Direct-to-Garment digital printing and the future of Screenprinting
Several years ago I was among the
speakers at a trade event sponsored by
a group of sublimation industry companies.
When I took to the podium on
the first morning of the event I realised that the
commonly held theory of the gathered group,
the hoped for belief, envisaged a steep
rise in the use of sublimation transfers
for the decoration of garments leading
to the untimely end of direct screen
printing as we know it.
The participants seemed genuinely
surprised, then, when I chose to
disagree, explaining that new innovations
in sublimation printing would
be a welcome addition to the screen
printers' options, but by no means a
replacement. Today, we all know this
to be true. Sublimation has given us a
means to decorate a variety of products,
including, (to a limited extent),
garments, in full-colour and in small
quantities. But, direct screen printing
of garments is still by far the preferred
decorating method, in comparison to
the use of sublimation transfers.
The advent of direct-to-garment digital (inkjet)
printing has spurred the same concerns and
debates. Printers and non-printers alike, manufacturers
of equipment, suppliers of inks and
chemicals, distributors of garments – they’re
all asking the same question… again! "Will direct-
to-garment digital printing spell the end of
traditional screen printing?"
Just like sublimation printing technology,
which existed for many years before its more
widespread acceptance (some of us were sublimating
25 years ago and longer), inkjet printing
on garments has been around for a while. The
technology was actually introduced through
research sponsored by the French government
in 1993. It seems to have splashed on to the
scene recently only because several high profile
companies have introduced their own versions
of this process within the past two years.
A Direct Comparison of Processes
Today, sublimation is only really practical on
light-coloured garments. Sublimation inks, (and
those for 4-colour screen process printing),
are transparent and will, therefore, take on the
colour of the garment being decorated. White
garments are ideal, ash garments decorate
surprisingly well, and pastels work to an acceptable
level with these transparent inks.
Sublimation works only with high polyester
content garments – sublimation ink will only
adhere to polyester. The advantage of direct-to-garment
digital printing over sublimation printing
is that it works very well on 100% cotton
and 50/50 garments, and requires no transfer
paper. As a result, inkjet printing can be accomplished
on less expensive garments, costing between
20 per cent and 25 per cent of the price
of the garments used for sublimation printing.
In practice, this means that direct-to-garment
digital printing is far less expensive than sublimation
printing, and can even compete on price
with direct screen printing.
Production rates, as of today, are slower for direct-
to-garment digital printing compared with
screen printing; however, direct-to-garment
digital printing speeds are increasing – literally,
month by month. The main trade-offs are in the
number of colours possible, and the prep/setup
time required for the screen printing of multicolour
jobs – at lower quantities, the fast set-up
time for direct-to-garment digital printing will
easily offset screen’s speed advantage.
If you take into account the time involved in
preparing separations, films and screens, the
time to set up a job, and then tear it down, there
is a point below which direct-to-garment digital
printing is the more effective printing process,
since it is only a matter of sending a graphic
to print. In reality, whatever you can send to a
colour desktop printer from your computer, you
can send to a direct-to-garment digital printer.
The only real time involved is in the loading of
the shirt, and the time it takes for the printhead
to travel back and forth repeatedly along the
length of the artwork.
With direct-to-garment digital printing you can
produce a full-colour print, on a single garment,
in a matter of only a few minutes, from start to
finish. This full-colour production is impractical
in direct screen printing for short run
work. The break-even point for screen
printers today would be in the 48-72
piece range. For non-screen printers
that want to produce these goods
themselves, rather than job out the
work to a printer, the break-even point
would be much higher. And, as with
embroidery, multiple direct-to-garment
digital printing machines are already
being employed to produce greater
quantities. Expect faster and faster production
rates for direct-to-garment digital printing
in the not so distant future.
Dark garments
White ink, or alternative techniques
for the direct-to-garment digital printing
of darks, has arrived. Only a year ago the
industry was con. dent that white ink was either
an impossibility, or far into the future. Today,
now that white textile digital ink is a reality, the
primary issue for the user of direct-to-garment
digital printing is print-time – it currently takes
up to four times longer to print a dark shirt with
white ink, than to print process colours on white
garments. The process appears even slower
when compared with screen printing on darks.
Nevertheless, the longer set-up and breakdown
time inherent to screen printing still makes
direct-to-garment digital printing the better
choice for short runs.
Once the printing of inkjet inks on to darks
is perfected, the opportunity for non-screen
printers to compete directly with screen printing
operations will be far greater. And, a more
competitive option will exist for screen printers
to introduce an effective short run alternative
to the costly preparation and set-up expenses
associated with multicolour work.
Watch for innovations in printing on dark garments.
Again, print times are falling now, and
will continue to become shorter and shorter.
A replacement for screen printing?
Just as with sublimation, inkjet printing will be
an addition to the garment decorating arsenal.
And just as with sublimation, direct-to-garment
digital printing will offer up both a new opportunity
for non-screen printers to compete in the
marketplace, and a supplementary decoration
alternative for direct printers.
Four-colour screen process printing might well
be replaced in time by direct-to-garment digital
printing. Limited colour work, as well as speciality
ink printing, will remain a function of direct
screen printing – heavy athletic prints, puffs,
suedes, high density, metallics and so on.
To finish up, here’s an interesting truth about
direct screen printing. The 6-, 7-, 8-colour print
jobs are the ones that attract all the attention,
yet the vast majority of direct screen printing
orders are actually in the 1- to 3-colour range. At
this stage in digital development, this type of work
will still be achieved more quickly via direct
screen printing than by any other method. So in
reality, nothing much will change with regard to
most current, real-world, garment print jobs.
