Digital Fabric Printing and Décor: A New Frontier

By all indicators, digital printing for décor is coming into its own. In fact, according to Marketsandmarkets.com, the digital textile market was valued at $1.67 billion in 2017 and is expected to reach $2.31 billion by 2023. With digital printing technology, media, and inks rapidly advancing in this space, the market is teeming with opportunities for savvy print service providers (PSPs) looking for the next big thing. “Digital print fabrics have revolutionized the décor market,” said Randy Anderson, product marketing manager for Mutoh America. “It’s all about the ability to do one-off s. If a designer is making pillows, and wants them to match up with drapes, couches, couch covers – and on and on – the technology allows them to do this. Plus, they can take a fresh look, and personalize that décor for each individual client of theirs.” 

According to David Lopez, textile specialist for Mimaki USA, being able to customize pieces aff ordably is a relatively new concept in this market. “Where typically before it would have been harder to do a lot of diff erent colors, designs, and photographic images, with digital printing today you are able to do very unique types of prints for the décor market,” he said. “And, while it was possible to do this in the past, it was very expensive. Now you can create these customized décor items much more easily – and hit the quality standard designers require.”

An Eclectic Market

As for what types of clients are purchasing digitally printed décor fabrics, the market is as diverse and creative as the prints themselves – from Etsy businesses to corporate buyers. “A lot of our customers are focused on customized pillows, novelty gift s, and other small items,” said Lopez. “Then there are the customers who want to do something specific for an entire hotel brand to separate that brand from the competition. For example, for each state that the hotel chain is in, they customize the décor. Here in California, the background would depict all the diff erent California landmarks, and New York would have its own theme.”

Anderson notes that commercial screen printers are also taking the leap. “Many people in this market who are doing digital printing are also doing screen printing,” he said. “Th ey print digitally for prototyping, samples, and short runs.” 

Lopez adds, “We’ve even had customers who are printing directly to fabrics for vehicles. West Coast Customs does celebrity cars, and a lot of the fabric inside is digitally printed.”

Choosing a Printer

So, what does it take to get into this business?

Lopez emphasizes the importance of purchasing a printer that is purpose-built for fabrics – wide-format, and feature-rich.

“Going back a few years, there were solvent printers that were converted to print textile inks, and sublimation printers,” he said. “Being an engineering company, we developed printers specifically for this application. For example, the print head height is a little higher in case there is wrinkling in the fabric – or for fabrics that have a paper backing. We have made our printers with different tensioning systems to run the fabrics without any issues, and with sticky belt systems that allow stretchy fabrics to be printed successfully.”

Anderson advises PSPs to consider their intended applications – and client demands – before purchasing a device.

“Before, you didn’t have an option for high-speed digital printing,” he said. “Now we are seeing new single-pass printers that can exceed the speed of screen printers. At one end, you have multi-million-dollar equipment that takes a team to maintain. At the other end, you have something around $30 grand that smaller shops can buy to get into the textile business.”

A Polyester Renaissance

While investing in the right printing technology is fundamental to your success, so is selecting the right fabrics. Fortunately, says Lopez, new fabrics are hitting the market all the time.

“Sublimation printing requires a polyester substrate,” he said. “Now there are so many diff erent types of polyester fabrics that have so many diff erent feels to them, you really can’t tell they are polyester. Microfi ber towels that are really plush, for example. When I show people the samples, they have no idea that the fabric is polyester. Knowing that there is a demand for polyester, manufacturers are working to expand these product lines.”

He adds that other fabrics, including cottons and silks, are being enhanced with pre-treatments for digital printing. 

“Manufacturers of fabrics are making them ready-to-print,” he said. Anderson notes that, as in the 70s, polyester is becoming chic again. “A number of companies have made polyester fashionable – Under Armour has made it a sports thing,” he said. “Manufacturers are using new techniques to make polyester fabrics soft er and more organic feeling. I am amazed at the changes. New fabrics come out every year, especially for digital printing.”

A Hands-On Production Process

But, printing fabric is about more than hardware, ink, and media. Th ere is a workfl ow involved, and the quality of the finishing processes can make or break the final product. “Finishing is critical,” said Anderson.

“Any kind of fabric requires post-fi nishing to ensure your fi nal print. If you skimp on finishing, you skimp on the usability of the product.” By finishing processes, he means curing, washing, and softening.“You will need reactive dyes, acid dyes and high-energy dispersed dyes for some fabrics,” said Anderson. “Aft er you print these fabrics, you have to steam them, and then put them through a series of washes with different finishing chemicals to help retain the dyes. Th at is the most challenging part, and it is a multistep process. Th en, to give the fabric a soft hand, there is a final process to soft en it.”

While manual processes still play a role in production, the future of digitally printed décor fabrics is all about automation – from end to end. “I have seen preliminary automatic sewers – once that technology hits, it will make it much more accessible for PSPs to produce actual finished products,” said Anderson.

“This is the future. And, once you master home décor, the market has the potential to explode in new directions. The real money is in clothing.” Lopez adds, “Th e digital textile printing market is growing, and becoming more and more accessible for everyone. While the processes may seem challenging, they are not as scary as one might think. As people become more comfortable with digital printing, fabric is definitely in their future, and it is here to stay.”