of old flat/rotary machines with digital becoming the norm.
“In addition to traditional textile producers, new players are entering the market, leveraging digital technology to transform the conventional supply chain,” said Aguilar. “Environmental awareness is also a significant driving force behind the adoption of digital technology, aiming to reduce energy consumption, water usage, toxic waste, and other environmental impacts.”
Marco Zanella, global business development director - inkjet, for INX Europe, said that the continued growth of the digital textile printing market can be attributed to several factors, including customization, short-runs, reduced waste, sustainability, quick turnaround and complex designs.
“Digital printing allows for high levels of customization, enabling designers and consumers to create unique and personalized textile designs,” Zanella observed. “Traditional printing methods like screen printing often require large quantities to be cost-effective. Digital printing is more efficient for small to medium print runs, and e-commerce is playing a big role in this trend.”
Zanella also pointed to the fact that digital printing also produces less waste compared to traditional methods, as it doesn’t require screens or plates.
“There is a growing consciousness about waste and sustainability among consumers, at least for those who can pay the premium for more environmentally oriented products,” he added. “The environmental concerns associated with traditional textile printing methods have driven interest in digital printing, which uses fewer chemicals and water and is more sustainable. It is calculated that digital pigment ink reduces the use of water to a mere 0.25 liter per square meters of textiles, well below a similar process with reactive inks and lower than any conventional printing process.”
In addition, Zanella reported that printing offers quicker turnaround, enabling faster production times and response to market trends and demands.
“Reshoring - production that was previously relocated elsewhere - is providing supply chain efficiency, reactivity to new fashion trends, and is now possible even in regions where conventional processes of water waste would not be easily tolerated,” Zanella concluded. “Digital printing also allows for intricate and detailed designs that might be challenging to achieve using traditional methods.”
Kim pointed out that there are several reasons why digital printing continues to grow in this segment, beginning with sustainability.
“As digital printing has a smaller operational footprint, lower water usage and generates much less waste compared to the analog printing processes, it becomes more attractive to brands to move toward this technology as they commit to reach their sustainability goals in the next years,” Kim observed. “And sustainability is getting more strength as not only consumers are pushing the brands to show their commitment, but also new regulations are coming to make manufacturers more responsible for their impact.”
Kim noted that another factor that influences growth in digital printing is the flexibility it gives to manufacturers.
“Think about print on-demand or onshoring,” added Kim. “Especially after the pandemic, businesses had to re-think about their supply chains and how to be more efficient and productive. Digital printing gives them the possibility of reducing their inventories and time to market, which is a great combination to printing customers’ operations.”
“Some companies are creating specific digital designs in high-value sectors,” Aguilar added. “Other companies are printing analog designs using digital methods to be cost-effective for shorter runs.”
Kornit’s Whaley pointed to customers who are succeeding in digital printing.
“We have customers such as Arizona-based The Fashioneer, who are building their operations around our print systems as an enabler of fashion designers for whom the barriers to successful sampling, fulfillment, and marketing to consumers have long been a significant challenge,” Whaley added.
“Because digital enables on-demand printing, designers are able to use trial-and-error, seeing which applications work best with different materials,” he continued. “The design and color possibilities are increased considerably, and designers often take this as a challenge to create ever more boundless expressions of their creativity. We’ve both hosted and joined a growing series of fashion events, in which a diversity of designers bring their creations to the runway in a matter of weeks using Kornit’s digital workflow and production capabilities, to demonstrate the possibilities for unlimited expression, sustainable production practices, and designer empowerment to the fashion industry.
“Fulfillers to some of the most prominent brands and labels in Europe, North America, and Asia are increasingly using digital print systems for their contracts because we meet their rigorous quality, durability, and color and graphic details necessities,” Whaley noted.
“Many designers have embraced digital printing due to its benefits,” said Zanella. “Digital printing allows designers to experiment with a wide range of colors and patterns without the restrictions, constraints, and limitations of traditional printing methods. It also facilitates quicker design-to-production cycles. This enables designers to bring their concepts to market faster.”
“Digital printing allows creators to design graphics and get colors that could be somewhat limited with analog printing,” Kim observed. “But even beyond the design flexibility, designers can also benefit from a wide option of printed fabrics with digital textile printing.”
