Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
The global digital textile printing market was valued at USD 2.4 billion in 2022
The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.4% from 2023 to 2030
Polyester is the most widely used fabric for digital textile printing, accounting for over 50% share in 2022
The fashion segment captured over 55% of the digital textile printing market share in 2022
Digital textile printing requires up to 90% less water than traditional methods
The pigment ink segment is anticipated to expand at the fastest CAGR of 16.2% from 2023 to 2030
Europe dominated the digital textile printing market in 2022 with over 33% market share
China accounts for over 40% of the global textile output, impacting digital printing demand accordingly
Digital printing allows for runs as short as one unit without waste
Kornit Digital reported a revenue of $271 million in 2022, with a focus on digital textile solutions
Reactive inks account for more than 50% of digitally printed textiles globally
The home décor segment is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of over 13% by 2030
Digital printing offers design flexibility leading to 30-40% faster product-to-market times
Consumer Behavior and Brand Adoption
- Mimaki, Epson, and Durst are among the top five suppliers of digital textile printers globally
- Epson’s SureColor SC-F Series is one of the most adopted digital textile printers worldwide
- Consumer demand for personalization is expected to lead to 28% more use of digital print by 2028
Interpretation
As consumer cravings for personalized prints surge, industry titans like Mimaki, Epson, and Durst are stitching their dominance into the global fabric, with Epson’s SureColor SC-F Series leading the charge in a future forecasted to be 28% more digital by 2028.
End-Use Applications
- The fashion segment captured over 55% of the digital textile printing market share in 2022
- Over 15% of global digital inkjet printers sold are for textile-specific applications
- Over 65% of digitally printed textiles are used for clothing apparel
- Approximately 14% of digitally printed textiles are used for sportswear and performance fabrics
- About 11% of total inkjet printer sales globally are for textile applications
Interpretation
As fashion struts down the digital runway with over half the market share, it's clear that inkjet printers are no longer just for paper—textiles are their new muse, dressing everything from haute couture to high-performance sportswear.
Market Growth and Trends
- The global digital textile printing market was valued at USD 2.4 billion in 2022
- The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.4% from 2023 to 2030
- The pigment ink segment is anticipated to expand at the fastest CAGR of 16.2% from 2023 to 2030
- Europe dominated the digital textile printing market in 2022 with over 33% market share
- China accounts for over 40% of the global textile output, impacting digital printing demand accordingly
- Kornit Digital reported a revenue of $271 million in 2022, with a focus on digital textile solutions
- The home décor segment is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of over 13% by 2030
- Over 1 billion square meters of textiles are printed digitally each year
- By 2030, Asia Pacific is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 16.5% in digital textile printing
- Customization demand has driven over 35% growth in digital textile printing for on-demand fashion
- The global market for digitally printed fashion textiles was valued at $1.05 billion in 2020
- Over 46% of fashion brands plan to increase digital print usage by 2025
- The market for textile pigment inks is projected to reach USD 1.5 billion by 2027
- The soft signage sub-segment is experiencing over 12% annual growth in the digital print sector
- The global direct to garment (DTG) market size was USD 2.82 billion in 2022
- SMEs account for 60% of all digital textile printing equipment buyers globally
- Dupont and Huntsman are major players in the textile digital ink market
- India is one of the fastest-growing markets for digital textile print with projected CAGR of 17%+
- Global shipments of textile digital printers reached over 12,000 machines in 2021
- Water-based digital inks now represent over 70% of the market
- Short-run textile manufacturing has grown 3.5x due to rise in ecommerce and customization
- The global DTG printer market is expected to reach $4.3 billion by 2027
- The sublimation printing market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 16.8% through 2030
- Mid-range printers cost between $50,000 and $120,000
- Global textile ink consumption expected to surpass 400 kilotons by 2025
- UV-curable inks are emerging for specialty textile applications and are expected to grow 18% YOY
- Soft signage printing grows by 19% annually due to trade shows, events, and retail demand
- The global digital textile printing market is expected to exceed USD 8 billion by 2030
- Annual growth in digital textile printer exports from China was 23% in 2022
- Digitally printed swimwear market projected to grow 15.6% annually to 2028
Interpretation
Fueled by fashion’s thirst for customization, Europe’s early lead, and Asia’s meteoric rise, the digital textile printing industry is weaving a high-speed $8 billion tapestry—stretched tight with pixel-perfect pigments, on-demand style, and more ink than a novelist’s nightmare.
Materials and Fabric Preferences
- Polyester is the most widely used fabric for digital textile printing, accounting for over 50% share in 2022
- Reactive inks account for more than 50% of digitally printed textiles globally
- Fabric pre-treatment is required for nearly 95% of reactive ink textile digital prints
- Over 90% of sublimation printers used in textile are suited for polyester fabrics
- Ink types such as pigment, reactive, disperse, dye-sub, and acid have specific textile compatibility
Interpretation
In the vibrant tapestry of digital textile printing, polyester reigns supreme with sublimation printers at its side, while reactive inks dominate the scene—demanding a pre-treatment ritual that underscores the precision and fabric fidelity required in this highly specialized, ink-by-ink industry.
Technological Advancements and Efficiency
- Digital textile printing requires up to 90% less water than traditional methods
- Digital printing allows for runs as short as one unit without waste
- Digital printing offers design flexibility leading to 30-40% faster product-to-market times
- Traditional rotary screen printing can cost up to 60% more in setup compared to digital
- In 2021, Italy installed more than 2,000 digital textile printing machines
- Rotary screen printing emits 60-70 liters of wastewater per kg of fabric, versus under 10 liters in digital
- Digital printing reduces power consumption by 65% compared to traditional
- Approximately 20% of printed apparel now uses digital printing technology
- Digital printing allows cost-effective production of 10–20 meter runs compared to 1,000 meters in traditional
- Inks can account for up to 30% of operational costs in digital printing
- Over 80% of direct-to-garment (DTG) printers use digital printing technologies
- Pigment digital printing can lower CO₂ emissions by more than 50% per meter of fabric
- DTG printing supports full-color designs without requiring color separations
- High-speed printers can print up to 90 linear meters per minute
- In 2022, the average cost of digital printing per linear meter was $2.30
- Single-pass digital printers are up to 5x faster than scanning printers
- Digital textile printing can reduce material waste by up to 50%
- Advances in printhead technology are expected to drive a 20% increase in productivity by 2026
- Average production costs in digital textile printing have dropped by nearly 25% in the last 5 years
- Digital textile printing allows for print on demand, reducing inventory by up to 40%
- Inkjet is used in over 75% of digital textile printing applications
- Digital textile printing achieves up to 1440 dpi resolution, far exceeding rotary screen possibilities
- The average digital printer has a lifespan of 5-7 years
- For high-end fashion, digital offered a 60% improvement in color precision and detail replication
- Digital printing won't require screens, saving about $200 per design in setup costs
- Retailers using digital textile solutions report up to 30% improved time-to-shelf ratios
- Average turnaround for digitally printed orders is reduced from 2 weeks to 2 days
- Temperature-controlled drying in DTG reduces ink bleeding by 40%
- Digital workflow integration improved supply chain efficiency by 25% in the textile sector
- Average machine uptime of digital textile printers is 75–85%
- Over 200 fashion brands globally have switched some operations to digital textile printing
Interpretation
Digital textile printing isn’t just a splash of innovation—it’s a high-resolution, low-waste revolution that’s faster to market, cheaper to set up, vastly more efficient, and increasingly the fabric of choice for a fashion industry threading sustainability and speed into its bottom line.