Technology

Documentation of the state of digital textile printing technology was one of the primary reasons for my attendance at ITMA and I reported on my findings in this area for my last post. I also had an opportunity to examine other technologies for coloration and finishing with a focus on those systems that offer opportunities from a product and/or processing standpoint. In the context of this investigation I noted several trends in terms of technology and strategies for denim products:

Solutions for Dyeing

As with other coloration strategies, the focus for denim was on reducing consumption of resources including water and energy during the dyeing process. Reduction of waste streams as a result of improved dyeing methods was also part of the sustainability story.  Under this umbrella, Clariant was highlighting their Advanced Denim strategy that involves the use of pre-reduced sulfur dyes. As many readers are aware, indigo dyeing is a process known to consume significant water via the use of multiple dye baths to build the target shade. Clariant offer’s the Diresul chemistry for use with a Pad/Sizing Ox method as an alternative to a typical indigo dyeing procedure. This strategy reduces the dyeing and sizing stages to a single box process for which Clariant notes up to 92% less water consumption and 30% less energy consumption as compared to a conventional 12 box dyeing process for denim. As part of the dyeing scenario, waste water can be reduced or eliminated by recycling the dye bath. Clariant also indicates that the Advanced Denim system significantly reduces cotton waste from slashing. 

One of the stated advantages of the Diresul range is the ability to obtain denim shades in the blue, navy, black and gray range and the Diresul Indicolor series enables dyeing of an even broader selection of hues. Clariant’s dye technology is enhanced by a selection of new finishing systems with a focus on low formaldehyde and PFOA-free (C6) chemistries. 

Colored denim was also among the solutions being featured at the Dystar booth where the company was promoting the Lava Dye range. This chemistry is described as modified reactive dyes that support low temperature dyeing (60°C) and benefits in regard to reduced consumption of water, energy and auxiliary chemicals. The Lava Dye range covers a spectrum of hues including yellow, orange, red, blue, indigo blue, sky blue, violet, olive, turquoise, forest green and black. 

Garment Finishing

In addition to notable trends in dyeing and finishing for denim, technologies for garment finishing were also featured at ITMA. VAV technology was demonstrating their Picasso robotic arm system for the application of potassium permanganate that is sometimes used to create a targeted washed down appearance. This system uses a set of robotic arms that execute the spraying procedure in an automated, enclosed booth. The technology can be used in conjunction with VAV’s Clone-Mac system that records the manual spraying operation and enables fine tuning and replication of effect from one garment to the next. The system is offered as a strategy for increasing productivity and ensuring consistent results in terms of the finished denim appearance. The system also protects workers from exposure to the spraying operation. 

VAV was also one of a selection of vendors that were showcasing laser systems for denim finishing. These systems are also being promoted as an alternative to garment finishing methods that are poor solutions in terms of worker health and safety. Laser systems are also being promoted as beneficial from an ecological standpoint as technologies that have minimal impact with respect to water, chemical and energy consumption during the denim garment finishing stage. In addition to the laser equipment VAV was promoting the Wilma Designer software for development of graphics that drive the laser engraving action. Other companies showcasing laser technology included Iberlaser and LST (Laser Systems Technology). In terms of operation, the laser systems viewed enabled loading of cut parts and processing rates in the range of 1 to 1.5 minutes per garment. Vendors were also showing systems with loading stations that enable pre-loading of pieces for improved efficiency.     

Looking forward I will highlight the technologies I reviewed in the weaving and knitting area. As always, feel free to send us your questions and comments.

Gaining insight into technology solutions and strategies for more sustainable textile processing was a primary goal with respect to the technology research I conducted at ITMA. In keeping with this initiative, I provided a summary of relevant discussions arising from the Sustainability Roundtable and the Textile Chemistry and Dyestuff Forum for my most recent post. The various themes highlighted during these sessions informed my observations and discussions as I moved through the exhibition halls. In terms of the transition to more sustainable solutions in the textile coloration area, one of the most significant technology advancements to occur over recent years has been the emergence of production solutions that have been developed to support greater efficiency and flexibility for textile printing. As I surveyed the exhibition area, I quickly discovered that Hall 7 was the place to be for those wishing to review the latest hardware solutions in this technology category.

I think it’s fair to say that the digital textile printing exhibits attracted considerable attention from trade show attendees. Clearly digital printing has been the focal area with respect to research and development in the textile printing field. I found it interesting that screen based technologies were represented in a very minimal way. I interpret this as a sign that the digital method is being positioned for significant growth in terms of overall share of the textile printing market. Printer hardware vendors including A -Tex, Atexco, d·gen, DGI, Durst, EFI Vutek, Ftex, Ichinose, Konica Minolta, Kornit, La Meccanica, Mimaki, Mutoh, MS Printing Solutions, Reggiani, Robustelli, Roland, Stork, Xennia and Zimmer were all in attendance and exhibiting their latest offerings. Some of the highlights with respect to the cotton supply chain are as follows:

Atexco (Hangzhou Honghua Digital) demonstrated the company’s VEGA 6000 printer. This machine is among a newer class of industrial equipment that incorporates Kyocera printhead technology. The machine can be operated in a 4 or 8 color mode and is available for purchase with 4, 8 or 16 print heads and for a selection of print widths. This company also exhibited technology for carpet printing.

Durst introduced the Kappa 180 printer to the textile audience. This machine is engineered with Durst’s QuadroZ printhead technology that incorporates a printhead plate by Ricoh and electronics by Durst. The machine is engineered for 8 color printing with 4 printheads per color and supports print rates of between 230 and 606 m²/hr.

Ichinose (Toshin Kogyo Co.) highlighted the 2030Pro printer engineered with 24 Seiko printheads and capable of production up to 160 m²/hr.

Konica Minolta launched the Nassenger PRO 1000 which currently supports acid and reactive dye printing at rates of between 420 and 1000 m²/hr based on print mode. This machine was complimented by the Nassenger PRO 60 that can be used for short-run production or as a proofer for the higher speed technology. The Pro 60 is also being marketed by DGI and branded as the FD Pro I. DGI is the system integrator for this model. Both the PRO 1000 and the PRO 60 are engineered for printing with 9 colors and the Nassenger PRO 1000 incorporates Konica Minolta’s new KM1024 printhead technology. In addition to reactive and acid dye sets for the Nassenger PRO series, Konica Minolta is also looking to introduce disperse dye inks.

Kornit Digital exhibited a prototype machine branded “allegro” designed for wide format production printing of pigments. This machine features integrated application of a pretreatment containing the pigment binder. It currently supports a 7 color arrangement that includes light cyan, light magenta and light black. Kornit is looking at Q2/Q3 2012 for official launch of the technology.

La Meccanica showed the QualiJet KS8 first exhibited at FESPA, Hamburg earlier in the year. La Meccanica is among the list of vendors developing hardware around Kyocera’s printhead technology. This particular model features a scalable platform starting with 8 printheads and offers the possibility to upgrade this number for greater productivity.

