Digital printing has become so accessible and affordable that it’s not only transforming the landscape but opening up many opportunities from a design standpoint, as there are no longer any restrictions on scale or the number of colours.
Introduction
At Sign & POP World, we wanted to explore the myriad usage of digital printing technology. What we have observed is that wide format which was primarily restricted to signage, has gone way beyond to encroach and influence various other industries including textile, glass, interior, wall papers, home decor, etc. The credit goes to rapidly increasing applications of digital printing technology that knows no boundaries. Keeping this in view, we decided to highlight various areas of specialisation, other than signage in order to spread the awareness about the changing facets of digital printing industry.
In the process, we tried meeting and contacting quite a few print service providers as well as printer manufacturers technology suppliers. As usual, the stakeholders preferred being busy with their business dealings, never responded to our repetitive calls and didn’t even notice the rigorous follow-ups. However, there are still a few people who took the responsibility to keep the industry informed, and hence, shared their valuable insights facilitating us in carving out this article. Here’s what we could make out of their inputs.
Offering Limitless Possibilities
Digital printing has pushed design boundaries and fostered creativity, reinventing many other applications and possibilities. Unlike in the past when the design industry was only considering analogue printing technology for design projects; in the last few years, surface designers have explored, discovered and embraced the limitless possibilities of the digital printing technology.
This is resulting in more unique designs than what could have been considered in the past. There are also exciting options for printing on carton and board, on plastics and mesh, or canvas. One can use digital printing devices to print textiles such as polyesters, linen, cotton and even silk. Anyone getting fancy creating a new wallpaper, can simply get it done because with digital printing sky is the limit.
It can help personalising home or office using customised print, based on designs of choice for wall coverings and fabrics. It even enables to print the design direct to garments such as T-shirts and aprons. What’s more, getting the preferred of most-liked designs printed onto ceramic tiles, glass and splash backs, to turn the kitchen and bathrooms totally personalised has become a magic these days.
Adding possibilities is to advertise business or an event by wrapping car or any other vehicle with event information printed onto adhesive media that can later be removed and replaced with new printed ideas. For a fashion lover, it can bring a variation on a concept printed on clothes. And so and so forth… the list is almost endless with no definite criteria as to what a digital printer can do.
Digital printing has been around for quite some time now but the cost of printing as compared to screen printing and other traditional printing methods has been deterring greater interest in this relatively new but the most dynamic printing method. Nowadays, digital printing has become more accessible and affordable, adding limitless possibilities when it comes to applications. Think of a surface irrespective of it being even or uneven; there is digital printing to decor all these. It is rapidly expanding the horizons as all the interior decorative applications are becoming an accessible market niche for Print Service Providers (PSPs).
And why not, print production is not meant just for the elite. Also, it’s no longer costly or convoluted and confusing. Those days are far behind us, and today’s printing industry is ours to drive with full control over it riding over its unique attribute of allowing personalisation. Anyone, anywhere, can have their ideas printed quickly and conveniently on materials that range right from paper and board to glass, plastic, ceramics, metal, wood, grass, mortar or textiles. The enhanced possibilities of digital printing have made it creeping in many markets – be it hospitality, corporate, residential, industrial or retail.
Of these many markets and varied options of printing potentials, one is wall decor/ covering. Digital large-format printing technology has enabled the production of custom wall décor to expand interior design in ways never possible before by making them on-demand customisations possible on a wide range of material and finishes which are all eco-friendly. Wallpapers, these days are emerging as personal or professional statements with applications as varied as walls and ceilings of living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms, corridors/passages, conference rooms, lobbies, and many more.
Wallpaper – An Emerging Trend
Specialty finishes like silk, jute, bamboo, glass pearls, paper weaves, and metallic are specialities when it comes to choosing finishes for highlighting specific areas in the house or a premises like the wall behind the sofa or bed, ceiling panels, TV panel walls, etc. Speaking on the wallpaper market in India, Arjun Nanda, Director, Print A Wallpaper – India’s largest specialty online wallpaper store, avers, “The concept of customised wall paper in residential segment is not very old, and hence, the market for the same is yet to evolve. However, it is slowly picking up with people are gradually getting used to the ideas that they can now customise designs to express their feelings. But, when it comes to corporate, there is a greater demand from offices and schools. I can say that homeowners are getting in the groove as almost 40% of our clients have contacted us for home décor needs.”
