By Axel Stuhlreiter, Head of Textile Solutions, Graphic Communications Group, Ricoh Europe
Harnessing the power of personalisation to drive sales is something we at Ricoh have been helping our clients achieve in all digital print production sectors.
More recently we have seen keen interest in our Direct to Garment (DTG) technology with operations using it to create highly responsive customisation services.
Manor, Switzerland’s largest department store, began an in-store printing service offering individual bags, pillowcases, napkins, socks, and T-shirts. While Swish Edinburgh, Scotland, started a next day printing service outlet customising T-shirts, tote bags, and sweatshirts.
Our technology was even used by shoppers at H&M’s Harajuku store in Japan to develop their own designs in its ‘Redesign Lab’. They then printed their favourite look on clothing.
Smithers research confirms the opportunities offered by personalisation in this market. The Future of Digital Textile Printing to 2026 states that desire for customised products is a significant driver for the adoption of digital textile printing. It says over a third of consumers are interested in individually tailored products that are commonly made with textiles, and individuals seeking those goods will pay a premium.
These drivers will help lift digital textile printed volume by 13.9% CAGR from 2021 to 2026 to reach 5.531 million square metres annually. During the five year period digital textile printed value will increase by 12.7% CAGR reaching €6.951 billion annually.
The report added that while the global pandemic caused a hiccup, overall growth of digital textile printing was strong at 11.9% CAGR by value from 2016 to 2021 and 12% by volume from 2016 to 2021.
Among Ricoh’s new technologies opening up fresh market opportunities is the Ri 1000 Direct to Garment (DTG) printer’s ability to offer Film Transfer printing capabilities. Using pre-printed designs, foiled images are added to pre-treated garments with heat transfer technology. The process is particularly suited to materials that are not ideal for DTG such as water repelling surfaces like leather and nylon. It is also perfect for synthetic sport jerseys and workwear due to its high fastness at heavy duty washing cycles.
There is also the Ri 100 that makes printing a one-of-a-kind T-shirt or bag simple, while the Ri 2000 delivers uncompromisingly high performance, innovative features, and unrivalled value.
Ricoh’s new DTG inks are also Global Organic Textile Standard 6.0 (GOTS) compliant and meet worldwide recognised requirements for organic textiles, extending market application possibilities.
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