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While fabric and textile printing is not new to the wide- and grand-format industry, increased interest in this market segment has breathed new life into this niche while also providing additional opportunity for print providers to expand their services and offer a more unique product to their customers.
Wide-Format Imaging turned to several industry experts to get more information about how this market is growing and what print providers can expect. I'd like to thank Gary Turner, new business development manager, DuPont; Tom Straw, product manager, LexJet; Richard Codos, executive director, North American Development, Leggett & Platt Digital Technologies; David Dingee, sales manager, sublimation markets, Sawgrass Technologies Inc.; Avedik Izmirlian, president, DigiFab Systems, Inc.; Patrick Clark, co-founder & owner of Next Wave; for their help and participation.
Q- How has fabric usage changed in the past 12 months?
Clark: Use of dye sublimated textile banners have become a trend in advertising. Richer look and color seem to be a driving force. Apparel and home decor decorating has been moving from conventional screen printing processes to dye sublimation digital processes driven by short run capability which reduces inventory and offers greater customization.
Codos: We see a substantial market for textiles—and textile printing—especially in wide-width dye for all segments of the textile marketing. The market in general is going wider and the textile industry is no exception. Availability of wider width fabrics and printing machines have allowed manufacturers to move from the 48-inch and 60-inch fabrics to 80-inch and 96-inch wide textiles. New technology for grand-format, such as advancements in direct dye to textiles—eliminating the need for specially prepared textiles—and higher density inkjet heads have opened new market opportunities with improved printing resolutions, speed, and throughput.
Dingee: Fabric printing is certainly on the rise. The higher adoption rate for fabric printing is coming from Europe. All of it is paper printed dye sublimation. This is due to two main factors: the brightness of the images sublimation can achieve and the variety of fabrics requested by clients that are applicable in sublimation. Historically, fabrics being used in sublimation were printed on non-stretchy materials, but a new trend has emerged to print on stretchy fabrics that can be molded around curved tubular frames. It is all about a unique look that other technologies, like vinyl printing, can't give you.
Izmirlian: New inks, fabric treatments and fixation units, have widened the spectrum of customers who are now seeing digital textile printing as a better option for their final product.
Straw: With printer costs coming down and a larger variety of fabrics available for direct printing, the market has seen tremendous growth. More people can now produce prints using fabric or textiles than ever before. Direct-to-fabric, print-and-go machines have made a huge impact in the market, and will continue to do so. The introduction of solvent dye-sublimation inks and transfer media for grand-format machines has also helped increase usage. Solvent dye-sublimation inks have improved tremendously in terms of color density and richness since their introduction. They can now compete quite nicely with water-based dye sublimation. This allows wide-format printing companies to take on jobs that were previously not possible thanks to the ability to utilize dye-sublimation with grand-format solvent printers.
Turner: Our customers continue to expand the range of fabrics used for the direct digital printing of textiles across a wide range of end use applications. This includes new polyesters lines for the printing of graphics to new natural fiber fabrics for apparel and specialty applications. The fabric suppliers are extending their range of products and it is improving the choice of fabrics that owners of digital printing devices can take to their clients. The growth of fabric choices will have a dramatic impact on the growth of the digital printing of textiles. There is significant interest from the textile manufacturers in providing PFP (Prepared For Print) fabrics to the marketplace as the installed base of digital printers grows and new end use applications for the digital printing of textiles are established.
Q. What is the largest opportunity for growth for print providers?
Dingee: The largest growth segment in the fabric products market is the production of pop-up banners. This product can be used in so many different ways. They are becoming more popular due to how easy they are to set up, ship, and exchange for other fabric graphics as promotions change throughout the season. One frame can supply an endless supply of messaging at an affordable cost to change out the fabric. Most run between 32 to 36 inches wide, are six to seven feet high, and come in a variety of designs.
Straw: There are amazing opportunities in the trade show and retail graphics markets. The lighter weight of fabric makes it much easier and less expensive to ship. Plus, it's quicker to set up and take down a graphics program that utilizes fabric. When you put those pieces together—the increased ease and lower cost of producing fabric graphics and the simple economics and convenience for the end user—it equates to almost unlimited opportunities for fabric printing in these markets. Grand-format machines allow printers to produce gigantic fabric backdrops for concerts, special events, theaters, and other venues that utilize scenic backdrops. There's also a large and untapped market in specialty clothing and other specialty fabric applications. Basically, the sky's the limit, and fabric should always be on the table when you're discussing a graphics program with your customers.
Turner: Our customers are finding growth opportunities for the direct digital printing of textiles across many diverse applications. This includes apparel, swimwear, bedding, window treatments, residential and commercial interior design textiles, flags, banners, trade show graphics, soft signage, silk accessories, casino and billiard wool fabrics, and many more. Some of our customers are developing high style limited edition design artwork, where others are taking advantage of our digital workflow and efficiencies to produce custom flags and banners. We see growth across a broad range of end use applications as our customers and their clients pull their ideas together to leverage the advantages of digitally produced textiles.
Q. What challenges are shops facing when using fabric for projects?
Clark: Cost is a factor dye sublimation is more costly than direct print methods but as dye sublimation printing costs continue to come down the process is getting more cost effective. The market also seems to be willing to pay the premium because of the better perceived quality of the image and substrate.
Codos: The challenges in textile printing to date have been the high cost per square meter, the speed of production in real time, the handling of wide width printing, and the quality of the finished products. New high speed direct to textile printing technology has lowered costs with savings in materials and ink/dye costs and by printing at higher speeds. Handling has been improved by the elimination of transfer paper and the inherent problems of printing to transfer paper, transferring to the fabric, plus wrinkling and moisture issues, which are critical on wider width 98-inch and 138-inch textile applications. Direct to textile printing technology has also improved the quality of the finished product including low color density loss and greater crock, crack and rub-off resistance in secondary handling. Printed textiles have the soft hand required for apparel and home textile applications.
Dingee: The main challenge that many shops face is related to the preflight process of designing, color matching, sizing, and adjusting of artwork. Having the correct repeatable workflow can make all the difference when it comes to fabric signage that looks the same as something that was printed six months ago. Working with a company that can explain the best workflow can decrease the learning curve when it comes to printing onto fabrics.
Straw: Dye sublimation tends to fade in extended outdoor applications. However, this is less of an issue with the availability and improvements in solvent dye-sub printing. Direct-print materials with coatings often have problems when they're folded; cracks in the coatings leave marks in the prints.
Fire ratings are becoming more of an issue as we move forward. Not all direct-print materials are fire rated, which can cause a problem at convention centers and other indoor venues that require fire-rated materials.
Turner: The challenges shops face while using fabrics include the following:
Has the fabric has been produced for digital printing? Not all fabrics have been finished properly to facilitate digital printing. So using fabrics that have been specifically designed for digital printing is key. This includes the physical properties of the fabric and pretreatment when necessary, to ensure quality digital printing.
Most digital textile printing technologies will require some form of post finishing after the image has been printed. This is to set the inks and finish the printing process. Different manufacturers recommend specific procedures, as well, different fabrics will require different finishing steps. This can range from heat and pressure through a calendar to steam and washing. End use applications will in most cases dictate how the fabric should be finished.
Finishing the digitally printed fabric will generally require a cutting and sewing step to prepare the digitally printed fabric for its end use. Having this capability in-house or identifying an outside supplier of these services is very important. Quality at this step is critical because it impacts the ease in use of the digitally printed textile for the end user.
author: BY DENISE M. GUSTAVSON