Digital Textile Printing Innovations Driving Growth

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1 feature Digital Textile Printing Innovations Driving Growth The apparel and home décor industries are diverse and dynamic. At any given time, consumer demand and technological innovations are driving the growth of new and established businesses and there is a continued drive for improved productivity and a reduced environmental impact. Key trends that ultimately impact the adoption of digital technologies in the manufacturing processes for garments and home décor products include: Regional production is evolving away from China and into other regions such as Southeast Asia due to China s growing consumerism, its rising middle class and wealth forcing increased labor costs. The continued growth in fast fashion is driving new standards in time-tomarket and production efficiencies. The competition between brickand-mortar and online retailers remains fierce as suppliers increasingly migrate toward a purchase-activated manufacturing model. Reshoring production to local centers is enabling fast reactions to customer demand. Industry 4.0 is an ongoing trend. This involves the continued adoption of manufacturing processes that support accountability, quality assurance, productivity and general improvements to the supply chain using sophisticated product lifecycle management solutions (PLM) and automation. The Textile and Apparel Industries xxxxxx In the United States alone, revenues associated with apparel and footwear are expected to grow from $72 billion in 2016 to over $123 billion in To put all these trends in perspective, we must examine the textile industry as a whole. The textile mill business amounted to about $667 billion in 2016 and is expected to increase by about 5% over the next five years. According to marketing research, the industry was comprised of 83% fabrics and 17% yarn in By Ron Gilboa, Group Director, Production Technology, Keypoint Intelligence Visit SGIA at SGIA.org SGIA Journal May/June

2 Figure 1: WTO 2016 Top 10 Textile Exporting Countries 1 Billions ($) $120 $100 $80 $60 $40 $20 $0 106 China % -2.9% European Union (28) -6.5% 16 India -4.7% When taking a closer look at this industry, it becomes evident shifts are moving the center of balance between the producing countries. (See the World Trade Organization data in Figure 1.) China and the European Union are the leaders in textile exports. Although the EU28 held its ground with 1.1% growth in 2016, countries such as China and India declined almost 3% and 6.5% respectively. Conversely, emerging regions like Vietnam and Pakistan saw growth in excess of 9%. A closer examination of the retail market for clothing, which marketing research currently values at approximately $1.2 trillion and growing at around 6%, paints a similar picture. China and the European Union are the leading exporters of clothing, but Chinese exports are declining by 7.3% annually while Europe continues to experience reasonable growth. Once again, the emerging countries (e.g., Bangladesh, Cambodia, Vietnam) are seeing the strongest growth. The continued strength of the apparel and home décor industries can be partially 13 United States of America Figure 2: Per Capita Apparel Spending 2 Per capita spending in U.S. dollars United States Textile Exports 11 Turkey -0.3% % Annual Change 10 South Korea -5.7% 9 Pakistan 9.2% -7.6% 9 Chinese Taipei 9.2% % Vietnam Hong Kong, China 15.0% 10.0% 5.0% 0.0% -5.0% -10.0% -15.0% Japan Canada EU28 China Brazil Russia India Region % Annual Change (Source: World Trade Organization) (Source: Statista) attributed to advances in manufacturing technologies, innovations in raw material manufacturing (natural and synthetics), ink developments and perhaps most importantly the ability to masscustomize products that appeal to a growing number of consumers. The growth in customization is evident in products that are made to order and offered in retail stores as well as online. In the United States alone, revenues associated with apparel and footwear are expected to grow from $72 billion in 2016 to over $123 billion in 2022 (Source: Statista). The increasing transition to online shopping and e-commerce is enabled by brands that are adopting innovative manufacturing processes that shorten their time to market, and in some cases, produce offerings on demand. Economic and demographic factors, such as growing wealth and consumerism worldwide, also contribute to a healthy demand for fabrics and clothing in many regions of the world. Further evidence of this is shown in a Statista report highlighting per capita apparel spending expectations of consumers around the world through Robust growth is expected on a global basis, even among emerging consumer segments. For example, apparel spending in China is expected to more than double between 2015 and Textiles and the Environment As the industry develops new manufacturing methods to meet the continued growth in demand, it is important to consider the environmental impact of the industry from initial production to end of life. This is a broad topic that covers a range of disciplines, including growing cellulosic fibers, the creation of petroleum-based synthetics, advancements in cotton growing and innovations in the recycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to be used as building blocks for polyester threads. At the same time, however, these advancements have not changed the industry s position as one of the top three water-consuming industries: China s fabric manufacturing industry discharges about 2.5 billion gallons of water annually. 