How the UFLPA is Transforming the Textile Industry

Sponsored Content

While the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) is only 18 months old, it’s already causing a seismic shift in the textile industry — one that’s only set to increase.

Closer scrutiny of supply chains and stiff penalties for noncompliance have forced textile businesses to ensure their products aren’t sourced from regions known to employ forced labor practices. Failure to do so is directly affecting business’ bottom line.

As of November 2023, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has detained nearly 1,100 apparel, textile and foot-wear shipments, worth $13 million in products. More than 40 percent of these have not been released — making noncompliance a costly mistake.

“The fashion industry has woken up,” believes Ana Hinojosa, strategic regulatory advisor at  Oritain. “Initially the industry was waiting to see if the government was serious about enforcement related to forced labor, but they now know that their products are under the microscope and so are focused on ensuring they comply. Although many companies have strong ethical practices governing their behavior, most are looking to protect their bottom line by ensuring shipments don’t get detained. In the fashion industry, products are very seasonal, so losing 30 days or 60 days of a fashion line to detention means effectively losing the season.”

Oritain’s market insights data, which identifies the prevalence of risk origin cotton in the global apparel market, reveals a trend towards sourcing diversification, especially at the manufacturing country level. It indicates that textile and fashion brands are reassessing whether their current sourcing strategy is exposing them to higher levels of risk.

Proving compliance is no longer a ‘one and done’ exercise. Greater transparency and proper due diligence into supply chain management has become essential. Instead of occasional written reports, textile businesses must now prove compliance through a series of quantifiable, verifiable actions.

Scientific traceability of product origin offers part of the solution. By pinpointing exactly where products originate from, it offers an objective forensic validation that the claims made by suppliers are accurate and that the trust importers have in their partners is well placed.

The UFLPA is not just shaping the industry today — it’s also influencing the market tomorrow. Textile businesses that comply with the legislation will enjoy greater access to potential investment that supports future growth.

“There’s much greater interest on the part of investors in the ethical and social responsibilities of businesses,” says Ana Hinojosa.

“Investors are evaluating the risk of the businesses they’re investing in based on their ethical and social commitments and the demonstrated efforts in meeting those commitments.”

With the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) calling on CBP to increase inspections and testing of Chinese imports, one thing is certain. The UFLPA will continue
to cast a long shadow over the textile industry in 2024 and beyond.

Visit oritain.com/cotton to learn more about the UFLPA and how Oritain’s scientific traceability can help your business stay compliant.

This sponsored content was provided by Oritain.

January/February 2024

Rhode Island School Of Design (RISD) Elevates Textile Program With State-Of-The-Art Jacquard Loom, Promising Infinite Creative Possibilities

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — February 9, 2024 — The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) has recently installed a state-of-the-art jacquard loom in its Metcalf Building, elevating its Textiles department to new technological heights. The complex installation required significant structural adaptations, including a steel I-beam “cage” to support the loom’s weight and measures to safeguard the building’s infrastructure.

This cutting-edge Itema loom, operated by technician Polly Spenner 10 TX, boasts unique capabilities like weaving large textiles with singular images and three-dimensional fabric structures. Its advanced design enables the production of textiles with diverse colors, patterns, and layers at exceptional speeds. “The fabric almost pours out of the loom,” remarked Brooks Hagan MFA 02 TX, Dean of Fine Arts at RISD.

“The flexibility of the equipment is extremely important,” stated Anna Gitelson-Kahn MFA 09 TX, Head of the Textiles department. This industrial-grade loom functions in a research and development environment, catering to a wide range of student projects.

RISD’s historical relationship with Jacquard weaving, a precursor to modern computing, dates back to the early 1800s with its original punch-card loom. The new loom is a significant upgrade from the school’s second Jacquard loom, used for 25 years, which facilitated computer-aided design and trained numerous alumni.

Dean Hagan highlights the cultural and technological impact of binary encoding in Jacquard weaving, linking it to sophisticated fabrics and computer programming.