MS Printing Solutions exhibited the JP6 and JPK printers that also incorporate printhead technology from Kyocera. At the higher end, the JPK machine can print up to 370 linear meters per hour. MS was also showcasing a video in large format demonstrating the operation of the continuous, single pass LaRio technology now installed at Tintseta Ink in Como for printing of silk. The ITMA Daily News reported that the machine is operating in the range of 20 to 30 linear meters a minute at Tintseta and that a strategic alliance between MS and Stork is in place to sell and support the machine within Stork’s global contact base. The ability to operate the LaRio system with reactive dyes and with Huntsman’s Universal ink should be noted for printing of cotton substrates. The Universal color set supports printing on fiber types typically compatible with reactive or acid dyes and supports substrate flexibility with a single color set.

Reggiani introduced an approach to sublimation transfer printing using the ReNOIR digital printer and are undertaking modifications to the machine to support imaging on transfer paper. Partnerships with Sensient for supply of sublimation ink and Cham Paper Group for supply of transfer paper are part of the development and marketing strategy for this approach. In terms of relevance to the cotton supply chain it should be noted that this machine model has been operational with reactive dyes for some time and word has it that Reggiani has something in the order of 60 installations worldwide. Additional highlights from Reggiani include marketing of the newer ReNOIR – Compact machine which is described as a lower cost, easy to operate solution as compared to the higher end ReNOIR system. 

Robustelli exhibited the EVO printer, the latest offering from the Monna Lisa series. The machine incorporates 32 printheads that support print rates of up to 675 m²/hr. This vendor describes the printhead technology from Epson as exclusive to Robustelli and notes that for this series of equipment the alignment procedure is eliminated upon replacement of a printhead. The system is designed for use with the Genesta series of reactive, acid and disperse inks.

Stork featured the Sphene digital print technology at ITMA. The high speed system (up to 555 m²/hr) was previously introduced at FESPA Hamburg and features printhead technology from Kyocera. The ITMA demonstration centered on printing of nylon/lycra swimwear fabric with acid dyes. For the cotton supply chain it should be noted that the Nebula brand of reactive dye inks are also available for the Sphene technology. During my visit to the booth, Stork also highlighted availability of digital print inks for the new MS LaRio printer. Stork’s offerings for the LaRio include the Quasar ReAcid inks, an eight color set that like Huntsman’s Universal colorants, supports flexibility of fiber type. It should be noted that in addition to digital print solutions, Stork was also promoting updated technology for the rotary screen environment. The Pegasus EVO rotary printer supports improvements in print quality due to the advanced squeegee system and also enables greater efficiency via a combination of squeegee and systems for paste recovery, improved drying and intelligent waste water recycling. Stork also introduced two new rotary screens designed to reduce moiré (125/RR) and enable high resolution and increased transfer of print paste to the substrate during the printing action (195/19% NovaScreen).

Xennia did not exhibit equipment, but featured the newly branded Xennia Osiris machine in response to the company’s recent acquisition of assets from Osiris, the original developer of the equipment which was formerly branded Isis. They also featured the Emerald machine that falls into the coming soon category. The Emerald is engineered with a novel diagonal multi-pass arrangement mentioned in a previous post and supports production in the range of 600 m²/hr.

Zimmer demonstrated an updated version of the Colaris digital print system for printing with reactive, acid or disperse inks. Various machine widths are available and for 1.8 m goods being printed with an 8 color arrangement, the equipment is capable of print rates between 100 and 732 m²/hr depending on quality settings. The machine can be integrated with a selection of in-line processing units for stages including fabric pretreatment. Special entry units, drying, steaming and washing configurations can be combined to support printing of products such as cotton towels or nylon pile fabrics (e.g. floor coverings, velvet upholstery and automotive textiles). Zimmer also introduced a digital print solution for imaging on narrow fabrics such as polyester waistbands. This technology was not shown. However information and samples were available for review and the solution appears to have application for branding or short run/customization of print designs and colors in the narrow format (e.g. waistbands on cotton underwear). One of the unique features of the technology is the ability to print both sides of the substrate. For a waistband this means that the inside surface of the band can be printed with a different color or design than the outside surface.  

Among the other companies that I listed as exhibitors in the digital print area, a number offer systems of relevance to imaging on cotton textiles. The fact that I have not highlighted specific systems is not an indication of the value of the respective solutions for given markets. These systems have either been featured at previous exhibitions, are primarily marketed for dye sublimation and/or are mid-level technologies in terms of print rate. With that in mind, companies looking to explore the full range of digital print solutions for textiles should take note of the entire list.

Before moving on to other technology areas, let me share a few additional highlights in regard to ink chemistry for digital printing. My visit with Dystar revealed that the company is in the process of refreshing efforts in the inkjet chemistry area following a period of transition to new ownership. Jaysynth, provider for the DIGITEX brand of ink highlighted the addition of textile pigments to their reactive, acid and disperse dye offering and Everlight Chemical Industrial Corporation introduced reactive and acid dye colorants for the digital textile environment. J Teck was also exhibiting, although advancements from this company focused on printing of fiber types other than cotton.

For my next post I will shift gears to focus on denim coloration and finishing with a special emphasis on sustainability, hues and effects.

Part I

The International Exhibition of Textile Machinery (ITMA) opened its doors to the textile manufacturing world on September 22^nd and so began an eight day run for an event that has historically served as the premier European show for textile manufacturing equipment and related technology solutions. ITMA is on a 4 year cycle - the most recent occurrence having taken place in Barcelona and the following event scheduled for Milan, 2015. Although the European show attracts a large audience, ITMA Asia taking place in Shanghai in June 2012 will enable a technology update for relevant markets mid-way through the European cycle. From a scale perspective, the Barcelona show featured seven halls of exhibits, which attracted an audience of supply chain stakeholders from around the globe. Given the significance of this event from a technology perspective, my next few posts will focus on solutions exhibited within the trade show, as well as technologies and issues explored during corresponding educational forums. 

The Sustainability Roundtable

I arrived at the Fira de Barcelona Gran Via on the opening day just in time to attend the Sustainability Roundtable, which was part of a complimentary program offered by the show’s organizers.  The roundtable was facilitated by the Textile Exchange and included participation from representatives of Dystar, Invista, Patagonia, Pratihba Syntex and Tonello SRL. The session underlined the importance of collaboration among supply chain participants for achieving industry goals in the sustainability area. The value of collaboration with competitors from various sectors of the industry was highlighted with respect to a comprehensive approach to sustainability that addresses materials, products, processes and people. 

Round table participants, pointed to the rising importance of product quality and durability as an attribute of a more sustainable supply chain and the need for supply chain participants to factor environmental impact into discussions of product cost. Disposable and fast fashion were highlighted as contrary to the development of a more sustainable industry. Participants also noted that developing more sustainable methods and practices requires investment in knowledge, process and technology and that a company undertaking a sustainability initiative needs to focus on the future in regard to return on investment as ROI is not always immediate. Panel participants emphasized that companies must be persistent and seek out continual improvement in the sustainability area. There must also be a focus on measurement to provide a base line or starting point and to monitor improvements in terms of process and goals.  As one participant stated, “What gets measured, gets worked on”.

