Digital Textile Printing: Explosive Growth Continues

[freemexy]

igital printing technologies are rapidly increasing and improving, and are slowly changing the face of the textile printing industry. At ITMA 2015 held in Milan, the growth in digital textile printing was apparent as organizers added a chapter dedicated to printing and digital printing technologies, auxiliaries and accessories to the show’s lineup.

In “The Future of Digital Textile Printing to 2021” market report, England-based Smithers Pira forecasts 17.5-percent growth over the next five years for the digital textile printing market to a total market value of $2.66 billion. In the same report, the market intelligence, testing and consulting firm estimates 870 million square meters of fabric worth $1.29 billion were printed in 2016 using digital technologies, which represented just a tiny 2.8-percent slice of the overall volume of printed textiles.

As digital technologies improve, more and more traditional textile printing companies are looking at the benefits of digital printing, which include shorter lead times, customization options, improved design aesthetics, workflow efficiencies and cost reduction.digital sublimation printing fabric

To support the production of digital inks, The Netherlands-based SPGPrints opened a 1,000-square-meter (m2) addition to its headquarters location during the final quarter of 2017. The addition is part of an 8-million-euro total investment plan covering 3,000 m2 of additional space, and represents the second expansion at the facility in two years.

“The increase in the volume of our ink production means that we will continue to be able to serve the expanding digital textile printing market that we have helped to build over the last three decades,” said Jos Notermans, commercial manager, digital textiles, SPGPrints. “The global retail markets are now in a position to take advantage of the benefits of digital printing as it moves into the mainstream as a production method.”

The company also opened the Experience Center, a 700 m2 demonstration and training facility dedicated to innovation in digital textile printing. The center houses two 1,850-millimeter-wide single-pass PIKE® printers — SPGPrints’ flagship printer engineered for large or short volume production at speeds of up to 40 meters per minute — in addition to a 3,200-mm-wide JAVELIN® multi-pass printer for home furnishing applications. According to the company, the center acts as a showcase for suppliers and buyers to learn about digital production using SPGPrints’ technologies.

“Digital printing undoubtedly represents the future for textile printing,” Joustra said. “It is transforming the supply chain, making a wider variety of designs possible, shortening delivery times, delivering major cost savings and eliminating waste. The opening of the Experience Center marks our commitment to driving the adoption of the digital workflow. Not only will this provide the opportunity for brand-owners and printers to gain a first-hand, real-time insight into this technology’s tremendous potential; it will provide a dedicated space for further innovation in quality, productivity and sustainability, complementing our resources for the continued development of traditional rotary screen technologies.”