Issue 2: 2021

Published by

P 1 Cover.indd 1 26/03/2021 16:51:40

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 4. COMMENT
OEMs prudent in market recovery

6. PRINT DESIGN
A complete holistic overhaul of colouration

12. NEWS
Colorjet and Konica Minolta form closer alliance
Expanding into the short-run personalised kit market
New year, new branding
Recognised market growth in Russia
ITM postponed until 2022
The return of the physical exhibition
Kornit focused on Turkey expansion

21. TECHNICAL BRIEFING: ROLL-TO-ROLL PRINTING

A newfound focus

26. HIGH-SPEED PRINTING

Filling gaps in the market

29. REGIONAL FOCUS: TURKEY

Steadying market
Reaping nearshoring rewards
Assessing Turkey as a major digital print player

36. DIGITAL MICROFACTORY

Crisis brings change
Print Logistic rolls out SmartfactorE
Printful expands on-demand capacity
Implementing innovative DTG technology

46. RIP SOFTWARE

Understanding the advantages of RIP software

48. TECHNOLOGY
Mimaki expands inkjet textile portfolio
Promoting digital pigment printing
Resolute launches R-Jet Pro

51. DIARY

Cover image
Through the use
Issue 2: 2021
of direct-to-fabric
digital textile printing
technology, Rose
Danford-Phillips
produces textile prints
that are inspired by
the earth around us
and which aim to
Published by
raise awareness of
P 1 Cover.indd 2 10/02/2021 09:27:10

the importance of
sustainability across the
fashion industry.
See pp. 6-10 for more.

ISSUE 2 3

P 3 Contents.indd 3 29/03/2021 09:21:04

 OEMs prudent in
market recovery
The roll-to-roll digital textile printing market is continuing its cautious
recovery and leading OEMs are therefore planning to launch new
products in order to capitalise on returning demand in 2021.
EFI Reggiani, for instance, is planning to launch three new printers
in the coming weeks. In this issue of Digital Textile we speak to the
company’s senior vice president and general manager, Adele Genoni,
Editor about the key drivers behind each of the solutions (pp. 26-28).
Joseph Link Interestingly, one of EFI’s new machines will target the low-productivity
jlink@wtin.com
segment of the market which is increasing due to a rise in ecommerce
Deputy Features Editor and growing interest in the print-on-demand business model.
Otis Robinson 2020 data suggests that the output of entry-level, low-volume digital
orobinson@wtin.com
textile printers remained strong in 2020 despite the economic and supply
Assistant Editor chain challenges that the textile printing industry faced. In terms of speed
Harry McMullen segments, the industrial-grade super-wide-format digital textile printers
hmcmullen@wtin.com
suffered more in terms of output contraction last year.
Consulting Editor Digital Textile also forecasts growing competition among low-volume
Dr John Provost print service providers as new market entrants look to capitalise on
Editorial Design
developing trends and evolving business models. Many new textile
Melissa Kendrick printers are targeted at these innovative businesses.
Japanese inkjet specialist Mimaki is well aware of the trends in the
Display Advertising Sales
James Wilson
market and has responded by launching two new machines (pp. 48-49),
the Mimaki TS100-1600 and the Mimaki Tiger-1800B MkIII. The OEM plans
Subscriptions to launch another textile printer next month (April).
Maggie Kaminska
WTiN Intelligence: Digital Textiles publishes its 2020 market data on
Managing Director 30 March, but to get a glimpse of what to expect see our latest technical
Mark Jarvis briefing on pp. 21-25.
Digital Textile is published by World
Elsewhere in this issue we focus on the roll-out of digital microfactories
Textile Information Network and assess their ability to provide consumers with bespoke, on-demand
1803 Pinnacle, 67 Albion Street, prints (pp. 36-45). We also look at the benefits of digital microfactories
Leeds, LS1 5AA,
United Kingdom
from the perspective of an online clothing retailer.
Tel: +44 (0)113 819 8155 Moreover, the magazine examines the recent work of digital
Fax: +44 (0)113 819 8156 microfactory pioneers and assesses their growth during 2020 – many
e-mail: info@wtin.com
Website: www.digitaltextile.net
have profited during the pandemic which was a rare achievement
throughout the textile industry. The digital microfactory focus also looks
Advertisement Sales at how and why direct-to-garment (DTG) technology is facilitating their
James Wilson
Tel: +44 (0)113 819 9877
expansion.
E-mail: jwilson@wtin.com And finally, a regional focus on Turkey – the country is a key textile
World Textile Information Network (WTiN) printing hub within Europe. On pp. 29-35 experts on the ground in
1803 Pinnacle, Albion St, Leeds, LS1 5AA,
United Kingdom
Turkey reveal that they are primed and ready to profit on the nearshoring
movement in 2021, which inkjet textile printing technology is enabling.
Subscriptions (6 issues)
Worldwide £412.50
For subscription details and directory
availability, please contact
Maggie Kaminska at
World Textile Information Network on
Tel: +44 (0)113 819 8155
E-mail: mkaminska@wtin.com

W TiN
®

Joseph Link
Editor
WORLD TEXTILE INFORMATION NETWORK

© World Textile Information Network Ltd.

2021 All rights reserved. WTiN and
World Textile Information Network are
registered trademarks.
ISSN ASSN 1743-1128

P 4 Comment.indd 4 29/03/2021 09:24:43

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 Print design

A complete
holistic overhaul
of colouration
Otis Robinson speaks with
designer Rose Danford-Phillips
and research fellow Dr Dawn
Ellams, Future Fashion Factory,
about their collaboration to
develop a new holistic colouration
system for garments

R
ose Danford-Phillips’ designs are a journey
through the vibrancy and precision of
the environment. Loud, bold strokes of
colour reverberate across the garments like
chromesthesia, depicting abstract foliage and
flora in radical movement. By capturing
nature on textiles, Rose Danford-Phillips’
digitally printed designs put the earth at
the focal point of chaotic fashion industry
conversation, cutting through the noise.
“You can’t love nature and destroy it at the
same time,” says the founder and designer at
the eponymous brand, and later, “I’m all about
colour and I want to do colour in the most sustainable,
Rose Danford-Phillips utilises direct-to-fabric

interesting way.”
Cue a collaboration with Future Fashion Factory,
a UK-based, GB£5.4m (US$7.4m) research and
development (R&D) programme for innovation in the
digital print technologies

textile and fashion industries, funded by the Arts and

Humanities Research Council on behalf of UK Research
and Innovation. The partnership will see Danford-
Phillips support the development and implementation
of a sustainable colouration system to reduce the

6 DIGITAL TEXTILE

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 Print design Print design

environmental impact of adding colour and pattern to

fashion products.
Alongside a team of researchers at the Royal College
of Art (RCA), UK, headed by Dr Dawn Ellams, research
fellow, and the University of Leeds, headed by Dr Richard
Blackburn, associate professor, the groups will come
together with the shared goal to innovate.

Holistic overhaul
As such, the project looks set to challenge the status quo of
colouration in industry.
Although Danford-Phillips’ designs showcase a stunning
display of the vibrant capabilities of digital printing, the
designer notes that its limitations are entirely environmental
– a shortcoming the brand refuses to overlook.
“I’m very happy [with digital printing]. The colour is
beautifully vibrant,” Danford-Phillips explains. “But it does use
synthetic materials, and if it’s the only option, that limits how
sustainable our clothes can be.”
The designer currently outsources direct-to-fabric digital
print production via a manufacturer in Worcestershire, a
collaboration the designer is pleased about due to its green
credentials and eco-friendly production. But colouration
technology has much further to go, she suggests.
The brand is inspired by all things nature, owing to a rich
By utilising laboratories at the University of Leeds and a horticultural history

team headed by Blackburn, the project will examine dye and
colour chemistry and take a close look into contemporary
challenges around natural and sustainable products. This
will involve rethinking dye sources, extraction and require an
assessment of the vibrancy, fastness, longevity, evenness,
and fibre applications of any new approaches created by the
research team.
Researchers will additionally explore process and
application possibilities, ranging from direct-to-fabric
printing through to dye-sublimation printing to screen
printings. Rose Danford-Phillips will test the colouration
process in action.
The team notes the collaboration represents a complete
holistic overhaul; starting from scratch, to get the best
aesthetic, technical and sustainable outcome possible, even
if that means forging an entirely new printing or colouration
process altogether.
Unique collaboration
Danford-Phillips’ relationship with Future Fashion Factory
began at Paris Fashion Week in February 2020, around the time
the Covid-19 pandemic had begun to take hold of the globe.
Following a meeting with Ellams, it became clear the
potential parameters of the project were much vaster than
Danford-Phillips could have ever imagined.
“The research actually aims to create a holistic approach
to colour,” explains Ellams. “The research will look at colour
through fresh eyes. Rather than using natural colourants
and [then] trying to compete with the synthetics of industry
standards, we are going to look at the source of these
colours, what colours are achievable, and use the whole
spectrum of fibres to explore aesthetically what can be
achieved.
“Historically, natural colours and approaches to
environmentally conscious colouration have limits to what
they can achieve, so Richard [Blackburn] and I want to look
at their strengths and see how we can technically exploit
those: what are the varying techniques we can use to [print
them onto] the fabric?
“That’s where Rose [Danford-Phillips] and Ushiwear (a
screen printer based in Yorkshire and the Humber) will come
in. It is great to have a [multidisciplinary] approach – we have
a technical and creative team [at Future Fashion Factory] and
then industry partners in Rose and Ushiwear.

ISSUE 2 7

P 6-10 Print Design.indd 7 29/03/2021 09:34:18

 Print design
The brand’s success showcases the popularity of luxury digital
printed garments in pop culture and industry
“This project is very much a kick-off. It’s looking at
everything that has been done – all the research in this area
– and [asking] how can we bring something to market that’s
innovative and has a holistic approach to the relationship
between colour, fibre and product.”
Rich experience
Danford-Phillips brings a wealth of experience and an
inspired angle to the project. Not only does the designer
boast a bachelor’s degree in textile design from the
University of the Arts London and a master’s in womenswear
fashion from the RCA, but a rich immersion in horticulture
that began when she was a child.
“My dad is a professional gardener; my mum runs a charity
that involves gardening. I have always been around nature.
Things like regenerative farming have been part of the way
that my parents have grown plants and cultivated land my
whole life. To me, that is what sustainability for my business
and this project is all about – bringing these different threads
8 DIGITAL TEXTILE
P 6-10 Print Design.indd 8
Print design
together to make a new system that truly takes nature into
account.”
Ultimately, Danford-Phillips’ vision for the project is driven
by this lifelong interest in nature and growth: “The products
we make can’t just be special because they’re pretty. It is
about how they’re made and developed; what the supply
chain is like. I want to be transparent about our materials and
production. These essential aspects of business should be
shown off, not hidden away. There is a compelling story in
the making of every sustainable garment.”
Doubly, nearly a year on from the initial meeting, the
global pandemic has arguably instigated a switch-change
in consumer consciousness towards environmentalism,
a progression that Danford-Phillips says had been on the
precipice of the project’s goals.
“Even before the pandemic, it was becoming clear that
things were really beginning to shift, and I needed to be a
part of that,” she says. “[Last year] made me realise that if
you know you need to do something, then do it – live by
what you believe.”
And the brand itself has fast accumulated a dedicated
audience in the last year: alongside a successful ecommerce
website. Danford-Phillips’ digitally printed gloves were
sported by Japanese-British pop star Rina Sawayama during
a performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
in 2020, exemplifying the popularity of luxury digital printing
within fashion and pop culture. This project will no doubt
propel Rose Danford-Phillips’ designs into further success
as it pushes the technical and environmental boundaries of
colouration.
Screen vs. digital
The uncharted creative seas unleashed by the project are
somewhat exciting to the designer, who says her work
with digital print is “always so planned, it’s all done on
the computer, and [she] can see what [the design] will
look like.” Whereas the Future Fashion Factory project
will lead her ‘into the unknown’ where colouration has no
limitations.
For example, Ellams notes that the project aims to
rejuvenate design approaches by revisiting screen printing as
an option for textile colouration. The textile printing industry
is firmly adamant that digital printing machinery is the future
since it not only prints colours effectively and efficiently but
reduces the environmental impact of fabric and garment
printing. However, Ellams explains that the project at hand
is open to screen printing as an alternative if the results
29/03/2021 09:34:19
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 Print design

reveal it to be an exciting, colourful, and more sustainable brand’s sustainability. And on a much wider scale, it offers
alternative. opportunity to set up accessible supply of sustainable
“Screen printing is competing with digital print in the colouration.
industry,” says Ellams. “I think our natural, holistic approach “It’s really difficult to be a sustainable brand, which is one
to colouration could rejuvenate some of those smaller of the reasons I’m so pleased to be working on this project,”
studios by providing an alternative approach that is suited to says Danford-Phillips. “We want to show that there are
a different scale and aesthetic.” unexplored, exciting possibilities out there still.”
But what if the project reveals a preference for screen Consequently, the finalised product will hopefully
printing? What if truly sustainable innovation pulls the rug snowball interest from industry too, explains Ellams: “It’s
from under what industry believes to be the future – digital not just going to push creative boundaries,
printing? but technical ones too. I think that’s what’s
“If that comes out of it, that’s great – if it’s something exciting about working on this project.
that works and is better and beautiful, why wouldn’t we “Rose is going to be able to create
use it?” asks Danford-Phillips. “I don’t think there’s anything a collection with real environmental
wrong with making interesting, niche products with [screen credentials and technical underpinning
printing]. It is a craft. It’s a luxury and a craft, and I think it’s that is directly informed and
great to have new, positive options [at our disposal].” driven from a designer
Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the [and scientific] point
six-month project, initially scheduled to run from January to of view. It’s really
June 2021, had at first suffered delays due to UK lockdown exciting.”
restrictions. Despite
“What’s really important with this project is the iterative the hurdles to
process between technology and creativity,” says Ellams. overcome under
“If we didn’t have access to a lab and we couldn’t visit and UK lockdown, Danford-
develop prototypes then we needed to hold off starting the Phillips expresses gratitude that
project.” the project gives the designer a
Now operating on a ‘Covid-safe basis’, the project was set dose of agency in a competitive
to commence on 1 February 2021, says Blackburn (at the industry.
time of writing this article). “What’s amazing about working
with Future Fashion Factory is
Impact that it puts me and my brand in
The project carries with it an important criticism of the the conversation. We are not just
fashion industry. buying from someone who has
Within the industry, there are barriers in place that limit developed something sustainable;
the sustainability of small fashion brands. These limitations we are doing the research. I find it
include an inaccessibility to sustainable tools, the sky-high exciting to be part of a solution.
cost of implementation and the difficulty in finding a supplier “Because fashion can be
that can also develop and produce the product. terrible [for the environment],
“[Before applying for the fund], I had researched different and to me, the only way to
ways to manufacture more sustainably, including different work in [the industry] is to
fabrics that I could use,” says Danford-Phillips. “I realised that do the absolute best I can
it was going to be really, really difficult as an independent and build my business
designer to use most of the great sustainable and innovative with strong values at
options. It’s almost impossible to get those companies to its core.”
work with you as a small designer.”
Rose Danford
But by collaborating with Future Fashion Factory, Rose Phillips’ Daphne silk
Danford-Phillips will take charge of the direction of her turtleneck in Purple
Wild Nymph print

