able proprietary inks and fixations, and enables an on-demand production model that eliminates waste. Machines are able to print on natural fabrics and polyester and poly-blends, in order to achieve a greater variety of achievable products. In order to best service this market, Oakley encourages businesses to keep on top of the latest trends in order to avoid being left behind. “Sportswear is booming right now, and with our Kornit Atlas MAX Poly, producers finally have the capability to deliver an unlimited number of designs and effects on team sports and athleisure garments.” Oakley adds: “Producers tapping into the growing range of online design apps and social media channels can reap an ever wider base of potential customers, with more and more creators seeking fulfilment of their creations. Whether it’s apparel, signage, home goods, or anything else requiring more efficient than ever to transform custom fabrics into high-quality, ready-to-wear apparel.” Discussing the need for diversity in times of crisis, Oakley says: “Kornit direct-to-garment production systems are more capable than ever. They require less energy, floorspace, labour, and materials and have created opportunities for commercial print businesses to diversify and grow in the face of a volatile, unpredictable marketplace that’s increasingly paperless”. New Avenues In a world where sustainability is at the forefront and industries must ebb and flow to adapt to ever-growing changes, adopting new methods of trade and production can vastly help a business, especially if certain materials or solutions are less popular than before. Oakley states: “The ability to imprint garments opens new sales channels and enables a diversification that empowers the business with an agility when demand evolves or shifts suddenly. It enables fulfilment of a growing marketplace for custom, personalised, and otherwise bespoke goods, driven by a web-enabled world of creators who demand fast, responsibly made, and high-quality fulfilment of their inspirations.” As a manufacturer of garment printers, Kornit has ensured it uses safe, sustaincustom textile decoration, including uncut materials to be used as they wish.” A large part of keeping up with trends and reacting to them is ensuring your business is actively engaged with online activity. Since the emergence of Covid-19, e-commerce has become an even bigger market than it was previously. The apparel industry has a huge place in the online marketplace largely thanks to its convenience and variety. In order to tap into this part of the market, Oakley comments: “The e-commerce economy increasingly requires a reactiveness for which traditional print mechanisms are largely ill-suited. “When a trend emerges, or a major event takes place that creates new opportunities for personalised expression, you need a fast solution to capitalise in the moment, and that is digital’s sweet spot. The market is increasingly data-driven and integrating digital production systems with those data collection capabilities means recognising and taking advantage of new opportunities.” It's clear from the advancements and developments in the industry that textile and garment printing will only become more relevant. Whether it means incorporating different materials into your signage solutions or offering more branded products, an investment into this sizeable sector is certainly worth investigating. The areas of e-commerce, sustainability, and wide-format print are continuing to be focused on, with the role of textiles becoming essential to each one of these sectors. While there is still a lot of work to do in making this sector more circular and eco-friendly, printers can pave the way to utilise textiles and garments for their best use. ▼ Textile printing can lead to a number of product offerings such as home décor, branded clothing, and soft signage RA Smart celebrates milestone 50years ◄ Phil Oakley is the director of Kornit UK & Ireland, a manufacturer of industrialscale inkjet printers BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES / TEXTILE AND GARMENT PRINT 74 email: news@printmonthly.co.uk Issue 342 - May / June 2023
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