Textiles Printing Sustainability: How UK Sustainable Textile Innovations Will Change in 2025

This year, we expect market growth in the UK’s fabric printing to reach almost 4.5 billion pounds. Currently about 5% of global manufacturers are using innovative textile print methods. We expect this type of printing on textiles to increase to 80%!

What is Sustainable Textile Printing in the UK?

Digitally printed material involves reproducing a metre of fabric or more on a large format inkjet printer. This textiles printing method prints the design directly onto the textiles. This is the sustainable process we use for printing materials at maake. 

In fact, we’ve already published a comprehensive blog on sustainability in printing with all the information you need, Digitally Printing on Fabric: Mastering Digitally Printing on Materials. It describes the sustainable textile printing process we use on the material. It explains that “it’s similar to how you reproduce an image on paper… It’s just on a larger scale”. You’ll find all the sustainability details in the link above.

When you order digitally printed organic cotton or jersey materials in the UK, printers use several different colour water-based inks. We use custom water-based inks on materials, inks that don’t contain chemicals and are certified safe for children and babies. Our textile printing methods focus on sustainability: they use virtually no water and 95% less energy than regular printed textile processes for every product. The printers in Britain reduce waste rather than consume it when they print on materials.

Different Types of Sustainable Printing on Fabrics

A fabric printer is usually prepared to offer 2 different types of innovative fabric print as we described above. Then there is sublimation printing on textiles, used for synthetic material. 

In the dye sublimation printing method, these water-based inks transform from a liquid to a gas. The gas then bonds with the fibers and the image is embedded in each fabric fiber. The result is incredible photo-like quality.

We use similar machines for both printing methods – sometimes we use the same machines, just with modifications for printing on different textiles. And these printing methods for materials are far more economical as you can use small material runs for small runs of every product. You can print exactly the amount of materials you need. At maake our policy is to offer printed textiles on-demand. We only print exactly the amount of material you need. That’s how we focus on sustainability.

The Advantages of Sustainable Innovations in Fabric Printing

When printers print only what textile is needed, that’s what we consider sustainable innovations. This is a great textile innovation – and material prices are also more economical using this textile technology. 

• Quick material printing.
• Vibrant colour printed on material in quality high resolution.
• Less ink, water, and energy waste.
• It uses child-friendly water-based inks known for their sustainability with Oeko-Tex 100 Class 1 and GOTS 6.0 certifications.
• The materials are ethically sourced from local, trusted mills that are REACH-accredited. Some materials also have SEDEX accreditation.
• Any excess material is given away for charities and other institutions to use for sewing instead of being sold or restocked. This is done through the maakelesswaste initiative.
• Printed natural plant-based materials like organic cotton, knit jersey or linen fabric require no water. This printing method produces less than a thimbleful of ink waste per 100m of fabric.

Sustainability in Printing Textiles

• The more sustainable the printing method used for printed fabrics the cleaner and greener the printing process.
• Material printed with sustainability in mind can benefit the environment instead of harming it.
• The more sustainable the material you order, the better. The fashion industry has started using sustainable textiles for printing to improve its sustainability status.
• Government regulators in Britain and environmentally conscious consumers are keen to prioritise sustainability in fashion. And we can begin with how we print on the materials for fashion garments.
• In March 2022, the European Commission adopted the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Fabrics, which can offer proposals for improving the life cycle of materials and custom products made from materials.
• More and more clothes and fabric manufacturers are trying to make every print aspect sustainable, from when you order to when you print and right through to product delivery.

Innovative Trends to Watch in Printing Materials 

View the following trends which we predict will take over the textile industry in the UK this year and in the future:

1. 1. Increasing demand for natural materials:

   As natural material (eg organic or natural cotton or jersey) is easy to print on sustainably, people choose these materials to print on when they make a product. These natural plant-based cloths include cotton, silk, linen, wool, viscose, jersey, and lyocell.

   2. Growth in a move towards printed custom fabrics:

   As mentioned, the printing process for material is much more sustainable. It also uses less waste compared to regular printing processes. Because it does not impact the environment, more and more manufacturing factories will choose this printing method for materials.

   3. Use of eco-friendly inks for digitally printing a fabric product:

   Print companies are increasingly under pressure to use these water-based inks when they print on materials. As a result, manufacturers of adult, kids, and baby clothes and homeware accessories are choosing environmentally friendly sustainable inks to print on fabric. 

Facts About Innovative Sustainable Textile Printing

There is no such thing as a completely sustainable textile print process. All processes used in the UK have an environmental impact, despite their focus on sustainability. But you can choose the most sustainable printing methods for material to print on a printed woven textile, natural fabrics like natural cotton or jersey and silk, and products made with custom fabrics. This way you can ensure your impact on the environment is as low as it possibly can be.

That’s what we do at maake. Sure, it may cost us more to choose quality over quantity when it comes to the materials the UK uses for each product; we are proud to be using custom local mills to source our materials from, mills that use sustainable printing methods to produce those fabrics. We pride ourselves on the exciting environmentally friendly printing processes we use on printed fabric. We continually use these printing processes for materials because we try to have as little environmental impact as possible.  

Printing Fabrics is a Sustainable Choice

As our CEO Artemis Doupa says in her best-selling book Design & Grow, “When you decide to print digitally on fabric, there are many printing methods out there. Printing methods like pigment printing, reactive dye printing, dye sublimation printing, acid, vat and direct disperse printing. 

"Yes, some of the printing methods might deliver a stronger colour in some cases. Do your brands values align with printing custom production in a less sustainable print process? A printing process that is heavy on water and energy waste? It's surprising how many people call in or send samples to textile print companies complaining that the print does not match.

“Brands that are ignorant about the printing methods believe that print is just that. It is your responsibility to make an informed decision – as an entrepreneur, as a designer and as a human. There is an opportunity to take action.

"Make sure your supplier has given you all the details. Ask your supplier questions; you must know about custom production. What production means to the world and to your customers. You might choose the less sustainable printing method and that is your decision but make it knowingly.”

Printing Fabrics Sustainably at maake 

In our North London factory, we use this fabric print process for natural materials (like cotton and jersey) and synthetic fabrics. When we print a design on custom fabrics our options are sustainability using natural plant-based fabrics, like natural cotton, we use a specific pigment ink. We also print on man-made fabrics like polyester using sublimation inks.

Enjoy the extensive services and wholesale textile production that our business specialises in. Explore our Fabric Design Library which features an exclusive product design collection. Each one in the collection is a design created by an independent artist, or create your custom design to print on fabrics instead. Once you’ve submitted your order, we will print your design sustainably on your textile choice for each product.

Before you print your fabric, create your design for materials 

Browse Our Fabric Design Library of what to print on materials or create your fabrics!

Then buy a sample swatch book of materials (find these in our online shop) to see how your design for your product will be featured on several different bases of materials when we print these for you.