digitally printing and dyeing of fabrics

1.1 Introduction

The saga of digitally printing and dyeing of fabrics, yarns and garments involves

a past of a few decades, a dynamic present and likely a bright future. This

introduction accounts for the origins and evolution of textile printing to digital

solutions. It identifies some of the many creators and pioneers of these techno-

logies and assesses their impact on the textile printing industry. It discusses a

few of the false starts that in turn contributed to sustained successes of digital

printing technologies for textile decoration. It uses the exhibitions that have

witnessed the introduction of innovative digital technologies for textile printing

as road marks that indicate trends and point the way to digital textile printing's

bright future.

In focusing on the market demand for textile printed applications, it attempts

to answer questions such as:

· What are the market forces driving the adoption of digital technologies for

printing textiles?

· What are the characteristics and qualities of digital printing that either favor

or discourage its adoption for meeting market demand for decorated fabric

and fibers?

· What are textile applications that digital printing can supply more cost

effectively than existing analog printing methods?

· How is technology evolving to address market demand?

· What are the global trends that shed light on the future of digital printing of

textiles?

This chapter opens the door and invites the reader into the exciting world of

digital textile printing. It introduces this volume's tour of the many chambers of

the digital textile print edifice that subsequent sections describe.