10 DIGITAL TEXTILE

P 6-10 Print Design.indd 10 29/03/2021 09:34:21


Colorjet and Konica Minolta
form closer alliance
Konica Minolta and Colorjet, experts in
the development and manufacture of
digital textile printing equipment, have
announced a strategic global alliance.
The announcement builds on a
decades old partnership which will
see Konica Minolta promote Colorjet’s
inkjet textile printers through their
global sales network.
Colorjet is the largest digital printer
manufacturer in India and prides
itself on “delivering smart solutions
of digital large-format printers
that enable users to enhance their
business proposition and maximise
their ROI”.
For years, Colorjet’s VastraJet
and Metro printers have been
designed around Konica Minolta’s
industry-leading cutting-edge
reliable printheads – a testament to
the long-standing and established
Expanding into the short-run
personalised kit market
After being revealed as the
winner of a new Ricoh Ri 100
direct-to-garment (DTG) printer
in October 2020, sports kits and
leisurewear provider Scorpion Sports
says it plans to use the machine to
help explore opportunities in the
short-run and personalised print
markets.
Scorpion Sports won the new
Ricoh Ri 100 DTG printer – along
with a print tray, heat tray, and a full
set of CMYK inks – following the
12
P 12-20 News.indd 12
News
business relationship between the
two companies.
Both Konica Minolta and Colorjet
state that their strategic partnership
will make it possible to offer
comprehensive solutions to the digital
textile print industry all over the world,
using the combined technological
and commercial channel leadership of
both companies.
“There are no other large-format
printer manufacturers other than
Colorjet with a range of print
solutions, which seamlessly integrate
global best-in-class technologies,” the
India-based OEM says. Colorjet has
been delivering enhanced business
values to the most demanding
of customers for 25 years with
more than 4,500 Colorjet printer
installations.
“The philosophy behind Colorjet
‘Win with Ricoh’ competition, which
attracted entries from businesses
across the UK.
Coventry-based Scorpion Sports
– a supplier of sportswear and
accessories for clubs, schools,
and colleges across the UK - was
randomly selected as the winner
and, now that the company has
taken delivery of its prize, says its
thoughts are firmly focused on how
it can best use the device to grow its
business.
products has been ‘smart Indian
engineering’ for sustained long-term
profit and this is what diverse
customers want,” says MS Dadu,
chairman and managing director,
Colorjet India.
“The new strategic arrangement
between [Colorjet] and Konica
Minolta aims to result in a gain of
15-17% market share in our target
countries. This will be made possible
with the increased product range
that would appeal to a much wider
range of textile and apparel industry
entrepreneurs and because an
optimised value would be delivered in
terms of product and service,” Dadu
adds.
Initially, the strategic sales
collaboration will begin in China and
Pakistan before extending to other
countries.
Marc Lord, manager of Scorpion
Sports, says while the Ricoh Ri
100 DTG will mainly be used for
short runs of branded T-shirts and
hoodies, such as for sports tours
and stag and hen parties, the
company is keen to explore how the
machine can help it gain traction in
new profitable markets.
The digital DTG printing sector
has performed well throughout
Continues on p. 14
DIGITAL TEXTILE
29/03/2021 09:40:08
 TEXTILE
SOLUTIONS.

News News Textile

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New year,
new branding
Beaver Paper Group, a member of Koehler Paper and a
manufacturer of sublimation media for the digital print
industry, has officially launched its new brand identity
and website upgrade.
Over the past year, Beaver Paper Group has gone
through many exciting changes. The company has
gained new leadership following the acquisition by
Koehler Paper, it has launched new products, installed
new equipment, and has nurtured new partnerships,
according to the company’s CEO Tobias Sternbeck.
He says: “With all our progressive changes and

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updates, it was time for our branding to evolve as well.
We are excited to debut our new logo, which reflects

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our heritage and marks the beginning of an exciting
new chapter in Beaver Paper Group’s journey forward
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to a successful future. Our newly enhanced website

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Beaver Paper’s new logo is an origami-inspired

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symbol of a Beaver which pays homage to the
company’s dedication to the specialty paper industry. D I
“Modern and fresh, the new branding is unique enough FA

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for Beaver Paper Group to move forward and build a
lasting and memorable brand,” says Sternbeck. L .
N A
Meanwhile, in the 21st century, an easy-to-use I

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critical.
“Designed to provide the ultimate user-friendly T
experience, the newly enhanced website (www. AN
beaverpaper.com) features a clean, streamlined TH
design with improved functionality, and easy access
P ER
to sublimation product information,” the company A R
explains. SH
The new Knowledge Center page offers information
on sublimation papers and is a resource for customers
The TUBIJET P product primer series ensures an optimum
looking for solutions, services, and industry insight.
inkjet printing preparation of pigment inks and extremely
The new site will be updated on a regular basis with brilliant colours. The reproduced illustrations are true to
news of product launches, events, and corporate the original, razor-sharp and can be realised on smallest
milestones. formats. See for yourself how you can save energy, water
But, according to Sternbeck, one thing that hasn’t and ink with our TUBIJET P solutions. You will achieve soft
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ISSUE 2 More about us at www.cht.com 13

P 12-20 News.indd 13 29/03/2021 09:40:09

 News

Continued from p. 12

the pandemic largely due to the

growth of ecommerce and the fact
that traditional fashion brands and
retailers have been forced to close
their doors for long periods. In
turn, this has expanded consumer
awareness to the benefits of
on-demand customised apparel
– just one of several market
segments which Scorpion Sports is
observing closely.
“If we identify a product or certain
type of service that would prove
popular with our customers, then
we will look to move into these
markets,” Lord says.
With a small footprint and simple
print workflow, the Ricoh Ri 100
is as easy to use as a standard
desktop printer. With eco-friendly,
Scorpion Sports store in Coventry, UK
water-based pigment inks, it offers
lots of creative potential for use of chemical pre-treatments, the Covid-19 pandemic, according to
short- and single-run items, Ricoh thus water is not required to wash the print service provider.
explains. the fabric post printing. This hastens On top of challenges posed by
“In just minutes it can print turnaround times and, coupled with the pandemic, including one of the
colourful designs, bold slogans and a growing demand for customised sharpest economic recessions on
even sharp photographs directly apparel, positions DTG technology record, Scorpion Sports has also
to T-shirts, sweatshirts, shopping as a key enabler of the digital had to deal with Brexit: on 1 January
bags, cushion covers and more, microfactory concept. this year (2021) the transition period
personalised for every customer,” Lord says the competition win between Britain and the EU ended
the OEM continues. came at the ideal time for Scorpion and companies exporting goods
For the last 12 months, Ricoh Sports, as the company had been into Europe encountered ‘teething
has been promoting its digital looking to add a new DTG printer to problems’ due to extra bureaucracy.
microfactory concept; the strengthen its production for some Nevertheless, with the Ricoh Ri 100
desktop-sized entry-level Ri 100 DTG time. DTG printer at its disposal, and by
solution would “be a perfect first “When I heard about the keeping a close eye on developments
step for aspiring start-ups”, Ricoh competition, I thought I would across the DTG printing space, Lord
says. By enabling low minimums, give it a go,” Lord says. “I’ve never says he is confident about what the
made-to-order the textile been lucky enough to win anything future holds for his business.
printing industry will be able to before, so it was fantastic to win a “We’re looking forward to
significantly reduce its impact on the printer of this quality.” normality returning,” he adds. “It
environment – Ricoh believes digital The win came at the end of what will be great to return the remaining
microfactories are the future of the was a difficult 12 months for many furloughed staff, fire up the new
textile printing industry. businesses, including Scorpion Ricoh machine, our other printers
Moreover, the use of pigment Sports, with the sportswear sector and embroidery machines, and start
inks in DTG printing eliminates the having been severely impacted by doing what we love again.”

14 DIGITAL TEXTILE

P 12-20 News.indd 14 29/03/2021 09:40:11


Recognising market
growth in Russia
EFI Reggiani and its Russia-based
sales agent Nissa Distribution have
completed three new sales contracts
for the supply and installation
of the Italian OEM’s POWER and
NEXT digital direct-to-fabric and
sublimation printers.
Russian print service providers
D-TEX Digital Textile Printing, MIRtex,
and Sima-Land will be the recipients
of the three new machines.
Nissa Distribution, and its
subsidiary Nissa Stensart, became
distributors of EFI Reggiani products
in 2018. Stensart’s product portfolio
Great Designs Deserve Great Paper!
ISSUE 2
P 12-20 News.indd 15
News
is comprised of the widest range
of equipment for the preparation,
printing and finishing of textiles.
Its technologies are said to “meet
the demanding requirements for
successful production in different
textile market segments,” the
company explains.
EFI Reggiani says its growth
throughout Russia is a result of
“well-coordinated, concerted efforts”
to ensure full sales and technical
support is provided to customers.
Stupino-based D-TEX Digital
Textile Printing and MIRtex, located
Sublimation Papers
in Furnmanov, are the first print
service providers in Russia to invest
in the POWER 180 and POWER 240
machines.
The companies print and
manufacture products using natural
fibres and knitwear and are among
the largest comprehensive textile
manufacturers serving Russia and
the Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS).
The POWER 180 and POWER 240
are industrial-grade direct-to-fabric
Continues on p. 16
Contact us:
Info@beaverpaper.com
www.beaverpaper.com15
29/03/2021 09:40:11

Continued from p. 15
machines that can print on both
knitwear and textile applications
in widths of 1.8 and 2.4 metres,
respectively.
According to EFI Reggiani,
the printers are equipped with
a high-precision continuous
transportation belt for “reliable,
accurate fabric feeding without
wrinkles”. Both machines can also
use EFI Reggiani’s water-based,
eco-friendly inks, including the EFI
Reggiani BDR Diamond reactive
solution.
The POWER printers combine
“unparalleled reliability [from
EFI Reggiani’s long history of
manufacturing excellence] with new
cutting-edge innovations that make
production faster, smoother and
more efficient,” the OEM says.
And the printers are equipped
with an ink recirculation system and
electronics that make the POWER
line the top seller in its category
worldwide: at EFI’s recent virtual
user conference, EFI Engage, EFI
Reggiani’s senior vice president and
general manager, Adele Genoni,
disclosed that more than 110 POWER
units had been sold into 27 countries.
ITM postponed until 2022
The 35th International Textile
Machinery (ITM) exhibition has been
postponed until 14-18 June 2022.
The event was scheduled to take
place on 22-26 June this year (2021).
Organisers made the decision in
response to the ongoing Covid-19
pandemic, the effects of which have
worsened throughout Europe in
16
P 12-20 News.indd 16
News
Meanwhile, Russia’s first NEXT
340 printer is being installed at
the country’s largest wholesale
textile company: Sima-Land. The
Yekaterinburg-based business offers
more than one million different
products, ranging from interiors and
home décor applications to men’s,
women’s and children’s clothing.
The NEXT 340 is a 3.4-metre-
wide, beltless, industrial-grade
inkjet solution for direct and
sublimation printing. Sima-Land’s
printer is equipped with four
Kyocera printheads and is versatile,
according to EFI Reggiani. The OEM
says, in a CMYK x 2 configuration
the printer enables greater
productivity, but if higher quality is
required Sima-Land can switch to
an eight-colour configuration. And
by “using eco-friendly, water-based
EFI Reggiani IRIS inks, Sima-Land
will benefit from the ability to print
bright vivid shades and colours, and
ensure an extraordinary level of print
durability,” continues EFI Reggiani.
“The NEXT printer is the digital
solution for sublimation printing
on paper and non-elastic fabrics,
designed to revolutionise fashion,
sportswear, and home décor markets
with its combination of cost-saving
recent weeks. According to ITM, the
decision to postpone the event was
taken after “intense discussions and
evaluations with participants and
sector representatives”.
Show owners Teknik Fuarcilik
and Tüyap Tüm Fuarcilik have issued a
statement: “Our priority is to protect
exhibitor and visitor investments
features, speed, and quality,” Genoni
says. “NEXT users worldwide benefit
from reliable, industrial printing
with a limited initial investment on a
printer offering exceptional ease of
use and the lowest cost-per-metre
production in its category.”
Nissa Distribution will handle
all future technical service and
maintenance of the new printers sold
to D-TEX, MIRtex and Sima-Land,
and will also supply spare parts and
consumables.
“We are very excited to work with
Nissa Distribution and Nissa Stensart
to grow EFI Reggiani’s presence
in the important Russian market,”
says Genoni. “The installation of
high-performance EFI Reggiani
industrial digital textile printers at
three of the largest textile companies
in Russia, and the ability to help
these customers grow in the midst
of a pandemic, reflect the serious
commitment EFI Reggiani and our
partners have in helping customers
thrive and grow with efficient,
productive and green digital printing
solutions.”
EFI Reggiani is set to launch three
brand-new digital textile printers this
year. To discover the drivers behind
these solutions see pp. 26-28.
and all rights, not our commercial
earnings. In this regard, we believe
that all of our participants will find
this compulsory postponement […]
justified and will understand.”
ITM 2022, in cooperation with
Temsad, will take place at the
Tüyap Fair and Congress Center in
Istanbul.
DIGITAL TEXTILE
29/03/2021 09:40:11
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The return of the physical
exhibition
Preparations for ITMA ASIA + CITME,
scheduled to take place on 12-16
June at Shanghai’s National Exhibition
and Convention Centre (NECC), are
gathering momentum.
Following the completion of the
stand allocation exercise, more
than 1,650 exhibitors have received
their certificate of admission and
stand details. Despite the ongoing
global coronavirus pandemic, the
combined show continues to receive
the support of exhibitors from 25
countries, including the world’s
most established textile machinery
brand names, organisers say, which
ITMA 2023 is promoting industry transformation and innovation as the textile supply chain looks to navigate a turbulent couple of years
18
P 12-20 News.indd 18
News
is evidence of the textile machinery
industry’s yearning for the return of
in-person events.
Jordi Juani, Asia division director
of digital denim finishing expert
Jeanologia, who will be exhibiting
in June, says: “ITMA ASIA + CITME
is one of the most relevant shows
where we release the latest
information on our products and
services. Since we are focused on
the Asian market, we want to be
closer than ever to our customers,
attending the show and giving extra
support through our China team and
our new hub in Hong Kong.”
Meanwhile, preparations for
ITMA 2023 have also commenced.
Event organisers, ITMA services,
have confirmed that the exhibition,
returning to Milan, has adopted the
tagline ‘Transforming the World of
Textiles’.
Ernesto Maurer, president of
CEMATEX (the European Committee
of Textile Machinery Manufacturers),
which owns ITMA, believes the
industry needs to come together at
ITMA 2023 to inspire and shape the
future of textile production.
a
“ITMA 2023 will highlight innovations
and new approaches that serve as
CM
MY
CY
CMY
DIGITAL TEXTILE
29/03/2021 09:40:14
 News

