Many of the critical advantages of digital printing align perfectly with the textile market, including personalization, short runs including one-offs, and the possibility of just-in-time inventory. Other advantages, such as eliminating the use of water washing and being able to use an infinite number of colors without creating screens for each one are specific to textiles.

Kitt Jones, business development and co-creation manager, Roland DGA, said that Roland DGA is seeing advantages across the board in other print technology applications, such as UV, latex, and eco-solvent, that mirror the benefits of digital printing for textile production.

“First off, the ease of customization and personalization allows for a multitude of diverse creative opportunities that are increasingly in demand for fashion, home decor, and other textile applications,” said Jones. “Sustainability in media and ink with digital textile printing is one noteworthy advantage when it comes to digital textile printing, as this process is often more environmentally friendly compared to traditional methods. It typically uses less water and generates less waste, aligning with the growing emphasis on sustainable practices in the textile industry.

Jones said that another benefit is the ability of digital textile printers to handle shorter runs and on-demand printing, which appeals to both large and small businesses, enabling these operations to respond quickly to customer requests and market trends, while also reducing inventory costs.

“Additionally, the versatility of digital textile printing and its diverse range of applications have opened up new markets, including technical textiles, sportswear, and interior design, broadening its appeal and popularity,” Jones added.

Simon Daplyn, product and marketing manager, Sun Chemical, pointed to design flexibility, customization, speed, cost effectiveness for short runs, sustainability, high quality output and reduced inventory as key advantages.

“Digital textile printing allows for intricate and complex designs that are difficult to achieve with traditional methods. Designs can be easily modified without the need for new screens or plates,” Daplyn observed. “Digital printing supports small runs and personalized designs, making it ideal for custom orders and limited editions. The process is faster from design to production, reducing lead times significantly. This is particularly beneficial for on-demand production. Unlike traditional printing, which requires large minimum orders to be cost-effective, digital printing is economical even for small batches.”

Paul Edwards, VP of the Digital Division of INX International Ink, noted that as in many other digital applications, the ability to create short runs economically is a key factor.

“Digital print allows it to be achieved with a reduction in factors, such as waste during the manufacturing process and reduction in inventory,” said Edwards. “The reduction in inventory and the fast turnaround time of a product from design to production are key digital advantages. Fast turnaround times can also be coupled with the ability to essentially ‘onshore’ manufacturing much closer to the customer base, and provide significant advantages to the brand owner, the manufacturer, and clearly the end customer.”

Lily Hunter, product manager, Professional Imaging, Epson America Inc., noted that the expanded color gamut, print quality, multiple print methods and versatility of equipment has important benefits.

“There are dye-sublimation printers that offer expanded ink sets, with colors outside of the traditional CMYK offerings, such as the 6-color Epson SureColor F9570H,” Hunter reported. “This model supports multiple configurations, including CMYK plus either Light Cyan and Light Magenta for enhanced smoothness, Fluorescent Pink and Fluorescent Yellow for added brightness, or Orange and Violet for an expanded color gamut. Expanded color gamuts allow print shops to produce vibrant textiles to match apparel trends, safety apparel requirements, sports jerseys, soft signage, décor, and more that often include specific colors.

“Digital textile printing offers print shops various methods to create high-quality, sellable goods,” added Hunter. “DTG is ideal for full-color graphic T-shirts and sweatshirts, providing vibrant designs with a soft feel. DTFilm offers greater fabric versatility, perfect for print-on-demand orders and small designs like company logos that will be transferred to multiple items.

“Dye-sublimation excels in larger textile orders, as the ink penetrates and fuses with the fabric, making it ideal for bolt fabrics, and larger pieces for on-demand retail and wholesale accounts,” Hunter observed. “Print methods like DTG, DTFilm and dye-sublimation offer exceptional versatility. Beyond textiles, they can produce one-off personalized gifts such as blankets, beach towels, and even transfer images onto metal, glass, and wood.”

Micol Gamba, product marketing and EFI textile director for EFI, noted that analog printing, with the up-front costs and waste it involves, requires longer order quantities to be cost-effective.

“Digital printing for textiles has the traditional benefit of digital over analog – eliminating the expense of creating screens, for example, and maintaining their stock – in ways that create greater flexibility and versatility in the designs textile businesses can produce,” he continued.

“While digital technologies such as the EFI Reggiani HYPER and our new EFI Reggiani BOLT XS offering can cost-effectively produce high quantities at costs similar to analog rotary screens, they are more competitive on a cost basis for creating designs in exact quantities needed. As a result, retailers and brands can produce designs that reflect actual demand, and bring new designs to market in less time required with analog.

“This is enabling to serve one prominent and continuously growing trend in textile, on-demand personalization, and avoid generating huge printed fabric stocks that risk going unsold considering the highly variable demand, especially in the last few years,” Gamba observed.