WTiN Completes 18-Month Expansion of Digital Textile Market Tracker

Updated platform integrates ink and sublimation transfer paper data with printer installations and printed output, revising historical consumption figures

Digital Textile Market Tracker Completes Data Expansion

WTiN has completed its programme to expand the Digital Textile Market Tracker, which began at the start of 2025. The latest update introduces ink and sublimation transfer paper consumption data into the platform, alongside its existing information on installed printer bases and printed output.

Over the past 18 months, WTiN has expanded its data collection through in-house research and new partnerships with printer manufacturers, particularly in China. The arrival of additional information required repeated adjustments to the dataset, resulting in some figures changing more significantly than expected between updates.

Sales data supplied by original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partners forms the foundation of the tracker. This information is anonymised and aggregated before use to ensure individual partners’ figures cannot be identified. Modelling supports the dataset by filling gaps not covered by partner data. The first-half 2026 release completes this process.

With a broader base of partner data now available, WTiN expects future updates to be more stable and require fewer adjustments.

Ink and Transfer Paper Added to Market Data

For the first time, the tracker includes consumption data for ink and sublimation transfer paper.

Ink data is classified by chemistry, covering sublimation, reactive, acid, disperse and pigment inks. It is also segmented by region, country and application.

Transfer paper data is categorised by weight, coating and tackiness, alongside regional and country-level breakdowns.

Previously, WTiN compiled its ink and paper figures through separate annual reviews, independently of its printer market data. This sometimes resulted in inconsistencies between the datasets.

The expanded tracker now calculates ink and transfer paper figures using the same installed base and printed output data that underpin the rest of the platform. This creates a consistent reference point across related market segments, including applications such as sportswear printing in Turkey.

Application Trends Tracked Back to 2015

The tracker also now captures changes over time in the distribution of digital textile printing across fashion, sportswear, interiors and soft signage, with historical data extending back to 2015.

The data reflects market changes during events such as the Covid-19 pandemic, when soft signage was heavily affected while interiors experienced growth.

Historical Ink Consumption Figures Revised

Integrating ink consumption into the same data framework has required WTiN to revise its previously published ink consumption figures for 2021 to 2025.

The updated volumes for 2022 to 2024 are between 2% and 9% lower than the figures previously published. WTiN attributes these revisions to updated ink laydown figures.

The company will publish its latest ink, transfer paper and half-year market reviews throughout October and November. These reviews will explain the changes in greater detail and include updated forecasts.

WTiN Analyst Comments on the Update

Joseph Link, lead market analyst and senior editor, digital textiles, at WTiN, said: "It's been a busy 18 months. 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."

Link will demonstrate the Digital Textile Market Tracker through a free-to-attend webinar hosted by WTiN. Interested participants can register through the webinar registration link provided by the company.

The latest data is now available to members through the Digital Textile Market Tracker. Non-members can request a briefing or sample data by contacting WTiN's Growth Team at sales@wtin.com.