Dye Sublimated Apparel Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Bottomwear, Hoodies, Others), By Printing Techniques, By Distribution Channel, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030

Report Overview

The global dye sublimated apparel market size was valued at USD 4.21 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.3% from 2023 to 2030. Custom-designed apparel, such as shirts, hoodies, jackets, and especially t-shirts, are increasingly being used by companies as a modern strategy to brand themselves as well as their products and offerings. Nowadays, most start-ups consciously focus on brand building by offering customized t-shirts to their employees. These serve two purposes- ensuring proper attire and promoting the company’s business. For instance, companies, such as Swiggy, Foodpanda, and Uber Eats, chose customized clothes for their delivery employees as a part of their marketing plan right from the beginning.

The COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak that began at the end of December 2019 diminished the demand for dye-sublimated apparel globally. Most regions across the globe have categorized apparel under nonessential businesses, which led to a drastic fall in the sales of these products. While brick-and-mortar stores have borne the major brunt of it, sales through online platforms have also been adversely affected. The pandemic disrupted production as well as sales through both online and offline channels due to social distancing and stay-at-home orders. The demand for textiles had also come to a standstill as the major markets were under lockdown, which drastically altered the supply chain in the industry.

Customized apparel increases brand visibility by grabbing the attention of prospective customers. Therefore, the growing use of the dye sublimation technique as a branding tool is expected to be a major contributor to industry growth over the forecast period. Companies all over the globe are using custom-made apparel as an off-the-clock advertising tool. This advertising strategy has been observed to involve less investment as compared to other forms of advertising, such as T.V commercials and celebrity endorsements. Therefore, companies are providing customized clothes to gain customer loyalty.

In addition, providing t-shirts made from good quality material helps companies achieve visibility for a longer period, which, in turn, is anticipated to boost the market demand over the forecast period. Fashion blogs, as well as social media apps, such as Pinterest and Instagram, significantly influence the trends in customized apparel made through dye sublimation. The Embroidered & Printed Clothing Company, a U.K-based company involved in dye sublimation, embroidered garments, and printed clothing manufacturing & supply, posts YouTube videos of product launches and the process of making sublimated apparel to attract more customers.

The introduction of other cloth printing methods is expected to impede the growth. Printed apparel, specifically t-shirts, has been among the favorite clothing of millennials as they often use clothing to portray their personality and style. Moreover, the industry is likely to offer lucrative business opportunities to manufacturers assuring end-to-end commitment to sustainability. Dye sublimation is one of the most eco-friendly printing techniques. However, awareness regarding the harmful impact of the production and consumption of nylon or polyester variants on the environment is rising. As a result, products made from sustainable materials, such as recycled polyester, are likely to gain popularity, particularly among environmentally-conscious consumers.

Product Insights

On the basis of products, the global industry has been segmented into bottomwear, hoodies, t-shirts, and others. The t-shirt segment accounted for the maximum share of more than 57.7% in 2022. Custom-designed t-shirts are increasingly being used by companies as a modern branding strategy to brand their products or offerings. This technique is used by companies, especially start-ups, to increase their brand visibility and grab the attention of their prospective consumers. Therefore, the growing use of customized t-shirts as a branding tool is expected to be a major contributor to segment growth. The hoodies segment is expected to emerge as the fastest-growing segment during the forecast period.

Customized dye sublimated hoodies that suit varied consumer tastes are in high demand. These products, ranging from funky and quirky to chic and sophisticated, are available in a wide variety of colors, prints, textures, and designs. Hoodies have been sported by an increasing number of music artists across the globe, a trend that has been a prominent catalyst in the rising demand for dye-sublimated apparel among music lovers. For instance, Celine Dion wore a customized oversized hoodie with “I’m Worth It” emblazoned across the front at the L’Oréal Excellence Hotel Plaza in Paris in April 2019. A prime factor driving the progress of the bottom wear segment is the popularity of leggings as a must-have clothing item among women. Leggings are worn by a relatively large number of women as casual attire owing to their comfort, flexibility, and mobility. Growing preference for this piece of clothing has been encouraging many manufacturers to offer this product in various sizes, designs, and materials.

Printing Techniques Insights

The small format heat press segment held the largest share of more than 49.1% in 2022. Small-format heat presses are mainly considered by entry to mid-level businesses that have been looking for an extremely flexible system. Companies all over the globe, especially start-ups, have been preferring the small format heat press technique to venture into the market as its setup is comparatively cheaper than large format systems. The latter is used by businesses with specific customization applications that may require large-run productions. Small-format heat press machines are ideal for hobbyists and small businesses. These are portable heat presses that transfer designs and patterns to small materials.