The acquisition of the new loom was a collaborative effort involving RISD faculty, staff, structural engineers, manufacturing partners, and funding from industry partnerships and the Pevaroff-Cohn Endowed Chair discretionary funds. Notable contributors include former Textiles Department Head Mary Anne Friel, vice president of Campus Services Jack Silva, and others.

Hagan anticipates that the loom will inspire students to create innovative works such as banners, tapestries, graphically advanced weaves, and origami-like fabrics. “There are a million possibilities,” he says, underlining the loom’s potential to revolutionize textile design and production at RISD.

Posted: February 11, 2024

Source: The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)

Lindsey Josepayt Promoted To Vice President Of Design And Marketing By United Fabrics

Lindsey Josepayt

PENNSAUKEN, N.J.— February 6, 2024 — United Fabrics has announced the promotion of Lindsey Josepayt to the newly created position of vice president of Design and Marketing. In this new capacity, She will continue to forward the development of United Fabrics’ distinctive branding through her expert curation of thoughtful collections and her keen sense of United’s creative voice within the textile industry.

Josepayt first interned for United Fabrics before joining the company in June 2009 as a permanent employee. Previously she served as the designer and buyer before her promotion to director of Design and Marketing in January 2013. During her tenure at United Fabrics, she has championed immense growth; helping the company evolve from primarily residentially-focused to the service of architects and interior designers catering to hospitality and commercial clients. Among her many achievements are the successful launch of a rebrand and a newly refreshed and improved website in 2020.

Josepayt’s industrious spirit and innovative instincts have propelled the company into new territories, expanding the brand’s relevance to new groups of design professionals. Josepayt and her designs have been featured in publications such as Hospitality Design Magazine, Interior Design Magazine, and NEWH Magazine. Her collections have been honored at Interior Design’s Best of Year awards in 2022 and 2023, as well as at Hospitality Design’s Awards in 2021.

Josepayt is an enthusiastic alum of Jefferson University’s Textile Design program, from which she holds an M.S. degree in Textile Design. She actively mentors students and young professionals who seek her out as a creative, caring, and inspirational female leader and designer.

Scott Warwick, president & CEO, stated: “We feel that this title is better reflective of the responsibilities and work with which Lindsey has been doing for United. Moreover, this title change better aligns Lindsey with her peers in the industry as a whole. As the face of United and often, the voice of United, she has done a remarkable job building United’s brand, interfacing with our sales force and customers, and making our line among the best in the business.”

Posted: February 11, 2024

Source: United Fabrics

International Federation of Knitting Technologists (IFKT) Announces 51st IFKT Congress: The Future Of Knitting

MONCHENGLADBACH, Germany — February 5, 2024 — Knitting technologists organization IFKT is pleased to announce its highly anticipated biannual conference, Future of Knitting. The conference will be held on August 21 and 22 at the Cyril Clark theater in Brampton, Ontario.

Future of Knitting is a premier event in the textile sector, bringing together professionals, experts, and thought leaders from around the world. This year’s conference promises to be the most dynamic and engaging yet, with a focus on the latest trends, innovations, and challenges in the knitting industry.

Attendees will have the opportunity to:

  • Gain insights from renowned keynote speakers who are shaping the future of the knitting industry.
  • Participate in interactive panel discussions featuring industry leaders, sharing their expertise and best practices.
  • Network with like-minded professionals, establishing valuable connections and fostering collaboration.
  • Explore cutting-edge products and services showcased by leading companies in the industry.

“We are thrilled to host Future of Knitting and bring together the brightest minds in the knitting industry,” said Hitesh Kumar Sharma, president (North America) at IFKT. “This year’s conference will provide a platform for knowledge sharing, innovation, and collaboration, driving the knitwear’s/textile forward.”

The conference agenda will cover a wide range of topics on global innovation in knitting sector.

Registration for Future of Knitting is now open, and interested participants are encouraged to visit our conference website at www.ifktnam.ca to secure their spot. The conference offers various registration options.

