How DTF printers can amplify product variety and unleash new choices for signal store house owners
By Ginny Mumm
Including custom-made attire can present a high-margin extra income stream for store house owners. Pictures courtesy Roland DGA
It’s no secret the market demand for personalised attire is continuous to rise. In actual fact, in response to Grand View Analysis, the adorned attire market globally hit $28.98 billion (C$36.2 billion) in 2023, and is predicted to develop at a compound annual development fee (CAGR) of 13 per cent from 2024-2030.1
One of many quickest rising manufacturing strategies for customized attire printing is direct-to-film (DTF) manufacturing. DTF gives quick, high-quality manufacturing of one-off or short-run custom-made attire merchandise. As soon as the province of attire producers and mall kiosks, these units at the moment are being built-in into signal retailers as a strategy to broaden product ranges and create customized attire in-house.
To seek out out extra about this well-liked textile manufacturing technique, we talked with Roland DGA utility specialist Mike Davis.
Why ought to print service suppliers (PSPs) contemplate bringing attire manufacturing
in-house?
Mike Davis (MD): Signal store house owners as we speak are sometimes requested if they supply customized shirts, hats, jackets, and tote luggage. Many are outsourcing this manufacturing to a different store, dropping the chance to offer what might be high-quality, high-margin merchandise themselves. At present’s DTF expertise permits store house owners to convey full-colour, on-demand customized attire manufacturing in-house.
Display screen printers are additionally making the most of DTF expertise to print smaller runs or samples. Superior Raster Imaging Processor (RIP) software program can produce the identical color choices as display screen printing, together with half-tones, with a lot much less setup time.
How are producers addressing the market’s rising want for on-demand customized attire manufacturing?
With manufacturing orders, it’s potential to attain a a lot increased hourly output with as we speak’s DTF units.
MD: Producers are responding with environment friendly, inexpensive DTF options that may sustain with the wants of outlets for high-quality on-demand manufacturing. First-tier producers additionally provide glorious service and assist that guarantee constant up-time for these units.
Trendy DTF printers are compact and simple to make use of, and don’t require customers to pre-treat materials. The essential workflow has only some steps. For instance, in case you are printing one 304.8 mm x 304.8-mm (12 in. x 12-in.) picture onto a tee-shirt, the method of printing the graphic onto switch movie, coating it with shaking powder, melting the powder underneath a warmth press for the advisable time on the advisable temperature, after which warmth urgent the graphic onto a garment and eradicating the movie backing might be as fast as 10 minutes.
With manufacturing orders, it’s potential to attain a a lot increased hourly output with as we speak’s DTF units.
What varieties of attire and textiles can DTF print on?
MD: DTF is a remarkably versatile manufacturing platform. Whereas most individuals are printing on merchandise made from 100 per cent cotton, DTF will also be used to print on 100 per cent polyester in addition to poly blends, denim, and on some varieties of nylon.
The commonest utility is on tee-shirts; nevertheless, DTF works equally effectively on tote luggage, aprons, caps, and sports activities shirts. It gives PSPs the possibility to broaden their product line for shoppers. As a substitute of simply providing sports activities banners, decals, and yard indicators, with DTF, a store proprietor can present jerseys, dad or mum shirts, hats, and different varieties of group attire.
As a substitute of simply providing sports activities banners, decals, and yard indicators, with DTF, a store proprietor can present jerseys, dad or mum shirts, hats, and different varieties of group attire.
What ought to PSPs search for in a DTF printer?
MD: It’s necessary to search for a producer offering sturdy gear that may ship constant color and high-definition output over time. It’s additionally key to discover a firm that stands behind their units with guarantee. You wish to guarantee your machine will carry out optimally for so long as potential, and that ought to you want a component or service, your producer may have components and assist obtainable.
Some DTF printers provide extra options to assist guarantee vibrant, detailed graphics. For instance, Roland DG’s DTF printer—the VersaSTUDIO BY-20—boasts developments that not solely maximize color richness and accuracy, but additionally make this compact but highly effective desktop system extremely easy to function. The BY-20 will also be used for conventional print and minimize functions in addition to for warmth switch graphics. Moreover, some producers provide the opposite DTF system parts wanted—the inks, switch paper, and powder—to offer customers with a whole resolution.
What varieties of software program are producers providing for this market?
MD: Most DTF producers at the moment are together with RIP software program with their units. Extra software program is required to create the artwork.
Roland DG’s VersaSTUDIO line is particularly designed to be straightforward to make use of. The BY-20 features a license for a model of FlexiDesigner in addition to RIP software program. This may also help with creating vector photos which might then be despatched for outputting and permits for customers to import their design from different software program.
What position does sustainability play in DTF manufacturing?
Whereas most individuals are printing on merchandise made from 100 per cent cotton, DTF will also be used to print on 100 per cent polyester in addition to poly blends, denim, and on some varieties of nylon.
MD: The power to print on-demand helps with sustainability. With DTF manufacturing, you don’t need to inventory your prints or cope with giant inventories that won’t promote. You possibly can produce precisely what your shoppers need, when they need it.
What do you see forward for DTF printing? What improvements are within the pipeline?
MD: I believe the marketplace for DTF will proceed to get stronger. It’s an accessible and inexpensive method for store house owners to broaden their product choices and meet extra of their shoppers’ wants in-house. The printers themselves will bear minor tweaks to additional improve print speeds. There may additionally be a motion towards a four-printhead machine reasonably than the present commonplace of 1 or two printheads.
There may even be enhancements coming with the manufacturing parts, together with inks, powders, and movies. Sizzling peel movie is changing into well-liked now.
Specialty movies equivalent to glitter movies and glow-in-the-dark movies are being launched as effectively, so I anticipate to see enhancements in these varieties of supplies as they mature available in the market. I’ve additionally come throughout samples of textured impact movies, which we should always begin seeing extra of going ahead.
Ginny Mumm is a contract marketing consultant for digital inkjet printer/cutter supplier Roland DGA. For extra data, go to www.rolanddga.com.
Notes
1. Learn the Market Evaluation Report by Grand View Analysis right here: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/decorated-apparel-market
