Printing A Revolution

Digital textile printing has landed in South Africa. Lumka Nofemele explores how this technology is not only creating artistic pieces in record time, but is also boosting our economy – and environment.

Printeriors are hot right now. Shorthand for printed interiors, the term refers to everything from custom wallpapers to murals, digitally printed textiles and wall art, printing on woods, metal, ceramic tiles, glass and perspex.

“Globally, designers are taking the printerior trend to mainstream use by leveraging the advances in digital textile printing,” says Craig Whyte, CEO of digital printing specialists ArtLab. Designers are using the technology to create bespoke furniture coverings, cushions, wall coverings, flooring, drapes, table tops, even windows and mirrors, all on-demand and with no minimum dimensions. “With this technology now arriving on our shores, we expect to see the local design community experiment with the printeriors concept to create fresh new, authentic and unique design,” says Whyte.

Most of South Africa’s textile printing is still conducted on a large scale in China, but the arrival of new digital textile printing technology lowers the barrier to entry for local textile manufacturers. It does this by enabling unique on-demand prints without the huge minimum volume that’s a prerequisite for the mass-produced Chinese options. This means that both local print suppliers and buyers can mutually benefit and save on printing costs.