As for the future… Some potential printers will
not enter the market, eschewing the learning
curve associated with the traditional screen
printing process, on account of the availability
of, and opportunities presented by, direct-togarment
digital printing. And some current
garment decorators that are struggling with the
screen printing process may leave the field in
favour of the simpler inkjet option. But, as with
every innovation in garment decorating, direct
inkjet will only become an additional option for
most in the industry.
What do you think? Do you agree with Terry’s analysis?
How is direct-to-garment digital printing affecting, or
how will it affect, your business?
Email your thoughts to mail@images-magazine.com
IMAGES is published by: CN Publishing, 9a, Kings Road, Flitwick, Bedfordshire, MK45 1ED, England.
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IMAGES website designed and hosted by Cyberscreen Internet Services
Terry Combs is a screen printing veteran, entering the industry in 1979,
and managing production operations throughout the USA. He has written
well over 100 management and technical articles for trade publications.
He is also a regular speaker at industry events, a production management
consultant, and author of the book, Estimating Production Time for Textile
Screen Printing. He is now a member of the staff at the U.S. Screen
Printing Institute, involved in both sales and training.
Terry Coombs explodes seven common myths about the arcane art of flash-curing.
Other articles that may be of interest:
Brian Walker
Inkjet garment printing: creating a buzz
Brian Walker kicks off a new series of articles looking at how garment decorators can profit from the latest direct-to-garment digital printing technology. Here, he provides a general introduction to the DTG process: what it can do, and what it can’t…
New bags and jackets from Regatta
Regatta’s schoolwear offering for 2010/11 goes from strength to
strength with the launch of a new range of school bags.
The new bags include the TRB035 Kids Gymsac, TRB036 Book Bag,
TRB039 School Backpack 20l, TRB008 Highschool Rucksack 10l,
TRB029 Scholar Backpack 20l, and TRB058 Sports Bag 30l. All feature
ample areas for branding and will be available in a range of colours
that co-ordinate with the Regatta schoolwear range.
The brand’s school jackets include the TRW432 Fresher – a lightweight
water-repellent and windproof fleece-lined jacket, in six school
inspired colours.
The TRA652 Kids Uproar softshell is Regatta’s first kid’s softshell for
the school uniform market, and provides a sporty, stylish alternative
to conventional school outerwear. Made from resilient Regatta Softshell
fabric with water-repellent finish, it features reflective trim and a
printed name label. "This jacket is ready for the rough and tumble of
the playground,” Regatta advises.
The TRW418 Kids Dover Jacket, with its snug fleece lining and Thermoguard
insulation, is the children’s version of the popular adults’
waterproof Dover style. Made from Hydrafort fabric, the jacket’s waterproof
protection is guaranteed, states Regatta.
A staple of the Regatta schoolwear range, the TRA900 Kids Term
Time waterproof reversible jacket is made from peached polyester
with a reversible fleece inner, making it a versatile choice for the winter
term. It can be worn as either a warm lined waterproof jacket, or
reversed and worn as a fleece with waterproof lining.
The Regatta TRF542 Kids Thor III Fleece is made from 250 series
anti-pill Symmetry fleece. It has two lower pockets, an adjustable
shockcord hem on sizes 7 years and upwards, and is available in five
traditional school colours. The Kids Thor III is, "A hardwearing and
smart addition to any school uniform,” according to Regatta.
The brand also offers the KW943 Kids Breathable Packaway II Jacket
and KW944 Overtrousers, and the W908 Kids Stormbreak Jacket and
W808 Overtrousers. "These continue to be great sellers in the schoolwear
market," says Regatta.
www.regattacorporatewear.com.
New bags and jackets from Regatta
Regatta’s schoolwear offering for 2010/11 goes from strength to
strength with the launch of a new range of school bags.
The new bags include the TRB035 Kids Gymsac, TRB036 Book Bag,
TRB039 School Backpack 20l, TRB008 Highschool Rucksack 10l,
TRB029 Scholar Backpack 20l, and TRB058 Sports Bag 30l. All feature
ample areas for branding and will be available in a range of colours
that co-ordinate with the Regatta schoolwear range.
The brand’s school jackets include the TRW432 Fresher – a lightweight
water-repellent and windproof fleece-lined jacket, in six school
inspired colours.
The TRA652 Kids Uproar softshell is Regatta’s first kid’s softshell for
the school uniform market, and provides a sporty, stylish alternative
to conventional school outerwear. Made from resilient Regatta Softshell
fabric with water-repellent finish, it features reflective trim and a
printed name label. "This jacket is ready for the rough and tumble of
the playground,” Regatta advises.
The TRW418 Kids Dover Jacket, with its snug fleece lining and Thermoguard
insulation, is the children’s version of the popular adults’
waterproof Dover style. Made from Hydrafort fabric, the jacket’s waterproof
protection is guaranteed, states Regatta.
A staple of the Regatta schoolwear range, the TRA900 Kids Term
Time waterproof reversible jacket is made from peached polyester
with a reversible fleece inner, making it a versatile choice for the winter
term. It can be worn as either a warm lined waterproof jacket, or
reversed and worn as a fleece with waterproof lining.
The Regatta TRF542 Kids Thor III Fleece is made from 250 series
anti-pill Symmetry fleece. It has two lower pockets, an adjustable
shockcord hem on sizes 7 years and upwards, and is available in five
traditional school colours. The Kids Thor III is, "A hardwearing and
smart addition to any school uniform,” according to Regatta.
The brand also offers the KW943 Kids Breathable Packaway II Jacket
and KW944 Overtrousers, and the W908 Kids Stormbreak Jacket and
W808 Overtrousers. "These continue to be great sellers in the schoolwear
market," says Regatta.
www.regattacorporatewear.com.
