In 2021 the market was worth €3.82 billion (print service value), up from €3.16 billion in 2020. By 2022 the market will have recovered all of the sales it lost in 2020 due to the various disruptions of Covid. Smithers forecasts that a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.7% will push global value to €6.95 billion in 2026. Across the same period the volume of inkjet printed fabrics – apparel, household furnishings, technical textiles, display media – increases from 2.89 billion square meters (2021) to 5.53 billion square meters (2026).

This will see inkjet’s share of the total printed textile market – 52.7 billion square metres (2019) – rise from 6% to 10% over the Smithers forecast period. For print OEMs, this presents a major area for diversification and growth as many other print segments continue to trend downwards post-Covid.

The vast majority of inkjet textile presses in operation are smaller models, with about 5% dedicated direct-to-garment machines. While large single-pass roll-to-roll presses account for the majority of output there are still fewer than 50 in operation worldwide. Smithers’ data show that as more PSPs invest in dedicated inkjet textile presses, equipment sales will pass the €1 billion per year mark in 2026. This will also generate sales for media and consumables, with annual OEM ink revenue reaching €2.20 billion in 2026.

The potential for design freedom, customised fabrics, short print runs, quicker reorders, and print with a lower environmental impact means the market is enthusiastic for a new generation of inkjet machines. In some segments this has accelerated further by the experience of Covid-19 with the increase in e-commerce, direct-to-consumer sales; and moves to reshore supply chains.

A sharp shock saw €910 million in sales lost across 2019-2020, but this decline was not spread evenly. As consumers stayed at home, sales of fashion, haute couture garments, ties, and scarves declined most significantly, along with signage fabrics and most technical textile segments. In contrast, sales of domestic furnishings rose steeply as locked down shoppers invested in refreshing their living spaces.