Dream Designs: What's New in Interior Décor Printing

From the hospitality and restaurant industries, all the way to the fashion runway, there exists a great and increasing demand for printed interior décor items.

Print service providers with operations ranging from commercial print shops to mom and pop shops are producing printed interior décor items, according to Lily Hunter, Product Manager of Textiles and Consumables at Roland DGA.

“Since there are so many different types of décor, each PSP can supply something within the interior décor category depending on their respective customer bases, equipment and their specific capabilities,” Hunter pointed out.

All Roland printers including dye-sublimation, eco-solvent and UV models can be used for interior décor applications, Hunter noted.

“Dye-sublimation inkjets, such as those offered within our Texart series, are commonly used for—but are not limited to—textile applications such as window coverings, drapes, pillows, cushions, furniture, upholstery and artwork—either on fabrics or poly-coated rigid substrates like metal, wood and flooring such as rigid substrates like hard floor panels, or soft materials like rugs and bathmats,” she added.

Eco-solvent applications through Roland TrueVIS VG and SG series printers and cutters include wall coverings, decorations for cushion and pillow covers, art on canvas, and window blinds.

All of those applications can be done using UV printers and inks, like those found on the VersaUV LEF and LEJ series printers, according to Hunter. She added that in addition to printing on polyester fabrics, UV inks can be printed directly on natural fibers like cotton.
The fast evolving digital fabric printing market has touched many industries so far but seems to be having the biggest effect on the fashion industry.

Digital fabric printing offers designers new ways to produce their work on a range of fabrics, according to Mark Radogna, Strategic Marketing at Epson America. This was made especially clear during the fourth annual Epson Digital Couture Project, a fashion showcase that lead up to New York Fashion Week. The show highlighted the work of 13 North and Latin American designers, who utilized Epson’s dye-sublimation printing technology to showcase their signature style and create high-quality original prints for the show.

A fashion and technology panel weighed in on how digital technology is evolving the fashion industry.

“The future of fashion is customization. From the colors and prints to the size and shape of garments, all on-demand,” said Keith Kratzberg, President and CEO of Epson America.

The Epson SureColor F-Series—including SureColor F9370—is designed for high-speed, economical, medium to large-volume dye-sublimation transfer printing at speeds up to 1,169 square feet per hour.

PrecisionCore TFP printheads and Epson UltraChrome DS with high density black ink produce fabric output with color saturation and high contrast. The Wasatch SoftRIP workflow with specialty features for textile and fashion printing enables flexibility and control in original design creation.

The Epson SureColor F2100 offers high-quality printing at production speeds, with the ability to print directly onto garments that range from 100% cotton to fabric blends, using four-color ink technology plus white ink, a quick-load platen and Epson Garment Creator Software.

The Mona Lisa, produced by F.lli Robustelli, equipped with Epson PrecisionCore printheads and Genesta inks, designed by Epson in collaboration with For.Tex is available in widths of 180, 220 and 320 cm, enabling custom designs to be printed on a wide range of fabrics.

Epson America also introduced its new microsite that provides fashion designers with solution-based guidance for a range of digital fabric printing applications, including dye-sublimation, direct-to-garment, and direct-to-fabric printing on a variety of fabrics. It also connects fashion designers directly to digital fabric printers.

In most cases a digital textile printer can print designs on the same fabrics that designers typically screen print on in as little as seven working days, according to Ragdona. Accommodated fabric types include polyesters, blends and silks, cotton, linen, wool, and rayon. Digital fabric printing provides a 90% reduction in water use and a 30% reduction in electricity consumption compared to traditional fabric printing methods.

HP Latex technology prints on a variety of materials and is environmentally friendly—safe for indoor use and odorless, according to Asaf Lavi, a Senior Business Development Manager at HP’s large Format Digital Printing division. It is often used for wall coverings, canvas, window shades, window blinds, wall decals, fabric, drapery, and upholstery.

Two types of customers attracted to décor printing include the B2B market (primarily interior design and architectural firms) and B2C, direct to consumers, noted Lavi.

A PSP with an HP Latex printer can often expand from interior projects for corporate offices, retail stores, and SM businesses to the hospitality and healthcare sectors, according to Lavi. PSPs who specialize in wall coverings and window shades and are embracing digital printing as an avenue for expanded creativity and profitability are tapping into market trends, Lavi added.

Among the tools offered by HP in this effort is a cloud-based HP WallArt Solution and a media certification program.

Tommy Martin, Product Manager of Textiles and Apparel Business Development and Marketing for Mimaki USA, noted that Mimaki’s printers can produce soft surface décor including window coverings, seating surfaces, lampshades and bedding as well as hard surfaces such as tabletops, decorative panels and glass accents.

Transfer dye sublimation is made possible through the Mimaki TS30-1300, a 54,” entry-level printer with available fluorescent inks and ideal for smaller items and ‘proofing’ designs.

The Mimaki TS300P-1800, a 77” production speed printer with available fluorescent inks is used to create seating surfaces and pillow covers. Draperies and bedding without seams can be created with the Mimaki TS500P-3200 is a 130” production speed printer with bulk ink for long runs.

Direct-to-textile printing can be done on the Mimaki TX300P-1800, a 75” printer with dual-ink capability to print on natural materials with textile pigment ink or on polyester materials with direct dye sublimation inks. The Mimaki TX300P-1800B is a 75” printer with belt-drive for stable transport of sheer or stretchy fabrics, dual ink capability to print on natural materials with textile pigment ink, or on polyester materials with direct dye sublimation inks (it also creates seating surfaces and pillow covers). Long runs such as draperies and bedding without seams can be used with the Mimaki TX500P-3200DS is a 130” production speed, bulk ink printer. An inline fixation unit eliminates the need to calendar press the printed fabric.

According to Martin a significant demand for décor printing comes from the hospitality industry, as well as hospitals and corporate offices. PSPs who cater to these markets are usually specialists in digital textile printing, noted Martin, adding that many have specialized knowledge in textiles and have various methods of printing or transferring, color management and finishing operations.

Ken Hanulec, Vice President of Marketing at EFI, noted that décor and wall coverings can be printed on a wide range of materials using EFI’s VUTEk LED hybrid and roll-to-roll printers.

A number of PSPs are tapping into the fast-growing market for décor work printed on textiles using VUTEk FabriVU and EFI Reggiani dye-sublimation printers, according to Hanulec.

A significant demand for digital print in retail décor has led PSPs who traditionally produce POP display work to expand their work. Consumer-focused applications such as décor work printed for interior designers and specialty applications like decals and graphics ordered online have also increased PSPs’ work, Hanulec added.