From my perspective the session also underlined the growing importance of technology innovation with respect to improving textile production methods and support for adoption of new processes and technologies that prove effective. Support for education and implementation in regard to known strategies for more sustainable textile production and product manufacturing is also central to improving the status quo. One attendee highlighted the fact that the textile and apparel industry must not lose sight of social compliance as a key part of a comprehensive plan for a sustainable supply chain, though this attribute was not at the center of the roundtable discussion.

Textile Chemistry and Dyestuff Forum

The sustainability theme was further emphasized for me during the Textile Chemistry and Dyestuff Forum that took place as two half-day sessions held on September 25^th and 26^th.  During the forum participants discussed the significant environmental, resource and product safety issues facing the wet processing area of the textile supply chain. Transfer of knowledge surrounding textile chemistry and processing methods from historic centers of textile production to current global manufacturing settings was raised as a key issue by participants.

There was also discussion of the need for research and development of more environmentally friendly chemistries and methods of processing cotton fabrics given the high volumes of water and effluent associated with the coloration of cotton. During the forum a representative of Huntsman Textile Effects described their newly introduced Avitere SE colorants and indicated that the chemistry supports high levels of dye exhaustion as compared to traditional reactive dyes. As a result the chemistry requires smaller volumes of water for unfixed dye removal, as well as less steam and time consumed during processing. The speaker indicated that this results in 40% savings in terms of processing costs. Later in the program company representatives described applications for Fong’s new TEC series of high temperature dyeing equipment that used in conjunction with chemistry advancements from Dystar (Remazol RR and Sera ECO WASH) support significant reduction in resource consumption during the dyeing process.  Dystar points to the washing stage as the greatest consumer of energy and water during the reactive dyeing procedure and indicates that the chemistries noted support high fixation and ease of removal of hydrolyzed dye molecules. Associated brochure material indicates a 50% reduction in consumption of time, water and energy for coloration of medium reactive shades on cotton knit using the combined technologies from Dystar and Fong’s. 

In the context of the discussion of cotton coloration, one participant suggested that the industry needs to think “outside the box” to obtain significant rather than incremental improvement for this fiber type. Catonization of cotton was highlighted as a potential direction for further exploration to address the use of large volumes of water and salt typical of reactive dyeing. Others pointed to the idea that key improvements to the current state could be obtained by implementation of known processing and monitoring methods that are inconsistently applied or absent within the global manufacturing context. Participants pointed to recycling of dyehouse water and waste treatment methods as obvious areas for attention.

The forum also facilitated discussion regarding potential drivers for improvement. Participants familiar with dyeing and finishing activities in developing regions pointed to the ongoing consolidation of operations into textile clusters in countries including China and India. Clusters are designed to enable sharing of facilities and resources among resident companies for processing stages such as waste water treatment.  Participants also pointed to increasingly stringent governmental requirements with respect to environmental impact. Where companies have not met regional standards, shut down of individual operations or those of entire business clusters have been noted. Various strategies for monitoring and compliance of production methods and/or end products were further highlighted during a complimentary session that described similarities and differences among a selection of industry standards including Oeko-Tex, EU Flower, Blue Sign and GOTS.

Next time…

Look for me to post again next week when I will provide further insight into some of the technologies exhibited at the show. I’ll start by addressing a number of advancements in the digital textile printing area and stay tuned for additional highlights from the coloration, weaving, knitting and CAD areas as October marches on.  

In my last post I examined technology trends in the PLM area.  For the current post, I’m focusing on color development as a key aspect of the product lifecycle for cotton products. This area often involves significant time and resource investment at both the design and manufacturing ends of the chain. Given this context, how are technologies and strategies being employed to improve the process, enhance visibility and support accurate collection and exchange of color information among supply chain partners? Here are a number of trends that may be of interest to the cotton supply chain:

Technology vendors are providing support for the development and execution of best practices with respect to color measurement and communication.

Among brands and retailers there has been broad adoption of spectrophotometers and related software for instrumental color measurement. Datacolor, HunterLab, Konica Minolta and X-Rite are just a few examples of companies offering color measurement systems for textile applications. Software for automatic evaluation of the measured sample in reference to user defined pass/fail criteria is normally part of the capability of a measurement system. These technologies are being used to support digital color communication on a global basis and spectral data obtained via the instrumental measurement process can be passed electronically between supply chain partners. In many cases, instrumental methods are complimented by visual color assessment procedures to support evaluation of samples (such as printed textiles) that can not be measured effectively by currently available equipment.

At the retail end of the chain one of the primary goals associated with technology adoption includes providing an objective, measurable target for the dye house to aim for. In a related trend, global suppliers of textile products are being asked to strengthen their color capabilities. This effort includes an emphasis on the adoption of color measurement technology as well as improvement of technical and procedural knowledge associated with the use of the technology. Ultimately the goal for both parties includes development of an environment in which the product developer has confidence in the color data being supplied by the mill or dye house.

At the technology vendor level, companies are providing color measurement and communication systems and are also supporting adoption of these systems through training at both the brand/retailer and manufacturing levels. Companies including Datacolor and X-Rite offer comprehensive resources and services in this area. In addition, the technology vendor may assist with the development of a brand’s color procedures and/or serve as the point of reference or portal for communication of such procedures. Color procedures for areas such as sample conditioning, instrument settings and calibration, instrumental measurement technique, lighting conditions, color vision testing and visual color assessment methods are specified by the brand or retailer to ensure that color assessments are executed accurately and are repeatable as the sample or product moves through the development and manufacturing phases and toward the retail setting.        

Supplier Certification

To ensure that best practices are being followed, retailers are encouraging suppliers to undertake assessments and certification programs. These assessments are often conducted by a technology vendor or third party and include on-site visits that may focus on the lab setting or reach further into the process examining materials, equipment, systems, process and quality controls, procedures and documentation, as well as personnel skills within the dye house environment.

Natific AG is an example of a company that offers in-depth assessments to identify specific areas for improvement from a technology, process and efficiency level. Suppliers that pursue and earn a specific level of accreditation may be granted the opportunity to bypass the lab dip submission step in favor of a more direct path to production on future orders for a given customer. This arrangement can shave weeks from the development cycle - a benefit for all participants. However monitoring of compliance is an important follow-on stage to ensure that quality and accuracy are maintained over a given period of time and that color issues are identified as early as possible in the product lifecycle.

Technology providers are looking to help supply chain partners manage their color data.

Technology vendors are responding to monitoring requirements by providing software solutions that act as a repository for color data. Quality Control software solutions from leading technology providers such as Datacolor and X-Rite serve as a resource for collection and analysis of data in the coloration area. Natific’s ColorWarehouse is an example of a solution for centralizing and consolidating this production performance data in support of the monitoring effort. Accredited suppliers can enter their color measurements into the warehouse. Product developers or their agents are able to review the data to understand supplier capabilities and assess or track supplier performance over time. The solution is web-based and supports real-time, ease of access to submitted data. The ColorWarehouse also allows for automatic notification when production or performance issues arise.

