Page 15 - Print21 Nov-Dec 2019

Cover Story
Kornit range
The Kornit product range is split into two main categories: direct-to-garment (DTG), and direct-to-fabric (DTF).
DTG is printing onto finished product, so the likes of T-shirts, bags, hoodies. You place the product into the Kornit, which prints the image directly onto it – that’s it, nothing more to do. This is the simplest entry into textile, as you require no cutting or sewing equipment.
DTF is printing onto fabric (roll-to-roll), after which the product is cut and sewn to the client’s requirements, or just rolled up and sent to the client.
All of Kornit’s technology uses its patented Pigment
ink, which is unlike other ink technologies such as reactive, acidic or dispersed dye. Kornit’s Pigment ink can print onto virtually any fabric type, which means one system to cater
for the entire fabric market. There is one headache that
the Screen and DTG market
has had to deal with for many years, which is printing onto dark polyester. Dark polyester has been fraught with danger due to a phenomenon called dye migration. To eliminate this problem Kornit has designed a system called Poly Pro, which took out a Print21 PrintEx Hot Pick. Playford-Browne says, “Until now printers struggled to print onto dark polyesters due to dye migration – the heat of the process made the dyes
in the fabric re-sublimate and bleed into the colours that were printed on top.
“Our solution cures the ink at a much lower temperature so you don’t suffer from dye migration. This opens up a whole new market opportunity in activewear, where you
can take finished goods and customise them with your client’s design, and fits neatly into the market trend of growth in activewear.”
Main products in the Kornit range include the Avalanche Poly Pro, the entry level Breeze, the small investment Storm
II, the new Atlas for high volume DTG, and the Vulcan for medium to long runs.
Spoonflower
Established in 2008, Spoonflower is a growing web-to-print business. The company caters to a global customer base, producing 2,000 orders each day with an average print of just 1-2 metres. Customers upload a their own designs or choose from a range of ready-made indie design options.
Gart Davis, Spoonflower founding partner says, “With the Kornit Allegro, the entire manufacturing process happens in one step. It essentially consolidates the entire textile industry into one machine.”
in an environmentally friendly manner. No intercontinental freight, and no water, are just two of the environmental benefits of digital.”
Yarrow says the trend to on-demand one-offs, and short
runs with specialised personalised content, is opening up opportunities that the era of mass production cannot compete with. He says, “For instance, which suburban sports
club would prefer to have their new season’s sports shirts with the names of the players on them within a few days of registering, rather than waiting four to six weeks for them to come from China – all of them.”
He says there are five key challenges when it comes to mass customisation which Kornit Digital meets; set-up time, art limitations, sustainability, knowledge and the sampling process. He says, “No screens with digital means virtually no set up time. There are no art limitations as there is no per-colour cost. When it comes to sustainability digital printing eliminates at least
“Printers already posses most of
the skills for digital textile printing. They understand digital files, they understand colour, they understand workflow. Printing onto garments
is putting ink onto a substrate.”
– Ashley Playford-Browne, Kornit Digital
nine different chemicals used in the screen process. Knowledge of how to operate a digital printing system is easily gained. Finally the production of samples is reduced from weeks to hours with Kornit Digital.”
Playford-Browne says that the advent of Kornit Digital has turned the traditional supply and demand model on its head, so it is now demand and supply. He says, “We have seen it in other sectors, books for instance, and now we have it in textiles. Demand and supply allows business to cut their inventory and only print on demand. There is no inventory, no waste, and no cash flow issues.”
He says, “The e-commerce market trends are clear, it is growing fast and will continue to grow. Textiles is the biggest contributor to online shopping, and in the latest Australia Post report activewear is the biggest growth market within garments.
“For printers looking to enter the new on-demand era with a value-add product that is far from commodity printing, and offers the opportunity to work with the big trends in society of personalisation and on demand, Kornit Digital offers an unrivalled opportunity.
“Printers have most of the skill set, they understand workflow. Kornit is well positioned to enable them to enter that new market.” 21
Far left
Multiple applications: Digital textile printing
Top left
Whole new market opportunity: Ashley Playford- Browne
Printing directly onto polyester: new Kornit Poly Pro
Top right
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