DTG PRINTING MACHINERY SS/2023 REVIEW: STELLAR GROWTH AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES TO EXPLORE
“From Inkthreadable to Printful the DTG success stories abound, as the DTG sector, driven by all these factors begins to meet the market expectations of a textile segment in substantial and irreversible growth.
As a vibrant and innovative sector, there is a lot to look forward in the years ahead.”.
Direct to Garment production goes from strength to strength, with a vertical assent predicted.
Stellar growth in the use of direct to garment digital textile printing machinery continues to provide a unique and highly successful business model, gaining traction worldwide. As a technology built to deliver speed to market, its built for on-demand production and as such sustainable manufacturing - driving down inventory and production costs.
The direct to Garment printing market, which stood at US$ 822 million in 2022 is predicted to rise at annual growth rate of 8.3% to US$ 1,820 million by 2032. (FMI).
This represents a more than doubling in size of the global market over a ten year period, that many experts attribute to the unique advantages of direct-to garment printing.
These advantages include ease of entry, a nil finished inventory business model and moving in lockstep with the market shift to customisation and print on demand ecommerce.
As a sector Innovations continue to drive the agenda.
Kornit Digital have made considerable steps with their inks particularly for Polyester fabrics, where their Neopigment™ Olympia ink is their unique, innovative ink for high-quality printing on polyester. Delivering a wider colour gamut, solid colour coverage, and precise pantone colour-matching. This eco-friendly ink is manufactured in-house and specifically designed for Kornit systems to meet the highest sustainability standards.
Outstanding durability and hand feel with a higher L value and opacity for bright prints is achieved, along with increased strength and flexibility to improve print elongation. All of these attributes ensure that the Kornit Digital machinery achieve the highest retail quality and durability standards.
As far as supply goes, there is an abundance of apparel blanks manufacturers who are queuing up to supply the Direct to Garment Industry. From Fruit of the Loom and Bella Canvas in America to numerous wholesalers throughout Europe, the prospective producer has access to the widest range of blank apparel, from T-Shirts and Hoodies and from Sweatshirts to V-Necks. Consumers now demand responsibly sourced apparel, and in the DTG arena the sourcing routes are adapting to assure that organic, certified cellulose and rPET recycled polyester print bases are in good supply.
Machinery is available for all business models (of all scales) and production speeds continue to accelerate. By example: The Brother GTX Pro bulk is stated “to produce 1,400 T-Shirts a week on a single 8-hour shift”. Brother offer their own ink formulation in support of their technology and inks are certified by Oeko-Tex®, GOTS and are also CPSIA compliant to help ensure they are safe for printing and therefore environmentally responsible.
Looking to the year ahead - providing the ultimate in speed, efficiency, flexibility and profitability we arrive at back the Kornit Digital range of DTG machines.
As if the XDI profile ink system isn’t enough, Kornit machines from the Atlas to the Vulcan provide the perfect platform for an up to date and profitable digital printroom, and with 2023 Kornit are about to promote their new Apollo system. The manufacturer recently unveiled the Apollo machine, which uses its Max technology to offer “the highest retail quality combined with full automation control and integrated smart curing processes”.
The printer also utilises technology from Lichtenau, Germany-based Tesoma, Kornit’s most recent acquisition. Kornit said “the single-step end-to-end system addresses accelerated post-pandemic market trends for streamlined supply chains and production near-shoring.”
It is expected to be available in mid-2023, following early customer engagements in the second half of 2022.
So, with innovation, efficiency and speed of production the Direct to Garment Industry moves inexorably upward.
The machinery agenda has also moved apace – the dawn of the hybrid.
Of particular attention is the development of Hybrid DTG printing, where screen printing and digital printing are combined on one platform. A stand-out here is the Kyo Hybrid DTG Printer from Aeoon of Austria.
The Kyo Hybrid Series is the first real combination of a screen printing and digital textile printing which combines the advantages of both. It is the ideal printer for companies with a high volume production needs and offers a unique set of production flexibility.
In addition to stand-alone DTG printing or screen printing, a combination of both printing processes can also be easily integrated. This combination achieves significant savings in the consumption of white ink, while delivering a premier finish.
From Inkthreadable to Printful the DTG success stories abound, as the DTG sector, driven by all these factors begins to meet the market expectations of a textile segment in substantial and irreversible growth. And with Hybrid print solutions now added to the mix there is a lot to look forward in the years ahead.
