www.printmonthly.co.uk 69 March / April 2024 - Issue 347 TEXTILE AND GARMENT PRINT BE A TRENDSETTER From fashion to interior design, Print Monthly takes a look at the opportunities available to commercial and traditional printing companies across the busy textile and garment print markets When it comes to the subject of textile and garment print, conversations about the sort of work on offer in this sector can go on for some time. This is mainly due to the sheer volume of sectors within these two markets and, perhaps more importantly for those printers on the lookout for ways to grow their business, where they can make the most money. Print service providers (PSPs) need to identify the areas with the most potential for growth, as well as ensure there is enough demand among their current client base to ensure they can make a successful move into the market and that they have the right level of both kit and knowledge to take on this one. Here, Print Monthly speaks with several manufacturers and suppliers that work with print companies across these markets to find out more about where the core opportunities lie for those seeking to expand and how they can go about capitalising on demand for textile and garment print. Ups and Downs Up first is Agfa, which counts larger-format textile print solutions among its portfolio of solutions. Mike Horsten, senior PR and press manager for digital printing and chemicals at Agfa, explains that there is a lot of consolidation in the textile markets with several key trends having emerged in 2024. “Many smaller companies are now investing into equipment for direct to fabric (DTF) garments or DTF systems,” Horsten says, adding: “On the other hand, the fashion productions are slowing down in Europe and moving back to low labour countries. The exception is soft signage where there is a trend for higher speed and higher quality prints needed for backlit and other specialty applications. “In terms of target areas for PSPs, they should consider that any event company, stage companies, theatres, and other show companies can use textiles and benefit from many of the textile applications like low weight, recyclability, and ease of installation of the fabrics. Selling textiles into these segments makes sense and is a win-win for PSPs currently offering this type of media.” Going into further depth, Horsten says Agfa has many customers that are printing for growth markets in textiles, counting the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjM0NDIxOA==