Industrialising Innovation: The Business Case For Digital Printing

As fashion takes more concrete steps towards sustainable sourcing, and demand grows for connectivity and visibility across the supply chain, Kornit Digital has partnered with The Interline to explore how direct to fabric printing has evolved at the technical level – and how the changing economic climate and ongoing supply chain disruption has underlined the business case for a digital transformation of the design-to-production workflow.

The last four years have brought global disruption that has affected every industry – with fashion being no exception. The industry has been particularly affected by ongoing geopolitical tensions that have caused inflation and supply chain challenges, some of which already crystallised during the COVID-19 pandemic. Apparel brands initially passed rising costs to consumers, but since then, they have had to absorb those costs – cutting into their margins and forcing a delicate pricing strategy that also impacts the way those brands engage with their upstream partners.

2024 has also seen numerous extreme weather events driven by climate change. Floods, storms, droughts, heatwaves, and wildfires have affected some of fashion’s key manufacturing hubs, which are particularly vulnerable in terms of their raw materials. In response, fashion companies have had to rethink their sourcing strategies and locations to ensure flexibility and speed, weighing up risks and costs as well as material availability.

Going forward, there is no real clarity for any fashion stakeholder. Those who feel the effects of disruption most acutely – brands, manufacturers, sourcing teams, raw material suppliers – are all working to stay agile in the volatile circumstances and are giving new attention to forming strategies that are broad enough to quickly adjust to unexpected shifts, but specific enough to future-proof their businesses.

To do so, embedding technology and sustainability at the heart of operations is key. Brands must adopt sustainable practices while leveraging innovations to stay competitive; all the while maintaining flexibility to mitigate risk – whether from supply chain or climate challenges, or shifting consumer preferences.

The mandate for digital printing: what brands and consumers want

The modern consumer is difficult to define. Many are drawn to fast fashion, capitalising on the e-commerce surge that has come to be synonymous with convenience and ultra-low prices. But at the same time, there is a growing group of consumers that are being much more careful with their purchases; who are aware of the major conflict between consumerism and sustainability, and how brands and retailers are contributing to the problem of climate change through their apparel production. Naturally, there are also an array of consumers that sit somewhere in the middle.

One thing that most consumers have in common, though, is that online shopping has become preferential. Research from June of 2024 has revealed that 20.9% of fashion retail sales worldwide are e-commerce transactions, with a total global revenue of approximately $374.1 billion. This is forecast to reach $1.13 trillion by 2027.

Given these numbers, now more than ever, brands and retailers need to be using digital channels for sales, and to engage and educate their customers about sustainability – after doing the important work of incorporating sustainable and ethical practices in their supply chains. This is no longer optional: the fashion industry is steadily shifting away from self-regulation, as governments worldwide introduce stricter sustainability regulations that are pushing every stakeholder across the fashion value and sourcing chain to prioritise sustainable and ethical practices in their operations.

While challenging, one effective way for brands to advance is by adopting digital printing technology. Today, the total value of digital textile printing worldwide is €4.80 billion, according to a recent market analysis, The Future of Digital Textile Printing to 2028. This is only expected to increase in the next four years, with the global volumes of printed textiles to rise by 10.3% by 2028. And, according to the same analysis, clothing is by far the biggest application for digitally-printed textiles, worth €3.40 billion in 2024 – also forecast to grow in the years ahead.

This escalation is multifold: in part because of the demand from consumers for sustainability, alongside their demand for personalisation: and in part due to the need for fashion businesses to onshore production and change their business models towards quick, short-term productivity and manufacturing in the broader context of global supply chain disruption.

Technology integration as an engine for global impact

As brands and retailers have needed to digitise over time, digital printing manufacturers have championed pigment inks due to their exceptional vibrancy, durability, and eco-friendly nature. According to Verified Market Research (VMR) analysts, the global organic pigments market stood at $2.68 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow annually by 5.3% until 2030, reaching a value of $3.85 billion. Their versatility and innovative potential has also established these inks as key in the movement towards sustainable and durable printing practices. Pigment inks require only a brief application of heat to adhere to fabrics, making them notably efficient compared to other ink types, and this post-printing process is less energy-intensive and significantly reduces water consumption.

A more streamlined print and workflow means that fashion businesses of all sizes can explore the full potential of digital printing technology, being able to react quickly to seasonal shifts in demand, and establish more efficient, lower-impact production processes.

Kornit is one of the few businesses ready to meet the needs of brands and manufacturers, providing the most advanced pigment technology currently available with its Kornit Presto MAX solution, that is one machine for the full textile printing direct-to-fabric (DTF) process. The Presto MAX is the first digital print system to offer white printing on coloured fabrics, expanding decoration capabilities for dark coloured fabrics more broadly. Its single-step print process ensures operators use considerably less water and energy, and produce considerably less greenhouse gas (GHG), relative to traditional analog processes. A recent Kornit lifecycle assessment (LSA) of the Presto MAX system for roll-to-roll direct-to-fabric printing saves up to 83% on GHG emissions, uses up to 95% less water, and uses up to 94% less energy relative to competitive solutions.

The machine itself requires minimal setup and training, and smart automation allows for continuous high-speed production – with some samples ready in 15 minutes. Aside from the upfront investment, businesses can start up a printing factory with one machine and no experience. This creates significant added value for factories, allowing them to quickly produce collections and respond efficiently to brands requiring numerous samples. With Kornit’s digital printing solutions, manufacturers can not only meet these demands, but also drive innovation by creating new collections themselves, turning the technology into a powerful tool for creativity and rapid production.

Kornit has also ensured that fabric versatility for brands is covered, so that they need not worry about halting production in response to market changes. Using Kornit’s digital printing technology, brands can cater to customers seeking fresh options across fabrics and colours – not just styles. While synthetic fibres like polyester, polyurethane, and polyamide have become more prevalent in recent years, there is rising demand for natural and recycled materials such as cotton and leather. Kornit’s Presto MAX can accommodate natural, synthetic, and blended fabrics. Its advanced algorithms enable smart, autonomous calibration, ensuring high-quality results with fast turnaround times and minimal manual intervention or defects.

Digital printing also unlocks new levels of personalisation, allowing consumers to visualise specific fabrics if viewed digitally – creating a connection between their preferences and the final product. The technology also allows for more customisation when it comes to printing, cutting, and sewing – something traditional printing methods cannot offer.

The digital end-to-end workflow

As fashion’s digital era goes on, the transition away from traditional methods can be daunting, and the challenge of trust in new systems and processes looms large. This is only exacerbated when speed is added to the equation. But digital printing offers a solution by providing brands with new levels of continuity and accuracy. Embracing new software and hardware is just one aspect of the challenge; a crucial element will also be to build trust in digital processes and alter the perception that traditional methods are best practice. With this awareness, Kornit is facilitating confidence in and reliability on digital methods and processes, reinforced by aligning its advanced technology with sustainability as a central priority. Brands and manufacturers can thus move forward with eco-conscious production – and their own innovation – knowing that the technology they use has been designed with the macroeconomic and operational hurdles they face in mind and rest assured that they are set up for success.

About our partner: Kornit Digital is a worldwide market leader in sustainable, on-demand, digital fashion and textile production technologies. The company is writing the operating system for fashion with end-to-end solutions including digital printing systems, inks, consumables, and an entire global ecosystem that manages workflows and fulfilment. Kornit Digital serves customers in more than 100 countries and states worldwide. To learn more about how Kornit Digital is boldly transforming the world of fashion and textiles, visit www.kornit.com