Materials for PROFESSIONALS

The global textile printing market is expected to be worth a staggering $266.38 billion by 2025. Rapid developments in digital textile printing are expected to trigger accelerated growth for print-on-demand production methods, with total market growth currently set at CAGR 8.9%. Interestingly amongst these statistics - Cotton printed textiles are expected to account for 44.9% by 2025 in terms of global textile volume, as the sustainable agenda gains traction and consumer trends increasingly demand biodegradable and environmentally friendly attributes. (Source: Grand View Research).

With huge growth predicted the textile marketplace offers both a window of commercial opportunity and an opportunity - to not just build new entrepreneurial business models - but to deliver a clean, efficient sustainable textile industry.

• Do You think that you only need to plug in a digital textile printer for it to work? 

Using digital inkjet printers for textile printing can be more complex than printing on other materials, like vinyl or paper. However, by understanding a few basics about the chemistry, equipment and process, inkjet fabric printing is achievable with great print results and can become profitable for your business.

If you are a starter with no background in textile printing, it would be advised to combine forces with somebody who knows textiles and textile chemistry. Digital fabric printing requires an understanding of textiles and textile chemistry, but also the machinery and digital technology.

• Is it competible to conventional (analoque) printing?

Digital fabric printing is not competing with conventional rotary or screen printing that may collectively be termed analogue printing systems. Digital fabric printing cannot match the economy of scale that an analogue system affords. Even today most of the digital inkjet fabric printers that get sold in the world have printing speeds of less than 100 sqm/hour. The most important thing for an investor is to understand what digital printing can, analogue printing cannot. Only when an investor sees value in what digital fabric printing can, beyond the boundaries of analogue printing does it make for a successful business. Only those who are ready to invest in marketing and business development for an enhanced product offering will reap the real rewards of fabric printing. It is not just creating value but also understanding the value and conveying the value down the sales channel right up to the person wearing a garment that is digitally printed.