The global textile printing industry is at a turning point. Traditional methods like rotary screen printing still lead the way in large-scale production, but digital textile printing is quickly gaining ground. Growing at nearly 15% annually, it’s changing how factories think about design flexibility, production speed, and sustainability.
In the third episode of ReCIRCLE by TexSPACE, industry experts from across the value chain, from hands-on practitioners to machine manufacturers and ink technology providers come together for an open discussion on a critical question: is digital textile printing truly transforming production economics, or is it still finding its place alongside conventional methods?
This episode features insights from Changshi Wu, Business Development Director at DPI Technology Inc.; Ashraful Alam, Director of Printing at M.N. Dyeing, Printing & Washing Mills Limited; and Ritter Xiong, Sales Manager at Atexco.
Rotary printing’s cost advantage continues to anchor market dominance
Ink remains the biggest barrier – traditional dyes and color pastes are extremely low-cost, while digital inks are still comparatively expensive. Once production exceeds 100,000 meters, rotary printing’s cost efficiency and unmatched speed make it the clear choice for bulk manufacturing.
That said, the gap is beginning to narrow. Atexco’s upcoming large-scale digital ink factory is expected to drive costs down as production volumes increase. On the technical side, digital printing still struggles with deep color penetration, especially on thick fabrics, where conventional methods benefit from physical compression to push dyes deeper.
He said, “For digital printing to gain further market share, three areas remain critical: reducing bulk ink costs, achieving continuous high-speed output comparable to rotary systems, and advancing ink formulations and penetration technologies for thicker fabrics.”
Lower entry barriers and faster ROI drive digital textile printing growth
Business Development Director, DPI Technology Inc.
The growth is largely driven by accessibility and faster returns. In markets like Pakistan, many digital printing players entered the industry without prior experience in traditional printing. One key reason is investment, digital systems require significantly lower upfront capital compared to rotary screen printing, making them easier to adopt.
At the same time, the return on investment is much faster. Digital printing setups can often recover costs within one to two years, whereas traditional printing may take five to ten years.
Because of this, new investors are naturally drawn toward digital, it is easier to start, easier to manage, and quicker to scale. As a result, demand for traditional screen-printing machines has slowed significantly, with even second-hand equipment losing relevance. This shift highlights a clear opportunity for manufacturers: focus on scalable, cost-efficient digital solutions that cater to new and emerging market entrants.
Resource efficiency and faster turnarounds strengthen digital printing’s operational advantage
Director of Printing, M.N. Dyeing, Printing & Washing Mills Limited.
In practical terms, digital printing delivers significant resource savings, particularly in water, energy, and chemical consumption. Water usage can be reduced by around 80–90%, chemical consumption by 60–80%, and energy savings can reach 50–75%, depending on the process. For example, pigment printing tends to achieve higher savings compared to reactive printing, which still requires steaming and washing.
From a productivity standpoint, digital printing benefits from minimal setup requirements. There is no need for screen preparation or extensive color correction, and registration is highly precise. While machine speed may be lower than rotary or flatbed systems, overall production efficiency is often higher due to reduced setup time and faster changeovers.
Waste reduction is also substantial. There is less fabric waste since production can start with smaller quantities, and no excess chemicals remain from preparation processes. This makes digital especially efficient for small runs, where traditional methods typically lose time in screen setup and adjustments.
Overall, digital printing enhances operational efficiency by reducing resource consumption, minimizing waste, and accelerating turnaround times, making it a practical advantage in modern factory environments.
Adding to this operational perspective, Ritter Xiong emphasized the strategic positioning of digital technologies within existing production setups:
“From an operational perspective, digital printing is best used as a complementary solution. Its flexibility, minimal setup, and elimination of screen-making make it ideal for sampling, small batches, and urgent orders. With ongoing innovation, it is gradually expanding into medium-scale production.”
Echoing this view from a practical production standpoint, Ashraful Alam further highlighted the clear advantages in smaller-scale applications:
“Digital printing is the smarter choice for small quantities, lower cost, faster turnaround, and no compromise on complex or intricate designs. Traditional printing simply isn’t practical at small scale. For small-run, high-quality production, digital is the way to go.”
He also said that “Digital printing offers strong future potential, especially in markets like Bangladesh. Rising labor, energy, and infrastructure costs are pushing manufacturers to look for more efficient solutions. Digital printing can reduce these costs and improve overall efficiency, making it a key growth area in the coming years.”
Falling ink costs and scaled production unlock new growth for digital printing
Changshi Wu emphasized that the shift is clearly visible from an ink perspective. Reactive ink prices have dropped from around $25 per kg in 2016 to nearly $5–6 today, significantly lowering the cost barrier and enabling more applications to move from conventional to digital.
He noted that this is expanding the digital printing ecosystem, making more jobs commercially viable and accelerating adoption. At the same time, he highlighted an environmental benefit – centralized ink production allows better control of pollution, as large manufacturers can manage treatment and recycling more efficiently than individual factories.
So, from both an economic and environmental standpoint, suppliers are scaling production, improving cost efficiency, and investing in more sustainable manufacturing practices to fully leverage the growing demand in digital textile printing.
Adding to this perspective, Ritter Xiong highlighted how upcoming infrastructure investments are expected to reshape cost competitiveness in the sector:
“Our new ink factory is nearly operational. Once production begins, we expect ink costs to become competitive with conventional color pastes which opens a real opportunity to expand in the digital printing market. Looking ahead, we believe pigment-based ink is the future. It’s environmentally friendly, reduces chemical and water usage, and aligns with where the industry is heading.”
Adding a market-driven perspective, Changshi Wu further emphasized how fabric trends are reinforcing this shift: “As most major brands are shifting toward polyester as their primary fiber. Pigment ink works across fabric types, it’s naturally aligned with this trend which is another strong reason why digital printing will keep growing.”
Ritter Xiong later pointed to the long-term potential of simplified production systems and said, “Pigment single-pass technology has the strongest potential. It’s simple and accessible especially in regions where manufacturers lack pre- and post-treatment facilities or traditional printing experience.”
The webinar highlights digital textile printing has made significant progress, but key challenges remain particularly higher ink costs compared to rotary screen printing, relatively lower production speeds, and limitations in dye penetration. These factors continue to restrict its widespread adoption in large-scale bulk production.
At present, digital printing is primarily utilized for short runs, rapid sampling, and fast-fashion applications where flexibility and speed to market are critical. However, the outlook remains highly promising. Ongoing innovations particularly in improving dye penetration and advancing pigment-based solutions are expected to address current limitations.
As technology evolves and costs continue to decline, digital textile printing is well-positioned to expand into bulk production, offering a more sustainable and efficient alternative to conventional methods in the near future.
ReCIRCLE by TexSPACE is an initiative to promote dialogue, collaboration, and innovation toward a circular textile ecosystem. Each episode features thought leaders, technology pioneers, brand representatives, and industry practitioners sharing their insights and best practices in textile circularity driving the industry toward a more intelligent, efficient, and sustainable future.