3 The process of making a T-shirt and a pair of jeans including growing the cotton, dyeing the yarn, printing, finishing and washing the garments on a regular basis consumes about 5,000 gallons of water. 4 Additionally, an estimated 15% of fabrics intended for clothing end up on the cutting room floor as waste. 5 Environmental waste is an acute problem that is being addressed on multiple levels by brands around the world as well as local municipalities, but we are a long way from a meaningful resolution. For its part, the transition of the textile printing industry to digital printing continues to have a positive impact on the environment. With about 90% savings on water consumption in relation to rotary screen printing, as well as a reduction in ink laydown, producers of digital fabrics also require less energy for drying. It is estimated about 0.1% of all fiber collected by charities and take-back programs is recycled into the new textile fiber. 6 This pales into insignificance in comparison to recycling of packaging materials. Digitally Printed Fabrics Although digitally printed fabrics have been making an impact on the industry 50 SGIA Journal May/June 2018 Visit SGIA at SGIA.org

3 Figure 3: Recycling Rates for Packaging 7 Figure 4: Digital Forecast Wholesale Value: Print Value ($M) $40,000 $35,000 $30,000 $25,000 $20,000 $15,000 $10,000 $5,000 $0 $14,198 $33,376 Industrial Décor Garment (Source: Keypoint Intelligence) since the 1990s, the past decade saw a sharp increase in the adoption and use of digital printing for strike-offs as well as full production runs. Research from Keypoint Intelligence indicates the majority of the approximate 450 billion square meters of fabrics manufactured annually are dyed. Meanwhile, about 36 billion square meters are printed, and about 1.2 billion square meters of this was digitally printed in The key benefits of digital textile printing include increased creativity, supply chain efficiencies and a lower environmental impact. Today s designers can now choose from endless designs, colorways and patterns, and they can also produce them in small or large print runs over time. This is creating new opportunities for emerging designers and established brands alike. Within the apparel, home décor and industrial textile environments, digitally printed fabrics can add beauty, functionality and value. Keypoint Intelligence expects the digital fabric printing market to achieve a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19% between 2016 and 2021, surpassing $33 billion by 2021 in wholesale value of goods. It s easy to see the apparel industry is the primary growth driver for digital textiles where rapidly changing applications like seasonal items, fast fashion and sporting goods are propelling the industry forward. Although the décor and industrial segments are not growing as fast as apparel, innovations in pigment and VAT dye inks will usher in new capabilities that will double the value of these segments by Regarding textile production technology, Keypoint Intelligence makes a distinction between the following categories for roll-fed digital textile printing: Systems producing up to 80 square meters/hour Systems printing over 80 square meters/hour Single-pass systems Single-pass hybrid systems According to Keypoint Intelligence s most recent digital textile forecast, about 7,000 digital textile printers were placed globally in This value is expected to exceed 11,000 unit placements by 2021, representing a CAGR of 11% over the five-year forecast period. Sublimation systems which are primarily lower-end systems used for short-run production and strike-off are a mainstay of these units. The next category consists of higher-end systems that typically use reactive inks for printing on cotton or other cellulosic fabrics. As noted earlier, emerging systems with pigment inks are beginning to penetrate the industry and will primarily drive growth in home décor. The distribution of annual print volume is expected to change during the end of the forecast period, and print volumes will reach about 3.5 billion square meters by This is mostly reactive and inks aimed at synthetic fibers and, to a lesser degree, acid inks and pigments. Meanwhile, ink use is expected to demonstrate a CAGR of 23% between 2016 and It is interesting to note that pigment inks are growing robustly and are primarily impacting decorative applications. The newly introduced VAT dyes are being implemented by a small number of users today. Technological Innovations The textile industry is rich with technologies that enable all aspects of the supply chain to operate optimally. A number of these technologies are highlighted here, but there are others also expected to drive significant growth, including: PLMs Online retailers that are driving mass-customization Design and planning tools Digital priming Cutting and sewing Product Lifecycle Management As noted earlier, mass-customization is fueling the adoption of a range of technologies aimed at streamlining production processes that are informed, repeatable and trackable. These are becoming part and parcel of what has been dubbed Industry in smart factories. The premise of these systems is that all elements of production are integrated to provide brands with total control. Elements of a product lifecycle management solution usually include merchandise planning, report generator, a tiein for graphic design software, compliance tools, critical path Visit SGIA at SGIA.org SGIA Journal May/June