Sponsorship opportunities are also available for organizations seeking to gain exposure and showcase their products and services to a global audience of industry professionals. For sponsorship inquiries, please send your enquiries at Email: hktola@yahoo.com

Posted: February 11, 2024

Source: IFKT (North America)

BASF To Divest Shares In Its Two Joint Ventures In Korla, China

LUDWIGSHAFEN, Germany — February 9, 2024 — In the fourth quarter of 2023, BASF started the process to divest its shares in the two joint venture companies BASF Markor Chemical Manufacturing (Xinjiang) Co. Ltd. and Markor Meiou Chemical (Xinjiang) Co. Ltd. in Korla, China.

As part of BASF’s global strategy for 1,4-butanediol (BDO), BASF has assessed the market environment and product carbon footprints (PCF) of BDO and its downstream products from different production sites worldwide. BDO value chains are under increased competitive pressure and characterized by global overcapacities.

Furthermore, carbide-based BDO and polytetrahydrofuran produced in Korla have a significantly higher PCF due to the use of coal as a base raw material and the high energy intensity of the production process. In the future, BASF will customize its global portfolio of BDO and affiliated downstream products to provide competitive low-PCF offerings.

The situation in the Xinjiang region has always been part of BASF’s overall assessment of its joint ventures in Korla. Regular due diligence measures including internal and external audits have not found any evidence of human rights violations in the two joint ventures. Nonetheless, recently published reports related to the joint venture partner contain serious allegations that indicate activities inconsistent with BASF’s values.

Consequently, BASF will accelerate the ongoing process to divest its shares in the two joint ventures in Korla, subject to negotiations and required approvals of the relevant authorities.

It is important to note that, also in the context of the public reports, BASF has no indication that employees of the two joint ventures in Korla were involved in human rights violations. The most recent reports relate to BASF’s joint venture partner, in which BASF does not have a stake.

BASF’s presence in China remains otherwise unchanged, and the company is fully committed to its business activities and planned investments in the country. Already today, Greater China accounts for around half of global chemical production. Global growth in chemical production until 2030 will be driven by Greater China, which will account for around 80% of the total growth during the period from 2022 to 2030.

Posted: February 9, 2024

Source: BASF Group

Technical Absorbents Limited: Innovative Absorbent Solutions To Be Presented In Vietnam

HEALING, England — February 9, 2024 — It’s been a while since super absorbent manufacturer Technical Absorbents exhibited at an industry tradeshow, but the company will head to Vietnam as it displays its Super Absorbent Fibre (SAF), fabrics and yarns at the Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles and Textile Technologies (VIATT).

Organized by Messe Frankfurt, the event — which takes place between February 28 and March 1 in Ho Chi Minh City — is promoted as a one-stop sourcing platform for all textile industry needs. Technical Absorbents has opted for a small booth — #A-L18, Hall A — and will also present a paper at the event conference to educate visitors about the versatility of its unique superabsorbent technologies.

“Vietnam is the third largest textile and apparel exporter, and one of the highest importers of textile machinery in the world,” explains Technical Absorbents Commercial Director Paul Rushton. “As a company it is a region that we have monitored the growth of for some time.

“Vietnam’s textile and garment industry achieved staggering annual growth of 20 to 26 percent from 2018 to 2022, and high-quality textile materials are increasingly sought-after for production. We feel that now is the time that there could be real development opportunities for our absorbent fiber, fabric, and spun yarn technology.

“We have already established tolling partners in Asia that can process our fibers and convert them into a wide range of absorbent nonwoven fabrics. We also work with industrial knitters who can take our yarns and make extremely flexible absorbent woven materials. Current growth areas for our technology are within wound care, premium incontinence and period products, moisture management and cooling within the apparel sector, dewatering of oils and fuels and geotextiles for waterproofing.

“During the event, I will be providing an overview of our unique technology at the conference and would be keen to talk to anyone who is keen to learn more or potentially trial our absorbent materials in their products.”

