Shein is known for producing fashion at a pace that outstrips both trend cycles and consumer demand. Now, it’s taking things a step further by literally printing fashion.
The Singapore-based fast-fashion giant is ramping up the production of printed denim. Shein reports that it produced approximately 380,000 pieces of denim apparel in 2024 using NTX’s Cooltrans printing technology. This marks a 90 percent increase from 2023, when 200,000 denim pieces were made using this water-saving method.
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NTX Cooltrans, which Shein is calling Cool Transfer Denim Printing, is a digital textile coloration system that can color almost any textile material without heat and significantly less water compared with traditional dye techniques. The technology involves a digital printer that uses reactive ink to print denim textures, artwork or patterns onto a transfer film. The designs on the transfer film are then imprinted onto white denim fabric using cold transfer equipment, replicating the effects of washing denim to produce features like faded finishes, whiskering, and retro-worn effects.
Shein said the process reduces water usage by 70.5 percent compared to conventional denim washing methods. Additionally, Cooltrans eliminates the need for workers to be in contact with harmful chemicals, such as chlorine and caustic soda, which may be used in traditional denim production.
Launched in 2020, the cost-neutral technology from the Singapore-based firm is compatible with natural, man-made, and most synthetic fibers including high power-stretch materials, making it ideal for Shein’s supersized assortment of denim styles.
Shein’s integration of NTX Cooltrans technology is part of the online juggernaut’s effort to minimize its environmental impact and be more resource efficient. Since introducing the technology in 2022, Shein reports that it has saved nearly 19,500 metric tons of water.
Cooltrans’ streamlined and efficient production process aligns with the retailer’s on-demand business model, which involves launching new products in small initial batches of 100-200 items, assessing customer feedback in real-time, and restocking items based on demand.
“By simplifying denim manufacturing and enabling precise replication of intricate designs and effects, the technology supports smaller production runs that can be quickly scaled based on customer interest,” the company stated. “This synergy allows Shein to produce denim pieces to meet demand, while at the same time working towards reducing any additional waste.”
The technology has proven success in the activewear category. In 2022, Adidas produced 8 million yards of material using NTX Cooltrans. At the time of the launch, the sportswear giant said the technology “offers an almost identical appearance, feel, and functional performance as conventionally dyed fabrics, and it works very much like a printer.”
In 2023, Stella Blu, the product division of Prosperity Textiles that makes indigo yarn dyed fabrics, announced plans to install the technology at its new manufacturing facility in China.
