Digital dye-sublimation drives 8.4% revenue growth for SEA printers

Over half of adopters expanded into new customer segments.

Digital dye-sublimation printing delivered average revenue growth of 8.4% over 24 months for textile print providers in Southeast Asia, compared with just above 1% for firms relying solely on traditional screen printing, according to an Epson–IDC report.

Over four in 10 print provider owners cited cost-effectiveness for small runs and customisation as a key motivator for adopting dye sublimation, whilst 52% reported improved customer experience due to faster turnaround times and greater design flexibility.

IDC data showed shipments of digital dye-sublimation printers in the Asia-Pacific doubled to over 3,000 units expected by the end of 2025.

Over half (60%) of providers expanded into new customer segments after adopting the technology, led by apparel and sportswear, which accounted for 81% of applications.

Meanwhile, other emerging opportunities included the homeware segment (36%) and footwear segment (33%).

The findings are based on a survey of 90 print provider owners and key decision makers.