transformation is even more critical

for the continued success of the
textile and garment industry.
“Speed and agility are also of the
essence to effectively tackle the
ecological and medical challenges
that we face today.”
The Covid-19 pandemic has
impacted large swathes of the textile
supply chain, but ITMA organisers
believe innovation is a great antidote
to the setback of the global crisis
and driver of a more efficient and
sustainable supply chain.
Despite the emergence of virtual
ITMA hopes to see visitor numbers close to the 150,000 seen at ITMA 2019 in Barcelona trade shows and conferences, the
catalysts to inspire and help textile “We are in the midst of the fourth desire for physical exhibitions is
and garment manufacturers grow industrial revolution that is filled unwavering and the quadrennial
their business, scale and sustain their with business and technological
Continues on p. 20
transformational
ai161477584817_wtin journey,”
art issue he says.
March_FA.pdf 1 3/3/21 advances,”
13:50 he explains. “Hence,

CM

MY

CY

MY

ISSUE 2 19

P 12-20 News.indd 19 29/03/2021 09:40:15


Continued from p. 19
ITMA expo is one of the most
prominent across the textile
industry. Trade shows boost
sales, so their absence has further
exacerbated an already uncertain
economic climate for textile
machinery manufacturers during the
past 12 months.
Kornit focused on
Turkey expansion
Kornit Digital has announced its
partnership with Turkish company
Matset as it continues to broaden its
market presence and expand digital
textile print-on-demand capabilities.
With over 45 years of experience,
Matset has a long-standing
reputation as being a pioneer of
innovation in the printing industry,
says the Israel-based inkjet printing
OEM.
After the first meeting, Kornit
Digital and Matset were quick to
recognise how their partnership
would effectively accelerate the
development of the Kornit Digital
brand and solutions in the Turkish
market.
The deal will see Matset sell
and deliver after-sales support for
all Kornit Digital textile solutions,
including both direct-to-garment
(DTG) and direct-to-fabric product
lines, particularly for T-shirts,
activewear, denim, fashion,
beachwear, home textiles, and
fabrics, according to Kornit Digital.
“With Kornit’s production systems,
we have made an important
20
P 12-20 News.indd 20
News
Despite a modest recovery of
sorts in the final quarter of 2020,
the textile machinery industry is
facing a bleak and challenging year
ahead. Statistics published by the
International Textile Machinery
Federation (ITMF) reveal that the
market had improved by 4% (from
-16% to -12%) when compared to
the same time in 2019.
addition to our product portfolio,”
says Dogu Pabuççuoglu, general
manager, Matset. “We were able
to quickly build a roadmap and are
sure the market share will increase
very rapidly in the near future.
With Kornit’s reliable and creative
solutions and our well-known and
engaged distribution network, we
will provide customers with a strong
sales and support service.
“In the changing world we
are living in, sectors are being
transformed,” he adds. “Printing
operations are adding different lines
of business. At Matset, we offer the
best choice of technology not only
for the textile arena but also for the
entire printing chain. Customers
are looking for different solutions
to help them develop their own
businesses.
“Kornit [Digital] offers the largest
digital textile portfolio available on
the market today, combined with
outstanding quality and the widest
colour gamut. This is exactly what
we do too, and we believe we can
use our experience to grow Kornit’s
The ITMF conducted six
Corona-Surveys in 2020, all of which
correlated sales data from over 150
global machinery companies to
forecast the impact the virus has
had, and will continue to have, on the
textile machinery market.
To find out more about ITMA 2023,
visit www.itma.com. To exhibit, email
application@itma.com.
market share in Turkey. Our goal
is to increase their install base
and satisfy customers. We aim
to achieve that with our market
knowledge, experienced service
team and responsive supply chain
capabilities.”
“We are pleased to welcome
another partner to our growing
network,” says Omer Kulka, CMO,
Kornit Digital. “Matset joins our
network of expert digital production
operations that have developed
a reputation for distributing
high-quality solutions supported
by a knowledgeable team and
responsive service. We are delighted
to continue growing our reach in
enabling manufacturers to make
their businesses more agile, more
responsive to the market, more
sustainable, and ultimately more
prosperous.”
For deeper insight into Turkey’s
digital textile printing market see
pp. 29-35. Meanwhile, discover how
Kornit Digital’s solutions are helping
to facilitate the on-demand digital
microfactory on pp. 36-45.
DIGITAL TEXTILE
29/03/2021 09:40:15
 Technical briefing: roll-to-roll printing

A newfound focus
By Dr John Provost, consulting editor

T
he roll-to-roll digital printing sector; the latest figures estimate of roll-to-roll digital textile
textile print market, will be presented in a webinar on production in 2020, with an output
otherwise known as the 30 March. forecast through to 2023.
direct-to-fabric (DTF) Nevertheless, in issue 8 of Digital These findings suggest that
market, suffered an unprecedented Textile magazine 2020 an estimate roll-to-roll inkjet textile printing
reduction in global production in 2020 was made of the effect of Covid-19 volumes will not recover to 2019
due to the Covid-19 pandemic, when on roll-to-roll digital textile output, levels until 2022 at the earliest,
factories shut down and stores closed. together with a view on a time scale and this projected recovery is
The downturn in textile printing of recovery to pre-Covid-19 levels. wholly dependent on the world’s
output impacted all high-speed An estimated reduction of digital response to the pandemic and
textile print service providers, textile production compared to unforeseen bumps in the road. To
including both traditional screen and 2019 was in the region of 30%, date, businesses operating in the
inkjet textile printing enterprises. thus reducing the total 2020 digital textile printing market have
The fashion & apparel sector and estimated production to 2.16 billion greeted any notion of a recovery
the polyester soft signage market square metres. with cautious optimism.
were particularly hard hit, with an Following a preliminary evaluation As we have discussed many times
overall global reduction in textile of digital roll-to-roll sales data from before in Digital Textile magazine,
print production in the region of 2020, the overall global reduction the digital textile printing market
25% to 30% in 2020. The of digital textile printing output is is made up of two distinct sectors:
cancellation of sporting events and around 25%. Figure 1 is the best roll-to-roll and direct-to-garment
exhibitions reduced the quantity
of printed polyester signage and
this downturn was demonstrated
by a reduction in disperse
dye-sublimation ink sales.
The roll-to-roll digital textile
printing market surpassed the three
billion square metre milestone at
the end of 2019, with an estimated
market penetration of more than
8% of the analogue textile screen
market on a like-for-like textile print
production basis.
WTiN Intelligence: Digital Textiles
is currently compiling 2020 market
data for the roll-to-roll inkjet textile
Figure 1: A forecast of digital textile printing output volumes through to 2023

ISSUE 2 21

P 21-25 Tech Brief.indd 21 29/03/2021 09:46:50

 Technical briefing: roll-to-roll printing
Figure 2: The rise of ecommerce. Source: McKinsey & Company
(DTG). The digital DTG textile
printing sector, being essentially
an ecommerce internet-driven
business, bounced back significantly
in the second half of 2020, with
particularly strong growth in the
final quarter of the year, according to
WTiN Intelligence: Digital Textiles.
One of the major players in this
sector, Kornit Digital, published
its fourth quarter 2020 results and
its full 2020 financial results on 14
February 2021. The figures revealed
the company’s fourth quarter 2020
revenues grew by 49% on the same
quarter in 2019.
“We delivered record fourth
quarter results, exceeding
our expectations on revenue
growth, profitability, and net cash
from operations, capping off a
transformative year for Kornit,” says
Kornit Digital CEO, Ronen Samuel.
The DTG sector increased
production in the second half of
2020. It was also noticeable that
roll-to-roll digital textile printers
with an ecommerce business
model, such as Spoonflower, also
significantly increased output.
North Carolina-based Spoonflower
22
P 21-25 Tech Brief.indd 22
even purchased four new Kornit
Presto machines to meet growing
demands.
With the success of the digital
DTG printing market – and other
ecommerce digital printers - during
a period of economic turbulence
because of the pandemic, major
roll-to-roll digital textile printing
OEMs will undoubtedly be revising
their business strategies to
possibly include machines and
ink technologies that target the
blossoming ecommerce era.
However, many textile printers
(both screen and digital) have to rely
on the conventional textile value
chain for production orders and,
as we have discussed previously,
the market is essentially controlled
by retailers and brand owners. But
with the market fast changing, if
major retailers and brand owners
encompass ecommerce strategies
significant developments could
be afoot.
In McKinsey’s recently published
State of Fashion 2021 report, it
forecasts a 20% increase in online
sales this year. Internet-based
ecommerce business strategies
depend very much on speed-to-
market, on-demand printing with the
ability to quickly follow influencers
of social media. This will inevitably
change the global digital textile
printing market in the coming years.
We can expect to see new machine
concepts and the introduction of
innovative ink formulas in order to
facilitate new business models.
State of play
There are many types of digital
textile printing machines which
cover a complete range of
production speeds; from sampling
right through to single-pass printers,
capable of printing many thousands
of square metres per hour.
Figure 3 provides an interesting
breakdown of roll-to-roll digital textile
print production. Based on data from
WTiN Intelligence: Digital Textiles
it segments output by machine
performance for the different
categories of digital textile machines.
Machine production types have
been divided into six areas: sampling
which enables production speeds
of under 20 sqm/h; low production
scanning machines with speeds
ranging between 20 sqm/h and 50
sqm/h; three higher speed scanning
machine sectors ranging from
50-150 sqm/h, 150-300 sqm/h,
300-650 sqm/h and the high
production industrial sector. The
industrial segment of the digital
textile printing market accounts for
speeds in excess of 650 sqm/h and
covers both the high production
scanning machines with the 32 to
64 printheads, and the single-pass
printers which are equipped with a
fixed array of printheads.
High production single-pass digital
textile printing machines where
DIGITAL TEXTILE
29/03/2021 09:46:51
 W TiN
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Informative,
Intelligence.
WTiN.com offers indepth market
& technical intelligence in key
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or expanding into new territories, we have all the relevant
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© Copyright World Textile Information Network Ltd 2021. All rights reserved.

Intelligence FINAL.indd 1 04/03/2021 11:18:53

 Technical briefing: roll-to-roll printing
commercially announced in 2011
with the arrival of the MS LaRio. The
first machine was installed in Italy in
2012 by MS Printing Solutions which
is now part of Dover Corporation.
The MS LaRio was joined by three
other major single-pass digital
textile printers at the 2015 ITMA
exhibition in Milan: SPG Prints
introduced the PIKE, Konica Minolta
launched its Nassenger SP-1 and
Atexco announced the Vega One.
The established Chinese players
Figure 3: Digital textile market split of roll-to-roll printers measured by productivity
Table 1: Leading printhead manufacturers in the digital textile printing industry
24
P 21-25 Tech Brief.indd 24
in the digitally printed ceramic tile
industry also entered the inkjet
textile printing space, largely due
to the decline in demand for digital
single-pass ceramic printers. These
machines have been mainly confined
to disperse dye-sublimation printing
on transfer paper and have not made
any impact outside of China.
More recently, EFI Reggiani
entered the single-pass printing
arena in November 2018 by
launching the BOLT machine
at a major press event at their
headquarters in Bergamo. The
machine was showcased at ITMA
Barcelona the following June (2019)
where four sales were confirmed.
EFI Reggiani has since sold one more
BOLT printer.
Nevertheless, high-speed
scanning printers form the largest
segment of the digital textile
printing market. With printing
speeds ranging from 150-650
sqm/h, these machines accounted
for almost half of all roll-to-roll inkjet
textile printing output in 2019.
High production machines, either
scanning or single-pass, account
for 63% of roll-to-roll digital textile
printing production. Note this
breakdown is based on production
speeds to produce acceptable
quality and not on a manufacturers’
top-speed specifications.
An updated overview of major
roll-to-roll digital textile printing
DIGITAL TEXTILE
29/03/2021 09:46:54
 Technical briefing: roll-to-roll printing

machines, both scanning and

single pass, is provided in Table 1. It
indicates the wide choice that is now
available to print service providers
and is evidence of the huge strides
the industry has made in the last
decade.
Based on 2019 data from WTiN
Intelligence: Digital Textiles, the
largest share of the printhead market
belongs to Kyocera followed by
Epson.
Scanning type digital textile print
machines will probably be the most Figure 4: The output share of major printhead manufacturers in the roll-to-roll digital textile
popular future machine choice for printing market

ecommerce enterprises due to

a combination of machine cost,
technical performance and the fact
they enable a greater degree of
flexibility to the user in terms of print
details and volumes.
The lower cost of scanning
machines compared to single-pass
alternatives allows print service
providers to install multiple printers.
This means print service providers
can operate several production runs
simultaneously or fulfil larger orders
by using the machines to print the
same print. This is obviously not a
new approach, as many factories
already utilise multiple machines
[see Figure 5]. Moreover, this is an
enabler of the digital microfactory
concept which has been promoted
extensively by many companies
and organisations, one of the most
notable being Ricoh.
Sustainability
As environmental issues remain a
major focus of the textile printing
market – primarily the reduction
of water consumption, hazardous
chemicals, and carbon emissions –
digitally printing textiles with pigment
inks seems like an obvious choice.
Figure 5: A Chinese print service provider has invested in a fleet of Model X printers from Atexco
The future focus on ecommerce
and sustainability across the
roll-to-roll digital textile printing
industry, as we have discussed,
will inevitably lead to pigment inks
becoming the solution of choice for
users of multi-pass digital textile
printers.
The print architecture of digital
textile scanning printers also allows
for multiple passes of printheads and
increased printhead maintenance
schedules, giving greater operability
and tolerances for the more
demanding pigment dispersion inks.
Compact roll-to-roll digital
scanning printers, that target the
ecommerce sector, are forecast
to become more popular over the
next five years and they will likely
be printing with high-performance
pigment inks and pre-treatment
technology. With the increase of
ecommerce, thus the number of
digital microfactories in operation,
we should see a healthy recovery for
the digital textile print market.
It will take a long time before
digital microfactories can offset the
high volumes produced by print
service providers in cheap labour
economies. But if the market was
slowly edging in the direction of
on-demand digital microfactories
and nearshoring pre-Covid-19, then
the pandemic and the issues it has
caused for traditional businesses has
only hastened the speed of change.

