The market
UK-based market research firm Smithers Pira forecasts double-digit annual growth worldwide for digital textile printing to 2021 – making it one of the most exciting and lucrative opportunities in our industry. In its 2016 report, The Future of Digital Textile Printing to 2021, it valued this global market at $2.11 billion (USD) in 2016 with growth forecast at an annual average of 12.3% to 2021. This will drive an even more rapid increase in the volume of fabric printed with inkjet equipment – from 870 million m² in 2016 to 1.95 billion m² in 2021. Also, major OEMs are increasingly taking an interest in the textile segment, developing new business models, printheads, inks, media, and high-throughput machinery. The greatest acceleration is predicted to be in clothing, which has the key sub-segments of fashion, haute couture and sportswear. Household textiles are predicted to grow at the next fastest rate. Displays and signage are growing more slowly but should still maintain double-digit annual growth to 2021. Quick turnaround is an increasing priority as the fashion segment embraces multiple mini-seasons and print-on-demand delivery. This especially suits inkjet production with its reduced setup times. Also, web-to-print platforms are generating direct online sales of digitally printed clothing and household décor.
According to Tommy Martin, Product Manager for Textile & Apparel Business Development and Marketing at Mimaki USA, dye sublimation and other direct-to-fabric processes have seen a huge increase, driven by the shift from traditional analogue screen printing to digital wide format production. “Soft signage, exhibit graphics, interior décor, environmental graphics, technical/industrial textiles, as well as fashion and sports apparel – all of these markets are growing because the digital textile market and solutions are growing faster than any digital market,” he revealed.
Today, traditional wide format OEMs are continuing to introduce new technology that will print on fabrics. This includes signage and displays (i.e. soft signage) such as banners and posters, tradeshow graphics, POP/POS displays, flags, etc. Then there’s interior décor that includes wall, chair and sofa coverings, drapes and curtains, bed sheets, table and furniture coverings and even carpeting. Finally, the very popular garment/apparel category includes wearables such as T-shirts, caps, sportswear and more. All these applications are experiencing tremendous growth. For example, you’ve likely already seen digitally printed carpets on CBS TV football sets without realizing it! Tradeshows, convention centres, schools, universities, museums, corporate offices, retail spaces and concert tours are also popular applications.
The methods
As far back as the 1960s, textile printing was done utilizing screen printing to produce t-shirts and other garments. Today, with the rise of digital printing, other technologies have emerged – the most popular being dye sublimation or “dye-sub” printing, as well as direct-to-garment or DTG printing. That being said, traditional wide format printers (solvent/ecosolvent, UV and latex) are also versatile enough to handle textile printing. However, there are distinct advantages and some disadvantages that can involve print quality, durability, best types of fabrics to print on, light-fastness, cleaning, scratch resistance, and so on. If you’re a commercial printer who wants to get into this market, you’d be well advised to check with your current OEM first, to see if your existing equipment can handle, or be adapted to accommodate, textile printing.
One of the most common forms of dye-sub printing is called transfer printing. This method uses a paper that has a special coating designed to hold and then later release (under heat and pressure) a printed image. After printing, the paper is brought into contact with the fabric in or on a heat press. The ink on the paper is then “gassed” directly onto the fibres of the substrate. This “sublimation” process means that the solid colours are actually converted into a gas that penetrates the fabric.
DTG or direct-to-garment printing uses a special type of inkjet ink to print directly onto garments (i.e. no transfer papers, no waste, and ergo, less costs). These printers are usually used for short-run printing and traditionally work best on cotton substrates. However, the fabric needs to be pre-treated before accepting the ink. Fortunately, the pre-treatment processes involved in these fabrics is continually improving. In DTG printing, the ink penetrates further into the fabric than with a heat transfer, so some colours may come out as less vibrant. But not surprisingly, OEMs in this sector have invested heavily in not just equipment upgrades, but ink and substrate improvements as well. The result is that today’s DTG digital textile output is able to reach unprecedented levels of vibrancy, durability and surprising quality of detail.
Bottom line: When deciding which printing process you plan to use, it’s important to understand fully the pros and cons regarding the application itself, run sizes, inks, substrates and so on. Now, let’s look at some of the high-end technology available today. I wish I could include every OEM, but here is a cross-section of what’s out there.
The machines
AGFA GRAPHICS
Its new Avinci DX3200 dye-sub printer for high-quality, vibrant soft signage which launched last month is a dedicated, highly productive printer designed to bring remarkable print quality to polyester-based fabrics. Users can create large format soft signage prints of up to 3.2 m wide at up to 1440 x 540 dpi. Its robust engine produces vivid prints for dozens of indoor and outdoor applications using six colours (CMYKLcLm) at a droplet size of 14 pL for a vibrant colour gamut, excellent tonal rendering and fine-detail reproduction. It offers different quality modes with a speed of up to 173 m²/h depending on the application, and can handle a wide variety of polyester-based applications – such as banners, point-of-sale displays, indoor wall graphics, outdoor advertising, tradeshow displays and flags. Its smart on-board algorithms enable very low ink consumption. It comes with Agfa’s Asanti workflow, which optimizes and automates all preparation, production and finishing steps for signage products.
AZON
From Zagreb, Croatia comes Azon’s DTS Grande direct-to-substrate inkjet printer. Designed primarily for leather printing, this digital all-purpose flatbed printer features a printable surface of 600mm x 750mm, 1,440-dpi resolution and a wide colour range for demanding leather applications. Printing up to 100 mm in height facilitates leather items as well as non-tailored leather pieces. Long-lasting, full-colour prints can be produced on any type of leather including animal, vinyl, artificial, suede, etc. Its integrated platform for changing the surface tension of the material represents an innovation in the leather printing market, said the OEM. Delivering maximum ink adhesion, the printer allows creation of unique custom leather items one piece at a time, or can output large production runs such as footwear, furniture, book covers, car seat covers, clothing, accessories and more. Primary users include interior decorators, architects, fashion designers and commercial printers.