The company offers more than 33 wallpaper categories and 5000+ designs, with customised wallpapers for home and office wall decor usage. Explaining the process, Nanda says, “We are the pioneer in offering customised wall papers. Our online service is very user friendly. All one has to do is to log in to our website, zero down on a design and decide on the dimensions. We then process the order and ship the product free of cost.”
Print A Wallpaper employs advanced, eco-friendly digital latex printing technology and uses non-PVC material resulting in vivid colours, high-definition detail, and ultra smooth finish. The wallpaper is also non-toxic, flame resistant, and easy to install and remove for replacements. “Other than domestic markets, lot of demand is coming from Australia, US and Europe as all these markets are very mature, and also our website competes with many international ones.”
For all these enhanced possibilities, Nanda gives credit to the advent of digital printing, which has proved extremely vital for offering customised solution in wallpaper options. “For printing part, obviously the technology is very important and the introduction of Latex printers has added new possibilities, simply by facilitating with options to customisation.
Noting that the trend is not very old, the digital wallpaper industry is facing many challenges from those who are not considering the environment and offering substandard quality at a relatively nominal price. These people are also promoting vinyl wallpaper printed with solvent or eco-solvent inks, which due to its smell is actually very harmful when applied in houses, schools or any such premises where children use to spend greater part of their time.”
Adding Aesthetics to the Interiors
It is also observed that designers and specifiers are increasingly aware that they can customise any part of their interior projects. Digital printing is used on a wide range of interior décor—and for good reason. Clients want to distinguish their properties and have complete control over all aspects of the interiors. Each year the technology advances, creating better quality, reducing lead time and making the entire process more affordable.
Not too long ago, we saw this level of customisation reserved for high-budget properties. Now we see it expanding to a wider audience. Printing was once a messy, complex and high-priced business run by specialists, cloaked in mystery and magic, which nowadays in any format is accessible and affordable, from single copy prints to many thousands, from black and white to more than half a million and more colours. All because of the digital printing technology.
Fabric printing is another area where digital printing is slowly making inroads to make things brighter for the PSPs. We spoke to Anupam Gupta, Managing Director, JMD Art Exchange, is one among the India’s leading digital print companies offering printing solutions on many surfaces such as ACP, speciality paper, marble, wood, glass, tiles, fabric, etc.
According to him, the concept of digital printing has opened up many avenues bringing in myriad of tailor-made printing applications thereby adding varied utilities to offer a gamut of printing solutions to customers. According to him, digital printing on substances like fabric, tiles and glass are increasingly in demand. Custom tile printing is fast catching on and is being seen as a great option in redesigning walls and floors to one’s personal style and taste.
Established In 1987, JMD Digital Art Exchange has a vision for presenting solutions. It took a lot of hard work and persistence but the concept was tremendously successful. What began with photo typesetting is today a full -fledged communications solutions house that provides integrated services to its clients, which range from the initial conceptualisation of an idea or a theme, to using graphic design, processing and printing on various substrates to breathe life into it. One of India’s leading digital print solution providers companies, JMD boasts of its state-of-the-art facility which is loaded with the best digital printers, peripherals & latest technology to accommodate all the graphic need from creative to finished products.
Digitising Tiles and Other Flooring Substances
Tiles are now playing an important role in defining the look of homes. Combining digital manipulation of art and photography and essential printing techniques, digital tile printing allows astounding visuals for kitchens, showers, and commercial decoration in restaurants, hotels, and corporate lobbies etc. from simple square tiles to complex mosaics.
Tiled art adds personality to any kitchen, bathroom, bedroom or outdoor space. One can convert the whole flooring with a certain design or wall with one photograph. With unlimited designs possibilities, sharper finishes and high resolution printing, digital tiles are now becoming ceramic art for the walls. They can be created with natural finishes of marble and wood, as well as metallic textures and patterns embossed in gold, silver, bronze, copper or steel for an opulent look.
Dye sublimation and the application of ceramic based toners permit printing on a variety of tile types such as ceramic, porcelain, glass, and tumbled marble yield photographic-quality reproduction. While there are many techniques, a popular method of custom-tile printing is fusing the picture (bitmap/raster images) to the tile substrate transferred under heat and pressure or the use of high temperature kilns. Tile varieties are aplenty, but ceramic tiles have a very smooth surface which is excellent for custom imaging with sharp details and vivid colour strength. A thing to take note of before choosing a specific tile is to see its purpose of application and suitability for it.
The process of designing a ceramic surface requires the consideration of many different issues. Essential factors to take note of in the design of a tile surface are the intended use of the tile or purpose of application and the environmental conditions to which it will be exposed. Surface design for ceramic tiles requires knowledge of the performance characteristics & durability of ceramic materials and an understanding of the most appropriate production methods and technology.
