One of the surprises from the COVID-19 pandemic is that growth in digital textile printing is starting to accelerate as companies look to shorten inventories and produce closer to operations. The pandemic has absolutely accelerated the growth of digital textile printing, Jones said.
"When people shop online from home, they realize how easy it is to upload files and receive custom T-shirts," Jones added. "Competition in this market has intensified dramatically due to increased demand, and prices for custom printed shirts have plummeted."
"For the most part, the pandemic has demonstrated the inherent weaknesses of forecast-based modeling and slow, wasteful analog production methods that simply fail to meet the expectations of the digital-native generation," Zock said. “Overnight, a long-term source of reliable business disappeared, and many producers who lacked digital agility struggled to adapt. Digitalization means businesses can react quickly and shift their technology and personnel resources to deal with unforeseen market conditions. challenges and needs.”
Over the past few years, we have continued to see growth even throughout the pandemic," said "Due to transportation and supply constraints, we have seen some textile demand from global suppliers shift to regional suppliers and local production, resulting in Reduced need for overseas shipping and brought supply closer to final destination. This provides more opportunities for PSPs to increase bulk orders.
"Additionally, customers are spending more time at home, so as customers update their homes, we've seen an increase in custom home decor orders for products like pillows, blankets, and curtains, and business owners have been looking to soft signage solutions to push market customers,".
"The pandemic has forced difficult decisions in several countries, affecting many aspects of the fashion and textile industries, as well as other industries.". "Increased environmental awareness has driven higher adoption of digital printing because of its smaller environmental footprint, lower water usage, and production backflow."
"The pandemic has certainly accelerated interest in reproducing and printing/finishing apparel closer to consumers." "While sales of new equipment have slowed during the pandemic, this is happening slowly." There are still areas that are holding back full reshoring, including the availability of local fabrics and the ability to cut, sew and finish products locally. "Retail has shifted to an online-dominated market where digital printing is well-positioned to enable flexible printing, enhanced customization and faster shipping turnarounds." "