Small format heat press machines are an excellent choice for adding details to mugs or caps, printing tags and labels, or adding small designs to T-shirts and other clothing items. The calendar heat press segment is also likely to have significant growth. The segment is mainly driven by the ability of this technique to offer an extensive range of heat-transfer solutions, which gives customers additional choices when selecting a calendar or rotary-style press for large-scale or large-volume printing techniques, such as sporting goods, apparel, and fabrics. For instance, SureColor F6370 Dye Sublimation Printer with the Xpress 51 calendar system offers 3-in-1 capability including cut sheet, roll-to-roll, and direct-to-transfer for dye sublimation printing techniques. This helps reduce the overall time of production of the sublimated apparel.

Distribution Channel Insights

On the basis of distribution channels, the global industry has been further categorized into offline and online. The offline distribution channel segment dominated the global industry in 2022 and accounted for the maximum share of 72.0% of the overall revenue. A key factor driving the segment growth is the growing consumer preference for offline stores that offer chic and fashionable products along with an exhaustive range of dye-sublimated customized apparel based on various themes, including festivals, sports clubs logos, and trendy quotes.

These stores keep customized apparel of a variety of sizes, shapes, designs, and materials, which provides customers with a wide range of products to choose from. On the other hand, the online distribution channel segment is projected to exhibit the fastest growth rate during the forecast period. The fast-paced growth of this segment can be attributed to the increasing dependence of generation X, millennials, and generation Z on the internet and the growing popularity of customized dye sublimated apparel, which helps them make a statement.

Regional Insights

On the basis of geographies, the global industry has been further categorized into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Central & South America. The Asia Pacific region dominated the industry in 2022 and accounted for a share of 35.7% of the overall revenue. The presence of a well-established textile industry and manufacturers, along with a growing infrastructure for retailers, is expected to support the region’s growth. Consumers in emerging countries, such as China and India, prefer local e-commerce companies, such as Tmall in China and Flipkart & Amazon in India, to buy these products as they offer the convenience of free home delivery and an easy return policy.

North America is expected to emerge as the fastest-growing regional market during the forecast period. The growing apparel and textile sector is expected to drive the region’s growth. According to the National Council of Textile Organization, the U.S. textile and apparel market was valued at USD 65.2 billion when measured by the value of industry shipments in 2021. The U.S. is one of the key countries in North America when it comes to expenditure on research & development of textile and apparel materials, such as conductive fabric with antistatic properties, antimicrobial fibers, and electronic textiles.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The global industry is highly fragmented and characterized by the presence of a few well-established players, such as TEXmarket. Companies face intense competition in terms of geographical presence and consumer base. Some of the key developments and strategic initiatives carried out by leading manufacturers are listed below:

• In May 2022, India-based Gag Wears received the Global Excellence award for being one of the world-class service providers of sports uniforms.

• In April 2022, ALÉ CLOTHING’s PRR built a custom uniform with the concept of climate positivity, which uses more than 90% low environmental impact materials in its construction. The product is Global Recycle Certified (GRS), which is sourced from recycled plastic waste.

• In January 2022, Gag Wears launched new products, such as soccer jackets, designer tracksuits, soccer shorts, soccer t-shirts, and baseball t-shirts, which can be customized.

• In November 2021, Brazilian dye-sublimation and textile giant Batbola collaborated with ONYX Thrive. ONYX Thrive provided its expertise to enhance Batbola’s color output with ColorCheck.

 Some of the key players operating in the global dye sublimated apparel market include:

• Dad’s Printing

• Inkwell Printing

• Royal Apparel

• TEXmarket

• ASPECT

• FUSH

• Printful, Inc.

• ALE CLOTHING

• Emirates Apparel

• Berunwear

Dye Sublimated Apparel Market Report Scope

Global Dye Sublimated Apparel Market Report Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional & country levels and provides an analysis of the latest trends and opportunities in each of the sub-segment from 2017 to 2030. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global dye sublimated apparel market report on the basis of product, printing techniques, distribution channel, and region:

• Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2017 - 2030)

  • Bottomwear

  • Hoodies

  • T-Shirts

    • Golf T-Shirts

    • Cricket T-Shirts

    • Cycling T-Shirts

    • Other T-Shirts

  • Others

• Printing Techniques Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2017 - 2030)

  • Small Format Heat Press

  • Calendar Heat Press

  • Flatbed Heat Press

  • 3D Vacuum Heat Press

• Distribution Channel Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2017 - 2030)

  • Online

  • Offline

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2017 - 2030)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

    • Mexico

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • U.K.

    • France

    • Italy

    • Spain

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • India

    • Japan

    • South Korea

    • Australia

  • Central & South America

    • Brazil

  • Middle East & Africa

    • South Africa