ISSUE 2 25

P 21-25 Tech Brief.indd 25 29/03/2021 09:46:57


Filling gaps
in the market
EFI Reggiani will launch three new digital textile printers in the first half
of 2021. Here, the company’s senior vice president and general manager,
Adele Genoni, outlines the motivating factors. Joseph Link reports
A
s part of its 75th
anniversary celebrations,
EFI Reggiani has revealed
the imminent launch of
three new digital textile printers.
Adele Genoni, senior vice president
and general manager at the
company, revealed the news during a
press briefing at EFI’s first virtual user
conference, EFI Engage 2021.
Following a tumultuous year for the
textile printing industry, the scale of
the announcement is surprising. But
in the increasingly competitive and
rapidly evolving world of inkjet textile
printing, Genoni explains the new
machines will enable EFI Reggiani
to further expand its share of the
high-growth market beyond the
current pandemic.
The inkjet textile printing industry
has enjoyed a decade of technological
innovation, but the market remains
quite small in comparison to the
rotary screen-printing sector.
According to WTiN Intelligence: Digital
Textiles, inkjet technology accounts
for around 10% of all printed textiles.
But in spite of the versatility and
resourcefulness of digital textile
solutions, the industrial high-volume
26
P 26-28 High-speed printing EFI.indd 26
High-speed printing
segment of the market struggled in
2020. Orders for fashion and apparel
fell away when western economies
went into lockdown and many
high-volume print service providers
were left in a precarious position.
Their plight resulted in a decline in
new machinery installations, which
also caused a serious headache for
OEMs like EFI Reggiani.
Increasing productivity
Genoni believes productivity is a key
driver in increasing that percentage
and one of EFI Reggiani’s new
launches will specifically target a
noticeable gap in the market.
“We want to help support
our customers in their digital
transformation,” she says. “One of [EFI
Reggiani’s] three new printers is going
to target the industrial high-speed
segment of the multi-pass textile
printing sector. The printer will not
only be the fastest multi-pass printer
that EFI Reggiani has ever developed,
but we are expecting it to be the
fastest of its kind in the market.”
EFI Reggiani technicians are
currently working behind the scenes
to carry out the few remaining tests
to officially verify that claim, but the
overriding aim of the solution is to
further close the productivity gap
between single-pass printers and
scanning machines.
“We have listened to our customers
and we have understood that there
is a need [for even more productive
digital textile scanning printers],
and we are trying to fulfil those
requirements with one of the
upcoming solutions,” Genoni adds.
However, due to the growth in
ecommerce last year the exciting
and more sustainable on-demand
Web2Print business model reached
new heights. And with the world still
struggling to contain the Covid-19
virus and large economies enduring
ongoing social restrictions (which
includes the closure of non-essential
brands and retailers) the business
model is forecast to become even
more prominent in 2021.
Nevertheless, EFI Reggiani believes
it will answer to these shifts with
another two impending scanning
machines which will help facilitate
a customer’s need to manufacture
closer to the end consumer.
“Breaking into the low-end
DIGITAL TEXTILE
29/03/2021 09:52:28

segment of the digital textile
printing market is another driver
for [EFI Reggiani],” explains Genoni.
“Industrial is our field but we are
listening and adapting to the current
market trends, which includes
nearshoring and reshoring. We are
expecting new customers to enter
into the industrial area and into new
geographies.
“In the growing low-volume
segment of the market we are
going to strengthen our multi-pass
offering by introducing novelties
to our industrial range. We will
be presenting two new industrial
entry-level scanning printers to the
market that will be equipped with EFI
Reggiani state-of-the-art technology.
They will enable new customers
to make their first steps into
industrial digital textile printing with
easy-to-use and reliable solutions
at the productivity level they are
looking for. Through the machines,
customers will also access the best
technology in terms of EFI Reggiani
quality and reliability.”
ISSUE 2
P 26-28 High-speed printing EFI.indd 27
High-speed printing
Bespoke designs
Moreover, Genoni points to a
growing misconception that
personalisation – a trend often
linked to low-volume on-demand
printing online – is not achievable for
high-volume print service providers.
Following a rise in ecommerce last
year (2020), the personalisation
trend is accelerating and this will
have a noticeable impact on the
textile industry once demand
returns.
“It is important to understand
that high-productivity printing can
be matched with personalisation
and customisation,” she says. “We
have customers who are leveraging
our top scanning printers, like the
EFI Reggiani POWER, with its 32
print heads, to print thousands of
personalised designs every day.
“These customers have
ecommerce linked to their
production planning and they are
also printing in large widths, up
to 3.4 metres. They are printing
personalised pillows, for example,
with photos provided directly from
the customer.
“The productivity is a requirement
of the print house based on
their order size or the output that
they want to achieve. Obviously, if
a print house is entering into the
inkjet industrial level it may want to
start with a low-speed printer and
then increase output depending on
their demand and its customers’
needs. But crucially, with digital
personalisation is possible no
matter what the productivity of the
printer is.”
Sustainability
Besides the drivers behind EFI
Reggiani’s three new machines,
Genoni has announced plans to
expand the OEM’s digital inks
offering in 2021. Issues around
sustainability were a critical
motivating factor for this.
The single-pass EFI Reggiani
BOLT textile printer
27
29/03/2021 09:52:29

The OEM knows, as does its
customers, that consumer buying
habits are changing based on a
growing understanding that their
purchases are potentially nurturing
environmentally damaging
manufacturing processes, and a
lack of supply chain transparency is
culpable.
In the digital textile printing market,
pigment inks are key to lowering a
print service provider’s environmental
impact.
“EFI Reggiani is the only OEM on
the market that is offering a full range
of digital pigment printing solutions,”
explains Genoni. “We don’t just have
one printer model, so we can answer
to the request of our customers
on an individual basis taking into
consideration their productivity level.
We have developed a pigment printer
offering that replicates the full range
of the other ink classes, and thanks
to EFI Reggiani TERRA pigment with
binder and the special polymerisation
unit, it allows for a short process with
inline fixation directly on the printer
itself.”
The benefits of digital pigment
printing are that less water and energy
are consumed, no post-treatment
after printing is needed, and waste is
kept to a minimum.
And even though the cost of digital
pigment inks remains stubbornly high
despite a decline in recent years, there
are other cost benefits to take into
consideration.
“The print service provider
would not have to spend on
auxiliary equipment for pre- and
post-treatments if they adopted
a pigment process,” Genoni says.
“And by printing with water-based
pigments, users can provide a more
environmentally friendly solution
28
P 26-28 High-speed printing EFI.indd 28
High-speed printing
for consumers. This is especially
important to younger generations
as they are driving the agenda of
style and trends with sustainability in
mind.”
Single-pass printing
Genoni is also keen to dispel the
myths around the need for single-pass
printing. The technology has evolved
quickly into a solution that now
competes, in terms of productivity, with
rotary screen-printing technology – the
latter accounts for 80% of the market.
Genoni does not believe that new
low-volume textile printers will account
for such high volumes.
“In just one year, an EFI Reggiani
customer based in Pakistan printed
15 million metres of fabric with the
BOLT,” she claims, adding that it will
be difficult to offset that demand
through low-volume print ecommerce.
Genoni adds: “We firmly believe that
single-pass technology has a strong
future in the market.”
The BOLT, launched in 2018,
is EFI Reggiani’s only single-pass
textile printer to date but is the most
productive of its kind in the market.
According to Genoni, the printer
epitomises the technology’s innovation
throughout the last 10 years.
“The adoption rate of single-pass
technology when it first came to
market was limited due to availability
and reliability issues, thus it did not
meet the expectations of print service
providers,” Genoni says.
“The BOLT, however, is very reliable
and in the first year following its
launch [in 2018, EFI Reggiani] sold
four units, which accounted for one
third of single-pass printer sales in
2019. Unfortunately, last year was the
start of the pandemic and we cannot
consider 2020 from a high-productivity
standpoint because it is inconceivable
that a print house would invest in a
high-speed printer when demand was
so uncertain. But we do believe fully in
the BOLT machine and its future impact
on the textile printing market.”
The fashion & apparel sector
accounts for two thirds of the
textile printing market, home décor
applications form the remainder.
Genoni points out that the BOLT is
increasingly used to print fashion and
apparel where high-quality, fine detail
prints are required.
And she is quietly optimistic that
demand for high-volume printing is
returning.
“[EFI Reggiani] had a satisfactory Q4
last year and the first quarter of 2021
has also been positive,” she says. “We
have agreements that are already in
place with customers for Q2 2021 as
well. So yes, the market is definitely
showing signs of a recovery.”
EFI Reggiani’s new solutions,
the development of which began
pre-Covid-19, will be launched virtually
in the first half of the year (2021).
It will be exciting to see EFI Reggiani’s
new range of equipment on exhibition
stands around the world, but the
company says it will only return to
physical exhibitions once it is safe and
able to do so.
In the meantime, Genoni says the
company will be working to continue
to improve its offering to customers by
further expanding its product range in
due course.
“Our product development roadmap
is an ongoing process so we are always
considering what EFI Reggiani’s next
steps will be,” she continues. “We
have a passion for the textile world,
so we want to be able to provide
our customers with the latest in
cutting-edge technology.”
DIGITAL TEXTILE
29/03/2021 09:52:29
 Regional focus: Turkey
STEADYING MARKET
By Otis Robinson
N
ot even the industry’s biggest textile production hubs
could escape the economic horrors of 2020. Previously,
Turkey had been on an upward climb for the last
century (it even survived the 2018 recession, and although
its impacts can still be felt across the country, it had seen
modest growth in the years since) but Covid-19 was
another unseen enemy right around the corner.
According to WTiN Intelligence: Digital Textiles, the
country produced 223.51 million sqm of digitally printed
fabric in 2019, with 64.97% produced with direct-to-fabric
printing and 35.03% produced with dye-sublimation
printing. Meaning, at the start of 2020, the country
continued to be one of the most critical digital textile
printing hubs in Europe, with an increased focus on
innovative printing technologies that provide quality and
consistency in the competitive market, noted WTiN’s 2019
digital textile industry review.
But weeks into March 2020, much like other countries
around the globe, quarantine measures were enacted to
fight back against the spread of the virus. Obviously, this led
to stagnating, wobbly or even completely cancelled orders
of textile print runs. This drop in garment and textile exports
inevitably halted orders of digital printing machines.
Prior, Turkey had cashed in on its position as one of the
world’s top digital textile printing hubs for output and
machinery installations. But the catastrophe left in the
wake of the Covid-19 pandemic saw a decline in sales of
around 20-25% for the dyeing and printing sectors, claims
Emre Tezcan, country manager of printer manufacturer
Dover Turkey, part of Dover Corporation, although Tezcan
declares there are no official figures as of yet.
Nevertheless, as we enter a new financial year, things
are already set to change for the better. When production
ISSUE 2
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restarted in July 2020, sportswear and activewear took
to the spotlight – areas where dye-sublimation printing
reigns supreme. Elsewhere, MS Printing Solutions – part of
Dover Corporation – has noted an uptick in sales this year
(2021), and notes that areas like home textiles have already
returned to pre-Covid-19 figures.
However, the fashion & apparel market is only showing
very slow signs of recovery; the drop in demand for such
products has caused a headache for both OEMs and print
service providers during the last 12 months.
To mitigate this challenge, inkjet textile machinery
manufacturers are researching and developing new
solutions that support the fashion & apparel market’s
transition from mass production to customisation. New
business models such as Web2Print are aiding this shift.
Nevertheless, Erkut Erenoğlu, a freelance textile print
consultant, designer and lecturer, explains to WTiN that
the new normal of frequently changing seasons and
limited-edition garments represents an increased priority
for the fashion industry, and digital printing allows the
Turkish market to cater to these requirements with ease.
Perhaps then, Turkey’s digital printing industry could see
a fairly quick ascent back to its powerhouse status. It is
expected that the growth of digital textile printing – which
is predicted to one day replace the conventional printing
sector, according to a Turkish textile business – will allow
Turkey to nearly “double the capacity of [other hubs
like] Italy”.
Though 2021 has industries acting more carefully than
ever to avoid further hardship, the anticipation of a great
financial year – once markets reopen after restrictions are
lifted – has the Turkish printing industry locked and loaded
for success.
29
29/03/2021 09:55:54
 Regional focus: Turkey
Reaping nearshoring rewards
Paul Cochrane assesses the recovery and growth of Turkey’s vibrant digital
textile printing market
T
he Turkish digital printing sector was hard hit in
2020 by the Covid-19 pandemic, but as demand for
garments and textiles slowly gathers momentum, so
does the need for new printers.
Turkey is set to break into the world’s top three digital
textile printing hubs in terms of output capacity and
machinery installations. The trend for smaller print runs
and retailers seeking orders made closer to home are
major growth drivers.
“It was a catastrophic year, 2020,” says Emre Tezcan,
country manager of printer manufacturer Dover Turkey,
part of US-based Dover Corporation, the parent company
of MS Printing Solutions. “There are no official figures,
but sales were down around 20-25% in terms of dying
and printing.”
A Dover Turkey employee
gives a demonstration of the
MS JP7 printer at its demo
centre in Bursa, Turkey
30
P 30-32 PC Turkey.indd 30
It is a figure echoed across the industry, with Cengiz
Kahraman, managing director of Spot Uluslararası Tekstil
Sanayi ve Mümessillik AS, in Istanbul, estimating that
digital printing capacity in Turkey, based on growth in
2019, would probably have increased by 15% to 20% if the
pandemic had not happened. Indeed, digital printing had
been on the rise in Turkey prior to the pandemic.
“The market has been growing a lot for the past decade.
Turkey is one of the most important digital markets in the
world in terms of volume,” says Gianluca Macchi, sales
director for Konica Minolta IJ Textile Europe, which directly
handles the Turkish market for the Japanese technology
major. “There are seven single-pass machines [in Turkey,
two of which are Konica Minolta’s Nassenger SP-1], which
is quite a big number on a global level as there are not so
DIGITAL TEXTILE
26/03/2021 09:26:32
 Regional focus: Turkey