A truly digital production process whereby functional three-dimensional ceramic objects could be manufactured quickly, directly from digitized designs, continues to elude the ceramics industry. It is only a matter of time before nanotechnology creates the missing process to bridge between computer screen and manufactured three-dimensional ceramic products.
However with the technology we have today digital tile printing creates beautiful and artistic themed décor according to personal taste by either choosing pictures from a provided catalogue or by using personal prints. One needn’t just stick to ceramic tiles as recent breakthroughs in printing technologies also enable high quality high-resolution photographic reproduction of digital artwork on glass tiles. Digital tile murals let any amateur have some fun in art décor, so start hunting for your favorite images and get a new backlit wall mural, in your living room a backsplash for your kitchen sink, or simply something nice to go behind the office desk.
Going forward, printed glass creates a beautiful and inspiring environment for kitchens, bedrooms, living rooms and bathrooms. Various applications for printed glass include: kitchen/bathroom splash-backs, shower doors, shower screens, dining room tables, coffee tables, kitchen glass counter tops, pool fencing, partitions, railings, etc. not to mention photos, portraits and landscape image displays. A popular application is the printing of religious pictures on glass partitions especially in 3D. The possibility of 3D printing on glass completely elevates the look of digital printed designs on glass and has increased its demand in home décor.
Fabric is Catching Up Fast
Meanwhile, quite a few stakeholders do not perceive digital printing as new anymore. And that’s not irrational at all. But they accept the wonders that this technology has brought in to the market. “Digital printing isn’t new technology anymore; however, it has evolved beyond anyone’s expectations over the past few years. The market is growing rapidly as are the capabilities, and so it is an extremely useful exercise to analyse your current printing methods. Switching from traditional methods could be a) saving you money, b) increasing sales or c) reducing lead times significantly or a combination of all three,” says Nishant Shah, Managing Director, Caterpillar Signs.
“Of the major printing applications that have been added in the recent past to the gamut, digital printing to fabrics has definitely energised the trade show and retail markets over the past couple of years. Customers looking for high-end branding with better colour vibrancy are opting more for digital printing. We see increased fabric usage in displays, backdrops and trade-show booths,” shares Shah adding that people nowadays prefer digital printing technology over conventional printing methods as improved technology of digital printing has cut down the cost and is offering promising and better results over the traditional methods.
Shah observes a clear shift in the choice of media for fabric printing. “We are seeing dye sublimation fabric prints touching on most indoor P.O.P. applications that have traditionally been done on vinyl or rigid. The popularity of the newer silicone edge graphics (SEG) customized fabric frame systems have become a preferred material for interior backlit and sidelight signage,” he elaborates.
When it comes to challenges in the way to adapting to the relatively newer technology, Shah believes that the technology is still at an evolving stage and will take some more time to proliferate further. “Despite the overall positive outlook for digital sublimation, as a process it is limited to specific fabric type and mainly focusing on indoor applications. Technology is still evolving and has high investment cost. Only large size printers are crating dye-sublimation infrastructure alongside their existing solvent and mild-solvent machines. As awareness and demand increases, it will become more sustainable for medium and small printers,” he reason out.
Textile/Cloth Printing Gets a New Dimension
The increasingly augmented list of applications because of digital printing has not left anyone untouched with its dramatic effects. “The printing industry is shifting more towards green technology. The major change that I observed is basically a gradual shift from solvent technology to green printing. Since, we believe in growing with the technology, we have inbuilt infrastructure with high technology machinery from UV to VUTEk 5R and further to HP Latex 3200,” says Vinod Gupta of Hannu Marketing – a company that specialises in both indoor and outdoor digital printing applications and offer a variety of services including large format digital printing, signage, POS & retail displays, and shop-in-shops. The company has recently added cloth, especially T-shirt printing to its specialised portfolio of services.
“With the addition of VUTEk 5R that allows green printing up to 5mtr and HP Latex 3200 with Latex technology, the application areas for us has opened up further to include fabric/cloth printing in our list of services that we are offering. For this, the market has been responding well before time is also appreciating our step to remain innovative and adapting new green technology as it came to the fore,” says Gupta adding that people are very much susceptible to the change and have welcomed the change with open arms. “They are finding out areas where the new printing technology can be put to best use. For instance – cloth printing is welcomed in sports arena a lot.”
