Updated tracker integrates ink and sublimation transfer paper data with printer installations and printed output, alongside revised historical consumption figures.
WTiN has completed an 18-month expansion of its Digital Textile Market Tracker, a programme that began in early 2025. The latest update introduces ink and sublimation transfer paper consumption data alongside existing information on installed printer bases and printed output.
Over the past 18 months, WTiN has expanded its data collection through independent research and new partnerships with printer manufacturers, particularly in China. As additional data became available, the existing dataset required rebalancing, resulting in some figures changing more significantly than expected between updates.
Sales data provided by original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partners forms the foundation of the tracker. The data is anonymised and aggregated before use to ensure individual partners’ figures cannot be identified. Modelling supports the process by filling gaps not covered by partner data. The first-half 2026 release completes this phase of the work. With a substantially broader partner data base now established, WTiN expects future updates to be more stable and require fewer rebalances.
Ink and Transfer Paper Data Added to the Tracker
For the first time, the tracker includes ink and sublimation transfer paper consumption data. Ink is categorised by chemistry, including sublimation, reactive, acid, disperse and pigment, as well as by region, country and application.
Transfer paper data is segmented by weight, coating and tackiness, alongside regional and country-level breakdowns.
Previously, WTiN’s ink and paper figures were compiled through separate annual reviews, independently of the machine data. As a result, the datasets did not always align. Both are now calculated using the same installed base and printed output data that underpin the wider tracker, bringing the figures into a consistent framework.
This means, for example, that an ink supplier analysing sportswear applications in Turkey can use data based on the same market foundation as the printer data for that country.
Historical Application Data Extended to 2015
The tracker now also shows how the distribution of printed textile applications across fashion, sportswear, interiors and soft signage has changed over time, with historical data extending back to 2015.
The data captures shifts associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, which significantly affected soft signage while interiors experienced growth.
Revised Ink Consumption Figures for 2021–2025
Integrating ink consumption into the same data framework has required WTiN to restate its ink consumption figures for 2021 to 2025. Revised volumes for 2022 to 2024 are between 2% and 9% lower than previously published figures, reflecting updated laydown figures.
The latest ink, transfer paper and half-year market reviews are scheduled for publication throughout October and November. These reviews will explain the changes in detail and include updated forecasts.
WTiN Expects More Stable Future Updates
“It’s been a busy 18 months,” said Joseph Link, lead market analyst and senior editor, digital textiles, at WTiN. “The new data we have obtained has meant revisiting the numbers more often than any of us would like. This update finishes that job. Ink and paper now sit on the same foundation as the printer data, and we expect things to be much more settled from here.”