many companies able to run such large machines – they

cost around €2m per unit, without considering ink.”
Industry players estimated there are some 350-370
multi-scan printers in the Turkish market, printing
between 3,600 and 4,000 metres per day, and around
3,000 rotary printers. “There are vertical companies
that do everything, from spinning to knitting, dying, and
printing, but there are also dedicated print houses,” adds
Kahraman.
At the end of March 2020, the Turkish government
imposed stay-at-home measures to slow the spread of
Covid-19, which impacted garment and textile production
for around three months. Global retailers and brands also
slashed or cancelled orders.
From July (2020), production re-started, with a
Akbaşlar Textile’s Mini Lario printer in action. Credit: Dover Turkey
particular focus on sportswear and activewear.
“Woven fabric producers were suffering until October
[2020] having little capacity due to Covid-19, then it
eased,” says Kahraman. “Since October [2020], woven
fabric producers [have been operating] at 30-40%
capacity, while knitted fabric producers are at 80-90%
capacity and have investment projects.”
The drop in garment and textile exports in 2020
prompted manufacturers to hold off on orders for new
digital printing machines until the market rebounded.
“There were delays because of the uncertainty of the
market, but they did not cancel orders,” says Macchi. He
cites companies in the textile hubs of Bursa, south of
Istanbul, as well as in Çorlu and Çerkezköy in European
Turkey, recently acquiring Konica Minolta Nassenger
10 machines, which have a price tag of €500,000, and
The MS Mini Lario and JP7 printers installed at Bati Basma Sanaya’s
being in discussions with other companies for sales of textile factory. Credit: Dover Turkey

Nassenger 8 and Nassenger 10 printers. finishers in Turkey is on productivity and high-capacity

“Our larger customers want to sell fabric to big
European retailers and brands, which require premium
brand European machines, otherwise they will not get the
order,” adds Macchi.
Manufacturers focused on the domestic market typically
opt for cheaper Chinese machines. “They are fighting for
price, and the print quality is quite low,” he says.
MS Printing Solutions has also noted an uptick in
sales this year. “We have started well in 2021, with deals
underway that were postponed from last year,” says
Tezcan. “A main trend in the market is for home textiles,
which has returned to [pre-Covid-19] figures.”
There are five LaRio digital printing machines (made by
MS Printing Solutions) in Turkey, he adds. The current for
production through companies shifting from two-head
printers to single-pass machines with 32 and 64 print
heads. Tezcan says there was also demand for Mini
Larios, the JP4 and JP7 machines. “Although conventional
printing is very strong in Turkey, it looks like the
conversion to digital is getting more serious, especially for
home textiles,” says Tezcan.
Kahraman has observed a conversion to digital as well,
particularly for cheaper multi-scan printers, which cost
between €300,000 and €500,000. “There are a lot of
sales,” he says. “This year, digital capacity will increase by
around 30%, although I am not sure for the woven side,
which may decrease.”
While the garment & textile sector has had a difficult

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 Regional focus: Turkey
A demo session in progress at Dover Turkey’s base in Bursa, Turkey
year, the pandemic is proving to be a fillip for Turkey due
to its proximity to the European market, which accounted
for 73.4% of the country’s garment exports in 2020,
according to the Istanbul Apparel Exporters Association
(İHKİB – İstanbul Hazır Giyim ve Konfeksiyon İhracatçıları
Birliği).
European retailers and brands are seeking smaller
orders and print runs before placing new orders, with
Turkey at an advantage compared to digital printing
competitors in Pakistan and China. Logistical issues due
to the pandemic have also played into Turkey’s hands; the
ability to truck goods to Europe, for example. In contrast,
the cost of shipping containers has risen ten-fold in the
last 12 months, according to Tezcan.
“Customers that had been getting products from
suppliers in the far east have switched to Turkish suppliers
due to small order sizes and follow them up with repeat
orders afterwards,” says Kahraman.
Most of Turkey’s digital printing is on the Anatolian side,
a further plus for speed-to-market. The digital printer
manufacturers have responded to the rising demand and
where the industry is located, with MSI downsizing in
32
P 30-32 PC Turkey.indd 32
Istanbul to open a demo centre in Bursa, in May 2020, to
provide demonstrations and training.
“In Turkey’s digital printing market, the drive is for
reactive inks but there is also growing demand for
pigments, which people are not as well acquainted with,
so we are showing them how it works,” says Tezcan. He
adds that demand for silk printing may also grow.
Konica Minolta expects the use of pigment inks to
accelerate rapidly in the digital textile printing market in
the coming years. “[Pigment inks] will be a big winner, as
pigment printing does not [require] steaming or washing
which costs time, needs more employees, and uses a lot
of water,” says Macchi.
“The conversion [to digital printing] is quite high
compared to elsewhere worldwide,” says Tezcan. “I
believe that, in the next four or five years, there will
definitely be 500 digital printing machines in Turkey.”
Kahraman thinks this growth will continue for some
time. “Digital will replace the whole conventional
printing sector, except for some special printing effects,”
he states. “In terms of metres, Turkey can double the
capacity of Italy.”
DIGITAL TEXTILE
26/03/2021 09:26:38
 Regional focus: Turkey

Assessing Turkey
as a major digital
print player
With the Turkish market producing 120% more digitally printed fabric
in just four years between 2015 and 2019, Erkut Erenoğlu assesses the
impact of Covid-19 and Turkey’s stature in the inkjet textile printing arena.
Harry McMullen reports

T
urkey’s textile heritage
predates many modern
civilisations. The country’s
ancient capital Byzantium (modern
day Istanbul) was a key trade hub on
the old silk road – linking east and
west textile routes.
Over the last century, the nation
has emerged as a textile epicentre,
utilising its geographical location to
cash in on the ready-to-wear fast
fashion market.
“As of 2019, Turkey is the seventh
largest ready-to-wear exporter in the
world with a share of 3.3%,” explains
Erenoğlu, freelance textile print
consultant, designer, and lecturer.
Turkey’s main market is the EU,
with the country ranking third after
China and Bangladesh for EU exports
in the ready-to-wear market.
Ready-to-wear fashion & apparel
also makes up a large percentage of
the nation’s capita with over 56,000
registered textile and clothing firms
employing over 1,000,000 people in
the country.
Many would believe Turkey is a
country not particularly synonamous
with digital printing, as many of its
print houses exercise traditional
analogue screen printing equipment.
Erenoğlu is at an advantage as
he has experience in operating

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 Regional focus: Turkey

both screen and digital printing
technologies. He has worked as
a colour speration consultant for
Turkish print mills collaborating on
projects with the likes of Dorothy
Perkins, Wallis, TK Maxx, Matalan,
Primark and Tesco.
From his experience in the market,
he beleives changes in market
trends, the improved capabilities of
using digital printing and universal
sustainable thinking are key factors
which have led to the growth of a
burgeoining digital print market in
Turkey.
Driving digital
“In the early days of digital
printing, the Turkish market had a
perspective of only using digital
methods to print using more than
12 colours – a limitation in the
rotary screen-printing process,”
says Erenoğlu.
Now he believes the method of
digital is growing to keep up with
the demands of the ever-changing
printing market.
“Digital textile printing is now
expanding rapidly due to the
transition from mass production to
Digital textile printing even the last decade and Erenoğlu
provides a more sustainable believes that the market will
alternative to traditional methods continue to grow.
– another consumer trend that is According to WTiN Intelligence:
driving Turkey’s digital influence in Digital Textiles, the Turkish sector
its print market. had grown from producing 101.62
Referencing Turkey’s large textile million sqm of digitally printed textile
market and its rich heritage, in 2015 to producing 223.51 million
Erenoğlu suggests the nation’s sqm in 2019 – a 120% increase in
wealth of experience could be a only four years.
great catalyst of embracing and Moreover, the digital print market
driving digital print. has had a strong year in 2020 in
“Turkish companies already comparison to analogue textile
have skilled and educated human printing industries.
resources,” he says. The Covid-19 pandemic ravaged
“The design capacity of Turkish through global supply chains, but
manufacturers is always developing. digital printing performed well as the
With the accumulation of technical industry is less reliant on expansive
know-how, this fits perfectly well supply chains.
with embracing digital.” Erenoğlu works closely with
the Turkish digital print outfit
Cashing in on Covid-19 AIT (Advanced Information
The Turkish digital print market Technologies), a digital textile
has been in steady growth across printing supplier that sells printers
Turkey Annual Digital Print Production (million sqm)
Digital Print Production (million sqm)

customisation in fashion.
“Fast turnaround times due to
frequently changing seasons and
limited edition garments are also an
advantage of digital printing and are
an increasing priority for the fashion
industry,” insights Erenoğlu.
Consumers are starting to
reuqest shorter runs in order to
fulfill global customisation trends.
Along with the colour restrictions
Year (2015-2019)
associated with traditional rotary
methods, pattern size, extended
sample to product times and
higher staff requirements are also
Turkey’s four-year 120% production increase highlighted the country as an emerging
hinderences. market in digital textile printing

34 DIGITAL TEXTILE

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 Regional focus: Turkey

and inks for sublimation, reactive

and acid printing.
AIT remained operational
throughout 2020 because the
majority of digital printers only
require one operator. This is a
luxury not afforded to many rotary
screen printing companies who
had to close due to a lack of social
distancing; the analogue printing
process demands a much larger
workforce.
Furthermore, Erenoğlu believes
Turkey’s entire digital textile printing Erenoğlu has a wealth of experience in textile printing, working as a freelance colour
separation specialist with some of Turkey’s biggest print houses
market has been a big beneficiary of
the pandemic as consumer markets,
especially Europe, looked to Turkey
as an altenative to traditional
production markets.
“Turkey is one of the production
centres that is taking advantage
of the coronavirus pandemic as
it presents itself as an alternative
production hub to the fractured Setaş Digital’s state-of-the-art facility is the result of years of research and development.
Could this be a blueprint for Turkey’s future?
Chinese market,” he explains.
requires its own network of OEMs, “The main purpose of Setaş Digital
Turkey’s inkjet future as the country does not have the is to reduce imported digital ink
With many companies looking heritage, history or proven track coming into Turkey and to produce
to bring production closer to record in producing world-class high-quality inkjet products to meet
the consumer, some European digital printers and inks like other the requirements of the domestic
countries may evaluate Turkey as markets. textile sector.
a print alternative to the Far East “I think the biggest deficiency of “This is following four years of
and South-East Asia, even after the our country is that we still haven’t intense research and development,”
pandemic. produced our own digital printing explains Erenoğlu.
However, despite a growing machine,” he says. Although Setaş Digital is currently
digital market and Turkey being a “Turkey needs to initiate strong a relatively small company, the
great beneficiary of the pandemic, research and development, focus on organisation has infrastructure
Erenoğlu still believes the nation world trends [such as customisation systems in place. It aims to produce
needs to invest in its infrastructure and sustainable practice] and adapt 100 tonnes of ink every month
to maintain adequate levels of its practice. Then it can become and become the largest digital ink
growth. a serious contender in the global manufacturer in Turkey.
“Turkey cannot compete with textile printing industry.” It feels that Erenoğlu’s nod to
basic textile products [due to the Erenoğlu did, however, reference Setaş Digital illustrates the path
low prices of the Asian markets] and Setaş Digital, a Turkish ink producer Turkish companies must take should
this situation will become even more founded in 2017. It aims to compete they wish to expand the reach of
difficult in the future,” he explains. with well established companies the country’s digital textile printing
Erenoğlu states that Turkey exporting ink into Turkey. sector.