Integration with PLM

Given the fact that color development is an integral part of the product lifecycle, it’s not surprising that technology providers in the color area are supporting integration with available PLM solutions. Vendors note that passing data from a color system to a PLM system is an exchange that can be enabled without tremendous difficulty from a programming perspective. However, determining what information is required is where the challenge lies for many PLM users. In keeping with a customized approach to PLM implementation, technology vendors in the color area work with brands and retailers on an individual basis to determine and facilitate the best path forward on data exchange.

In some instances, product developers select to use software for color and materials development as stand alone systems. Costs associated with system integration can be a factor in this decision. However, there may also be functional reasons to operate in this manner. For example, a more detailed approach to materials and color development may be required for a specific market, product line or business.

TEXbase is an example of a software solution provider that supports a granular approach to management of materials data. The company offers a suite of solutions that address specification, centralization, management and analysis of data for areas including color development, materials quality and performance, and materials compliance. This technology allows users to define technical specifications for product components and specify test methods and related protocols for those materials. Users are able to access and develop material libraries populated with technical data. These libraries can be used as a starting point for the product development process. Within the color module users are able to define and manage color palettes, requests lab dips and manage submits. Color data is integrated into material and product libraries so that users can search and evaluate materials as a comprehensive technical package. As with color management systems, TEXbase software solutions can be used as stand alone systems.  However TEXbase also supports exchange of information and integration with PLM systems as well.

An Updated Definition for Efficiency

As I spoke with technology vendors in the color and materials area, it became apparent that system providers and technology adopters are approaching the idea of efficiency from a broader perspective. While efforts to improve efficiency may focus on reduction in time, labor, materials and cost, an efficiency strategy may also encompass product quality and recognize that the elements listed are often times connected to a more sustainable product development and manufacturing process. Within the color area specifically, reducing the number of iterations in the development phase, eliminating shipping of lab dip samples and/or identifying out-of-tolerance shades or poor quality dyeing early in the process has a tremendous impact on the overall efficiency and footprint of the cotton supply chain. Of course visibility into accurate data at the right time plays a key role in achieving efficiency and an overriding theme with respect to emerging technologies within the color and materials development area.

Looking ahead

Toward the end of September I will be traveling to Barcelona to attend ITMA - the International Exhibition of Textile Machinery.  Look for my posts on technology highlights and advancements arising from this event.

Product lifecycle management systems have been established within the apparel industry as essential solutions for adoption among major brands and retailers. Streamlining development processes through centralized access to and management of product lifecycle data has been the overriding goal.  Although the phrase “one version of the truth” is overused, it’s highly descriptive and points to the primary benefit of PLM which is providing stakeholders with visibility into current product information through the development cycle. Now that PLM has been around for a period of time, what do these systems look like currently? How can they be used to enhance visibility along the supply chain?  After reviewing capabilities offered by many of the leading technology providers, a number of key areas and trends stand out: 

PLM is more than just a product data management system

At times PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) and PDM (Product Data Management) have been confused as synonymous terms. In fact PDM actually refers to the component of PLM that revolves around the creation and management of technical product data that drives the manufacture and quality characteristics of a product. PLM is typically a more complete offering that extends into other aspects of the development process and may encompass the ideation and planning phases and/or may link to manufacturing and business enterprise systems. 

PLM comes in various flavors

While there is now quite a selection of vendors offering PLM to the soft goods market, vendor solutions differ in terms of their emphasis on specific aspects of the product lifecycle. Thus selecting a system for adoption involves reviewing capabilities in terms of both current and future company needs. The ability to import data from legacy PDM, PLM and related business systems may also be a factor for consideration when selecting a PLM solution.  While most systems include a strong offering within the PDM area, some solutions extend into the planning phase providing greater focus on creative development, line planning and collection management. These solutions may integrate or link to trend information, illustration and storyboarding capabilities or provide access to data from previous seasons including style information and business intelligence. Users may also access or generate targets for sales, cost and resource allocation that support assortment planning and development decisions that are in synchronization with corporate financial goals. 

Further along the process, solutions may also provide integration with CAD systems and allow linkage to or import of fashion or technical sketches, color information, textile designs, patterns, markers and texture mapped or 3D virtual samples. PLM systems also extend into pre-production, sourcing and/or manufacturing aspects of the chain. In this area systems often include the ability to request and track product and component samples in relation to specifications and the ability to generate a bill of materials (BOM). Systems may reach further into product costing by using standard rates that draw on data associated with component and material costs, packaging methods, manufacturing operations, shipping rates and sourcing scenarios. Within some systems users can send out requests for quotes (RFQ’s) or even issue PO’s. It may also be possible to link with systems that track work in process. 

Materials, quality and compliance management are also incorporated into PLM

Within the PLM setting, users may draw on fabric and component libraries as a basis for development, minimizing the development cycle time as a result. They may also request and track lab dips and tests related to color fastness, product performance and compliance with product safety and environmental standards and laws. Over the last few years this area of software has been a focus for development among many PLM providers given recent additions to the CPSIA. In some cases, users can generate compliance documents and may access previously sourced and approved materials as a way of mitigating risk and reducing over-development. Users can also use PLM to track and compare vendor performance on the materials and manufacturing end to aid sourcing decisions.   

PLM is designed to support visibility into product and process

PLM technologies have typically been developed to enable access to information among internal stakeholders in a way that allows assignment of rights including the ability to view and/or update data contained within the system. While individuals and teams within a company have ownership for specific aspects of a product or process, other individuals or groups may benefit from visibility into a given area. Dashboard-like interfaces allow users to glance at the status of projects within their circle of responsibility and call out items that require immediate attention or that have looming deadlines. Managers can quickly view the status of a product or group of products so that bottlenecks can be identified and development issues resolved with the ultimate goal of meeting product delivery dates. Since it’s possible to view a tremendous amount of information within the PLM setting it’s advisable to consider this in a strategic manner to ensure the most important information rises to the top and that users are not overwhelmed by data or inclined to fall into a state of micro-management. 

Solution providers are looking to facilitate greater collaboration

Technology vendors and users of PLM are looking to expand the sharing of information by enabling access to the PLM system among external stakeholders including mills and manufacturing partners. From the retailer or brand perspective part of the goal is to provide a real-time vehicle for communicating product design and specifications including design updates and changes as well as product and material testing requirements and results. From the manufacturer or mill perspective the ability to access and submit information electronically can reduce miscommunications or working from out of date information – conditions that result in reworking, missed deadlines and increased expense and resource consumption. The ability to implement a collaborative development and manufacturing environment relates to software capabilities as well as the development of supply chain partnerships. Part of the strategy for implementation involves determining who needs access to what information. 

These are just a few system capabilities and trends within the PLM software development area. My next blog post will dig a little deeper into related technologies for materials development including fabric coloration. For additional information check out some of the PLM articles within the technology reference section of the website.    

