Digital Revolution

Textile printing is a longstanding and heavily used technology that has seen dramatic changes. Originally occurring solely by hand, textile printing was mechanised in 1743. A further radical innovation came in 1991 with the introduction digital technology. Although screen-printing is no longer the most recent method it continues to dominate the industry, which poses questions for the relevance of digital textile printing. But what are the benefits of computer-aided design? And how can the process revolutionise the way we print?


Digital textile printing has faced a remarkable amount of negative opinions, criticised for being too 'mechanical' producing 'lifeless' results. However, there is a wave of new designers that are making a name for themselves utilising the new form of textile printing, producing prints unobtainable with screen-printing. Mary Katrantzou is one of many that represent a new kind of designer, one which has fully embraced the digital change and with it all the new possibilities previously unimaginable. Designers are able to upload pictures and manipulate them to form unusual prints, just like Helmut Lang who used a photo taken on his iPhone as a basis for a print:

Although technology demands continue to be fairly high, and digital printers unable to match the speed of screen-printers, the new method does present a number of benefits. Lead times have been reduced to under 24 hours which is extremely important in the fashion-industry which is becoming increasingly fast paced. As well as economic benefits digital textile printing is more environmentally friendly, a trend more and more important to consumers and society. 

This shift from mechanical printing to digital reflects the larger change in our daily life. Technology is everywhere and has had massive implications to all types of industries. Change is good. It opens up more opportunities and can render new innovative results. Innovations in the textile industry are immense from an actual invisibility cloak to solar fabrics. Understandably, tradition is also good and has a place in the industry, however, it's hard to ignore the experimental and creative uses of digital textile printing.