Started in 1993, Hannu has been instrumental in rolling out shop signage and promotional campaigns across India for numerous reputed brands. Following the philosophy of ideation, innovation and acceleration, printing solution provider boasts of a sprawling variety among shop boards, shop-in-shops, in-shop branding, POPs, display units, stand alone dispensing units, etc. The company keeps bringing in new ideas, exploring new materials, touching new horizons, and experimenting new technologies so as to providing new solutions to its customers and thus upgrading them to the next level on continuous basis. “Challenges keep us motivated to move forward and to compete with overseas markets as what we believe is that the competition with foreign markets drives the industry at a much faster pace than anticipated,” asserts Gupta.
Dynamism of Graphic Art Market
The graphics arts market is known to be extremely dynamic and innovative. In particular, inkjet technology has created new opportunities for companies, traditionally active in the printing business, to widen their scope, explore new applications and offer their expertise to new markets. Home decor is definitely one of these new segments. Enhancing home décor with unique pieces is no longer limited to what’s available at the store thanks to digital printing. Home decor is a huge market, which spans from wallpaper, flooring, furniture, art reproductions and more.
These part, more than 200 high-end printers like MS, Kornit, Konica Nassenger, Durst, etc. are installed in the industrial textile segment for printing sarees, dress materials, home textile, shawls etc.; while according to the industry estimates, over 700 ceramic printers from various European brands like Kerajet, EFI Creta Print, Siti B&T-Projecta, Intesa- Sacmi, System, Tecnoferrari, Durst, etc. and a few Chinese brands including Hope, Meijia, New King Time, Kingtau, etc. have put to use in Rajkot and Morbi – the Ceramic hub of India.
Printers such as the Agfa Graphics Jeti Titan UV inkjet printer, Fujifilm Acuity Advance Select, Roland’s Hi-Fi Express FP-740 sublimation printer, Konica Minolta’s Nassenger Pro 120, Durst’s Rho Vetrocer 250, Dilli UV flatbed printer and HP’s Latex and Designjet printers are all capable of producing stunning results on individual or collective substrates such as wood, ceramic, glass, fabric, stone, etc. for applications such as wall décor and coverings; home furnishings; wood prints for wall panels, bathroom & bedroom doors and kitchen cabinets, decorative textiles; fabric fine art reproductions, murals and more. UV inks and latex are providing immense possibilities in indoor and outdoor home décor and other varied applications for digital printing solutions with limitless imagination of images, designs and textures on any surface – all while being environmentally-friendly.
Green is the Catch
We also spoke to a few printer manufacturers and technology suppliers to explore their versions of expanded and enhanced applications of digital printers that are roping in the specialised segments. “The other areas where digital printing technologies are being used include interior designing, glass, tiles, textiles, home furnishing, fashion apparel, wooden floors, etc. A lot of people are now inclined towards having personalised interior designs where they use digital printing technologies. Same case is with the textile industry, today wearable garments as well as home furnishing both have now inclined towards new and fresh designs, following new trends every month and year for that they need digital textile printing technologies,” shares Smarth Bansal, Sr. Product Manager, ColorJet India.
Bansal insists that large number of people are moving towards greener materials and openly accepting eco-friendly products. “The whole industry is working towards making the design and print result sharper and crisper. Also, a big shift that we are seeing in digital textile printing is towards greener technologies from solvent to eco-solvent RoHS-complaint and towards UV and Green Guard Water-Based inks,” he says adding that this is driving the digital printing industry crazy. “The market response so far is really huge for applications other than signage. In big exhibitions like Ace Tech, and Glass Tech, lot of interior designers come and enquire about digital textile printing. Same is with the case of specialised textiles exhibitions, people come in huge number to ask and talk about digital textile printing technologies.”
Speaking about the receptivity of this relatively new technology, Bansal quips, “Change is the only thing that is constant. Even if people will not accept the change, the policy and the environment force them to adapt the change. As we can see today, flex is getting banned in lot of parts of India, obviously people are moving towards greener materials and adapting eco-friendly approach. However, the level of awareness here in India is obviously not penetrated deeply. People still don’t know what is happening in European or USA markets. And as we all know, India is extremely price-sensitive market, which is the biggest and the only challenge when it comes to adaptation of new technology as then people will have to spend more. It takes time for people to decide on spending money into such technology,” he points out.
Printing on Gifts, Novelties & Home Furnishing
Another major player is Apsom Technologies that was established as a service provider for the IT Industry, which strived to evolve its business with changing times from being a hardware vendor to a solution provider for the signage and textile industry. Today, the company deals with various multinational organisations throughout Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan, Europe, etc. Apsom Technologies is the exclusive distributor of Japanese digital printing giant Mimaki, which is known for its innovations in the world of large format printing solutions.
