From DTF to Dark Factories: The Future of Textile & Wide-Format Printing

The textile, apparel and wide-format sectors are undergoing rapid change — driven by shifting customer demands, sustainability pressures, price compression, automation and the arrival of AI-powered workflows. In this episode of printconnect, we unpack the forces behind this industry-wide reset with two experts from Keypoint Intelligence:Johnny Shell, a respected analyst and long-time voice in digital textile, apparel and wide-format printing.David Sweetnam, Director of Research & Lab Services for EMEA/Asia, specialising in independent product testing and technical validation.Together, they explore how print service providers are diversifying into new applications, why equipment and ink prices are dropping so sharply, the rise of micro-production and personalised output, and how automation — from CCD-driven flatbeds to fully robotic DTF carousels — is transforming workflows.We also dig into sustainability mandates, the need for trusted performance data, and how Keypoint’s combined advisory and testing services help businesses make smarter strategic decisions in a fast-moving market.If you want to understand where digital print is heading — and where the biggest opportunities for growth really are — this episode is packed with real-world insight.