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Direct-to-Garment Inkjet to Grow
Worldwide base of direct-to-garment inkjet printers will hit 51,000 by 2010, says I.T. Strategies
The worldwide installed base of direct-to-garment ink jet printers will grow to nearly 51,000 in 2010, from its current 12,000, according to I.T. Strategies, the Hanover, MA-based consulting firm. More than 90% of that installed base will be low-end inkjet printers, those in the less-than-50,000$ price range, and will use aqueous-based pigmented inks that allow for direct printing onto cotton garments (inks are heat set to fix the image).
The types of companies that will purchase these direct-to-garment printers fall into three categories, says I.T.:
- Screen printers and embroiderers that are already in the direct-to-garment business using screen printing or embroidery;
- Companies that are printing T-shirt transfers with thermal transfer or color laser printers; and
- New direct-to-garment companies such as Internet retailers (CafePress, Zazzle, etc.) and photographers, which have not previously participated in the garment-decoration market.
The retail value of the garments printed by direct-to-garmet inkjet printers will increase from an estimated 3$ billion in 2007 to more than 12$ billion by 2010.
I.T. STRATEGIES www.it-strategies.com
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