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 Digital microfactory
CRISIS
BRINGS
CHANGE
Joseph Link reports on the drivers of the digital microfactory and
outlines the latest innovations from pioneering businesses
I
t is clear that the textile & apparel value chain has been
disproportionately affected by Covid-19 and the resultant
economic contraction.
The forced closure of non-essential retail triggered a ripple
effect which has impacted the livelihoods of millions of
people around the world, from shop assistants through to
machine operators.
Last year, WTiN reported extensively on the impact of
order cancellations on textile manufacturers. In the printing
sector, companies had to show versatility and adapt to
accelerating trends in order to remain competitive. The print
service providers best placed to do this had, for the most
part, already embraced digitalisation.
High-volume screen-printing enterprises have arguably
suffered the most due to the drop in demand for fashion &
apparel, which accounts for two thirds of the overall textile
printing market. To provide perspective, statistics from
BoldData show the number of fashion stores in Italy – a
country renowned for its fashion heritage – decreased by
4% in 2020. “10,967 stores closed their doors and only 3,716
new stores tried their luck,” the company explains.
Investments
As the impact of Covid-19 looks set to continue deep into
2021, analysts expect many print service providers to branch
36
P 36-38 Digital microfactory pioneers.indd 36
out, wherever possible, through the implementation of
inkjet textile printing technology. Drivers behind the digital
machinery include sustainability, low-volume printing,
personalisation, adaptability, and the capacity to print more
complex, vibrant designs.
Inkjet technology is also facilitating the rise of fashion
ecommerce. Pre Covid-19, the influence of ecommerce on
the fashion and apparel industry was growing at a steady
pace but following the pandemic this growth is expected to
accelerate.
Millennials and Generation Z have been responsible for
much of this growth until now. However, extended lockdown
initiatives around the globe have meant that anyone in the
market for a new item of clothing had to shop online. This
exposed Web2Print businesses to a whole new consumer
demographic.
Web2Print and the rise of the fulfilment centre is just one
example of how business models have evolved because
of digitalised manufacturing solutions. They have also
been boosted by a reshoring movement, which is gaining
momentum following supply chain breakdowns during the
height of the pandemic.
These shifting dynamics are giving rise to what is known as
the digital microfactory, a concept that has visibly influenced
some of the latest textile printing solutions on the market.
DIGITAL TEXTILE
29/03/2021 09:59:51
 Digital microfactory
Enabling the microfactory
Japan-based printing specialist Ricoh, for example, has
developed a digital microfactory initiative. The OEM
showcased it at WTiN’s virtual Innovate Textile & Apparel
trade show last October (2020).
“[Ricoh’s] value proposition is to offer a digital end-to-end
workflow solution connecting apparel brand owner with
apparel producer,” says Tetsuya Morita, corporate vice
president, general manager, IP Business Group, Ricoh. “This
is fundamental to Ricoh’s digital microfactory concept. It is
about connecting marketplaces by standardised processes,
open interfaces, and workflow automation. Cloud-based
architecture, addressing local needs, and enabling
decentralised production models are vital to the future of
the textile value chain. But we plan to expand this concept
into many markets and applications.”
Israel-based Kornit Digital, meanwhile, acquired Custom
Gateway, a provider of cloud-based software workflow
solutions for on-demand production business models, in
the second half of 2020. Kornit Digital’s CEO, Ronen Samuel,
says: “Custom Gateway’s platform features tools that enable
content sourcing, creation, content management and
display at the front end, while orders created are captured
by a robust order management system and directed to the
appropriate back-end production sites using sophisticated
routing algorithms. When orders reach the production floor,
they are smartly routed and managed to allow efficient
on-demand production on a mass scale.”
Many experts claim on-demand manufacturing will forge
the future of the textile industry, and the digital microfactory
concept supports that shift. A demand and supply business
A modern value chain that utilises Custom Gateway software
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P 36-38 Digital microfactory pioneers.indd 37
model, as opposed to the traditional supply and demand,
significantly reduces the quantity of textiles dumped in
landfill. According to Kornit Digital’s chief marketing officer,
Omer Kulka, over 35 million tons of apparel is wasted each
year. The mismanagement of inventory and merchandise,
coupled with the fast fashion trend and end of season
sales, contribute considerably to that figure. Phil Oakley,
Kornit Digital’s UK & Ireland country manager, says: “Kornit’s
vision is to create a demand and supply model that delivers
products just-in-time.”
But digital on-demand still only accounts for a small
percentage of the textile printing market. According to
WTiN Intelligence: Digital Textiles, 80% of printed textiles
are produced with high-volume screen-printing technology
and it is going to be a long time before the comparatively
low-volume digital microfactories can counterbalance such
demand. “We need to manufacture less so fewer products
go to landfill,” says Jenny Holloway, CEO, Fashion Enter.
Following on from its acquisition of Custom Gateway,
Kornit Digital presented a webinar in January (2020)
alongside UK-based, not-for-profit, social enterprise
Fashion Enter to promote its range of printing machinery.
During the virtual gathering, Oakley outlined the
importance of both digital direct-to-garment (DTG)
and digital direct-to-fabric (DTF) technologies. Oakley
estimated that, in 2017, there were 11.5 billion impressions
using DTG printers for fashion brands and retailers.
Customised design enterprises manufactured a further
one billion impressions, and the promotional segment
of the DTG printing market accounted for 2.5 billion
impressions. Following the events of 2020, which resulted
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29/03/2021 09:59:52
 Digital microfactory

in more consumers ordering from on-demand Web2Print

businesses, those output figures are rising.
Oakley then turned his attention to DTF printing, for
which he states on-demand fashion is worth US$300b (+5%
CAGR). But this is dwarfed by the value of the on-demand
décor market, which is worth US$600b (+4% CAGR) to the
digital DTF printing industry.
Moreover, Oakley added that multiple Presto machines
(Kornit Digital’s signature roll-to-roll DTF printer) can be
managed by one operator thus reducing outgoings. This
is an added bonus to microfactory start-ups but does raise
concerns for economies where the textile printing industry
employs a large number of workers.

Success stories Kornit Digital’s Atlas direct-to-garment (DTG) printer

The rise in on-demand textiles is evidenced in the success

of companies including Spoonflower and CottonBee, and
the development of fulfilment centres such as Spreadshirt
and Print Logistic. In June last year, during the height of
lockdown – which accelerated the growth of the home décor
market – Spoonflower installed four Presto S systems at its
factory in North Carolina to meet demand.
Fast forward seven months, Print Logistic has also
expanded its offering. But in contrast to Spoonflower, the
Polish enterprise is focused on the fashion and apparel
market. “Focused on a sustainable approach to create
affordable bespoke clothing, [Print Logistic has] launched
the SmartfactorE plug-in,” explains Ross Newens, co-owner,
Print Logistic.
“The 2D and 3D plug-in enables multiple ecommerce
shops, communities, and designers on Shopify,
WooCommerce and Etsy, among other platforms, to
access [Print Logistic’s] intuitive design tool to create
their own range of products. Once they have created the
mock-up, and/or received a sample, they simply upload it
to their store. [Print Logistic] then manages the complete
production service and drop shipping direct to their
customers.
“[Print Logistic] has developed the entire front end and
work-flow software to enable us to manufacture thousands
of individual products on a daily basis with no minimum
orders from individual stores, brands or retailers.”
Like Spoonflower, Print Logistic has trusted in a range
of Kornit Digital solutions. The company started life with
the Kornit Breeze DTG printer before investing in the more
productive Avalanche HD6. Since then, Print Logistic has
expanded by implementing its first DTF printer, the Allegro.
Last year (2020) Spoonflower installed four Presto S systems at its
factory in North Carolina, US
Newens explains that sustainability is at the heart of
Print Logistic. “The company focuses on cotton and
organic materials using pigment inks,” he says. For a
more detailed look at SmartfactorE see pp. 39-41.
On-demand printing, facilitated by the digital
microfactory, challenges the wholly unsustainable fast
fashion model. Realising this, CottonBee has launched
a collection of organic textiles. The company’s CEO,
Michał Laskowski, told his social media followers: “We
strongly believe that the fashion and textile paradigm
is changing rapidly – fast fashion will become a relic of
the past. Customers are looking for sustainable brands,
and textile brands are looking for green and sustainable
suppliers.
“We cannot stop the customer demand but thanks
to the technology we can limit fashion’s eco footprint.
Pigment print-on-demand textile technology, together
with organic fabrics, will be the future of sustainable
fashion: CottonBee has joined this revolution.”

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Print Logistic rolls
out SmartfactorE
Print Logistic co-founder Ross Newens and CEO Michal Tracz reveal to
Joseph Link the specifics about the company’s new SmartfactorE solution
for ecommerce stores
C
utting edge technology is not
always directly associated
with the textile & apparel value
chain but, following an unprecedented
12 months, the industry is beginning to
realise the benefits of digitalisation.
Due to the impact of the pandemic
on traditional supply chains and
business models, companies are
turning to innovative technology
to adapt to new trends and remain
profitable beyond the global health
emergency.
And despite economic challenges
instigated by the pandemic, innovation
has not slowed down. Poland-based
fulfilment centre Print Logistic is a
prime example of this. To kick-start
2021, the digital microfactory pioneer
has launched SmartfactorE.
Print Logistic’s latest offering is
“a software plugin which enables
customers (online stores, resellers,
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P 39-41 Digital microfactory Print Logistic.indd 39
Digital microfactory
brands and designers) to use innovative
technology, including a 3D design
customiser, as part of an end-to-end
digital microfactory solution,” explains
Michal Tracz, CEO at the company.
The technology powering the
platform is complex, but from a
usability standpoint SmartfactorE could
not be more straightforward.
For a new solution to gain traction
quickly, usability is an important facet to
get right. With limited media coverage
since the launch of SmartfactorE in Q1
2021, Print Logistic co-founder Ross
Newens says the tool is achieving on
average 20 connections a day.
Enabling customisation
To promote the latest offering, Tracz
and Newens have been showcasing
SmartfactorE in a series of virtual
demos starting with the basics and
building from there.
“First of all, you need to register. To
do this, customers need to provide an
email address and set up a password,”
Tracz explains. “Because SmartfactorE
is only available [for] business-to-
business (B2B), our customers have to
provide their company details, including
a name, address, contact number
and a relevant VAT number. The latter
generates an automatic VAT rate.
“Having submitted the basic
details, users then need to integrate
SmartfactorE within their online store,”
adds Tracz.
SmartfactorE is currently only
available for stores on Shopify, but
Newens insists the plugin will soon
be compatible with PrestaShop and
WooCommerce.
“Users need to add their domain for
each applicable platform, following
which their online store – on Shopify for
instance – will be connected,” Tracz says.
The SmartfactorE workflow
39
29/03/2021 10:03:48
 Digital microfactory

“Once a company is logged into its SmartfactorE is an enabler of that,

account, the user can click on the My
Shop tab, where they will see a list of
their company’s products. Users can
design and store as many different
products as they like in SmartfactorE,
but these products will only become
visible in their online store once they
have been published.”
A key feature within SmartfactorE is
the integrated 3D customiser. A user
will be directed to the design tool once
according to Newens.
“Orders are automatically
synchronised with the SmartfactorE
plugin,” continues Tracz. “If a consumer
places an order for the product, it will
become visible in the orders tab on the
SmartfactorE platform. This way, users
can keep track of all the orders that Print
Logistic is required to manufacture. But
before production starts, the orders Print Logistic has implemented the Kornit
need to be paid for. From the orders tab Allegro inkjet roll-to-roll technology

they have selected the product they
want to create. “And the tool is ‘just as
effective’ in designing a zipped hoodie
as it is a plain white T-shirt,” says Tracz.
“When using the 3D design tool,
the user can apply pretty much any
design to their product,” he continues.
“They can decorate the product
edge-to-edge with a design of their
choice, all the user has to do is upload
the necessary image file.”
Moreover, before publishing the
it is easy to determine which products
have been paid for and which have not.”
Print logistic works on the proviso
that until orders have been purchased in
full by the SmartfactorE user, they have
not been confirmed and manufacturing
will not commence. This ultimately
reduces waste in the production stage.
“SmartfactorE user knows which
products to pay for based on whether
they have received payment from
Print Logistic’s Kornit Avalanche HD6
the end consumer,” Tracz adds. “The direct-to-garment (DTG) printer

product in their store, the user can set
a price, name their product, and write
a description of it all from within the
SmartfactorE plugin.
Another useful feature is focused
on pricing. Tracz says: “On the pricing
page, SmartfactorE calculates the
user’s net profit depending on the price
they set. VAT rates are also considered,
and a percentage profit is provided per
product sold.
“And once published, users can see
how their product looks, along with the
name, description, and price conversion
where applicable, in their store. From
there they can dictate the sizes that are
available and start selling.”
Manufacturing workflow
Sustainability is a key driver of Print
Logistic. On-demand manufacturing
is considered to be the future of the
textile & apparel value chain and
online store can use PayPal or Stripe to
purchase their orders, following which
production will begin immediately.
“And users can also follow the status
of their orders from ‘awaiting payment’
through to ‘awaiting production’,
‘awaiting shipping’, and ‘shipped.’
“The lead time for an all-over-printed
product is 72 hours, but for standard
DTG products that is shortened to a
day. [Print Logistic] can deliver these
products all over Europe, but our reach
is global as we have access to the
FedEx service.”
Product catalogue
There are a wide range of products to
design within SmartfactorE: various
garments from hoodies and jackets
to a variety of T-shirts, accessories,
babywear, canvases, mugs, masks,
interiors, and many more besides. And
according to Tracz, the beauty of being
based in Łódź, Poland means Print
Logistic benefits from a unique textile
heritage.
Shortly after the Covid-19 outbreak,
border closures impacted supply chains
– so much so that manufacturers were
starved of essential inventory. However,
Print Logistic’s fabric and garment
suppliers are based locally. This results
in shorter delivery times, logistical cost
savings and lower carbon emissions.
Moreover, issues around fabric quality
can be quickly remedied. Print Logistic
has been able to access the required
inventory to fulfil a surge in demand
for fashion ecommerce. And with
many non-essential high street retailers
still closed because of the pandemic,
this demand is being sustained well
into 2021.
Such a close working relationship
between Print Logistic and its suppliers
means the fulfilment centre can quickly