When it comes to other areas of applications that the digital printing technologies are being used in, Vikram Bhatia, Managing Director, Apsom Technologies, highlights that there are various segments that the technology is rapidly creeping in. “While digital printing technology is setting examples in textile segment which includes men’s wear, shawl, stoles, ladies dress materials, saris, etc.; digital UV printers are rapidly making inroad into the gifting and stationery segments where these are increasingly used for printing on novelty gift articles, stationary items such as id cards, interior decoration of home and office, besides making a considerable presence in industrial applications, and of course, signage.”
Bhatia suggest that these changes are time bound. “Customer needs high-speed machine without comprising on quality, besides looking for more colour options (or with white/varnish), which was not possible with the conventional printing machines. Most importantly, customers need a stable and branded machine to offer sustainable digital printing solution and repeat orders. Moreover, rapid development in technology is changing the face of industry as the prices of ink and machines are going down to a level become affordable and accessible, which in turn is attracting more people to move in, and make the most out of the potentials that the country’s printing industry is offering.
On the acceptance of the technology, Bhatia highlights that initially segments other than signage such as textiles and interior décor were sceptical about the success of this technology, but with passage of time more and more customer and from various other industries are showing their faith on digital technology. “People are accepting the changes and are adapting too. In fact, many customers are using digital printing machines for applications, which otherwise were not thought of,” he says adding that on the awareness level customers in India are no way behind but there a couple of challenges that the technology could come across in India. “Initially, for textile printing, the preparatory of fabric was not as good as it was in overseas markets. Also, in case of UV printing, lot of specialty media are readily available which is not the case in India.”
Labelling, Packaging & Building Materials
Digital printers can print on virtually any surface including three-dimensional objects and wood. There is no doubt that we’ve gone way beyond the traditional print-on-paper model to take print into completely new areas, such as bespoke interior decor and packaging. Another name in the league is Arrow Digital Pvt. Ltd., which other than signage also cater to a long clientele for their package printing.
The company that distributes a range of materials and equipment for the digital printing and cutting markets has pioneered many ground breaking technologies serving the industry since decades. Arrow is making dedicated efforts to take digital printing to great heights in various applications and industries. The company is exclusive distributor for EFI VUTEk printers along with other digital printers in India and caters to the country’s printing industry with a wide array of application areas.
“We offer a wide range of label printing and finishing equipment. Whether for an in-house label printer for small business, or looking to top of the line finishing equipment, we have the digital solution for all packaging needs. Our systems allow printing on demand – whether to print 1 label or 10,000 labels, depending on the requirements,” asserts Sam Patel, Managing Director, Arrow Digital Pvt. Ltd.
He believes that the digital printing technology in packaging and label industry is growing rapidly, and doesn’t show signs of slowing down any time soon in this fast-moving market. “With the ability to easily customise your companies’ labels for short production, our label printing systems allow for increased flexibility on any project! Further, pushing the boundaries in packaging printing is the capacity to produce short print runs economically, as packaging buyers continue to search for ways to engage with customers using innovative methods. Printing on demand means less waste, ensuring that new packaging or graphic designs or changes in ingredients don’t result in redundant stock.”
Other than that Patel highlighted that the digital printing is also rapidly proliferating in building materials industry. “We have also created a new line of equipment to bring the ease of digital printing to the Ceramic and Fiber Cement industry. Using the latest printing technology available our systems allow you to design and print anything that you can imagine onto fiber cement sheets or ceramic tiles,” informs Patel adding that the entry of digital printing has virtually added endless possibilities that too without harming the environment. “Moreover, People now-a-days prefer digital printing technology over traditional printing methods as improved technology of digital printing has cut down the cost and offered promising and better results compared to traditional printing methods. Customers looking for high-end branding with better colour vibrancy are opting more for digital printing. We see increased fabric usage in displays, backdrops and trade-show booths,” elaborates Patel adding that this is a Green technology and as of now knows no boundaries.
Conclusion
Digital printing has undoubtedly opened up new possibilities and has created unprecedented opportunities for sharing visual concepts in print, because it’s completely flexible. The technology can be configured for all sorts of output sizes, shapes and surfaces. Digital makes it possible to convert an idea into reality within a short span of time. It also offers the possibility to add more colours such as water colours or oil pastel colours unlike other methods. Most importantly, the popular trend of reflecting one’s own personality in one’s interior spaces through personal artwork and customised designs ensures that the market for digital printing in India will only grow in the years to come.