4 Figure 5: Typical Digital Textile Printing Solutions management, task management, material and trim development, image and asset management and partner collaborator. Online Retailers Drive Mass Customization On-demand textile production is becoming a reality for companies of all sizes, thanks to online retailers including: Spoonflower, which is now present in the United States and Germany, and caters to the ever-expanding needs of hobbyists, decorators and consumers. Miroglio, a fashion fabric giant based in Italy, launched its ColorSoup offering in This e-commerce platform enables printing of personal graphics on fabrics in small or large quantities. Although Miroglio s production facility was once synonymous with high-volume wholesale manufacturing for international brands, it is now available to individual consumers. Design and Planning Tools Design and planning tools are also undergoing a great transformation. The design of a new collection and product line is a multi-step process. Borrowing inspiration from fashion forecasts, designers research and analyze trends in the industry by observing industry shows and global trends. Following this stem, they conceptualize their design using mood boards where color samples are assembled to depict the inspiration for the collection. From there, designers proceed to create a collection, its range of products and related details. This is followed by creating a paper pattern, producing a muslin sample for a model or mannequin and ordering samples in a range of colors. This extremely involved process is now being digitally enhanced by virtual production tools that enable designers to create in a digital 3D world, where their designs come to life on digital avatars that represent a range of body shapes. These avatars enable precise alignment matching patterns to view fabric draping while also previewing possible areas of pressure. After a digital collection is completed, all the designs are translated from their 3D visualization into a collection of components to be assembled into a garment. These are optimized into a sewing pattern that is then printed. Digital technology enables the printing of sewing patterns, thus optimizing the printed surface while reducing waste and ink consumption. EFI Reggiani s Optitex system provides an example of one of these digital design-to-print workflows. Digital Printing As noted earlier, digital printers represent a diverse category of devices designed to produce a variety of fabrics, including 52 SGIA Journal May/June 2018 Visit SGIA at SGIA.org

5 natural fibers as well as synthetics. These systems are typically between 1.8 meters and 3.2 meters wide, with the latter used for décor. The fi rst products in this category were introduced in the early 1990s, and the industry has since become very rich and diverse. Today s solutions enable digital printing for everything from strike-offs to full high-volume production. Growth in this industry can largely be attributed to the introduction of a single-pass category by MS printing now a Dover company in The fundamental advantage of these systems is their high productivity. Since the ITMA 2017 event in Milano, Italy, this category has been enriched with many additional products. The introductions are expected to increase and accelerate as we approach ITMA There are two classes of products in this category of production printers: 1. Printers with multiple digital printing towers from four to 12 colors. These are used for printing with extended gamut colors or (as is the case with the MS LaRio) to run two different ink sets in one transport system so different fabric types can be handled on the same machine. 2. Hybrid systems, which were initially announced at ITMA 2015 by Atexco. These systems benefit from the use of rotary screen printing and digital printing in line with each other. These systems enable the printing of special colorways, such as the background of a fabric using analog technology, then varied element details can be added using digital. These amazing technologies are enabling fabric producers to meet customer demands for very short or highvolume print runs. With such a broad range of printing systems available, one might think the issues related to color management and predictable consistent production have been resolved. Unfortunately, many of the systems available on the market today still rely on human inspection to detect issues such as color consistency and print artifacts. The challenge is achieving consistent print quality for single or multiple devices over time and across production batches. Several vendors have PRINT CUSTOM APPAREL ANYWHERE 2018 CES Innovation Award Honoree RICOH Ri 100 LOW-COST INITIAL EQUIPMENT INVESTMENT START YOUR CUSTOM T-SHIRT PRINTING SERVICE IN A SNAP EASY-TO-USE PRINTING PROCESS SEE IT IN ACTION AT NBM Cleveland June ASI Chicago July Call or go to anajet.com/sgia to find out more about the lowest priced DTG printer on the market! Visit SGIA at SGIA.org SGIA Journal May/June

