How Digital DTG Empowers ‘Demand and Supply’ Production

Kornit Avalanche HD6

A key trend Kornit Digital (Booth 1815) has observed is the continual shortening of run lengths. According to its analysis, the typical run length for print contracts has shrunk considerably in recent years, driven by an evolving e-commerce environment in which customization, personalization and on-demand production are increasingly the norm. In a period of two to three years, one of Kornit Digital’s customers has explicitly seen their average run length shrink from 2,000 to about 500, and this is not an uncommon story for print shops today.

What this means is that the traditional “supply and demand” model for imprinted apparel is no longer sufficient for serving the marketplace. The recent news that H&M was writing off more than $4 billion in unsold inventory epitomizes this trend, and the demise of legacy big box retailers dependent on long purchasing and production cycles is news to no one.

Conversely, brands like Fanatics, which take a “demand and supply” approach, are thriving, and eliminating inventory by printing apparel the moment customers purchase it, which minimizes risk while enabling them to react to new trends and opportunities the moment they arise. Not coincidentally, Fanatics happens to be one of the highest-profile, most successful users of Kornit’s direct-to-garment (DTG) print technology.

Screen printing remains a valuable proposition for producing identical garments in mass quantities. However, as those run lengths shrink, returns diminish; individual runs produce fewer profits, while still demanding labor-intensive, time-consuming preparations.

Digital DTG nearly eliminates preparation time and labor, enabling printers to produce finished garments within minutes. Furthermore, Kornit’s proprietary in-line pretreatment simplifies the process, so more apparel can be imprinted by fewer workers, in the shortest possible time. The printer has a nearly unlimited color gamut to work with; a single print can incorporate hundreds of hues and gradients. Whether printing one, 100 or even 500 garments, cost per print is consistent, with graphics far surpassing anything possible via screen printing.

Kornit’s pigment-based digital DTG systems nearly eliminate water waste and can print to numerous fabric types, including cotton, leather, silk, polyester and performance-oriented poly blends, with the most refined hand-feel for retail. Incorporating ColorGATE RIP-to-print software, printers can ensure consistent print quality across multiple systems and facilities, and precise adherence to brand colors.

The Kornit Avalanche HD6 and Kornit Storm HD6 systems represent another step forward for digital DTG, using approximately 45% less ink than previous systems, to further reduce print costs and optimize hand-feel.

Regardless of run lengths, this technology gives print businesses of all sizes — from small regional shops to global e-com brands printing on multiple continents — the ability to handle and profit from any run length, deliver the most brilliant graphics bar none, ensure consistency, print to a variety of fabrics and ship within days or even hours of receiving the orders. Sustainable, efficient and versatile.

Print. Dry. Done. It’s as simple as that.