Check said that Epson is taking two approaches to further education.
“The first is simplifying the technology,” Check said. “It is essential that the digital print process is easy, so designers can feel confident and get the results they are trying to produce without needing to become print professionals. For digital textile printing, the process needs to be simple. We want designers to focus on designing, and not worrying about a complicated printing process.”
The second part is providing the tools designers need to take full advantage of the digital process.
“For example, the Epson SD-10 Spectrophotometer allows a designer to hold up the mobile device to measure a color, whether that’s on a paint pallet or fabric sample, and easily incorporate that color into the Epson Cloud Solution PORT,” Check noted.
“Once incorporated, the color then uploads to the Adobe suite, resulting in the printer having the correct digital makeup to replicate that color, enabling the designer to produce the color and output they want and expect. This helps a designer take full advantage of the millions of colors available to them with digital textile printing.”
Daplyn pointed out that the requirements for designing for digital printing are quite different in many ways from designing a conventional printing image.
“To that end, there is the emergence of specific design courses for digital and brands advertising for digital designers,” he added. “In the leading textile design shows, a greater percentage of patterns are best achieved by digital print as they incorporate color vignettes, fine detail and a range of colors expanded beyond the limitations of a rotary screen process.”
Daplyn observed that there are a number of advantages in terms of design as well.
“First, there is no limitation on the design repeat length,” Daplyn noted. “In rotary screen printing, the design is limited to the circumference of the screen cylinder. However, in digital print, the only limit is the processing speed of the software getting information to the printheads. Screen printers can usually handle a maximum of 12 pre-mixed spot colors, whereas digital printing can allow for an almost unlimited palette of colors within a design.
“Another challenge for screen print is achieving smooth gradients within a color and shading in light tones. This is easily achieved with digital print, which enables smooth color and tones while achieving excellent fine detail and sharpness,” Daplyn added.
Daplyn also noted that for retailers, digital print enables a greater flexibility on their operations, as well as offering the benefits of just-in-time inventory.
“Typically, when using screen printing, there is a minimum length of print needed to justify the set-up costs, whereas digital print can be cost competitive at any run length,” Daplyn said. “This avoids the need to commit to large volumes of a design, reducing the risk of unused fabric or unsold inventory. Digital print allows a just-in-time approach where retailers can follow trends and print what sells when they need it. Additionally, digital printers tend to have a smaller footprint and the up-front investment is lower, allowing production to be located closer to the consumer while also reducing transportation times and costs.”
Sun Chemical’s Daplyn said that major brands expanding their interest in the digital printing of apparel is emerging as a trend, backing into some of the additional benefits of digital printing.
“As well as the reduced restrictions in design and color palette used, digital print allows for a simplified workflow for agile production,” added Daplyn. “A key trend in retail and brand positioning is the reduction in held inventory. This allows for the ability to print fabrics on demand closer to the consumer, delivers more flexible logistics and supply chain, and releases some pressures on cash flow at the brand level. This is a challenge for printers and is best fulfilled with digital printing.”
“Major brands have been showing increased interest in digital printing for apparel,” INX’s Zanella reported. “Having the ability to offer personalized and unique designs resonates with consumers, and digital printing provides a way for brands to differentiate themselves in a competitive market. Some brands have even collaborated with artists and designers to create limited-edition collections using digital printing technology.
“Some of the biggest brands,” continued Zanella, “have been using digital printing to create personalized and customized apparel for its athletes for several years. They are now expanding its use to other parts of their apparel business, such as retail stores and its online stores. Brands are naturally considering all means of delivering value to consumers, and are not limiting use to roll-to-roll but also considering DTG (direct-to-garment) as a solution to decorate specific apparel items. The recent availability of very productive equipment is offering solutions with growing ease of access and use.”
Whaley reported that brands are “absolutely” becoming more interested in the benefits of digital printing of textiles.
“They’ve seen the quality and detail benefits, and perhaps more importantly the agility benefits of detail,” Whaley pointed out. “With textiles and apparel comprising one of the most wasteful industries on the planet, overproducing by 30% and inevitably filling landfills while creating environmental waste and byproducts, achieving true on-demand production is a boon to their bottom lines (and reputations), especially as e-commerce means fewer physical shelves need to be stocked.