6 RIP SOFTWARE FOR PRINT-TO-CUT WORKFLOW MORE THAN JUST A RIP, A FULL FEATURED SOLUTION FOR PRINTING BUSINESSES! Wide-Format & Signage Top Product Awards 2018: RIP Software and Web-to-Prin rint Version 11 Highlights: APPE 4: New APPE 4 includes smoother shades, extensive spot color handling and seamless gradient blend Print ntbleed: Pixel cloningng and contour duplic ication to expand print area Sync&D &Deploy: Synchronize RIP station and Print configurations. Manage updates in one click and deploy them automatica cally through the entire compan any OpenCL: Booste sted computing for higher RIPPING speeds Optimized for Print Clustering and Digital Presses Meet us at SGIA Las Vegas Booth been working to introduce devices that streamline this process, but there is still much room for improvement. Ideally, future systems will automatically scan for print defects and dynamically correct any color fluctuations. We will likely see a number of innovations in this space during ITMA 2019 in Spain. Cutting and Sewing Before garments are ready to be shipped to warehouses or retail locations, they must undergo an additional step cutting and sewing! According to the Portland Garment Factory, cutting and sewing typically accounts for 72% of the cost of producing a garment. This compares to about 20% for printing, and high labor costs have been keeping most garment manufacturing processes in Asia as a result. At the same time, however, innovators are hard at work to find solutions that automate cutting and sewing operations. SoftWear, which started with a patent issued around 2012 with a grant from DARPA 10, is an example of a company that is innovating in the field of sewing automation. The group has developed SEWBOTS, which are sewing robots designed to produce common products like pants, T-shirts and bags. The technology includes conveying equipment, machine vision, sophisticated sewing machines and material feeling dogs that grab the material during the sewing process. The individual product is moved from one sewing station to the other and the garment is assembled as it moves along the line. Comparing this new technology to traditional processes shows the company s goal to automate the production of massproduced products with reduced need for human interaction. The process of linking all elements of the supply chain including design, raw material manufacturing, printing, dyeing, cutting and sewing is beginning to take shape. The future of automated production is nearing, and pressures on labor costs will drive all areas (including low-cost regions like Asia) to adopt more automation. InfoTrends Opinion The textile industry is a key driver in the global economy. Ongoing technological innovations will enable producers to become more effective as well as more environmentally friendly. Digital printing technology is a key component that is enabling creativity as well as improved production automation, in keeping with Industry 4.0 standards. Although challenges still exist in achieving the goal of consistent and predictable production, ongoing innovations will ultimately improve digital printing processes and enable downstream automation to minimize human intervention. Keypoint Intelligence believes that many innovations will emerge from laboratories in the near future and make their way to production lines, so stay tuned for upcoming announcements. 1 statis_e/wts2016_e/wts16_chap9_e.htm /global-per-capita-apparelexpenditure/ 3 com/fashion-beauty/30-shocking-fi gures- facts-global-textile-apparel-industry #hBWEEKFemo8cCM9Q environment/its-second-dirtiest-thingworld-and-youre-wearing-it 5 Timo Rissanen, From 15% to 0: Investigating the creation of fashion without the creation of fabric waste, Presenter, Kreativ Institut for Design og Teknologi, September Excluding Sign & Display Graphics and Direct to Garment 9 Industry 4.0 is the current trend of automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies. It includes cyber-physical systems, the Internet of things and cloud computing. Industry 4.0 creates what has been called a smart factory 10 Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Ron Gilboa is a Group Director of InfoTrends Production Technology Advisory Service and has been involved in digital imaging and printing since Ron s skills and experience span a range of print industry industrial segments such as packaging, decorative and functional printing as well as in-depth knowledge in graphics communications segments, including commercial printing, publishing, transaction and sign and display graphics. Ron is a regular contributor to editorial content and industry events in emerging print segments. He has an extensive technology background in the workfl ow process, digital imaging, as well as printing with the focus on a range of inkjet printing and related technologies. Visit SGIA at SGIA.org