Posted: February 9, 2024

Source: Technical Absorbents Limited

National Retail Federation (NRF): Import Cargo Continuing To Rise Despite Red Sea Disruptions

WASHINGTON — February 9, 2024 — Inbound cargo volume at the nation’s major container ports is expected to see year-over-year increases through the first half of the year despite attacks on ships in the Red Sea, according to the Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

“Only about 12 percent of U.S.-bound cargo comes through the Suez Canal but the situation in the Red Sea is bringing volatility and uncertainty that are being felt around the globe,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “U.S. retailers are working to mitigate the impact of delays and increased costs. However, the longer the disruptions occur, the bigger impact this could have. More needs to be done among partners and allies to ensure the safety of vessels and crews in order to avoid yet another year of supply chain disruption.”

Hackett Associates Founder Ben Hackett said carriers are using a surplus of capacity built up during the pandemic to ease the impact as voyages are diverted around the Cape of Good Hope or to the U.S. West Coast, and that improvements are already being seen.

“The shipping industry has rapidly adjusted by adding extra vessels to its networks, and has returned to normal weekly ship arrivals,” Hackett said. “Service from Asia to the U.S. East Coast is working well and the dramatic rise in freight rates is showing signs of easing, with pressure from shippers likely to quickly bring these down.”

U.S. ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 1.87 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units — one 20-foot container or its equivalent — in December, the latest month for which final numbers are available. That was down 1 percent from November but up 8.3 percent year-over-year. December’s results brought 2023 to 22.3 million TEU, down 12.8 percent from 2022.

Ports have not yet reported January’s numbers, but Global Port Tracker projected the month at 1.81 million TEU, up 0.3 percent year over year. February is forecast at 1.86 million TEU, up 20.4 percent year over year, and March is forecast at 1.71 million TEU, up 5.5 percent from last year. February is traditionally the slowest month because of Lunar New Year factory shutdowns in Asia but the timing of the holiday and its impact on cargo and year-over-year comparisons varies. April is forecast at 1.83 million TEU, up 2.6 percent year over year; May at 1.94 million, up 0.3 percent, and June at 1.93 million TEU, up 5.5 percent.

Those numbers would bring the first half of 2024 to 11.1 million TEU, up 5.3 percent from the same period last year.

Global Port Tracker, which is produced for NRF by Hackett Associates, provides historical data and forecasts for the U.S. ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma on the West Coast; New York/New Jersey, Port of Virginia, Charleston, Savannah, Port Everglades, Miami and Jacksonville on the East Coast, and Houston on the Gulf Coast. The report is free to NRF retail members, and subscription information is available at NRF.com/PortTracker

Posted: February 9, 2024

Source: National Retail Federation (NRF)

Informa Markets Fashion Transitions To MMGNET Group And Launches MMGNET, The New Portfolio Parent Brand And B2B Fashion Industry Resource

NEW YORK CITY — February 8, 2024 — Informa Markets Fashion announced today the group’s brand transition to MMGNET Group, and with it the launch of MMGNET, the new insights and resources-powered parent brand designed to support the wider fashion industry and connect the group’s portfolio of brands and their diverse communities, products, services, and resources more seamlessly and in more ways than ever. Moving forward, MMGNET Group’s portfolio of B2B fashion industry brands will consist of MMGNET, MAGIC, COTERIE, PROJECT, and SOURCING at MAGIC.

For decades, the group’s leading B2B event brands have served the fashion industry as vital meeting grounds for essential discovery servicing global retailers and brands. MMGNET, the group will now deliver an expanded product and service offering, including a steady stream of rich and inspirational content and resources as well as more opportunities for the wider industry to connect and innovate throughout the year, alongside a suite of enhanced digital marketing opportunities.

“This is more than a rebranding or launch of a new parent brand; this is about addressing how we serve our audience and the industry moving forward, as an evolution of our business. We’re focused on doing what we do incredibly well, but better than ever — connecting our customers through our live events — while also enhancing support year-round, both on and offline”, said Kelly Helfman, president, MMGNET Group. “We are fashion’s go-to- partner for live discovery and commerce, now with MMGNET we can also be the industry’s resource for industry connection, insights, business resources, and inspiration.”

