Phil McMullin, Pro Graphics Sales Manager, Epson (UK) Ltd, explains how the increased use of web-to-print, greater reshoring, and localising textile supply chains are continuing to drive growth in the market for dye sublimated apparel.
In fact, demand was set to reach €3.78 billion in 2022 according to Smithers. In its ‘The Future of Dye Sublimation to 2027’ it stated that global dye sublimation printing markets have resumed past growth increases (averaging more than 10% year-on-year annual growth). It says the global value of dye sublimation printing is forecast to reach more than €14 billion in 2027. The greatest CAGR for the period 2017–22 at 4.2% was recorded by the household sector.
Pre-pandemic, the main attraction of dye sublimation was its ability to deliver affordable, on demand print, quickly and from a nearby location. These benefits were perfectly placed to respond to the subsequent increase in online shopping and counter high international shipping rates. Dye sublimation can also produce garments more sustainably with less waste, water use and pollution compared with traditional garment production methods.
As a result, Smithers says by 2027 apparel will account for nearly 45% of global dye sublimation printing value. It is anticipated that swimwear and athletic wear will continue to represent a significant proportion of dye sublimation print while the market is also expected to see an increasing amount of collaborations with big name fashion labels producing bespoke haute couture.
Home décor also benefited from the move to online shopping. Smithers says cushions, furniture, bed linen, wallpapers, decorative accent panels, wall hangings, carpets and flooring laminates reached a total market value of €422.1 million in 2022. It forecast the market segment to be the fastest growing market for 2022 to 2027.
Also set to for rapid recovery is soft signage such as flags and banners. These were impacted heavily during the pandemic and saw -7.9% drop in demand as public events including concerts, festivals, and trade shows, were cancelled.
Figures from global market intelligence firm IDC also point to a very healthy future. It reported strong growth in sales of dye sublimation textile printers in the UK and Ireland of 245 in 2020 and 343 in 2021. They were significantly up from the 160 recorded in 2019 and 122 in 2018. IDC expects demand for the solutions to continue to grow with sales in 2026 predicted to hit 476.
This market positivity is something we have been experiencing too. Customers have been investing in our highly affordable easy to use and fast to set up systems. Among the most popular are the versatile 64 inch SureColor SC-F7200 and the 44 inch SureColor SC-F6400, as well as the SureColor SC-F10000H, an industrial, 76-inch, 6-colour dye-sublimation printer aimed at polyester-based fabrics that can be configured with either light colours or fluorescents via a 10-litre bulk ink system. Popular, too, is the SureColor SC-F9400H, fluorescent ink, dye-sublimation textile printing solution up to 64 inches. The ability to print with fluorescent yellow and pink enables the use of bright vivid colours on sportswear, workwear, and fashion items.
With such a vibrant outlook now is the time to expand your service offering with a wide range of dye sublimation applications.