“Also, the growing network of digital-enabled fulfillers worldwide increasingly provide fast, agile, consistent, and localized fulfillment for brands, meaning they can secure a reliable supply of what’s selling without a considerable investment in production technology or pre-produced inventory,” added Whaley. “On-demand means they can offer more products and applications than before, because their website stock is essentially a library of digital imagery; and a piece is only produced when it is purchased.
Finished goods can be shipped to stores, or directly to the consumer, simplifying logistics for the brand.”
“There are major retailers leveraging digital textile printing, however its often offered for niche apparel – whether that be specific team apparel, or a unique, limited edition run of apparel,” said Epson’s Check. “For major retailers, digital printing provides more flexibility on job size and technique, giving producers an option on whether to run a job traditionally, or digitally, whichever would be more efficient for that specific order.”
“Certainly, major brands are increasingly focusing on sustainability, and digital printing is an important solution in this regard,” Aguilar said. “Brands are looking for faster delivery and shorter runs of new designs, so they will increasingly source from digital printing factories. Sustainability and water-free processing are becoming more important considerations, but they want to keep costs low.
According to Mordor Intelligence, the digital textile printing market reached more than $3.1 billion in sales in 2023, and is heading to $5.7 billion in 2028, at a rate of 12.84%. Grand View Research places the market at $2.95 billion in 2023, reaching $7.55 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 14.4%. That’s still a small portion of the overall textile printing market; Grand View Research put that market at $146.5 billion in 2018, growing at a CAGR of 8.9%. That leaves plenty of room for growth.
The ink market is also expanding. Allied Market Research estimated the digital textile ink market at $1.1 billion in 2019, growing at 11.6% to $2.665 billion by 2027. Digital textile ink manufacturers believe the future is bright.
Don Whaley, VP of Kornit Digital Americas, reported that according to analyst estimates, the global digital textile printing market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 14.4% from 2023 to 2030, and others predict similar growth. François Aguilar, chief commercial officer for Kao Chimigraf, said the digital textile printing market is growing at a rate of 15-20% per year.
Tim Check, senior product manager, Professional Imaging, Epson America, also observed that the digital textile printing market is continuing to grow.
“While the overall market for textile is also continuing to grow, perhaps at a slightly slower rate, the digital textile printing market is continuing to grow at a good, consistent pace,” Check said.
Paul Edwards, VP of the Digital Division at INX International, noted that the digital textile printing market has been experiencing steady growth.
“The demand for digitally printed textiles is increasing due to various factors, including customization options, reduced environmental impact, faster production times and advancements in technology,” Edwards noted. “The global digital textile printing market was valued at $2.7 billion dollars (U.S.) in 2022, and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.4% from 2023 to 2030.”
Edwards noted that there have been significant advancements in digital textile printing technology that are helping to drive growth.
“These advancements include improved printhead technology, better ink formulations for fabric durability and color vibrancy, enhanced software for color management and design, and the development of larger, faster and more efficient printing equipment,” added Edwards. “All have contributed to the overall quality, speed, and versatility of digital textile printing presses.”
“The digital textile printing continues to grow as we see more adoption of the technology across regions as well as new advancements in digital press equipment by manufacturers, which are indicative of customer demand in this segment,” said Gabriela Kim, DuPont brand and marketing manager.
“If we consider a three- to five-year period, there has certainly been an increase in the percentage of textiles printed using digital technology which now stands at approximately 10 percent,” Simon Daplyn, product and marketing manager, Sun Chemical, observed.
“In general, this period has seen an overall slowdown in printed fabric output with numerous factors at play including the pandemic, where some factories shut down to comply with government guidelines and retail stores reported a significant drop in sales, increased energy costs and global, financial and geopolitical influences with inflation rising across the globe,” Daplyn added.
“As we emerge from this, digital printing is leading the recovery, enabling shorter runs with more agility in terms of design mix, delivery and logistics, allowing a change in approach for inventory management with a more ‘just in time’ strategy. In addition, many research agencies continue to report significant growth potential in the coming years,” Daplyn concluded.
