DTG/DTF Printer Leasing vs. Buying in 2027: What’s the Better Choice?

Buying an industrial printer is a major investment. Leasing can reduce the upfront cost while creating an ongoing financial commitment. 

So, which option makes more sense for a print business in 2027?

Each business’ answer is different. 

Buying can make sense when production demand is stable and the equipment will be used for years. Leasing can preserve capital and provide more flexibility. 

Print businesses now also have access to production-based models that don’t fit neatly into either category.

Let’s look at the options.

Key Takeaways

• Buying provides equipment ownership but requires significant capital.
• Leasing reduces the initial investment but usually creates a longer-term payment commitment.
• Total cost matters more than the price of the printer alone.
• Pay-as-you-produce models offer another option for businesses that want to scale without a large equipment purchase.
• The best model depends on expected production volume and equipment utilization.

How Printer Leasing Works

When you choose a traditional equipment lease, the printer is installed without you having to pay full purchase price upfront. The business makes regular payments over an agreed period.

Depending on the agreement, the printer may be returned at the end of the lease. Other contracts provide an option to purchase or replace it.

Leasing can make sense when preserving working capital is important. It can also appeal to businesses that don’t want to commit a large amount of cash to equipment immediately.

However, businesses should look beyond the monthly payment. The full cost of the lease and end-of-contract conditions matter too.

When Does Buying a DTG or DTF Printer Make Sense?

Buying can be attractive for an established print business with predictable demand.

Purchasing means owning the asset. This can make long-term financial planning easier when the printer is expected to stay productive for years.

Ownership also removes lease-end decisions.

The challenge is the upfront investment. Industrial digital printing systems represent a significant capital expense. That capital is committed before the printer has produced its first sellable garment.

There is also a utilization question.

A printer running close to capacity creates very different economics from one that sits idle during slower periods. For businesses with fluctuating demand, ownership can therefore introduce additional financial risk.

Look Beyond the Price of the Printer

Whether you’re evaluating a DTF printer or an industrial DTG system such as Kornit Atlas MAX PLUS or Kornit Apollo, equipment price is only part of the calculation.

The real question is how much it costs to produce a sellable garment.

That calculation should account for the ongoing costs of running the equipment. It should also consider labor and expected utilization.

A cheaper printer is not necessarily the cheaper production system if it requires significantly more manual work. 

For example, Kornit Apollo is designed for automated mass-production DTG and can reach up to 400 impressions per hour with a single operator. Atlas MATRIX can reach up to 150 impressions per hour with a single operator.

Those productivity figures play a role when you are calculating the long-term economics of the equipment.

There Is Another Option: Pay as You Produce

Buying and leasing aren’t the only ways to access industrial digital printing technology.

Kornit’s All-Inclusive Click (AIC) model takes a different approach.

With AIC, businesses can install participating Kornit systems without an upfront CAPEX investment. Instead of purchasing the system, production costs are tied to actual output through a fixed cost per print.

The model also includes:

• Printing system
• Inks
• Service and maintenance
• Software updates

This changes the investment calculation.

Rather than committing significant capital to a printer and then trying to keep the system busy enough to justify that investment, costs are more directly connected to production.

For businesses facing seasonal demand or uncertain future volumes, that can reduce some of the risk associated with adding digital capacity.

Kornit has deployed the AIC model with industrial systems including Apollo and Atlas MATRIX.

Buying vs. Leasing vs. Pay as You Produce

The right choice depends on how the equipment will actually be used.

A business with consistently high volumes may decide that purchasing equipment provides the best economics over the long term.

Another business may prefer leasing because keeping capital available for other investments is more important.

A company entering industrial digital printing or expanding into an uncertain market may prefer a production-based model such as AIC.

What Should You Consider Before Choosing?

Start with expected production rather than equipment price.

• How many garments do you realistically expect to produce each month? 
• How much can that volume change during the year?

Then calculate the cost of producing those garments under each model.

Utilization is especially important. Buying equipment based on the volume you hope to reach can create unnecessary financial pressure if demand takes longer than expected to develop.

The type of production also matters. A business considering Kornit Apollo for automated mass production has very different requirements from a smaller shop purchasing an entry-level DTF printer.

The financing model should match the production model.

So, Should You Lease or Buy a Printer in 2027?

If demand is predictable and the printer is likely to remain highly utilized for years, buying can make financial sense.

If preserving cash is the priority, leasing may be a better fit.

But print businesses planning for 2027 shouldn’t assume these are their only choices.

Production-based models such as Kornit All-Inclusive Click offer another approach. Instead of making a large upfront equipment investment, businesses can connect costs more closely to what they actually produce.

Would you like to learn more about your options? Let’s talk!