{"id":30314,"date":"2025-05-28T12:49:31","date_gmt":"2025-05-28T12:49:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/?p=30314"},"modified":"2025-08-17T07:50:05","modified_gmt":"2025-08-17T07:50:05","slug":"challenge-of-low-volume-production-for-traditional-print-methods-jsuh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/challenge-of-low-volume-production-for-traditional-print-methods-jsuh\/","title":{"rendered":"The Challenge of Low-Volume Production for Traditional Print Methods"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Need just a few custom shirts or fabric pieces? Traditional print shops might treat your job like a headache. Small orders often come with big problems\u2014unless you go digital.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High costs, slow setup, and substantial waste can make these jobs hard to manage. This is a pressing problem for growing businesses that want to remain flexible and eco-conscious.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Traditional printing makes low-volume production difficult, but thankfully, there are many alternatives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Key Takeaways<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Traditional printing methods are inefficient for small production runs<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/direct-to-garment\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">DTG printing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> enables fast, flexible, and eco-friendly production<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Print on Demand eliminates overstock and helps reduce waste<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/for-brands\/global-fulfillment-network\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">KornitX <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">connects your designs to global fulfillment fast and easy<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>What Is Low Volume Production and Who Needs It<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also known as short-run printing, low-volume production supports growing brands that can\u2019t commit to large minimums. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0This is common in many industries, including:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Small fashion brands launching limited collections<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Creators selling custom merch online<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Businesses testing new designs before a big release<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Promotional printing for events or campaigns<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These types of businesses need fast production that doesn\u2019t break the bank. But traditional printing methods often fall short.<\/p>\n<h2><b>Why Traditional Printing Fails in Low-Volume Scenarios<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Traditional print methods aren\u2019t built for custom textile production, where agility and personalization are key. These were<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0initially created for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/retail-mass-production-with-digital-printing-solutions\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mass production, <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and when used for smaller orders, they show their downsides:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>High Setup Costs<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each job requires physical setup: screens, plates, and color separations. Even a small order needs the same type of preparation as large orders. This makes each print more expensive.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Time-Consuming Preparation<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The setup takes time. That means longer lead times before printing even starts, which is hardly ideal for fast-moving businesses.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Waste and Inefficiency<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Test runs, extra materials, and manual processes cause traditional printing to produce a lot of waste. It is especially noticeable when the company is dealing with small batches.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Limited Flexibility<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Changing designs or colors mid-run is difficult. Customization, a key part of today\u2019s market, is tough to pull off with old-school methods.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Digital Printing for On-Demand Production<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is where direct-to-garment (DTG) printing steps in.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This approach is perfect for brands looking for <\/span>eco-friendly apparel printing<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> without the waste and setup of older techniques.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">DTG printing uses inkjet technology to print directly onto fabric, without the need for screens or plates. It\u2019s excellent for short runs and custom designs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here is why DTG printing excels at low-volume production:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Fast turnaround times<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 Print and ship within days, not weeks<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Easy customization<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 Change each design with no extra setup<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Cost-effective for small batches<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 No expensive tooling or prep<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Eco-friendly<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 Uses less water, energy, and chemicals<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kornit\u2019s advanced DTG systems make all of this possible. They allow printing high-quality designs on many types of fabric, with no minimums required.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Why DTG Printing is the Future of Sustainable Textile Production<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">DTG uses precise amounts of ink and doesn\u2019t require water-heavy processes like dyeing or washing. That means fewer wasted resources. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/our-impact\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sustainable textile printing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is not only less expensive, but it\u2019s an opportunity to promote an eco-friendly brand.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since you only<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">print what\u2019s needed, there\u2019s no excess inventory that ends up in landfills. When certain fashion trends go out of style, companies don\u2019t have to worry about getting rid of the excess stock.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><\/b><b>The Print on Demand Approach<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/how-to-make-money-with-print-on-demand-jsuh\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Print on Demand (POD)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a business model where products are only made after an order is placed. It\u2019s the perfect fit for low-volume production.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With POD:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s no need to guess how much to produce<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You avoid extra stock sitting around<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can easily offer more designs, sizes, and styles<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For sellers looking for low MOQ printing solutions, POD removes the pressure to pre-produce inventory. With advanced solutions like KornitX, a global on-demand business is possible without major investments. Everything from design to fulfillment is handled by professionals.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Streamline Low-Volume Production with Kornit Digital<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Low-volume printing doesn\u2019t have to be a problem. With Kornit\u2019s digital printing solutions, it becomes an opportunity. Companies move fast, reduce waste, and create exactly what the customers want.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ready to simplify your low-volume production? Contact us to learn more about Kornit\u2019s digital printing solutions.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Need just a few custom shirts or fabric pieces? Traditional print shops might treat your job like a headache. Small orders often come with big problems\u2014unless you go digital.\u00a0 High costs, slow setup, and substantial waste can make these jobs hard to manage. This is a pressing problem for growing businesses that want to remain [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"no","footnotes":""},"categories":[276],"tags":[32,196],"class_list":["post-30314","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-insights","tag-dtg","tag-technology"],"acf":[],"modified_by":"Angora Media","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30314","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30314"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30314\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30327,"href":"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30314\/revisions\/30327"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30314"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30314"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30314"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}