40 DIGITAL TEXTILE

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SmartfactorE has an integrated 3D design customiser
expand its product offering if and when
required. Tracz explains: “If a user
comes to us requesting a specific fabric
or garment that we don’t currently offer,
we can go to our suppliers and request
that on an individual basis.”
Newens adds: “Without the close
co-operation of our suppliers and their
commitment to the cause, the digital
microfactory concept which we have
pioneered here in Poland would not
have been achievable.”
Inkjet technology
The speed and versatility of digital
textile printing technology has been
integral to the initial success of Print
Logistic’s operation.
To meet a growing need for bespoke,
on-demand fashion and apparel,
Print Logistic is utilising Kornit Digital
technology.
The fulfilment centre claims to be
the first company in Poland to own
and operate a Kornit Allegro printer, a
roll-to-roll inkjet solution. The machine
prints with pigment inks, meaning
Print Logistic can print onto a range
of fabrics and knitwear. This includes
natural fibre fabrics which supports the
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P 39-41 Digital microfactory Print Logistic.indd 41
Digital microfactory
company’s commitment to sustainable
production. The company has not only
created one of the world’s first digital
microfactories for textile and apparel,
but has done so only offering natural
fibre products.
Supporting the Allegro is the Kornit
Avalanche HD6, an industrial-grade
direct-to-garment (DTG) printer which
can also print onto a wide range of
materials using pigment inks.
To accompany its digital printing
equipment, Print Logistic has also
implemented an industrial grade digital
textile cutting solution from Zund. “And
accompanying our technology is a team
of highly experienced seamstresses,
which together enable us to print, cut
and sew to order,” says Newens.
Print Logistic’s printing equipment
currently produces up to 1000
garments a day, but that could be
expanded to 5000 garments with a
larger workforce, according to Tracz. He
says the company will look to employ
more staff once demand grows.
On-demand
One of the most notable benefits
of on-demand fulfilment centres is
that they take the stress of managing
inventory away from the retailer.
Similarly, through the on-demand
model the unsustainable end of
season sales become a thing of the
past, because only when a product is
purchased will it be manufactured.
Newens acknowledges that
the on-demand model resonates
with younger generations, but the
pandemic has opened the world
of fashion ecommerce to a new
consumer demographic. Additionally,
SmartfactorE assures consumers that
products purchased this way are both
sustainable and ethically manufactured.
Such was the acceleration of
ecommerce in 2020, Print Logistic
has been able to double its revenues.
Interest in Print Logistic’s on-demand
manufacturing set up has never been
higher, but big brands are notoriously
slow to change path. But with
sustainability high on the agenda of
consumers, coupled with the cost
savings associated with on-demand
manufacturing, it is only a matter of
time before Print Logistic and other
digital microfactories secure major
fashion brands.
41
29/03/2021 10:03:50
 Digital microfactory
Printful expands
on-demand capacity
Printful expands its production capacity with a fleet of new high-performance
direct-to-garment (DTG) printers. Joseph Link reports
W
hile the outlook for traditional brands,
retailers and textile print houses appears
bleak, the emerging on-demand
Web2Print business model is thriving
as evidenced by Printful’s decision to invest in 50 of Kornit
Digital’s industrial-grade Atlas direct-to-garment (DTG)
printers this year.
Due to the growth of ecommerce during the pandemic
there has been a surge in online stores offering bespoke
fashion and apparel, accelerating the number of DTG printer
installations, particularly in Europe and North America.
The contrast in terms of activity – both new machinery
launches and installations – between the DTG printing sector
and the roll-to-roll digital textile printing market has been
stark in the last 12 months. Printful’s investment in a fleet of
Kornit Digital Atlas printers is the latest in a long line of printer
sales announced by the OEM. In contrast, sales in 2020 of
Printful has purchased 50 Kornit Digital
Atlas direct-to-garment (DTG) printers
42
P 42-43 Digital microfactory Printful.indd 42
roll-to-roll inkjet textile printers fell by almost 50% according
to WTiN Intelligence: Digital Textiles.
Nevertheless, the Atlas DTG printers will significantly
enhance Printful’s production capabilities and signal that the
global fulfilment centre fully expects the on-demand model
to continue its upward trajectory. According to Kornit Digital,
one Atlas printer can print up to 350,000 impressions a year,
is equipped with Fuji Dimatix Starfire 1024 recirculating
printheads and is compatible with Kornit’s own NeoPigment
EcoRapid inks.
Nevertheless, due to the success of the on-demand DTG
printing market in 2020, the sector is expected to become
a lot more competitive. Both start-ups and existing inkjet
roll-to-toll print service providers are looking to capitalise on
the sector’s apparent resiliency to the pandemic. But Printful
hopes its latest investment will further expand its share of the
high-growth market.
DIGITAL TEXTILE
29/03/2021 10:06:51
 Digital microfactory
The Atlas printers will be installed across a number of new
factories in Los Angeles, Dallas, Charlotte, Mexico, Spain,
and Canada, Printful has confirmed. This rapid expansion
cements the fulfilment centre’s position as a leader in
print-on-demand. The company’s success to date means it
is named among Deloitte’s 2020 Technology Fast 500 with
three-year revenue growth of 441%. That equates to more
than US$722m in goods sold by customers through Printful’s
online platform and almost 30 million items delivered.
Printful says it has “provided a consistent model of success
for on-demand fulfilment to B2B and B2C customers in the
ecommerce age”.
“Consumers today want customisation and personalisation,
social media engagement, responsible and eco-friendly
business practices, and instant gratification – whether they’re
buying, designing, or building their own personal brand,” says
Davis Siksnans, Printful Co-Founder and CEO.
“Kornit’s agile, versatile, efficient technologies power our
success by answering those demands with ease, and their
quality, reliability, and scalability are a key reason we’re now
shipping more than a million finished pieces every month. By
bringing our proven production capabilities to more corners of
the globe, Printful will be positioned to meet and exceed the
demands of today’s creative digital natives for years to come.”
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P 42-43 Digital microfactory Printful.indd 43
Israel-based Kornit Digital has been fuelling the
growth of the print-on-demand business model. The
OEM acknowledges that the consumer-facing end of
the supply chain has evolved at rapid speed since the
turn of the millennium, but the manufacturing end of
the supply chain has struggled to keep up – at least
in terms of innovation. To remedy this, Kornit Digital
has been working with several fashion enterprises to
enhance production facilities and create a sustainable
right-first-time, demand and supply, model of
manufacturing.
“Printful offers a complete platform to give worldwide
creators and entrepreneurs an end-to-end fulfilment
experience, from design to production to delivery of a
finished product,” says Ronen Samuel, CEO, Kornit Digital.
“As an early adopter of Kornit technology, [Printful has]
grown from a small print operation to become a global leader
in taking digital creative concepts and making them real.
[Printful] demonstrates the overwhelming potential of digital
transformation, creating a mega-marketplace that empowers
enterprising digital natives to conceive and scale their brands.
And thanks to Kornit, they’re also demonstrating how
on-demand digital production can make apparel a cleaner,
more sustainable, more responsible enterprise.”
43
29/03/2021 10:06:51
 Digital microfactory
Implementing innovative
DTG technology
As Spain-based Rafa’s Textiles signed the contract to purchase its fourth
Kornit Digital printer, Harry McMullen speaks to Sergio Alfaro Lloret,
marketing lead on unlocking the potential of digital textile printing
K
ornit Digital, one of the most notable names in
the digital textile printing market, has revealed
that Spain-based Rafa’s Textiles has added an
Atlas printer and a Kornit Avalanche HD6 solution to its
printing roster.
The Spanish business creates on-demand personalised
garments through a number of methods including screen
printing, direct-to-garment (DTG) printing, silicon transfer,
sublimation printing and embroidery.
The investment will be the firm’s first Atlas printer and
its third Avalanche solution, allowing for more automated,
on-demand print production. Rafa’s Textiles believes the
addition of the two new printers will allow the company to
keep up with growing demand.
Rafa’s Textiles serves the B2B market, providing a number of
digitally printed garments
44
P 44-45 Digital microfactory Rafa's Textiles.indd 44
“Rafa’s Textiles is printing around 300-400 garments
a day,” says Sergio Alfaro Lloret, marketing lead at the
company. “In peak seasons, like Father’s Day and in the
lead up to Christmas, we manage to print around 1,400
garments per day – these numbers would be impossible
to achieve without Kornit Digital printers.”
Automated digital practices
Rafa’s Textiles is based in Spain’s Valencia region and
traditionally used analogue screenprinting technology.
The company’s move to use predominantly digital printing
techniques aligns with a general trend across Spain’s
textile printing market.
According to WTIN Intelligence: Digital Textiles,
the digital print capacity of the Spanish market has
drastically risen in the last half decade. In 2015, the
printing capacity was around 58 million sqm per annum,
but by 2019 that figure had risen to roughly 118 million
sqm a year – illustrating a 103% growth spell in just
four years.
Lloret explains that Rafa’s Textiles has not completely
removed its screen-printing output but adds that Kornit’s
technology makes the printing process so much more
seamless. Due to its automated capabilities, digital
printing is allowing the company to quickly adapt and
fulfil its bespoke orders.
“Kornit’s Atlas and Avalanche technologies create new
advantages for our business compared to screen printing,”
he says. “We now have the ability to print a customised
T-shirt at full colour easily by utilising the digital
technology. If we were screen printing, we would have to
print a minimum of 20 T-shirts in order to compensate for
the screen creation cost.”
DIGITAL TEXTILE
© Copyri
29/03/2021 10:08:49 Talking
 Digital microfactory

Since Rafa’s Textiles bought its first Kornit Digital printer,

the company’s production model changed from general
garment orders via screen printing, to serving customised
garments B2B.
“Thanks to Kornit’s technology, the print-on-demand
(POD) model was possible to offer as a new service,”
explains Lloret. “Now we have more new customers,
some requiring large daily production.
“In the last six years, we have offered samples to our
older B2B customers and many of them like the touch and
feel of the digital print, so they prefer to pay a little more
to get this result,” he adds. “Actually, we have a lot of old
and new customers directly asking for their orders to be
printed by Kornit Digital machines.” The latest Avalanche instalment will be the company’s third
As demand grows in the garment market for Avalanche solution and its fourth DTG printer

customisation and personalisation, Rafa’s Textiles is
forecast to enjoy economic success. Lloret has also
hinted at further investment into Kornit Digital’s print
solutions to keep up with the sales demand.
“We are operating at 75% of our production capability
with four Kornit printers but we always aim to invest in
new machinery before capacity reaches 100%. We want
to accomplish the objective of delivering our customers’
orders without delay and in great quality.
“This is the exact reason we have signed a contract to
buy a new Atlas printer to further expand our printing
capabilities,” he adds.

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29/03/2021 15:34:39
 RIP software
Understanding the
advantages of RIP software
Inèdit Software assesses the benefits of direct-to-garment (DTG)
printing, its impact on the industry, and how the use of the right
software can improve production workflows and end results
T
he importance of digital textile printing has grown
significantly throughout the last decade. While the
process is challenging and the workflow must be well
understood, technological advances in software, printing
equipment, printheads and inks, have allowed the creation of
more cost-effective solutions for short print runs.
Direct-to-garment [DTG] printing represents a growing
segment of this market. DTG printers can be used to
customise products in large or small volumes. There are two
types of machines on the market: commercial and industrial.
Traditionally, DTG printers were used by local businesses
where short customisation runs or premium clothes were
produced. In contrast, the industrial printers are responsible
for larger runs in factories that focus on outsourcing.
Today, a hybrid between the two previous models is emerging
and the popularisation of mass customisation is facilitating that.
With this model, companies provide users with a production
centre in just a few clicks. They will be able to print their own
designs on-demand and with no minimum or maximum
number of repetitions. It enables companies to be more flexible.
From a supply chain point of view, there is a requirement
among print service providers for both machine types,
either through synergies or by expanding resources. For this
reason, DTG is gaining more and more strength as it allows
companies to choose from a wide range of devices which can
adapt to the needs of each manufacturer and situation on an
individual basis, thus simplifying customisation in the fashion
& apparel market.
RIP software for DTG printing
Behind every good DTG print is a learning process based
46
P 46-47 InEdit.indd 46
on the technology used to create a workflow, how this
technology has been adapted to meet the needs of the print
service provider, and the requirements of the end consumer.
Manufacturers must learn about the printers, inks, fabrics, and
especially the software to enhance results.
RIP software is responsible for interpreting a file and
calculating how many drops of each colour will be needed
to obtain the best results. It does this while considering the
productivity of the printing device.
Inèdit always recommends RIP software with modes
specifically designed for DTG printing. But which key features
should be measured when looking for the right RIP software?
The right software
It is important to consider colour management. When choosing
a RIP software you can find the ones that operate in CMYK and
the ones that can also read RGB profiles. The difference between
the two methods lies in the way they interpret the colours they
have. In short, CMYK profiles have four inks and create colours
from the superposition of those. White is created from the
absence of these colours and black is created from the sum of
these colour profiles.
Meanwhile, the RGB method has three inks and creates
new colours from the variation of their light. This allows for the
interpretation of a wider range of colours. Therefore, a RIP that
works in RGB will significantly increase the number of colours
that a printer can export, thus improving printing quality.
A RIP software’s calibration system also influences the
accuracy of a colour base when printing. Calibration is carried out
to understand what colour interpretation capacity a device has,
and then indicates how each of the colours and gradients should
DIGITAL TEXTILE
29/03/2021 10:17:30
 RIP software
be exported. An intuitive and fast calibration system is what
Inèdit recommends when printing DTG. RIP software should
also have integrated concepts to calculate the ink limit, make
linearisations, and see the profile of the printer in operation.
Additionally, in discovering the right RIP software, white
management must be factored in. The white channel in DTG
printing is one of its main features. With the correct white
management, it is possible to save money and ink in production
runs. In DTG printing, the white channel is used to create a layer
between the substrate and the ink when the substrate is black,
or a specific colour, so that the colour of the printed ink is not
affected by the substrate. The disadvantage of not managing
this channel is that the use of white ink increases significantly,
thus affecting the price of production. It is therefore important to
have a RIP software that has a set of defined standards.
For instance, neoStampa Delta incorporates different printing
modes depending on the use of white ink. Printers can choose
between creating an all-white background under the drawing,
or use default values for black, grey and coloured backgrounds.
Another benefit of the white channel generation is that
it allows hybrid DTG printers to detect the white they are
going to print first and the colour channels they are going to
put on top of it.
However, the settings for black backgrounds should
also be understood. The RIP software should allow print
service providers to use the black background of a T-shirt,
for example, as to avoid using black ink or creating greys by
mixing white ink with the same background. By using this
type of configuration, up to US$0.60 per print, and up to
30% of white ink consumption, can be saved.
Moreover, RIP software should have a choke system.
This is the method that avoids registration problems when
printing an image on a background colour. It should also
support transparency: accept several formats that use a
transparent colour or an alpha channel and take advantage
of the T-shirt background.
On-demand printing
DTG print service providers have traditionally provided for
end consumers on-demand thanks to growth in ecommerce.
However, there is a growing trend among leading brands to
capitalise on an increasing demand for personalised fashion
via Web2Print. Some larger brands have been implementing
DTG to print short-run collections based on the latest fashion
trends inspired by online influencers and celebrities.
In the industrial field, this translates into the need to
generate more agile communication with the customer
and faster and more efficient production. Therefore, digital
ISSUE 2
P 46-47 InEdit.indd 47
printing continues to grow as it allows for the start and stop
of print runs at any time.
Web2Print has been born in response to this new trend. It
allows a customer to send a file in a specific format so that
the manufacturer can print it, and the order size is irrelevent.
But how can RIP software help in this whole process?
Firstly, it maintains the colour output that the customer
expects when sending a file and secondly, it helps the
manufacturer organise the workflow and extract cost
information.
If a customer sends a file with an embedded profile –
for instance, Adobe RGB or Apple RGB – it is easy for the
manufacturer to access it from their RIP software, as long
as it is specialised in RGB. This way, the printed colours will
meet expectations because they accurately match what the
customer saw on screen when they originally placed the
order. This process also reduces the need for sampling.
From a manufacturer’s point of view, Inèdit highlights two
drawbacks that could be solved with a good RIP software.
The first of these is a lack of organisation when receiving work
orders and transferring them to production. A very useful
concept included in some RIP software is the print queue.
These arrange pending work orders into different queues
according to the production printer that is going to be used.
In addition, there is some RIP software, like neoStampa, which
enables users to access print queues remotely from anywhere
in the world: printing sequences can be organised, the preferred
output for each machine can be set, and print runs can be
stopped and resumed at any time. All of this can be dictated
from outside the manufacturing facility and simplifies the flow of
communication from any department anywhere in the world.
Furthermore, it is important that the software incorporates
a cost control screen. This is how manufacturers put a price
on orders placed online or remotely. A cost control system
will consider both the productivity of a company and the
costs derived from it. Therefore, by knowing the units
needed for each run, the current ink price, and the cost of
consumables, basic production costs can be generated. That
helps manufacturers apply a final price to the printed product.
neoStampa Delta for DTG
For years, Inèdit has been working with leading DTG printing
brands such as SanRoq, Epson and Brother but this year
has taken a further step by launching a new version of
neoStampa Delta which is equipped with a module dedicated
to the high-growth digital DTG printing market. The latest
software upgrade is designed to work with both small- and
large-format printers.
47
29/03/2021 10:17:30

