Page 40 - Print 21 Magazine Jul-Aug 2020

Digital Textiles
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If printing onto a non-white fabric you will need to make sure you have a printer that can lay down a white layer first. They are quick, low cost, and ideal for short runs.
With dye sublimation, inks are printed to a transfer paper, which
is then applied to the fabric via a combination of heat and pressure to separate the colours from the transfer sheet and drive them into the fibres. So, it has one more stage than DTG but it will print onto polyester and is a faster process than DTG.
The result of dye sublimation printing is a bright vibrant image with real impact, important
for sports clothing and other applications such as back-lit graphics. Dye sub also has the advantage that because the ink is impregnated into the fabric fibres, it will not rub nor wash off.
Market size
“The ease of operation, and the low levels of skill, together society’s drive to personalisation and instant gratification are combining to open up the digital textile market.”
to create bespoke or personalised designs, ambitious printers might consider going after this sector.
The new opportunities are emerging in new areas that did
not exist before, made possible by the new technology. These areas include instant low-cost t-shirts, for events or promotional wear, bespoke cushions, curtains, upholstery, furniture, soft signage, and more, perhaps for designers they already know. It is the same transition that the graphics industry has been undergoing for the past 20 years.
To date in fabrics, soft signage has been the most successful application, it is essentially replacing an existing media, so the same application to the same customers, but with distinct advantages.
Soft signage is lightweight and easy to transport. It stretches into position, so creases and folds ought to disappear; the inks are vibrant, perfect for back-lit displays; and
it is not hard to recycle like PVC. Instead, polyester is straightforward to recycle with no reason for it to end up in landfill.
Investment by commercial and display printers in DTG or dye sub for textiles and garments appeals to the trend for end customers to single-source print and marketing needs, and for printers offers an opportunity to compensate for the stripped out margins in commercial printing.
Being in a position to say yes when a customer comes in is essential. This is much more than a conversation point, it is about how a print supplier can become indispensable to their customer, helping to present their brand in a coherent, professional way. 21
of finishing processes, colour management, and inks. They need to graft on knowledge about fabrics and the finishing treatments that may be needed by the end customers. It is not a black art. It is no more difficult than what they have done already.
Much of this is being driven by the retail fashion market, but this is not going to be where the opportunities lie, the supply chains for mass fashion are too well entrenched. However, with digital reducing waste, having faster response times, and the ability
Among the credible organisations predicting huge growth for digital textiles is Smithers, which says digitally printed textile market will grow from US$1.7bn to US$3.9bn from 2018 to 2023, more than doubling in five years. It says 180 billion square metres of fabric is produced each year, with 22 billion square metres printed, and just 12 per cent of that printed with dye sublimation inkjet, even less direct to substrate.
Market opportunities
At present, the commercial printer has an edge thanks to knowledge
40 Print21 JULY/AUGUST 2020
Above
Low cost entry: Printers like this Epson enable new revenue streams for minimal investment
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Personalised and on- demand: Trends driving digital textile printing