Data from a new report The Future of Digital Textile Printing to 2023 shows that in 2018 global value in digital printing textile market will reach €2.83 billion. This equates to 2.17 billion square metres of fabrics printed on inkjet machinery.
The market will grow of €4.90 billion in 2023 – representative of a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.6%. This contrasts to a rate of 16.0% for the five years 2013-2017, but is symptomatic of any nascent, high-growth markets unable to sustain early growth from a low base indefinitely.
More and more people like digitally printed textiles, such as clothing, garments, bed linens, towels, etc. Then if you want to know more about digitally printed tea towels, we will bring you to show how it be finished, and you will not be disappointed. This article is specially useful for companies who want to do custom printed tea towels bulk.
What is digitally printed tea towels?
A-Must-Know for companies who want to do Tea Towels Wholesale and custom printed tea towels
Digital Textile Printing also called Inkjet Printing is a process of printing on textiles and garments using inkjet technology to print colorants onto fabric. This process allows for single pieces, mid to small-run cycle production and even long-runs as an alternative option to screen printed fabric.
What kind of fabrics can be applied on digital printed tea towels?
- Cotton Fabric
- Linen Fabric
- Cotton Linen Fabric
Advantages compared to traditional silk screen printing methods
- Easy to print various colours.
- Changeable data and personalization options.
- Digital printing allows for greater variability without driving up costs and production times. If you wanted to print the same design with multiple captions, this type of variability would be costly with screen printing.
- Minimum set up costs. Set up cost based by per design, but not how many colours.
- Detailing: The design does not bump out. Digital printing is extremely precise, small and intricate details can be recreated on the final fabrics. This makes digital printing the go-to choice for sharp photographic prints or other complex artwork or images.
- Good for short runs.
- Costs: Digital printing doesn’t involve multiple steps — the printer simply needs your image and a substrate. The minimal amount of setup time and equipment means the process costs less than traditional screen printing methods for small to medium size orders.
- Environmentally Friendly: The digital printing process doesn’t require a lot of different materials, equipment or chemicals. This means there is less waste and no worry of chemical disposal.
Disadvantages of digitally printed tea towels
- the range of printable fabrics is more limited than with screen printing
- the print is not so durable
- the colour white cannot usually be reproduced within the print
- More expensive when a higher quantity of prints is required.
Now you have a general idea of what is digital printing. Then you will see by yourself how digital printed tea towels are made.
When custom send us their artwork and requirements in PDF or image file. Our Design will check it and see if they are suitable for printing, and then we will offer a proof for customer checking. After approval, we can print on machines.
Let us check how it happens.
The first step: pretreat the fabric with liquid solutions that prepare it to accept the dye and better absorb the color. Usually we use the pre-washed cotton or linen cotton fabric.
The second step: Printing. it is fed through the inkject printer, which sprays the dye onto the textile with tiny droplets.
When do this job, we need to be careful watching the fabric goes straightly on the panel along with moving avoiding printing to be skewed.
The Third Step: these finished printed rolls will be dried again to guarantee colorfastness.
The Fourth Step: cutting into pcs and do inspection pc by pc.
The fifth step: sewing edges and label in or hang tag in.
The sixth step: re-inspection for each pc and keep all the pcs are good.
Finally step: fold into polybag per pc and pack them into cartons.
Digital printing is the newer of the printing processes and has its unique advantages. For example, if you would like an image of your adorable pet cat printed onto a tea towel, you probably want to choose digital printing for photographic accuracy.
Finally, to conclude, digital printing on fabrics is the most popular approach today.
In the past, there were rarely any digital printers, but now, most of the printing companies have a digital printer and make use of it for all single garment orders.
The capability of designing outstanding graphics on computers is one of the skills highly in demand these days.
If you wish to discuss how we can develop your brand or provide graphic design for your product or business, email us at: sales@sinmaltex.com
So there you have it. Hopefully, our guide has given you a better idea of the processes involved and finished you can achieve with screen printing and digital printing. If you’d like to speak to one of our printing pro’s, or if direct marketing idea you have, feel free to get in touch. We’d be more than happy to share our insight and help you on your way.
5 easy steps to order your digitally printed Tea Towels:
1. Send your design and quantity to us by email along with your details.
2. Our team will check your artwork and prepare a quote and email visual for you to approve.
3. Once you’ve approved the quote and visual we’ll arrange payment (which can be made by internet banking, BACS, cheque or card).
4. When payment has been received, your will go into the production queue.
5. When your tea towels have been printed and finished, we’ll send them to you by vessel or courier.
The following tips ask how and why
- HOW MANY ITEMS DO I WANT TO ORDER?
Usually for a start of 500 pcs, the price will be competitive, but you also can do one pc or 10 pcs.
- HOW MUCH DO I WANT TO SPEND?
The price of your order will depend on a lot of different factors, including fabrics, size, design and turnaround time. Decide on a price point, and then identify what’s most important about your order.
- HOW QUICKLY DO I NEED MY FINISHED ORDER?
For sampling, usually take 3 or 5 days, for bulk order, 15 days to 25 days.
- DOES SCREEN PRINTING OR DIGITAL PRINTING LAST LONGER?
Screening uses heat to dry ink, while digital printing employs a heat press to bake the ink into the fabric, making it far less likely to crack or fade.
- HOW DETAILED IS MY DESIGN?
Digital printing captures details more accurately than screen printing. If you have a design with lots of intricate detailing, you might want to opt for digital printing
- HOW MANY COLORS DO I WANT TO SEE ON THE FINAL PRODUCT?
Digital printing allows you to play around with colors and designs without dramatically increasing the price. You can make your design with as many colours as you wish.
- HOW IMPORTANT IS EXACT COLORING?
The digital printing process requires printers to mix colors to get specific shades, while screen printing does not. If precise coloring is important to you, screen printing is the right choice.
- WHAT MATERIAL DO I WANT TO USE?
Decide what material you want for your final product. Digital printing has fewer material options, so you might have to go with screen printing to get the unique items you desire. However, with digital printing, the ink does not absorb all the way into the fabric, which helps to prevent cracking. Screen printing uses thick layers of ink that can crack with wear and tear. Digital printing works best on cotton, while screen printing works great on a wide range of materials.
Digital printing and screen printing both have distinct advantages, but deciding between the two is as simple as understanding the needs of your order. Once you’ve chosen the right method for you, feel free to get creative and have fun.
By Marcus Wang
An expert in towels for over 12 years.