In previous blog posts, I focused on digital printing technology for roll to roll printing of fabric. Digital inkjet systems that support the ability to print on assembled product have also become available and are referred to as Direct-to-Garment or DTG printers. Although it’s possible to use the systems for printing of garment types such as hoodies or small accessory items such as tote bags, DTG technologies are primarily used for t-shirt printing. The last two to three years there has been considerable growth in this technology area and available systems are now being used for direct to consumer applications and by small shops and start-ups for printing of short runs and customized shirts.  

DTG Hardware

Currently available equipment falls into two general categories. The first category includes equipment derived from Epson desktop technologies that have been re-engineered with platens to transport the garment under the printing mechanism. There are numerous vendors for this variety of printer including Anajet, Azon, DTG, Groner, and MS Macchine. The second category includes equipment designed from the ground up. Some of the machines falling into this category make use of more industrial printhead systems to support greater print speed and ensure reliable jetting of the pigment based colorants. This second category of equipment is typically viewed as more robust and there is generally greater cost associated with the purchase of these printers. Vendors of this type of technology include Aeoon, Brother and Kornit Digital.

Both categories of equipment include single and multi-platen technologies. Multi-platen systems offer two or more positions for garment loading. For a dual platen system the machine operator is loading one platen while the second is printing, thus providing increased levels of throughput. To date, most available DTG technologies operate at relatively modest print rates. At the high end of the spectrum, Kornit’s Avalanche printer, a dual platen system, offers a maximum print area of 23.5 x 35 inches and is capable of imaging up to 300 light garments per hour. Brother’s GT-782 model is also a dual platen machine and can print up to 60 light shirts per hour. The larger platen for this device supports a maximum print area of 16 x 18 inches. Aeoon recently joined the ranks with the introduction of a higher speed DTG machine that can be engineered with printhead technology from Fujifilm Dimatix (Spectra) or Kyocera according to customer preference. The Kyocera version supports printing of up to 400 light shirts per hour, offering the highest print rates in the DTG area to date.

Printing of Dark Garments

Unlike their wide format counterparts, the majority of DTG systems in the market have been designed for printing with pigments on both light and dark colored garments. Almost all DTG systems are designed as 4 color devices and most offer the addition of pigment white to block out the foundation color when printing on dark garments. This pigment white is applied in advance of the color and although the method works quite well, it reduces print rates to roughly half that of printing on light shirts.  In most instances the dark shirts are pretreated prior to imaging to optimize results and some vendors suggest this operation for printing of light shirts as well. The pretreatment step can be accomplished off-line with a separate machine or spray gun technology or integrated into the printing operation as is the case for Kornit’s printers.

Early adopters of pigment white for Epson based systems found the chemistry inclined to settle out over time and cause clogging of the printhead nozzles. However, experts would suggest that regular cleaning and maintenance of these systems support more reliable performance. In some cases, vendors have also developed on-line ink mixing systems that prevent the settling of the pigment in the ink formulation. An alternate strategy for imaging on dark shirts is offered by Mimaki through the application of a discharge liquid for removing the base color from the shirt. While the use of pigment white produces a shirt with a slightly heavier hand, the discharge method maintains softness and offers a pleasing print effect on it’s own.

Color Fastness

Poor color fastness with respect to washing was among the early criticisms of the digital direct-to-garment printing method. Over time, this characteristic seems to have improved assuming correct processing methods have been followed. It has been stated that providing adequate dwell time during the curing procedure is key to achieving fastness properties and conveyer curing systems must be slowed as compared to practices in the screen print environment. In some instances, vendors also suggest drying the print area with a heat press in advance of the printing operation. 

To date, best print results have been achieved when printing on 100% cotton garments while printing on blends and synthetics have demonstrated limitations in terms of image quality and color fastness. Given tremendous interest in this application for markets such as team jerseys and athletic garments, shirt pretreatments and ink chemistries will likely evolve to meet needs in this area and some vendors are already advertising this capability for specific fiber types.

Trends in DTG Printing

As I’ve already stated, one of the most important trends in DTG printing is the development of more production oriented systems. The introduction of the Aeoon machine is of particular interest and one of the questions surrounding this device is how the Kyocera KJ4B printhead will perform in conjunction with the pigment based colorants used for DTG. Only time will tell. Additional trends include the introduction of supporting software solutions for enabling print customization, on-line ordering and automation and management of data flow to multiple print machines. These systems are integral to successful adoption of direct-to-consumer and small quantity print strategies that are primary targets for DTG printing.

Ultimately, the development of viable DTG systems will have tremendous impact on production flexibility and sustainability within the garment printing area.  Within the current screen print context there can be tremendous color waste associated with over mixing, ink storage and screen cleaning. There is also consumption of water associated with screen engraving and reclamation. The implementation of a digital DTG strategy at the production level will offer an alternative to this scenario and will support small quantity, print-on-demand and rapid replenishment capabilities among traditional volume providers.

For my next blog post I’ll be shifting focus and looking at the topic of product lifecycle management. In the mean time, we welcome your comments and questions regarding DTG and wide format digital textile printing.

In essence, the purpose of digital textile printing is to apply color and pattern onto fabric. Thus, the development of colorant chemistry is a primary area of focus within the scope of overall system design. For companies developing colorants for inkjet printing, a number of factors are taken into account. First and foremost, the colorants must be formulated for compatibility with the inkjet printhead to support reliable jetting. The resulting formulation must also be chemically stable for a period of shipping, storage and operation. Additionally, individual colorants within the set are selected for optimization of color space, ease of formulation, color fastness characteristics, and for compliance with standards and regulations governing chemical use for textile products. To date, some of the leading developers of colorants for inkjet textile printing include DuPont, DyStar, Huntsman Textile Effects, J-Teck, Lyson, Sawgrass, Sensient, SPG (Stork Prints), Xennia and Yuhan-Kimberly (now marketed through Expand Systems). Most of the vendors listed offer multiple colorant types to address compatibility with a selection of fiber types. These inks are formulated as process color sets for the textile inkjet environment.  

Process Color Printing

As described in Part I of this series, digital printing normally involves the creation of ink drops from a master color set. This strategy is referred to as process color printing and is fundamentally different than the spot color approach used within conventional textile printing methods. Cyan, magenta, yellow and black form the foundation of the process color set. For textile applications, developers have expanded the printable color space or gamut through the addition of hues such as orange, red, green, blue or violet. In some instances, vendors have also developed colorant sets that include dilutions such as light cyan, light magenta and/or light black (grey). These colors have been added to support smoother tones and lighter shades. However over recent years, the advent of variable drop size printing has reduced the need to include dilutions in the master color set. 

Dyes & Pigments

Colorants for digital textile printing applications have been derived from conventional textile printing chemistries and can be classified as either dyes or pigments. Within the inkjet environment, colorants are typically referred to as inks and within the dye category, fiber reactive and acid dyes were the first to enter the market. While acid dyes are used for printing on silk and polyamide fibers, fiber reactives are compatible with cellulosic fibers and are often the colorant type of choice for printing on cotton within the inkjet setting. These colorants are now well developed for the inkjet process and are normally offered as an 8 color arrangement. Dye based printing offers excellent fabric hand and good to excellent wash and crock fastness properties. Acid and reactive colorants typically support a broad and luminous color space which lends itself to both sampling and production applications. On the down side, the processing of these colorants continues to be somewhat complex and requires pretreatment or coating of the fabric prior to printing to support color fixation and maintain image clarity. Steaming and washing is also a requirement for reactive and acid dye printing and ensures color fastness and minimizes color mark-off during use and care of the printed textile product. 

