Impressions - October 2016 - 50

think.
make.
do.

direct-to-gArment
Like this article? read more direct-to-garment printing
articles at impressionsmag.com/digitaldecorating.

Peeking Into
DTG's Future
An expert look at five factors that indicate
what's next for direct-to-garment printing.
By John LeDrew, ConTrIBuTInG wrITer

It's hard to debate the validity of
direct-to-garment (DTG) printing in today's decorated apparel marketplace. Major
printer manufacturers are now in the game
and even some of the largest screen-printing
shop owners are invested.
DTG is more reliable, user-friendly and
easy to maintain than it historically has been.
Print speed, color gamut and ink durability
all are improving, but what does the future
hold for this process?
Looking at the advancements in the other large-format printing arenas gives us a
glimpse into what DTG likely will become.
Following are five things that will factor
into DTG printing's path moving forward.
1. Print Speed: Like other large-format
printers, speeds have increased and will
continue to do so. One of the arguments

against DTG is that the print speeds cannot match those of screen printing.With
larger heads and multiple platens allowing decorators to load multiple shirts, it
is highly feasible that DTG will deliver
screen print-like speeds one day.
2. Color Gamut: We know the cyan,
magenta, yellow and black (CMYK) color
range is limiting, but many large-format
printers have moved beyond it. Though
DTG still uses CMYK and white, expect
additional colors, and even metallic ink,
in the near future.
3. Larger Print Dimensions: Currently, DTG printing is limited to about 16
inches wide and variable lengths. I expect
the widths and platen sizes to increase
in the coming years. One advantage of
a wider format is the potential to print

With larger heads and
multiple platens allowing
for multiple shirts to be
loaded, it's feasible that
direct-to-garment (DTG)
printing will deliver screen
print-like speeds in the
future. Photo courtesy of
Mind's Eye Graphics,
Decatur, Ind.
P.50

i m p r e s s i o n s m a g . c o m OCT./NOv. 2016

on large fabric rolls.Though maybe not
particularly advantageous for the custom
apparel manufacturer, this is one avenue
of DTG printing that has enormous potential for the fabric industry.
4. Pretreatment: Ink chemistry constantly is evolving. Some manufacturers
are making running changes that advance
opacity, shelf life, usability and durability.
Can white ink ever be used without pretreatment on the darkest garments? It may
be possible, but it seems unlikely.
What is more likely is continued advancement in pretreatment solution and
its application to garments. Pretreating in
line with printing will continue to advance
and be more feasible with new changes to
ink and pretreatment solution.
5. Competition: An area that will
significantly boost technology and advancement is the competition between major
printer manufacturers. The early days of
DTG were challenging because pieces and
parts were repurposed from other equipment. Some of these types of printers still
exist, but major manufacturers now are
invested and completely revolutionizing
the industry.
More competition among big companies
will mean more reliable product, warranties
and service. All these things could result
in less downtime, higher quality and more
successful end users. 
John LeDrew is the DTG director at Melco Intl.,
Denver. For more information or to comment on this
article, email John at jledrew@melco.com.
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Impressions - October 2016

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