The group’s new parent brand, MMGNET, will connect the industry and communities across its existing premier B2B fashion event brands with exclusive content programs and providing research-driven market insights, seasonal trend forecasting, distinct curation and unique business resources designed to empower tangible actions and results. MMGNET will also provide new opportunities for more live connection touchpoints throughout the fashion calendar, new digital marketing opportunities that expand reach and awareness, and a platform to innovate, pilot, and test new formats and products that support current and future industry and customer needs.

The new MMGNET created based on extensive market research and customer feedback gathered over the last 2 years, which highlighted new needs driven by the challenges created by on-going market shifts, continued supply chain challenges, on-going disruption brought on by direct-to-consumer channels, and continuously evolving consumer preferences and demands. Among these, the need for more always-on market insights and trends focused content and resources, more curation and direction, and additional commerce and connection opportunities and community building throughout the year.

“This next chapter is about empowering our customers and the industry in new and expanded ways that drive mutual benefit, growth and progress” said Teodora Nicolae, vice president of Marketing, MMGNET Group. “MMGNET now exists to address the industry’s new needs, and to exist as a synergistic ecosystem that drives more valuable connections across our communities and provides more opportunity than ever for them to interact and engage, to create, to innovate, to discover, and to learn and share knowledge in new ways and new formats.”

MMGNET’s ecosystem of hero brands, communities and cohorts, products, and services will build around four key focus areas: connection and opportunity, actionable industry and market insights, inspiration and trend forecasting, and profitable responsibility. At the core of MMGNET’s mission is helping the industry further tap into the limitless potential for partnerships, growth, innovation, and knowledge-sharing possible when more touchpoints are created and the right connections are made, both on and offline. MMGNET’s “fashion-wide” platform will allow for more connections across existing audiences and communities than ever, as well as the ability to create and nurture new communities across the industry.

Investments in new and dynamic opportunities to gather fashion communities and the wider industry in and outside of the traditional market cycle will support this mission, including global meetups and community events during key moments in the fashion calendar, new format pilots including conference and content-driven live events, and new programs and initiatives around curation and matchmaking across MAGIC, PROJECT, COTERIE, and SOURCING at MAGIC industry events.

The second pillar, actionable industry insights, will drive MMGNET’s expansion and investment in market research and data-driven reports designed to identify and present larger shifts in the global fashion landscape, macro and micro market trends, fluctuations in consumer behavior, and more. Core to the expanded and growing insights program lies the goal of contextualizing data and insights to help professionals and fashion businesses of all sizes utilize findings to more strategically inform their short- and long-term decisions. Presented in multiple formats – both online and offline – reports will unpack and analyze salient findings, offering broad perspectives as well as tailored storylines for the various industry markets and communities.

The third pillar will focus on driving inspiration and providing trend insights, direction, and further curation year- round and across multiple formats. MMGNET will continue to deliver a robust program of seasonal trend forecasting across market segments and categories, while also expanding beyond traditional definitions of “trend” content to supply relevant industry trend forecasts and reporting across fashion technology, real-:me social media consumer trends, sustainability, marketing and branding, and more.

Finally, profitable responsibility is an important value-focused pillar highlighting MMGNET’s commitment to helping the industry and all fashion stakeholders carve a path to a more conscious and responsible future. This will encompass sustainability, environmental stewardship, social empowerment and DE&I initiatives. Plans for expanding the Verified Sustainable program across hero brand communities and events, as well as the IMFC Incubator which supports minority owned fashion brands, are in the works.

MMGNET will serve the entire fashion industry as a go-to-resource and as a connection point both in and outside of the traditional fashion calendar, online and offline. More initiatives across MMGNET’s live event, trend and insights content programs, and responsibility-focused initiatives will be announced in the coming months.