Mimaki expands inkjet textile portfolio
Mimaki has added two new digital
textile printers to its product portfolio:
the Mimaki TS100-1600 and the
Mimaki Tiger-1800B MkIII.
The Japanese OEM believes its new
solutions will enable print service
providers to adapt more quickly to
changing market demands. Following
the emergence of the Covid-19
pandemic, certain trends and
business models have accelerated,
like on-demand print ecommerce,
which is forecast to have a noticeable
impact on the textile & apparel value
chain post pandemic.
In quarters two and three of
2020, the fashion & apparel industry
suffered an unprecedented drop in
demand due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Brands and retailers cancelled orders
which left print service providers
with nothing to manufacture.
Consequently, the number of new
machinery installations last year
plummeted when compared to 2019.
But despite the drop in demand
for fashion & apparel, Mimaki has
remained committed to its product
pipeline.
And crucially, Mimaki Europe’s senior
product manager Bert Benckhuysen
The new direct-to-textile version of the Tiger-1800B MkIII inkjet printer
48
P 48-50 Tech.indd 48
Technology
believes the company’s latest printers
strike the right balance in a rapidly
evolving inkjet textile printing market.
The TS100-1600 is the latest
addition to Mimaki’s 100 series
portfolio. It is marketed as an
“affordable, high-quality system that
is ideal for print service providers
looking to add their first digital
sublimation printing solution or
expand their production capacity”.
Benckhuysen says: “The textile
printing industry has seen a growing
requirement for increased product
variety, lower inventories and shorter
delivery times. Add to that the
economic challenges of 2020 and we
recognised that the market needed
a digital textile printer that combined
high quality, on-demand output
with a low initial investment and
cost-effective production.
“Having seen the success of our
100 series printers for the same
reasons in other sectors, we knew
that introducing a textile printer to this
range would provide our customers
with an opportunity to expand their
businesses and seek new revenue
opportunities, even amid these
challenging times.”
Mimaki’s new entry level TS100-1600 digital textile solution
The TS100-1600 became available
to print service providers operating
in the EMEA region as of April (2021).
According to Mimaki, users will
benefit from a 1600mm printing
width and a top speed of 70sqm/h.
In addition, “the use of a one litre
ink bottle helps reduce the running
cost and enables stable, continuous
operation due to the reduced need for
ink replacement,” the OEM continues.
The printer is equipped with a
variety of renowned Mimaki features,
including NCU (nozzle check unit),
NRS (nozzle recovery system), and
the DAS (dot adjustment system)
function which automates dot position
correction and feeding amount
correction to reduce the need for
operator intervention, Mimaki claims.
And while the RasterLink 7 RIP
software comes as standard, print
houses purchasing the TS100-1600
can also choose to add the TxLink4,
another one of Mimaki’s original RIP
software platforms.
Boosting
competitiveness
Meanwhile, the Tiger-1800B MkIII
is the latest model in Mimaki’s
DIGITAL TEXTILE
29/03/2021 10:20:28

high-speed, high-volume industrial
textile Tiger range and is described
by Mimaki as a high-quality
direct-to-textile or sublimation
transfer printing solution. The printer
is compatible with both reactive and
sublimation inks.
The new Tiger-1800B MkIII has been
developed with “reliability and print
accuracy at the forefront of the design
process and features new software
capabilities that help to increase
productivity and reduce downtime,”
says Benckhuysen.
He adds: “The textile industry is
fast-moving, highly creative and
leaves little room for error. Print
houses in this market require a robust
system that will deliver the speed,
Promoting digital pigment printing
Ricoh is opening market access to
Farbenpunkt’s new water-based
pigment ink, PeractoJet. The
collaboration enables OEM clients
to compete in the highly attractive
digital textile printing market and
enhance their environmental
offering. The aim of the collaboration
is to reduce the environmental
impact of global textile production.
Traditional fabric dyeing and
treatment accounts for 20% of
the world’s wastewater and the
fashion industry generates 10% of
annual global carbon emissions. To
combat this, Ricoh now provides a
robust, environmentally responsible
alternative for digital textile print
service providers by pairing its
broad printhead portfolio with
Farbenpunkt’s Peracto Technology,
the OEM explains.
The combination is ideal
for apparel and home décor
ISSUE 2
P 48-50 Tech.indd 49
Technology
quality and innovation needed to keep
pace with this exciting industry. The
new capabilities of the Tiger-1800B
MkIII build on those featured in
successful predecessor models to
meet these requirements head on.”
The new capabilities of the
Tiger-1800B MkIII include the Mimaki
Printer Controller (MPC) software.
This platform has been designed for
ease-of-use and enables users to
set up, operate and output data with
one-touch, simple operation. The
Tiger-1800B MKIII’s intuitive interface
and functionality also enables users
to easily run automated overnight
operation by sending multiple jobs
with different settings to the print
queue, Mimaki continues. The nozzle
applications, Ricoh adds. By
eliminating the need for water in
the pre and post fabric treatment
processes, a 90% reduction in
water consumption is achievable.
The technology can also slash
energy use by half, thus reducing
CO2 emissions. Moreover, no
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
are emitted, it is claimed. The
combination allows for a simplified
digital textile print production
process, Ricoh explains.
Moreover, the process uses
hot air fixation at a relatively low
temperature (140°C – 160°C); it
delivers a fixation time of two to four
minutes; ensures consistent and
reliable results on synthetic, natural,
and mixed fibres; and meets, or
exceeds, all industry specifications
for strict colour fastness tests for
washing, wet and dry rubbing,
lightfastness, and ageing, Ricoh says.
recovery function further reduces
downtime by allowing production to
continue if the printer encounters a
nozzle malfunction.
The Tiger-1800B MkIII is also
supported by the latest TxLink4
software. Its new Parallel RIP function
can manage multiple sets of print data
at once to maximise productivity, and
the variable print function provides
print service providers with the
flexibility to produce more innovative,
creative apparel applications.
This latest system has also been
upgraded with 16-bit rendering
to enable a smoother gradation
expression and can handle high-speed
data transfer thanks to its 10 Gigabit
Ethernet controller.
The ink is also REACH compliant
and has been awarded an OEKO-TEX
Eco-Passport.
Graham Kennedy, director,
industrial print, Ricoh Europe, says:
“This collaboration builds on Ricoh’s
longstanding history of innovative
inkjet printhead development and
allows us to support a production
sector looking for ways to address
growing questions around
sustainability.
“Digitally producing textiles with
vastly reduced water waste and
eliminating energy intensive pre-
and post-treatment stages delivers
huge environmental benefits. This
disruptive ink offering enables
more cost-effective production and
allows manufacturers to consider
establishing local production
capabilities through reshoring. This
Continues on p. 50
49
29/03/2021 10:20:30

Continued from p. 49
is especially important now when we
are seeing a growth in on-demand
digital production spurred on by the
impact of the pandemic on consumer
habits and business operations. Our
Farbenpunkt partnership is good
Resolute launches R-Jet Pro
Digital direct-to-garment (DTG)
printer manufacturer Resolute DTG
has expanded its product portfolio
with the launch of the R-Jet Pro – the
machine is the latest addition to
Resolute’s popular Green Button DTG
systems.
The OEM describes its latest
offering as a “no frills custom-built
DTG printer that utilises dual
printhead technology”.
“The R-Jet Pro has all the latest
technology including offset
dual printheads allowing for fast
single-pass printing,” says Colin
Marsh, managing director, Resolute
DTG. “We’ve left the fancy bits it
doesn’t need in the factory, thus
keeping the build cost down.
“Our latest market research
indicated price and performance was
more important than luxury features
in the current economic climate.
That said, the R-Jet Pro still benefits
from a push button horse-shoe
platen system with optical height
limit switch, including three sizes of
interchangeable platens.
“Driven by Resolute RIP and
running on Resolute Premium
Inks, the R-Jet Pro is a powerful
combination. It is designed to be
‘walk-up ready’ without using ink
when on standby which is a unique
feature made possible by the
50
P 48-50 Tech.indd 50
Technology
news for manufacturers and their
shareholders, textile printers and
consumers.”
Farbenpunkt managing director,
Etienne Steveninck, adds: “Working
with Ricoh allows us to bring this
high performance, versatile ink
to a wider audience. It will enable
properties of Resolute Premium Inks
combined with [Resolute DTG’s] tried
and tested iWICS (intelligent white
ink control system)” Marsh explains.
“[R-Jet Pro’s] industrial-sized bulk
ink system holds a full one litre of
each colour including white. The
iWICS system circulates the white ink
through the printer and back into an
automatically agitating storage tank.
The R-Jet Pro looks after itself when
not in use with nothing to shake and
without using ink.”
Financial crisis
Because the R-Jet Pro’s build cost
has been kept to a minimum, the
machine’s price tag will be ‘attractive’
which is key following an economic
contraction, according to Marsh.
The last 12 months have been
challenging for companies operating
throughout the textile printing
industry. With a downturn in demand
for fashion and apparel, coupled with
the forced closure of non-essential
brands and retailers, textile print
houses have been left in a precarious
position. Many have turned to the
manufacture of PPE to try offset
order cancellations in other market
sectors like fashion and signage; the
latter having been decimated by the
cancellation of live events over the
last 12 months.
textile manufacturers to produce
large volumes, quickly, on a range of
materials, meet strict accreditation
standards, and contribute to the
sustainability of our planet. The two
companies are a natural fit as the
wellbeing of our environment is part
of Ricoh’s DNA too.”
However, these issues were more
of a challenge for digital roll-to-roll
and traditional screenprinting
operations. In comparison, because
of the rise in ecommerce and a
growing demand for bespoke
fashion, DTG print service providers
performed well financially in 2020.
The nature of DTG technology
– its ability to print low minimums,
fast turnaround times, a low
environmental impact, and
greater design freedom – means it
better supports the personalised,
on-demand manufacturing model.
Consequently, competition
within the DTG market is set to
increase in 2021. There are machines
available on the market for both
industrial grade businesses and
start-up operations, all of whom
want to capitalise on the market’s
recent growth.
And according to Resolute DTG,
the R-Jet Pro has features that
appeal to print service providers
of various capacities. For instance,
the machine can print a dark shirt
with an A4-size image in just under
90 seconds at 2400dpi in a single
pass. This print set-up, the company
continues, “costs approximately
50% less in consumables than
other higher priced systems on
the market”.
DIGITAL TEXTILE
29/03/2021 10:20:30
 Calendar of events

2021 Contact: Annett Dörfel, Institute of

April 2021 Textile Machinery and Textile High

Performance Materials Technology,
20-23 virtual.drupa.
TU Dresden
Contact: Sabine Geldermann
Tel: +49 (0) 351 463 393 21
Tel: +49 211 / 45 60 610
Fax: +49 211 / 45 60 87610 Website: www.aachen-dresden-

Email: geldermanns@messe- denkendorf.de/en

duesseldorf.de
Website: www.drupa.com 23-26 ShanghaiTex, Shanghai, China.
Contact: Shanghai International

June 2021 Exhibition Co Ltd

12-16 ITMA ASIA + CITME 2020 Email: shanghaitex@siec-ccpit.com
National Exhibition and Convention Website: www.shanghaitex.cn
Center, Shanghai, China.
Contact: ITMA Services TBA The Inkjet Conference, Düsseldorf,
Tel: +65 684 993 68 Germany.
Email: itmaasiacitme@itma.com Contact: Peter Buttiens
Website: www.itmaasia.com Tel: +32 (0)16 894 353
Email: info@esma.com
July 2021 Website: www.theijc.com
21-24 Future Print, Expo Center Norte, Brazil.
Contact: Yeda Monteiro December 2021
Tel: +55 11 3598-7806 8-13 India ITME 2021, Greater Noida, Uttar
Email: yeda.monteiro@informa.com Pradesh, India.
Website: www.feirafutureprint.com.br Contact: Bhupendra Thakur
Email: itme@india-itme.com
September 2021 Website: india-itme.com
15-17 Dornbirn-GFC, Vorarlberg, Austria.
Contact: Austrian Fiber Institute
2022
Tel: +43 1 319 2909 41
January 2022
Fax: +43 1 319 2909 31
11-14 Heimtextil, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Email: office@dornbirn-gfc.com
Contact: Messe Frankfurt
Website: www.dornbirn-gfc.com
Tel: +49 69 75 75 -0
Email: heimtextil@messefrankfurt.com
October 2021 Website: www.heimtextil.
12-15 FESPA Global Print Expo 2021,
messefrankfurt.com
Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Contact: FESPA
Tel: +44 (0) 1737 240 788
May 2022
17-19 Texprocess Americas, Atlanta,
Email: info@fespa.com
Georgia, USA.
Website: www.fespa.com
Contact: Sarah Hatcher
Tel: +1 678 732 2403
Fax: +1 770 984 8023
Email: sarah.hatcher@usa.
messefrankfurt.com
Website: texprocess-americas.
25-29 Innovate us.messefrankfurt.com
Contact: Chinky Tyagi, WTiN
Tel: +44 (0)113 819 8155
June 2022
Submit your event listing to: Fax: +44 (0) 113 819 8156
14-16 ITM 2022, Istanbul, Turkey.
The Editor, Digital Textile, World Textile Email: ctyagi@wtin.com
Contact: Tüyap Fairs and Exhibitions
Information Network, 1803 Pinnacle, Website: www.wtin.com
Organization Inc
67 Albion Street, Leeds, LS1 5AA, Tel: +90 212 867 11 00
United Kingdom November 2021 Fax: +90 212 886 67 46

Tel: +44 113 819 8155 9-10 Aachen-Dresden-Denkendorf Email: itm@tuyap.com.tr

International Textile Conference, Website: www.itmexhibition.com/
Fax: +44 113 819 8156
Dresden, Germany. itm2021/home
Email: jlink@wtin.com

P 51 Diary.indd 51 29/03/2021 10:24:08

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