{"id":30741,"date":"2026-07-21T12:15:02","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T12:15:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/?p=30741"},"modified":"2026-07-21T12:20:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T12:20:17","slug":"dtg-print-quality-test-jsuh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/dtg-print-quality-test-jsuh\/","title":{"rendered":"Atlas MAX PLUS Print Quality: What 100 Wash Cycles Can Tell Us"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>Key Takeaways<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wash durability is one of the clearest signs of long-term print performance.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prints produced on Kornit Atlas MAX PLUS remained strong after 50 and 100 wash cycles.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The T-shirts themselves showed visible fading, while the prints stayed bright.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Why DTG Print Durability Matters<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A great print needs to do more than look sharp when it comes off the press. It needs to survive real use:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shipping<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wearing<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Washing<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stretching<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Folding<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0That is where print durability becomes a serious business issue.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For brands, print quality affects customer satisfaction. For print providers, it affects returns, complaints, and repeat orders. In short, it\u2019s a matter of brand trust.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is especially important as more businesses move to on-demand production and short runs. The flexibility of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/direct-to-garment\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">DTG printing <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is only powerful when the final product can stand up to repeated care.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>The Wash Test: From 50 Cycles to 100<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the beginning of 2026, Kornit printed a new set of DTG designs using the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/printer\/atlas-max-plus\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Atlas MAX PLUS<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The goal was simple: test how the prints would perform after repeated washing, especially with designs created to have a more screen-like appearance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first benchmark was 50 wash cycles. Each cycle included one hour of washing at 40\u00b0C and 600 rpm with Persil Color Megaperls detergent. After the first round, the printed shirts still looked strong. The prints held their color intensity, detail, and overall visual quality.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So the test continued.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The next step was 100 wash cycles. That is a demanding number for any printed garment. It goes far beyond the kind of use most shirts experience in a short period of time. But it gave Kornit a clear way to see what happens when the fabric and print are pushed much further.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What the Results Showed<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After the washing was complete, the results were photographed and compared.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The comparisons included:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Non-washed shirts vs. shirts after 50 wash cycles<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Non-washed shirts vs. shirts after 100 wash cycles<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shirts after 50 cycles vs. shirts after 100 cycles<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most interesting finding was not only that the prints survived. It was that the garments often showed more visible wear than the prints.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In several samples, the T-shirt fabric itself had visibly faded after repeated washing. The garment&#8217;s color looked softer and more worn. In some cases, the shirts also showed natural signs of textile aging, such as dye loss or slight changes in shape.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The printed areas, however, remained bright and visually stable. The color intensity of the ink stayed clear while the designs continued to look sharp even after extended washing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>After 50 Washes<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-30742\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Band-Thunder_unwashed_50washed_2.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1536\" height=\"2048\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Band-Thunder_unwashed_50washed_2.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Band-Thunder_unwashed_50washed_2-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Band-Thunder_unwashed_50washed_2-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Band-Thunder_unwashed_50washed_2-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>After 100 washes<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-30751\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Venice_unwashed_100washed_2.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1528\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Venice_unwashed_100washed_2.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Venice_unwashed_100washed_2-236x300.jpeg 236w, https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Venice_unwashed_100washed_2-804x1024.jpeg 804w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-30750\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Tiger_nice-details_unwashed_100washed_2.jpeg\" alt=\"washed vs unwashed DTG print comparison 1\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Tiger_nice-details_unwashed_100washed_2.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Tiger_nice-details_unwashed_100washed_2-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Tiger_nice-details_unwashed_100washed_2-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Tiger_nice-details_unwashed_100washed_2-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-30748\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Kornit-Teddy_unwashed_100washed_2.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Kornit-Teddy_unwashed_100washed_2.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Kornit-Teddy_unwashed_100washed_2-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Kornit-Teddy_unwashed_100washed_2-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Kornit-Teddy_unwashed_100washed_2-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-30749\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Mighty-Mouse_unwashed_100washed_2.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Mighty-Mouse_unwashed_100washed_2.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Mighty-Mouse_unwashed_100washed_2-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Mighty-Mouse_unwashed_100washed_2-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Mighty-Mouse_unwashed_100washed_2-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-30746\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Band-Thunder_unwashed_100washed_4.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Band-Thunder_unwashed_100washed_4.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Band-Thunder_unwashed_100washed_4-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Band-Thunder_unwashed_100washed_4-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Band-Thunder_unwashed_100washed_4-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Unwashed vs 50 Washes vs 100 Washes\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-30743\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Band-Thunder_unwashed_50washed_100washed.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1484\" height=\"1084\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Band-Thunder_unwashed_50washed_100washed.jpeg 1484w, https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Band-Thunder_unwashed_50washed_100washed-300x219.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Band-Thunder_unwashed_50washed_100washed-1024x748.jpeg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1484px) 100vw, 1484px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-30747\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Kornit-Teddy_unwashed_50washed_100washed.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1568\" height=\"1116\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Kornit-Teddy_unwashed_50washed_100washed.jpeg 1568w, https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Kornit-Teddy_unwashed_50washed_100washed-300x214.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Kornit-Teddy_unwashed_50washed_100washed-1024x729.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Kornit-Teddy_unwashed_50washed_100washed-1536x1093.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1568px) 100vw, 1568px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>Where Atlas MAX PLUS Makes the Difference<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kornit Atlas MAX PLUS is built for high-quality, on-demand DTG production. It supports the kind of output that brands and fulfillers need when they want digital flexibility without compromising durability.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For print providers, this helps close the gap between digital and traditional production expectations. It gives them more confidence when handling premium apparel and designs that need a strong visual finish.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Better Durability, Better Business<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Durable DTG printing supports more than print quality. It can:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reduce waste, because garments last longer.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reduce reprints, because customers are less likely to reject products after washing.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Support a stronger brand trust, because the customer experience continues long after delivery.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A print that looks good after production is important.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A print that still looks bright after 100 wash cycles is much more valuable.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are you ready to choose real quality? <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/#contact\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s talk.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Wash durability is one of the clearest signs of long-term print performance. Prints produced on Kornit Atlas MAX PLUS remained strong after 50 and 100 wash cycles. The T-shirts themselves showed visible fading, while the prints stayed bright. Why DTG Print Durability Matters A great print needs to do more than look sharp [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":30749,"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":[32,130,196],"class_list":["post-30741","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insights","tag-dtg","tag-sustainability","tag-technology"],"acf":[],"modified_by":"Angora Media","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30741","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=30741"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30741\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30755,"href":"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30741\/revisions\/30755"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30749"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30741"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30741"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kornit.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30741"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}