Disperse dyes are also available for digital textile printing and are compatible with polyester.  For the inkjet environment, disperse dyes are typically offered as a 4 color set and are almost exclusively of the sublimation variety. These sublimation inks are applied via a transfer or direct printing method. Fabrics are typically pretreated and ink formulations may be tweaked to optimize print results for the direct printing approach. For both application methods, dry heat is used to sublime the chemistry and drive the colorants into the fiber during the fixation stage. As stated in Part II of the series, the adoption of direct sublimation printing within the soft signage sector has been a significant driver for hardware development. 

Pigments have been among the more difficult chemistry types to formulate for inkjet, but are now available for both wide format and direct-to-garment printing applications. Colorant sets for DTG printing are normally offered as a 4 color arrangement, whereas pigments for wide format applications often incorporate up to 8 colors for a broader printable color space (gamut). In terms of fabric preparation and finishing, pigments can be applied to standard prepared for print (PFP) goods and once applied the pigment is cured using dry heat. For wide format printing of pigments and disperse dyes, fixation can be accomplished through the use of heated drum or calendar type systems. Pigments can also be cured via non-contact technology such as a tenter frame or curing range. For DTG printing, fixation may involve the use of a small heat press or a conveyor system as used in a typical t-shirt printing operation.

Given the relative ease of processing for pigments, they have tremendous appeal to potential users.  Pigments for digital printing typically offer a soft fabric hand as compared to those used in conventional printing. However, digitally printed pigments may still fall short of industrial laundering requirements and specific hues within a set may exhibit some weakness with respect to crocking – wet crock in particular. Leading solution providers have invested in development and/or application of binder strategies that optimize fastness properties, but also support reliable operation within the inkjet setting. The best of today’s solutions offer good color fastness properties for typical wash and wear requirements assuming the printed fabric has been processed correctly.

Although dyes and pigments differ with respect to color gamut in the conventional printing environment, this issue is amplified within the digital context. Thus color is one of the primary limitations in terms of adoption of digital pigment printing and nanoparticle formulation strategies have been a key area of focus for advancing technology. The inability to obtain very saturated color or deep, rich blacks and related dark shades is of particular note within available pigment ranges. On the up side, I’ve observed that some of the best color results with pigment printing are obtained on cotton substrates.

In some cases, adopters are able to look past color limitations and offer print opportunities for customers and markets where precise color matching is not a primary requirement and there is greater flexibility in terms of color quality. It may also be fair to say that adopters coming from outside traditional textile circles are able to approach the use of pigments with more flexible expectations for the performance of this chemistry type. In a nut shell, these users focus on what can be done with this chemistry as opposed to what can not and they fashion designs and business ventures to exploit the best features the chemistry offers.     

Software for Inkjet Printing    

Before concluding my comments on color and ink chemistry for digital printing, I think it’s important to point out that software and auxiliary equipment for finishing also play an important role in the final color results obtained. From a software perspective, CAD solutions including off-the-shelf software support the development or creation of the artwork in digital format. Raster image processing or RIP software, interprets the image data for output on fabric and textile specific solutions support layout capabilities for printing of repeats and continuous fabric lengths. Color management solutions are used to create color profiles that describe the printable color space for a given fabric, ink and printer combination. These color profiles are referenced for accurate reproduction of color on the cloth.

Within this discussion of software it should be pointed out that some vendors select to bundle solutions for image processing and color management with the printer, while others provide more open platforms. It should also be stated that from a user perspective, workflows are developed based on the specifics of the software solution and the type of image being printed. Since inkjet technology can reproduce highly tonal or photographic imagery in addition to typical spot color textile images the strategies for optimizing and fine tuning color may vary based on image type. The workflow strategy also takes into account whether the digital process is being utilized for sampling or for final print production. For designs being funneled toward digital production and having tonal or photographic qualities, the general goal is to obtain a pleasing color effect that balances lights and darks and provides global accuracy of color and detail in reference to the original artwork. For spot color images – particularly those serving as samples for screen print production, the user will look to match individual hues in reference to a color standard.     

Auxilliary Equipment

With respect to auxiliary equipment, a number of companies have developed machines to support processing of dye based prints for the modest volumes typically associated with digital printing. Machines have been designed for fabric pretreatment, steaming and washing of reactive and acid dye prints. As mentioned previously, there is also technology for curing of pigments and development of sublimation chemistry. In some cases, vendors have developed multiple pieces of equipment to support a selection of processing steps. Some vendors have also taken a flexible approach, allowing the user to purchase the unit in modules based on throughput requirements. Some of the hardware vendors serving this area include Arioli, DigiFab, Gessner, Hollanders, MS Macchine, Rimslow and SETeMa and Transmatic.

Given the rapid growth and relevance of digital garment printing for the cotton industry, my next post will provide greater insight into this area and will expand on both hardware solutions and pigment chemistry for DTG. In the meantime, there are a number of links in the Resource Library pertaining to digital textile printing for readers to reference.

Over the last three to five years the launch of robust hardware solutions that are designed to withstand the rigors of a production operation has been the primary goal among a number of digital textile print technology providers. The adoption of digital sublimation printing for soft signage has been a significant driver for technology development. The broader textile industry is benefitting from this effort and today, equipment is specifically engineered for textile requirements. Machines for direct printing on fabric now incorporate the use of tacky belt or cylinder feed mechanisms to advance the fabric. Machines are also equipped with bulk ink capabilities to support greater throughput. Ink developers work closely with printer manufacturers to formulate colorants for a variety of fiber types that support reliable jetting as well as optimized color gamut and fastness characteristics.

Printhead technologies are also advancing and primary areas for development have included increasing the number of inkjet nozzles per printhead and in some cases, the density of the nozzles. Benefits include improvements in print speed, print resolution, and consistent quality output. It’s also becoming possible to bank printheads together to form arrays that traverse across the width of the fabric covering larger areas of the cloth in a single pass of the print carriage. The ultimate goal has been the creation of fixed array technology in which machines are engineered so that printheads span the width of the fabric, remaining stationary while the fabric is transported beneath. This method is sometimes referred to as single pass, continuous printing.

Machines with Epson printhead technologies have dominated the market to date and a number of vendors have used wide format print engines from Mimaki, Mutoh or Roland as the foundation for printer development. In this case vendors act as technology integrators, mounting the engines on fabric feed systems for the textile printing market. For printing of roll goods, Epson based solutions have been offered by vendors including ATPColor, Costruzione Macchine Speciali, La Meccanica, MS Macchine, Robustelli, SPG Prints (Stork Prints), and Yuhan-Kimberly (now through Expand Systems). Mimaki and Mutoh also offer their own textile printing equipment and within the garment printing area, modified desktop technologies from Epson are also used.

