Although it remains a small portion of the textile printing segment, digital textile printing is growing faster than other printing processes. In speaking with leading digital textile ink specialists, here have been new developments on the digital textile printing side which are helping to drive the growth in digital printing.

For example, Epson has been emphasizing new printing advances, including its hybrid SureColor F2270 for both direct-to-garment (DTG) and direct-to-film (DTFilm) printing. Tim Check, senior product manager, Professional Imaging, Epson America, said that from Epson’s perspective, Epson is focusing on engineering products to be more compact, precise and efficient.

“We are also purpose building products to be self-aware, so the hardware itself can maintain high-quality, sellable product,” he added. “There’s a lot of technology involved, including Nozzle Verification Technology found in Epson’s PrecisionCore printheads that provides immediate feedback on how the ink was ejected, and it will adjust if any compensations are needed in real-time. This helps to consistently deliver high-quality output and reduce waste from low-quality, scrap garments. When printers are more aware of what at they are doing, providers can get consistent, sellable results every time, increasing efficiency and reliability for providers.”

Don Whaley, VP of Kornit Digital Americas,  noted that Kornit is leading these advances, beginning with its latest generation of print technologies, Kornit MAX systems for direct-to-garment and direct-to-fabric (roll-to-roll/full-cloth) decoration.

“Kornit MAX systems incorporate greater automation capabilities for auto-loading of garments and adaptable pallets for changing applications on the fly, and our ‘smart curing’ technology uses the most energy-efficient and targeted heat mechanisms to deliver durable, top-quality finished products that are ready to wear within minutes while giving producers lower cost of ownership and the highest eco benefit,” Whaley observed.

“Furthermore, we’re pioneering light-on-dark printing, neon effects, and graphic applications that emulate 3D, vinyl, threadless embroidery, screens, and more, all using one pigment-based, single-operator, single-step system, giving users the highest throughput relative to labor costs, energy consumption, materials use, time, and production footprint – a perfect recipe for allocating more resources to value-added activities and scaling operations to new heights,” added Whaley.

Paul Edwards, VP of the Digital Division at INX International, noted that there have been significant advancements in digital textile printing technology.

“These advancements include improved printhead technology, better ink formulations for fabric durability and color vibrancy, enhanced software for color management and design, and the development of larger, faster and more efficient printing equipment,” added Edwards. “All have contributed to the overall quality, speed, and versatility of digital textile printing presses.”

Simon Daplyn, product and marketing manager, Sun Chemical, pointed out that printing presses for digital textile decoration are continually developing to give the best quality and productivity to users.

“These mechanical advancements, along with evolving printhead technology, are resulting in faster and more flexible options,” added Daplyn. “At the recent ITMA exhibition in Milan, there was a strong focus on digital pigment printing with some systems and workflows specifically designed to accommodate pigment technology as well and pre- and post-treatment options. There were also new system concepts for double side in register printing and higher speed scanning systems, as well as new single pass concepts, which all point to the continuous improvement and evolution of digital textile printing.”

“There have been improvements in printhead technology and ink technology to enhance reliability, especially when using pigment ink,” said François Aguilar, chief commercial officer for Kao Chimigraf. “Additionally, pre-treatment processes have been optimized to align with digital technology. Fully integrated print lines with pre- and post-treatments for end-to-end processing have advanced enormously over the last two to three years, and improved integrated maintenance systems avoid printhead damage, improving ROI calculations.”

“On the press side, we see continued investment in more productive and faster equipment,” Gabriela Kim, DuPont brand and marketing manager, said. “The key point here is that printers need to be more productive, reduce downtime, errors, waste, etc. So here we can highlight, for example, some of the latest equipment positioned as one-step, and you can see a lot of development lately around this. I think it’s interesting to also mention how automation is growing in digital textile printing, which is tied to the idea of being more productive. Printers can now identify errors, adjust and control variables during the printing process, being all integrated and automated in the process.”