Key Reasons for Growth
There are many reasons for digital printing of textiles to grow. Check said that there are two main factors driving the industry’s growth within the digital textile printing sector.“First is the ability to print on demand,” Check continued. “In lieu of the traditional mass production strategies, with digital, companies can produce a small amount and quickly replenish what is needed. This is encouraging a shift from mass volume printing and analog methods, to digital printing that can turn product around faster and produce only what’s needed, in smaller quantities.
“Leveraging this production strategy, producers can protect themselves against changing trends and unsold merchandise,” added Check. “In the apparel industry, it is difficult to project how long a trend will be in demand, and with digital printing, producers can quickly order additional merchandise as needed, or change direction, in smaller batches, as customer interest changes. This also leads to the second major factor diving industry growth – sustainability. As trends change, with digital printing, printers can quickly adjust to the newest trend and minimize the amount of unsold merchandise going into landfills.”
Whaley noted that digital is versatile and compatible with a wide array of both natural and synthetic materials.
“It’s fast, giving producers the agility to capitalize on sudden trends and opportunities, as well as react to supply chain disruptions and other unforeseen challenges,” said Whaley, adding that the pandemic economy was a boon for digital, in part because its users were able to shift priorities and offer new applications in a very short time.
Whaley also observed that digital textile printing is consistent and repeatable, ideal for sampling, short runs, and reliable long-term fulfillment.
“It’s a natural complement to e-commerce, with digital mechanisms now enabling integration from website to production floor to print system to shipping logistics and tracking – a highly automated, streamlined process to fulfill demand quickly and with little human involvement, which drives business growth for producers,” Whaley said. “It eliminates minimum order quantities (MOQs), a fit for short runs and demands for customization and personalization. It enables on-demand production; by removing predictive-based production from the equation, you minimize overstock waste and ensure healthy profit margins, creating only what is sold.
“The inherent sustainability benefits of on-demand production are amplified by the use of safe, eco-friendly pigment-based inks and water-based consumables, giving producers what they need to answer increasing demand (often regulatory) for responsible production practices,” Whaley added. “The graphic detail and color gamut are unsurpassed, eliminating limitations of screen printing and other analog processes. The application quality can now match the rigorous standards of brands and retailers worldwide, including some of the most exclusive fashion houses.”
Aguilar pointed to shorter run requirements from retailers, while the cost per meter is similar to screen printing for multi-colored designs. He added that lower-cost printers, inks, and printheads are driving positive return on investment (ROI). Aguilar noted that there is a rapid conversion of T-shirt printing to digital/hybrid applications, with replacement of old flat/rotary machines with digital becoming the norm.
“In addition to traditional textile producers, new players are entering the market, leveraging digital technology to transform the conventional supply chain,” said Aguilar. “Environmental awareness is also a significant driving force behind the adoption of digital technology, aiming to reduce energy consumption, water usage, toxic waste, and other environmental impacts.”
Marco Zanella, global business development director - inkjet, for INX Europe, said that the continued growth of the digital textile printing market can be attributed to several factors, including customization, short-runs, reduced waste, sustainability, quick turnaround and complex designs.
“Digital printing allows for high levels of customization, enabling designers and consumers to create unique and personalized textile designs,” Zanella observed. “Traditional printing methods like screen printing often require large quantities to be cost-effective. Digital printing is more efficient for small to medium print runs, and e-commerce is playing a big role in this trend.”
Zanella also pointed to the fact that digital printing also produces less waste compared to traditional methods, as it doesn’t require screens or plates.
“There is a growing consciousness about waste and sustainability among consumers, at least for those who can pay the premium for more environmentally oriented products,” he added. “The environmental concerns associated with traditional textile printing methods have driven interest in digital printing, which uses fewer chemicals and water and is more sustainable. It is calculated that digital pigment ink reduces the use of water to a mere 0.25 liter per square meters of textiles, well below a similar process with reactive inks and lower than any conventional printing process.”
In addition, Zanella reported that printing offers quicker turnaround, enabling faster production times and response to market trends and demands.