DURST
The Durst Rhotex 500 is capable of 5 metre-wide (16.4 ft.-wide) textile printing. The breakthrough makes it possible to print large spreads in one run without the need for joins. Sublimation printing on this scale is also eco-friendlier, said Durst. The quality of sublimation prints is excellent because dot patterns aren’t visible. Also, prints don’t fade or damage easily and are totally odourless. The fabrics introduced for this printer are REACH certified and contain no heavy metals or PVC’s. The inks used are also water-based. Sublimated textiles can also be folded. This means that they can be packaged, stored and transported more efficiently, resulting in leaner logistics. Also check out the Alpha 180 TR for polyester and polyester blends used in clothing, household textiles and soft signage with speeds of 200 m²/hour and proprietary water-based dye-sub inks based on Durst Water Technology.
EPSON
Epson’s 64” F9200 dye-sub printer uses the OEM’s UltraChrome DS ink with new high-density black ink for better tonal transitions and grayscale printing for roll-to-roll fabric production, customized promotional production, soft signage and cut-and-sew sports apparel, fashion and home décor markets. The flagship F9200 utilizes dual Epson PrecisionCore TFP printheads for high-speed, industrial-level, roll-to-roll productivity with superior dot control and precise, repeatable performance. Each printer has an easily refillable high-capacity bulk-ink system and an improved post-platen heater for seamless media handling and faster drying times. The printers also come with a Wasatch SoftRIP workflow that enables printing of sellable output immediately. The series is compatible with Epson’s line of dye-sub transfer papers and works exclusively with Epson UltraChrome DS Ink. For DTG, Epson’s SureColor F2000 series is worth a look.
INX
INX markets one of the fastest smaller desktop-style DTG printers. The AnaJet m-Power i-series Digital Apparel Printer outputs 12”x10” images on black and dark garments in 40 seconds – one pass for a white base, followed by a second pass for colour. It can even accommodate high-volume production. Printing capabilities include metal foil, photo, art, 3D and extended media (such as wood, glass and tile) – so it’s the type of printer that can be used by custom T-shirt shops, screen printers, promotional product distributors and so on. The high speed is due to its JetINX Printhead Drive Electronics and Ink Recirculation Systems developed by INX. The ink recirculation module controls fluid temperatures and flow rates. Parts and components within the AnaJet m-Power include the Ricoh Gen4 printhead, carriage controller board, motion controllers, and Linux operating software.
KORNIT
Kornit’s Allegro roll-to-roll digital textile printer is based on a unique concept. The Allegro uses Kornit’s NeoPigment printing technology that completely eliminates pre- and post-treatment processes for both natural and synthetic fabrics – eliminating traditional multiple steps of prepress and postpress treatments, thereby saving on energy, water, space and labour. “The Allegro eliminates the entry barrier to the digital fabric printing market that’s currently addressable only by manufacturers with industrial grade printing facilities,” said the OEM. Kornit’s Avalanche R-Series of textile printers is the company’s flagship DTG printing system. The two most recent configurations were the Avalanche Hexa with 6-colour-plus white ink support, and the Avalanche 1000 that’s been designed for high speeds. Both systems include a new ‘R-Series’ version with a recirculating ink system as the main innovation.
MIMAKI
Special dye-sub inks are used in the latest Mimaki digital textile printers. These include the TS30-1300 (54” entry-level with fluorescent ink), the TS300P-1800 (77” production transfer printer with fluorescent ink), and the TS500P-3200 (3.3-metre production transfer printer, ideal for soft signage and interior décor). For the company’s TX line of DTG printers, Mimaki offers direct sublimation, reactive dye, acid dye, disperse dye and textile pigment inks. For most printers, the ink type is selected up front (not interchangeable). Mimaki TX300-1800 models are dual-ink capable, meaning they can be loaded with direct sublimation and textile pigment inks for printing on different fabric types. Mimaki’s latest DTG printers include the TX300P-1800 (75” high head gap for a variety of textured fabrics with dual-ink capability), the TX300P-1800B (belt-version for stretchable fabrics), and the TX500P-3200DS (3.2-metre complete digital fabric printing system with an inline colour fixation unit).
MUTOH
The OEM’s 75” wide ValueJet 1938TX direct-to-textile printer can create customized fashion apparel, upholstery, interior décor, scarves, tradeshow graphics, soft signage, flags, sportswear and much more. Users can print designs and photographic art work directly onto a variety of fabrics, including closed, open non-stretch, face-in and face-out roll media. The ValueJet 1938TX uses two printheads for “blazing fast” print speeds up to 914 sq ft/hr. As well, 8-channel piezo printhead technology helps make the images stand out and look crisp and sharp, even to the most discerning of viewers.
ROLAND
Its Texart XT-640 dye-sub printer features dual-staggered printheads for maximum productivity. Each piezo inkjet printhead has eight channels containing 180 nozzles with seven different dot sizes. This allows the XT-640 to achieve smoother gradations, finer details and richer colour density for photographic quality graphics and high-resolution vector output, said the OEM. In 4-colour (CMYK) high-speed print mode, the XT-640 produces fine details and deep colour contrast. In an 8-colour configuration (CMYK+LcLmOrVi/ CMYK+OrViFpFy), it delivers an extremely wide colour gamut with Orange, Violet, Light Cyan, Light Magenta, Fluorescent Pink and Fluorescent Yellow inks. In this set-up, users can reproduce Pantone Solid Coated colours as well as having a vast choice of vibrant fluorescents and soft pastel shades. Exceptional media tracking prevents alignment errors during production.