Iowa State is helping to change the fashion industry by producing clothing through a digital process, said professors in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. “Digital printing is the buzz in the fashion industry right now,” said J.R. Campbell, assistant professor of textiles and clothing. Iowa State is one of five universities in the nation producing digital clothing. Campbell said digital printing is printing an image on cloth directly from a computer by means of ink jet technology. This is a relatively new process that’s only been in existence for two years, Campbell said. “It’s used to create new markets and new products,” he said. “It decreases turn-around time. It has lots of potential.” Campbell said the printing style is not unlike printing on a sheet of paper; it just requires a larger printer and ink appropriate for cloth. Jean Parsons, assistant professor of textiles and clothing, said digital printing is noncontact, meaning the printer never physically touches the garment. The ink is simply dropped on top of the piece of cloth. Once a garment comes through the printing process, it can be cut, sewn and sold to the public, she said. Digital printing is more expensive than traditional printing processes since the fabric has to be backed with paper so it will run smoothly through the printer, Parsons said. Many of the fabrics also have to be specially ordered and chemically treated for digital printing. “In reality this is becoming competitive because you don’t have waste and you don’t have set-up as a cost,” Campbell said. Parsons said the digital printing process offers an opportunity for customized clothing in the way of style, color and material. A click of a mouse can adjust any of these qualities since the garment already exists within the computer, she said. Campbell said the digital process will continue to rise in popularity since the turn around time is so quick. Because of digital printing, it only takes a day or two for customers to receive their garments after purchasing them electronically. The day or two time span includes both production and shipping. Today, Campbell said, consumers wait longer than a day or two to receive a clothing order by mail that is already in existence. “[Digital printing] bridges gaps so you can have an almost completely digital process,” Campbell said.