FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 11, 2007
Digital Textile Printer Revenue Forecast To Reach $6 Billion by 2010
Hanover, MA - Digitally printing on fabric whether rolls of fabric or finished garments
has been going on since the mid 1990s. However, the market has been slow to develop for both technical
and market reasons. For the most part the technical issues have been solved and today the biggest issues
are market issues such reaching new customers. I.T. Strategies divides digital textile printing into two
primary segments based on printer configuration: roll-to-roll and direct-to-garment (DTG), flatbed
printers designed and used for printing on textiles. Segmented this way the products produced on these
printers fall into two primary areas: rolls of fabric (used for signage, furnishings and apparel
applications) and finished garments (such as T-shirts).
I.T. Strategies estimates that in 2005, manufacturers’ revenues (sales of hardware, media and ink) for
digital textile printers was $1.9 billion. This is forecast to grow to almost $6 billion by 2010, a CAGR of
26%. In 2005, almost 90% of revenues were from roll-to-roll printers, driven by soft signage
applications. However, over the forecast period, flatbed ink jet printers used for printing on finished garments (primarily T-shirts) are expected to grow to more than 40% of total revenues.
Total Digital Textile Revenues by Hardware, Media and Ink
Total manufacturers’ revenues (hardware + media + ink) are forecast to reach almost $6 billion by 2010.
Revenues from media (e.g., T-shirts, bags, rolls of fabric) comprise about half of total revenue. For the
most part, media revenues are not accessible to digital printer OEMs. In the roll-to-roll segment, many of
the print shops buy rolls of fabric from traditional fabric suppliers, not digital print suppliers. Finished
garments such as T-shirts and bags will also come from manufacturers outside the traditional digital print
community. However, as the market grows, especially in the direct-to-garment segment, there will be an
opportunity for dealers of ink jet hardware, media and ink to sell garments for digital printing to new
users entering the market and looking for sources of garments, bags and other types of products that can
be directly printed with ink jet printers.
Total Retail Value of Output
The worldwide retail value of printed output from ink jet textile printers is forecast to grow from
$3.3 billion in 2005 to more than $18 billion by 2010, a CAGR of 40%. In 2005, revenues from directto-
garment, flatbed ink jet printers were about $900 million worldwide (about 30% of total revenues).
By 2010, revenues from direct-to-garment ink jet printers are expected to grow to almost $13 billion
(about 70% of total revenues). According to Patti Williams, Consulting Partner at I.T. Strategies, “The
growth of direct-to-garment ink jet printers is based on the fact that there is already an existing market for
printing on T-shirts. Lots of consumers already buy T-shirts. These direct-to-garment printers will be
purchased by current garment decorators such as screen printers and embroiderers. However, they are
already and will continue to be purchased by companies new to garment decorating such as Internetbased
retailers like CaféPress and Zazzle, event printers who will take them to gatherings such as state
fairs and sporting events, and photographers that will see an additional income stream by offering their
images on garments.”
I.T. Strategies, Inc. is an established research and consultancy firm dedicated to serving companies in emerging digital printing markets.
The company delivers intelligent data, analysis, strategy, and implementation practices to vendors in the digital printing industry around
the world. From offices in Boston and Tokyo, I.T. Strategies conducts research and surveys, delivers data and analysis, offers
interpretation and advice, identifies specific opportunities, and helps organizations implement these strategies to achieve effective
solutions.
I.T. Strategies, Inc.
Hanover, MA
Phone: 781 826 0200
E-Mail: williams@it-strategies.com
Website URL: www.it-strategies.com