Posted: February 8, 2024

Source: MMGNET Group — a subsidiary of Informa Markets

RNWBL® And Durability Engineers Awarded U.S. Department Of Energy’s Made In America Challenge For Wind Turbine Materials Recycling Prize

HOUSTON — February 8, 2024 — RNWBL and Durability Engineers (DE) proudly announce their collaboration and award for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind Turbine Materials Recycling Prize. The award aims to address the environmental impact of wind turbine materials, specifically focusing on recycling solutions for fiber-reinforced composites and critical minerals. This initiative aligns with the White House sustainability goals of reducing the greenhouse gas production of the entire US economy by 50 percent compared to 2005 levels by 2030 and goals of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

As the maintenance, repowering, and retrofitting of existing wind turbine blades is poised to become a more prominent industry facet, there is a demand for innovative solutions to reduce landfill waste, which has been the standard disposal destination for replaced turbine blades. RNWBL, a prominent figure in wind turbine maintenance and repowering and other renewable energy services, has entered into a strategic collaboration with DE to explore and develop strategies that empower their clients to minimize waste generation and discover financially viable avenues for recycling.

Leveraging DE’s proficiency in cementitious and concrete materials, the collaborative team has successfully identified and manufactured materials derived from wind turbine blades. These materials enhance the strength, durability, and longevity of concrete, contributing to sustainable construction practices. Moreover, the team has devised a practical in-situ execution plan to minimize transportation costs and carbon emissions.

Objectives of the Project: The main objective of this project is to develop innovative solutions for recycling wind turbine materials, especially fiber-reinforced composites and critical minerals. The project will explore various aspects of the recycling process, including collection, transportation, separation, recovery, reuse, and disposal. Additionally, the project will evaluate the environmental, economic, and social benefits of recycling wind turbine materials, addressing potential market opportunities and barriers.

DE and RNWBL look forward to collaborating with stakeholders from the wind energy industry, recycling industry, academia, and government agencies to ensure the feasibility and scalability of the proposed solutions. This partnership signifies a crucial step towards achieving a sustainable and circular approach to wind turbine materials, contributing significantly to the green transformation of the energy sector.

Posted: February 8, 2024

Source: RNWBL

Get In The Game: Digital Textile Production Unlocks The Super Bowl Experience

By Mike Sellers

The Super Bowl is a genuine cultural phenomenon. According to Nielsen, Super Bowl LVII drew 113 million viewers across Fox’s television and digital properties, making it the third-most-watched television program of all time. According to the National Retail Federation, Americans spent more than $16 billion on Super bowl-related purchases in 2023, with 103 million people — nearly one-third of the U.S. population — hosting or attending a Super Bowl party themselves. It’s kind of a big deal.

Even for casual fans, the Super Bowl is an excuse for friends and family to gather in celebration. Whether your favorite team made the big game or you’re simply celebrating the event, you’re ready for some quality gear to go with it — that commemorative shirt, jersey, jacket, sweatshirt, or shorts, adorned with officially licensed logos, and possibly the name and number of a favorite player.

To get it, you’ve probably gone online, offered a selection of clothing and styles to choose from. You chose your favorite product from a limited array of options, paid for it, and a few days later received it, shipped from a massive inventory of the exact same product

Very soon this experience will be completely different. The creation of a product that is unique to you will be in your hands. You’ll be able to choose not only the player, team, or event you want to commemorate, but also a variety of customization and personalization possibilities. Do you want to display the final score, or a key play accompanied by a photorealistic image of your choice taken from the game? It’s possible, and maybe even the next day.

Your imagination is the only limit to what you can wear, thanks to the ability to provide customized products through a network of on shore suppliers. And always with the guarantee that the garment has been manufactured using responsible and environmentally friendly production practices, saving water, energy, and materials to provide exactly the piece you purchased, without waste.

This is the power of mass customization enabled by a digitized marketplace, complemented by a digital execution ecosystem. This is the value of direct-to-garment printing — a comprehensive, sustainable, on-demand, digital process, one that eliminates overproduction, consumes up to 95-percent less energy, nearly eliminates water waste, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by more than 80 percent compared to traditional analog production.