“Reshoring - production that was previously relocated elsewhere - is providing supply chain efficiency, reactivity to new fashion trends, and is now possible even in regions where conventional processes of water waste would not be easily tolerated,” Zanella concluded. “Digital printing also allows for intricate and detailed designs that might be challenging to achieve using traditional methods.”
Kim pointed out that there are several reasons why digital printing continues to grow in this segment, beginning with sustainability.
“As digital printing has a smaller operational footprint, lower water usage and generates much less waste compared to the analog printing processes, it becomes more attractive to brands to move toward this technology as they commit to reach their sustainability goals in the next years,” Kim observed. “And sustainability is getting more strength as not only consumers are pushing the brands to show their commitment, but also new regulations are coming to make manufacturers more responsible for their impact.”
Kim noted that another factor that influences growth in digital printing is the flexibility it gives to manufacturers.
“Think about print on-demand or onshoring,” added Kim. “Especially after the pandemic, businesses had to re-think about their supply chains and how to be more efficient and productive. Digital printing gives them the possibility of reducing their inventories and time to market, which is a great combination to printing customers’ operations.”
Designers and Digital Printing
Industry leaders note that designers are helping to drive digital textile printing. Kao’s Aguilar noted that digital technology has provided designers with the freedom to create more unique designs.“Some companies are creating specific digital designs in high-value sectors,” Aguilar added. “Other companies are printing analog designs using digital methods to be cost-effective for shorter runs.”
Kornit’s Whaley pointed to customers who are succeeding in digital printing.
“We have customers such as Arizona-based The Fashioneer, who are building their operations around our print systems as an enabler of fashion designers for whom the barriers to successful sampling, fulfillment, and marketing to consumers have long been a significant challenge,” Whaley added.
“Because digital enables on-demand printing, designers are able to use trial-and-error, seeing which applications work best with different materials,” he continued. “The design and color possibilities are increased considerably, and designers often take this as a challenge to create ever more boundless expressions of their creativity. We’ve both hosted and joined a growing series of fashion events, in which a diversity of designers bring their creations to the runway in a matter of weeks using Kornit’s digital workflow and production capabilities, to demonstrate the possibilities for unlimited expression, sustainable production practices, and designer empowerment to the fashion industry.
“Fulfillers to some of the most prominent brands and labels in Europe, North America, and Asia are increasingly using digital print systems for their contracts because we meet their rigorous quality, durability, and color and graphic details necessities,” Whaley noted.
“Many designers have embraced digital printing due to its benefits,” said Zanella. “Digital printing allows designers to experiment with a wide range of colors and patterns without the restrictions, constraints, and limitations of traditional printing methods. It also facilitates quicker design-to-production cycles. This enables designers to bring their concepts to market faster.”
“Digital printing allows creators to design graphics and get colors that could be somewhat limited with analog printing,” Kim observed. “But even beyond the design flexibility, designers can also benefit from a wide option of printed fabrics with digital textile printing.”
Check said that Epson is taking two approaches to further education.
“The first is simplifying the technology,” Check said. “It is essential that the digital print process is easy, so designers can feel confident and get the results they are trying to produce without needing to become print professionals. For digital textile printing, the process needs to be simple. We want designers to focus on designing, and not worrying about a complicated printing process.”
The second part is providing the tools designers need to take full advantage of the digital process.
“For example, the Epson SD-10 Spectrophotometer allows a designer to hold up the mobile device to measure a color, whether that’s on a paint pallet or fabric sample, and easily incorporate that color into the Epson Cloud Solution PORT,” Check noted.
“Once incorporated, the color then uploads to the Adobe suite, resulting in the printer having the correct digital makeup to replicate that color, enabling the designer to produce the color and output they want and expect. This helps a designer take full advantage of the millions of colors available to them with digital textile printing.”
Daplyn pointed out that the requirements for designing for digital printing are quite different in many ways from designing a conventional printing image.
“To that end, there is the emergence of specific design courses for digital and brands advertising for digital designers,” he added. “In the leading textile design shows, a greater percentage of patterns are best achieved by digital print as they incorporate color vignettes, fine detail and a range of colors expanded beyond the limitations of a rotary screen process.”
Daplyn observed that there are a number of advantages in terms of design as well.