Recently, developers have looked to more industrial printhead technologies to pave the way for greater production capabilities. These technology solutions are available from a variety of vendors. Here is a list of printer vendors organized by printhead manufacturer. Direct-to-garment (DTG) systems have been noted:

- Brother (Brother DTG printer)

- Fujifilm Dimatix (Agfa, Durst and Kornit Digital DTG Printer)

- Konica Minolta (Konica Minolta’s Nassenger series)

- Kyocera (Aeoon DTG printer, MS Macchine, SPG Prints and Reggiani)

- Markem Imaje (Osiris)

- Ricoh (Mimaki)

- and Seiko Printek (d·gen, Hollanders, Zimmer)

Among the vendors listed, Kyocera has been gaining considerable attention of late in regard to the KJ4B printhead. According to the Kyocera website, this device is capable of pulsing at a very high rate. It contains 2, 656 ink nozzles per head and offers a 4.25 inch print width. MS Macchine, SPG Prints and Reggiani have adopted this technology and the related systems support print speeds over a hundred linear yards per hour. In the case of the MS-JPK and SPG’s Sphene printer, it’s possible to purchase multi-carriage configurations that support print speeds of several hundred yards per hour at the top end.

In addition to the JP6 and JPK models, MS Macchine recently introduced the LaRio printer. This machine makes use of a single pass, continuous strategy and is equipped with up to 8 stationary print bars. Kyocera printheads span the machine width and each print bar is dedicated to the delivery of a single color. In this arrangement the machine is capable of printing up to 70 meters per minute. It is also possible to install a second set of printheads on the back of each print bar for operation of a second ink set in support of multi-fiber printing. MS indicates that the first machine is currently being installed in Italy and should be running production by mid-July. A second machine is scheduled for installation at a Brazilian site during the month of September.

The Isis machine by Osiris Digital is another example of a single pass, continuous printing system. The Markem Imaje printheads used in this system are of the continuous inkjet variety, rather than the drop-on-demand systems that currently dominate technologies for textile applications. As the respective labels suggest, continuous inkjet systems are constantly pulsing and forming ink droplets, while drop-on-demand systems form drops as required by the image data. Continuous inkjet has generally been viewed as an approach that supports faster drop formation for higher speed printing. In the case of the Isis machine, print rates of up to 30 linear meters per minute are possible. The machine supports a modest print resolution, but thought to be comparable to the screen print method in terms of image detail possible.

In early June, Osiris announced that their assets had been acquired by Ten Cate with a plan to continue sales and support of the Isis machine under Ten Cate’s Xennia division. Ten Cate is also currently engaged with Reggiani with respect to a printer described as employing “diagonal, multi-pass” technology. Elimination of banding associated with nozzle failure is among the benefits described for this system. This development follows the completion of the Digitex project, which was coordinated by Ten Cate and executed in conjunction with a number of European companies and universities. The Digitex project involved research into digital application of functional finishing chemistry and culminated in a conference held in late 2010 that showcased the results of the 4 year development effort.

In addition to the hardware described thus far, a new printer is anticipated to be introduced by Konica Minolta and Durst recently announced the development of the Kappa 180 printer to support production level printing within the broader textile market. This equipment is scheduled to be shown at ITMA Barcelona. Currently available textile technology from Durst is designed for printing of soft signage materials using sublimation chemistry. Durst joins vendors including Agfa, ATPColor, d·gen and Hollanders in a growing list of technology providers offering superwide format technology for printing of very large scale graphics.

While this post has been focused on technology development for digital print hardware, I’ve only provided mention of systems for direct-to-garment printing. As I mentioned in the first post of this series, DTG printing is of great relevance to the cotton product industry. With that in mind, I will be providing greater detail on this application going forward. My next post will address color & ink chemistry for digital printing with a focus on advancements of relevance to the cotton industry.

Part I – The Digital Vision

Digital textile printing technology is not new to our industry. In fact, digital inkjet systems for printing on textiles have been available for well over a decade. Despite the production flexibility offered by the digital method, the textile industry has been slow to adopt this strategy. Some of the barriers for adoption have included limitations in printable color space, variability in print quality, complexity of processing requirements and the two most significant factors – print speed and per yard print cost. For my next few blog posts I’ll be describing the current state of technology in the digital textile printing area. I’ll be approaching the topic from a systems perspective, touching on printer hardware, ink chemistry, fabrics, software and auxiliary equipment. As a preface to this information it’s useful to review some of the benefits the technology offers and consider these in terms of supply chain improvement and sustainability.

While the term digital can be used to refer to a spectrum of technologies within the field of printing, inkjet is the primary system type used for digital textile applications. In this context, the terms “digital” and “inkjet” are often used interchangeably. Within the inkjet environment, ink drops are formed from a master color set by a series of printheads. As the ink drops are ejected from the printheads, they fall to the surface of the substrate where they combine to create the color and image effect. This is sort of a “color on the fly” approach and early technology introductions were generally derived from wide format paper printers. Vendors modified these machines in minor ways to accommodate the ability to feed fabric through the printer during the printing process. Vendors also developed or partnered to introduce textile specific ink chemistries and software solutions to support color management and printing of textile repeats.

The first machines supported very modest print rates and a comparatively high per yard cost structure. At this stage of development print speeds were quoted in terms of only a few linear meters per hour with incremental improvements happening over time. The machines were predominantly used for sampling or very small quantity and customized print production. Within the production realm, technology adopters often printed for high end and niche markets and exploited the imaging capabilities offered by the digital method. Printing of highly tonal or photographic imagery or designs with many colors and/or engineered layouts has been common and when applied strategically, these features have offered additional value to the end consumer. As with production, adoption of a digital approach has been scattered in the sampling arena as well. In this context, product developers have attempted to use digital prints for early review of color, layout and print quality or to communicate the print concept to potential customers. The digital sampling strategy to date has taken place within a screen print production environment that offers broad printable color space, but that is more limited in terms of print features as compared to the digital method. This challenge has resulted in some level of resistance to adoption. However, those companies that have successfully implemented a digital sampling strategy have seen the benefits in terms of improved decision making at the design level and reduction of over-development and sampling costs.  

Will digital printing become a viable solution for larger scale production?

This has been an overriding question for apparel, textile and related soft goods sectors. Where we once saw digital printing as complimentary to the screen print method, as a result of technology advancement opportunities for adoption at the production level are increasing. My colleague, Jud Early wrote an article a few years ago entitled, “Build it and will they come?” I’ll repeat the question here in my own words. Will there be a digital transition? I see this transition finally beginning to happen as companies look to state-of-the-art systems to better serve customers in terms of short run printing and innovation in product, design and/or business model. While some of the early adopters at the production level have come from outside traditional textile circles, there is ever increasing pressure on traditional supply chains with respect to reducing cycle time, improving efficiency and adoption of sustainable production methods. In addition, advancement in technology is paving the way for digital sampling to drive digital production and in this setting correlation between sampling and production becomes a less significant issue. These factors, coupled with an emphasis on design as one means of differentiating a brand’s product, create conditions that are ripe for digital printing to gain traction within our industry.

