Kornit Digital

The company was founded in 2002 by a team that previously work in the digital printing field, in companies such as Scitex and Hewlett-Packard. The company uses the same technology used in digital printing and has applied it to digital textile printing, which has developed more slowly than the field of digital printing.[5]

In 2004 Kornit presented printers at SGIA 2004 in Minneapolis, a global exhibition: Kornit 930 and Kornit 931. In 2005 Kornit delivered the first 931–002 in Timberline, Colorado. In 2006 Kornit created White Ink to enable digital printing on dark garments. In 2006 Cafe Press bought 20 Kornit printers. In 2007 Kornit Digital North America opened. In 2008 Kornit HQ moved to the Afek Industrial Park in Rosh Ha'Ayin, Israel. In 2009 Kornit Breeze was launched, providing an entry-level digital solution. In 2010 Kornit Digital Asia-Pacific and Kornit Digital Europe opened. In 2010 Kornit Avalanche was launched, enabling digital mass production. In 2011 Kornit launched V223, the first organic ink, to address the growing sustainability trend. In 2012 it approached the roll-to-roll market with the development of the Kornit Allegro. In 2015 Kornit Digital went public.[6]

In early 2017 Kornit released its Vulcan system for mass digital direct-to-garment production; Vulcan was later named an SGIA Product of the Year.[7]

In October 2018 Kornit moved its North American operations to a showroom in Englewood, New Jersey.[8]

In 2019 Kornit released several new print systems, including Avalanche Poly Pro,[9] the first digital direct-to-garment print system developed specifically for polyester and poly-blend fabrics, as well as the Presto, a successor to Allegro for the roll-to-roll direct-to-fabric print market.[10] Avalanche Poly Pro was later named "Best Direct-to-Garment Print System" by the European Digital Press Association.[11]

Kornit has more than 400 employees and a network of distributors worldwide. Headquarters are located in Rosh Haayin, Israel, with a manufacturing plant in Kiryat Gat. Subsidiaries are located in Hong Kong, Englewood, Dusseldorf, and there is a sales and business development office in Shanghai.

Kornit Digital sells direct to garment printers of different varieties.[12] Its printers come with RIP software customized to each machine.

Kornit's machines use a pre-treatment wetting process that is integrated into the printer, which it calls The PreT System.[13] This enables printing on the garment without the need for manual pre-treatment of any kind, by applying a fixation agent automatically on press, immediately prior to the print process. This process makes wet-on-wet printing possible.

The company also provides a process which enables printing on dark garments.[13] This process includes coating finished garments with a white coat of ink created from patented inks formed from CMYK.[14] Kornit's ink plant in Kiryat Gat produces CMYK and white ink for its customers.[15] Kornit systems with a "Hexa" or "HD6" designation supplement CMYK with primary red and green inks for increased color gamut.[16][17]

Its inks have received Oeko-Tex approval in the industry.[18]

• Kornit – company website