“First, there is no limitation on the design repeat length,” Daplyn noted. “In rotary screen printing, the design is limited to the circumference of the screen cylinder. However, in digital print, the only limit is the processing speed of the software getting information to the printheads. Screen printers can usually handle a maximum of 12 pre-mixed spot colors, whereas digital printing can allow for an almost unlimited palette of colors within a design.
“Another challenge for screen print is achieving smooth gradients within a color and shading in light tones. This is easily achieved with digital print, which enables smooth color and tones while achieving excellent fine detail and sharpness,” Daplyn added.
Daplyn also noted that for retailers, digital print enables a greater flexibility on their operations, as well as offering the benefits of just-in-time inventory.
“Typically, when using screen printing, there is a minimum length of print needed to justify the set-up costs, whereas digital print can be cost competitive at any run length,” Daplyn said. “This avoids the need to commit to large volumes of a design, reducing the risk of unused fabric or unsold inventory. Digital print allows a just-in-time approach where retailers can follow trends and print what sells when they need it. Additionally, digital printers tend to have a smaller footprint and the up-front investment is lower, allowing production to be located closer to the consumer while also reducing transportation times and costs.”
Major Brands And Digital Textile Printing
Just as importantly, major brands are also intrigued by the possibilities of digital printing.Sun Chemical’s Daplyn said that major brands expanding their interest in the digital printing of apparel is emerging as a trend, backing into some of the additional benefits of digital printing.
“As well as the reduced restrictions in design and color palette used, digital print allows for a simplified workflow for agile production,” added Daplyn. “A key trend in retail and brand positioning is the reduction in held inventory. This allows for the ability to print fabrics on demand closer to the consumer, delivers more flexible logistics and supply chain, and releases some pressures on cash flow at the brand level. This is a challenge for printers and is best fulfilled with digital printing.”
“Major brands have been showing increased interest in digital printing for apparel,” INX’s Zanella reported. “Having the ability to offer personalized and unique designs resonates with consumers, and digital printing provides a way for brands to differentiate themselves in a competitive market. Some brands have even collaborated with artists and designers to create limited-edition collections using digital printing technology.
“Some of the biggest brands,” continued Zanella, “have been using digital printing to create personalized and customized apparel for its athletes for several years. They are now expanding its use to other parts of their apparel business, such as retail stores and its online stores. Brands are naturally considering all means of delivering value to consumers, and are not limiting use to roll-to-roll but also considering DTG (direct-to-garment) as a solution to decorate specific apparel items. The recent availability of very productive equipment is offering solutions with growing ease of access and use.”
Whaley reported that brands are “absolutely” becoming more interested in the benefits of digital printing of textiles.
“They’ve seen the quality and detail benefits, and perhaps more importantly the agility benefits of detail,” Whaley pointed out. “With textiles and apparel comprising one of the most wasteful industries on the planet, overproducing by 30% and inevitably filling landfills while creating environmental waste and byproducts, achieving true on-demand production is a boon to their bottom lines (and reputations), especially as e-commerce means fewer physical shelves need to be stocked.
“Also, the growing network of digital-enabled fulfillers worldwide increasingly provide fast, agile, consistent, and localized fulfillment for brands, meaning they can secure a reliable supply of what’s selling without a considerable investment in production technology or pre-produced inventory,” added Whaley. “On-demand means they can offer more products and applications than before, because their website stock is essentially a library of digital imagery; and a piece is only produced when it is purchased.
Finished goods can be shipped to stores, or directly to the consumer, simplifying logistics for the brand.”
“There are major retailers leveraging digital textile printing, however its often offered for niche apparel – whether that be specific team apparel, or a unique, limited edition run of apparel,” said Epson’s Check. “For major retailers, digital printing provides more flexibility on job size and technique, giving producers an option on whether to run a job traditionally, or digitally, whichever would be more efficient for that specific order.”
“Certainly, major brands are increasingly focusing on sustainability, and digital printing is an important solution in this regard,” Aguilar said. “Brands are looking for faster delivery and shorter runs of new designs, so they will increasingly source from digital printing factories. Sustainability and water-free processing are becoming more important considerations, but they want to keep costs low.
