Printing Innovation Asia Issue 3 2021
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Can digital print tech have an impact The term “fast fashion” didn’t always have the best connotations. In fact, says Sharon Donovich, product marketing manager for Kornit Digital, it was akin to a dirty word in certain circles. “Fast fashion is all about a highly profitable business model that was based on replicating catwalk trends and high-fashion designs, and massproducing them at low cost,” she says. “It is also a synonym for and being
accused to be responsible for pollution — both in the production of clothes and in the decay of synthetic fabrics — poor workmanship, and emphasizing very brief trends over classic style.”
In fact, she notes, the United Nations estimates that the fashion industry is responsible for as much as 10% of the greenhouse gas emissions heating the planet, which has led many to look at digital technologies as the answer. “When digital textile printing started, it was more about one of prints and personalization but with the progress of technology and changes in consumer behavior … the fast fashion brands are looking more and more to adopt digital textile printing, which offers production on demand, with no inventory risks, no MOQs [minimum order quantities], minimal TTM [time to market], and the endless design variety. On top of that, it is a sustainable production with no pollution, and very low carbon footprint.” Digital textile printing allows brands to bring new designs to market faster. Digital printing allows brands to bring new designs to market much quicker, allowing them to move from concept to finished piece in a fraction of the time. | Credit: Roland DGA A big part of being a more sustainable production process, which is appealing to many fashion brands, is the reduction — if not total elimination — of waste. Learning the Ins and Outs of Digital Textile Printing Digital textile printing reduces excess waste in the design process by allowing designers to create smaller fabric test runs and waste less while finalizing the fabric, It also brings the textile design process onshore, therefore reducing turnaround time and shipping costs that designers and retailers can then pass on to the consumer.