The Digital Difference

Sportswear production has long been limited by the time it takes to design, produce, and ship clothing. At major sporting events, stories abound of manufacturers producing clothing to meet every possible outcome, knowing full well half of that stock will be thrown away when one of the “champion” teams inevitably loses.

With most traditional production methods, rapid demand for clothing requires predicting what fans will want to buy and where they will want to buy it, which necessarily leads to overproduction.

Furthermore, producing to build inventory overlooks a significant — and growing — profit opportunity in a market where consumers are conditioned to satisfy wants and needs instantly, without restrictions or compromises.

Just like the inkjet printers we use in the office and at home, state-of-the-art digital direct-to-garment printing systems eliminate these constraints by simply printing the media — in this case, a blank garment made of cotton, polyester, polyester blend, or any other common fabric for fan clothing — at the press of a button. After drying, the piece is ready to ship or wear in minutes.

Unlike screen printing, this process requires virtually no preparation time, can reproduce an unlimited range of colors on a single piece and generates profits from the production of a single copy: no minimum order quantities, which is ideal for personalization. Unlike heat transfer vinyl, you don’t stock up on media for every possible application: forget about inventory, storage space and wasted paper by reproducing a digital asset to suit your needs. Unlike sublimation, this technique is not limited to white polyesters and does not generate paper waste. Unlike direct-to-film printing, there’s better feel and greater product consistency, even for larger graphics applications, while avoiding the tedious manual process that operators hate.

With single-step, single-operator direct-to-garment printing systems, producers can replicate and improve each process, and even mimic embroidery and add layered 3D applications, on a single machine. The technology is compatible with polyester and poly-blend materials, providing durable and reliable applications on fabrics essential for sportswear, fan merchandise, and casual wear markets.

Efficiency And Agility Win The Game

On-demand digital production means delivering more profitable products by reducing time, labor, materials, and floor space: an ideal recipe for growing print businesses and ensuring the agility needed to respond real time to unforeseen market dynamics. These could be supply chain disruptions, inflation, labor shortages, socio-political unrest, a global pandemic — or a sudden product opportunity generated by company performance, a team or athlete during a given match or tournament, such as Super Bowl LVIII.

Additionally, a growing ecosystem of DTG-equipped producers stand ready to offer localized fulfillment on a global scale, eliminating time and logistics associated with offshoring production. A digitalized workflow not only ensures transparency and accountability of production, from point of sale to shipping of finished products. But it brings closer to the consumer, who has tools for creation and increasingly efficient customization tools to bring his inspirations to life, from the producer best equipped to quickly respond to this need, with durable, high-quality, and uncompromising clothing. It’s a victory for fans, for producers, for brands and licensees, and for the environment.

Sustainable, on-demand digital production is transforming the sports and fan apparel game, and if you’re ready to win, build your digital fulfillment strategy now to:

  • Stop producing gear that won’t sell. With digital, go from anticipating demand to fulfilling it. Make the sale and produce ready-to-wear apparel just in time.
  • Give fans a unique, engaging experience. Empower sports fans to create their own designs, personalize gear, or choose their own graphics or events.
  • Achieve responsible, sustainable production. Leverage nearshore fulfillment and networks to cut waste (and risk) associated with global transport. Adopt consistent, eco-friendly production to yield higher margins with less time, labor, energy, and production footprint.
  • Unleash creative expression and grow business. Today’s DTG capabilities consolidate screen, dye sublimation, vinyl, embroidery, 3D, and other graphic effects to one single-step, single-operator production system. Increase production capacity and capability exponentially and scale your operation with confidence.

When you watch the big game in the comfortable, durable, digitally printed garment you’ve long dreamed of, you’ll also be a fan of this game-changing technology.

Enjoy Super Bowl LVIII this February 11th and visit Kornit.com or PixelToParcel.com to learn about its vision of transforming fanwear, team gear, licensed apparel, and athleisure garments with responsive, versatile, sustainable, on-demand digital decoration.

Editor’s Note: Mike Sellers is POLY Category Manager at Israel-based Kornit Digital

February 8, 2024

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