In terms of technology adoption, digital printing was once looked upon as an advancement that would help to support competitiveness of textile manufacturing in the western hemisphere. However, some of the earliest adopters were found in Japan, Korea and Western Europe (Italy specifically). Today we are also seeing growth of digital textile printing in China, India and Brazil. To date, most adoption in the U.S. has been directed toward soft signage applications. It may be that broader adoption in this region will continue to be focused on niche markets and will grow from ventures initiated by individuals or companies from both within and outside the traditional textile community – essentially entrepreneurs looking for ways to bring unique products to the market and offer value to the consumer or the customer in terms of innovation, personalization and customization.

What are some potential impacts for the cotton product supply chain?

As a highly flexible system, the digital method offers tremendous opportunity to respond rapidly to shifting product demand. It also provides an opportunity for product developers and manufacturers to gain valuable insight into the potential success of a print design early in the development cycle. Once a digital sample has been produced, the fabric can be reviewed for color, style and integration within the overall product line. The printed sample can also be shared with sales teams and potential customers for approval or potential market acceptance. Most importantly, these benefits can be achieved with limited investment in time and resources and all supply chain stakeholders will benefit from a decision making process that is more informed.

Additionally, digital printing optimizes the use of chemistry, minimizes waste streams and enables a short-cycle, on-demand scenario in which fabric is printed as required by and in response to market demand. With innovation and advancement of inkjet chemistry, a waterless approach to coloration also becomes increasingly viable. These characteristics are of broad benefit and potentially point to greater flexibility in terms of location of future production print facilities.

With this background in mind, look to my next post for insight into the current state of printer hardware. This post will be followed by additional information regarding ink chemistry and specialized applications including DTG printing – an area of great relevance to the production of cotton t-shirts. As always, we encourage readers to post questions and comments on this post and others and to review the information in the technology reference area.    

In part one of “Fashion Goes Virtual” I addressed the topic of virtual dressing for product development. In part two, I’m shifting gears to highlight some of the emerging strategies for on-line and in-store shopping. In the apparel shopping environment, retailers are looking for ways to enhance the consumer in-store experience and e-tailers have been challenged to accurately communicate garment style and fit to the consumer over the web. Virtual dressing technologies are being developed as an approach to these needs. The current selection of virtual dressing systems can be placed into categories based on the strategy for rendering and interacting with the virtual garment sample.

The first approach involves providing dynamic product content that includes presentation of real life garments on a generic model. Using digital capture methods, the garment images are accurate and high quality representations of the product. In some instances, the model and garment images are captured through digital photography and solution providers offer opportunity for the consumer to interact with the 2D information. In the case of the Looklet system, the consumer can customize the model’s appearance and select garments and accessories from the on-line store for the model to wear. The user can swap out components to create an outfit and obtain a sense of style and coordination for the items selected. Some companies use video technology rather than still images so that consumers can view garments from a variety of angles and in more of a fashion modeling manner. Check out the ladies jeans area of the JC Penney website for an example of this approach.

By some standards, the renderings I’ve just described are not really virtual try-on systems. However, I include them in this discussion as examples of how companies are attempting to move away from the static garment photograph and offer a more dynamic and informative consumer interface. The primary benefit of such systems is the ability to provide attractive and photographic representation of the real-life product. On the down side, these solutions do not provide the consumer with a sense of what the garment will look like on his/her own body. However, where model customization is possible, the consumer may be able to create a model he/she looks like or wishes to look like.

The second category of technology for consumer based virtual dressing includes virtual or magic mirror systems. A number of solutions of this type have entered the market to date and retailers including Macy’s are using these technologies for apparel shopping. The magic mirror strategy involves the use of large digital displays within the retail environment. Consumers stand in front of the display and are able to see themselves life size as if looking into a mirror. They are able to interact with the display through touch or gesture recognition to select clothing items and place them over their bodies to get a sense of style and color. In some cases, retailers can use electronic product codes or RFID to link product in the store to the virtual mirror system.

Although the magic mirror garments are photographic, the approach is paper doll like in that the photographs remain flat and do not currently morph to the shape of the underlying body. From a consumer standpoint, the ability to interact with a life size display is appealing, particularly where gestures can be used as the means of garment selection. Related strategies have been developed for mobile settings. Check out the eBay Fashion application for the iPhone, iPad and iTouch devices. This application allows the user to work with his/her own photograph as the background and the user can select items from the closet to place in the photograph.

The third group of systems for virtual dressing can be classified as true 3D technologies. One of the challenges for development of 3D systems has been the ability to provide low cost, real-time solutions suitable for web use. The other challenge has been the ability to rapidly generate avatars that are life-like representations of individual consumers. Companies including OptiTex, Tukatech and [TC]² have been engaged in development of 3D technologies in this area. OptiTex and Tukatech are harnessing the capabilities of their 3D product development technologies for parallel web-based systems. These solutions enable presentation of draped, 3D garments on avatars that can be morphed to custom body dimensions and shapes. One of the benefits of this parallel strategy is the development of 3D garments from 2D patterns. This connection offers the potential to link the visualized style to garment size and fit specifications.

[TC]² offers a virtual fashion system that channels the value of a database of 3D body scanning for the real time generation of personal avatars. Within this virtual fashion system, the consumer obtains his/her avatar through the 3D body scanning procedure or by entering a handful of body measurement and shape characteristics into the on-line or in-store system. Personal avatars are created by rapidly morphing an existing avatar to the shape and dimension of the scan. When using the measurement input strategy, the software engine references the SizeUSA database to drive the morphing. In both cases, the results are generated in a few moments and the avatars are highly representative of the consumer’s individual body type. [TC]² is also developing a system for generating avatars through body scanning with the Microsoft Kinect device. This device is in a broad adoption phase among consumers for the home gaming environment and a logical solution for low cost and in-home scanning.

Once the personal avatar has been generated, the consumer can begin the virtual try-on process. 3D garment content can be imported into the system for this purpose. The virtual garments can be developed using product development solutions previously described. Once imported, the garments can be morphed to the shape of the avatar to support visualization of style on the consumer’s unique body. In this case, the 3D garment content is linked to 2D patterns as the original source and there is opportunity to offer a size prediction. Using garment creation technology from VDresser, it’s also possible to rapidly develop 3D fashion content from front and back photographs of the garment. The VDresser approach offers a quick solution and 3D garment content can now be created for under ten dollars per garment. This low cost method of generating photographic quality 3D renderings is crucial for high-volume consumer visualization. However, a link to garment sizing and fit must be established separately.

In summary, virtual fashion technologies are coming of age for both product development and consumer purposes. Watch the technology reference area for information regarding technology advancement as well as adoption. Shifting focus, look for posts in June and July to spotlight digital textile and garment printing. This is a rapidly emerging technology area of relevance to the cotton industry. So, check back for the latest information on this and don’t forget to send us your comments and questions!