Digital textile printing can be described in two ways one is ink-jet based method of printing ants on fabric called DTG (Direct to garments printing) and another is sublimation inkjet printing, is the major technology used in digital textile printing. As polyester or polyester-mixed fabrics are major part textiles, sublimation inkjet printing is widely used in digital textile printing. The later is also a growing trend in visual communication, where advertisement and corporate branding is printed onto polyester media. Examples are: flags, banners, signs and retail graphics. Since traditional screen printing costs more in terms of labor, sublimation inkjet printing, is now becoming more and more popular in USA and Europe. Most notably, digital textile printing is referred to when identifying either printing smaller designs onto garments (t-shirts, dresses, promotional wear) and printing larger designs onto large format rolls of textile.
Why print digitally? Traditional printing is efficient if you need to produce 10,000 meters of one design, but what if you need 1,000 mts of 100 designs? Inkjet printing offers a range of benefits compared to the conventional printing methods in terms of operational aspects and economic aspects. Major benefits include:
No limitation in number of pieces, design freedom.
No limitation on repeat length
Reduced response time.
Excellent shade gradations and 3-D Effects
Printing from selvedge to selvedge is possible.
Limited change-over.
Consistent and reproducible printings.
Printing speed ranges from 1 to100 m2 per hour.
Low amount of unfixed dyes, less water and energy for washing, less in effluent.
System is very compact, requires very less floor space.
Relatively low investment
24-hour production possible.
Reduction of sampling cost.
No kitchen, s mixed on fabric and no screen
Lower stocks for whole supply chain
Drop on demand, no waste and less ant usage
Digital Textile Printing is a solutions business.
Essential that print head, machine, ink, and software manufacturers are technically aligned.
ation solution must meet customer requirements in all respects; gamut, fastness, depth, etc.
Recommendations on pretreatments and post treatments essential for success
Focus on correct ation solution based on end article specifications
Digital print solution must give same technical ation result as screen printing
Current Status & prospect of Digital Printing:Total global production volume of printed textiles currently is 25 - 30 billion meters per annum
Around 97% is screen printed, remaining 3% is digitally printed today
Over next 5-years, production volumes and a large percentage shift to digital printing applications is expected
Analysts predict that within 5-years 15% of globally printed textiles will be made digitally
Fast growing, but small sector of textile printing
Largest application sector is printing of PES fiber for soft signage & flags.
Fastest growing sector is wide format apparel on new industrial inkjet machines
Digital is replacing flat -screen printing machines due to similar action costs and production speeds
Garment T-Shirt printing is growing via online businesses
Home textiles, automotive fabrics, outdoor applications were niche areas but now rapidly developing.
