Sep 09,2026
From September 3 to 4, 2026, the 8th Ximai Automotive Seat Conference & Exhibition 2026 was successfully held in Shanghai under the theme “Craftsmanship Shapes Seats · Quality Creates the Future.” The event brought together representatives from automotive brands, seat and interior suppliers, fabric and leather manufacturers, as well as upstream and downstream equipment and material companies to discuss technological innovation and emerging trends in automotive seats and interiors.
As a key participating company, Zhengzhou HONGSAM Digital Science & Technology Co., Ltd. (HONGSAM) was represented by Mr. Chen, Marketing Director, who was invited to serve as a guest moderator at the conference. He also delivered a keynote presentation titled “HONGSAM Hong-Jet® Water-Based Eco-Friendly Latex Digital Micro-Spray Printing Solution for Automotive Interiors.”
During the presentation, Mr. Chen shared HONGSAM’s latest developments and practical experience in applying water-based digital printing technology to automotive seats and interior components, highlighting how digital printing can support more sustainable and personalized interior manufacturing.
A New Challenge for the Automotive Interior Industry: Balancing Sustainability and Personalization
Mr. Chen began by addressing several key challenges facing the automotive interior industry.
Traditional printing methods offer limited color options and can struggle to reproduce complex textures, fine patterns, and smooth gradients. They also typically require plate making, resulting in longer production cycles and limited flexibility.
UV digital printing has expanded the possibilities for customized interior applications, but issues such as noticeable odor, concerns surrounding certain photoinitiator components, and limitations in flexibility and physical durability can restrict its use for some flexible interior materials. Conventional mass-production printing, meanwhile, often requires high minimum order quantities, increasing inventory pressure and making small-batch production more difficult.
At the same time, the rapid growth of new energy vehicles is reshaping consumer expectations for automotive interiors. Consumers increasingly want cabin environments that are both safe and environmentally responsible, while also offering distinctive designs that reflect individual preferences.
Against this backdrop, the industry is facing a new challenge: How can automotive seats and interior components be customized with precise, environmentally responsible digital printing while maintaining the flexibility required for small-batch production?
Water-Based Digital Direct Printing: Room-Temperature Curing and Flexible Film Formation To address these challenges, Mr. Chen introduced HONGSAM’s Hong-Jet® water-based latex printing solution, powered by JETALL® water-based latex ink.
The solution uses a water-based latex system that forms an elastic film layer on the surface of the printed material. Its room-temperature curing characteristics enable direct digital printing on a wide range of non-absorbent and semi-absorbent materials, including PU, PVC, microfiber leather, genuine leather, and other specialty substrates.
The resulting printed surface is designed to maintain the softness, hand feel, flexibility, and folding performance required by leather and other flexible materials.
Compared with solvent-based inks, which rely on organic solvents and can generate higher VOC emissions, and UV-curing inks, which may have limitations in flexibility for certain applications, HONGSAM’s water-based latex solution combines environmental performance with functional durability.
The technology is particularly suitable for digital printing applications involving automotive seats, steering wheels, floor mats, door panels, and other interior components. HONGSAM’s existing product information also identifies automotive interiors as an important application area for its JETALL® water-based latex ink and Hong-Jet® latex printing systems.
Performance Testing for Automotive InteriorApplications
Automotive interiors place demanding requirements on durability and reliability. HONGSAM’s water-based digital printing solution has demonstrated strong performance across a range of relevant tests, including:
- Aging resistance: Passed SGS aging testing, with light fastness reaching Grade 7.
- Coating adhesion: Tested according to relevant GB/T 2726 procedures, with no visible surface damage, peeling, or cracking observed.
- Color fastness to rubbing:Tested according to GB/T 3920, with both color change and staining rated ≥ Grade 4–5.
- Folding resistance:Passed the QB/T 2714 leather folding endurance test, with no visible cracking of printed patterns under dry, wet, or cold conditions.
- Chemical resistance: Demonstrates resistance to chemical agents including alcohol, acetone, and acetic acid.
These performance characteristics provide a technical foundation for applying water-based digital printing to flexible automotive interior materials where appearance, flexibility, and durability need to be considered together.
Flexible Manufacturing: No Plate Making and a Minimum Printing Length of Just One Meter
Personalization is becoming an increasingly important part of automotive interior design. HONGSAM’s digital printing solution supports high-resolution reproduction of complex patterns, fine details, and gradient colors while maintaining the natural appearance and tactile qualities of the substrate.
Unlike conventional plate-based printing, digital printing eliminates the need for plate making and supports a minimum printing length of just one meter, making it suitable for small-batch, multi-design, and highly customized production. This flexibility enables manufacturers to efficiently handle applications such as:
- Limited-edition vehicle interiors
- Special-edition and customized vehicle models
- Personalized steering wheels
- Custom floor mats
- Seat leather and textile components
- Door panels
- Instrument panels and other interior trim
The digital printing process can also be combined with additional processes such as embroidery and perforation, providing interior designers and manufacturers with greater freedom to develop differentiated CMF (Color, Material & Finish) concepts.
In this way, digital printing can help shorten the path from design concept to finished product, particularly for customized and small-batch automotive interior applications.
Featured Automotive Interior Applications
HONGSAM has demonstrated the application of water-based digital printing in a number of automotive interior customization projects.
BYD SONG PLUS Gradient Interior
The BYD SONG PLUS features gradient-color printing on both the seats and steering wheel. The digital printing process enables delicate color reproduction and smooth transitions, demonstrating the potential of digital printing for sophisticated automotive CMF design.
BYD × Inter Milan Co-Branded Customization
Following the strategic cooperation between BYD and Inter Milan, the exclusive customized version of the **BYD SEALION 7** incorporates co-branded design elements into the vehicle interior. Water-based digital printing provides the flexibility required to reproduce distinctive logos, patterns, and customized design elements on interior surfaces.
Wukong-Inspired Steering Wheel and CMF Designs
Custom steering wheel applications inspired by Black Myth: Wukong, together with CMF texture designs for floor mats, demonstrate how digital printing can accelerate the adoption of popular IP elements, personalized patterns, and differentiated textures in automotive interiors.
These applications demonstrate the potential of digital printing to bring highly customized design concepts into practical automotive interior production.
Looking Ahead: Creating a Greener Future for Automotive Interiors
Founded in 2001, HONGSAM has specialized in the research, development, production, and sales of inkjet inks for more than two decades. The company was the first company in China’s inkjet industry to be listed on the **National Equities Exchange and Quotations (NEEQ), commonly known as the “New Third Board".
HONGSAM has actively contributed to the development of industry standards and has led or participated in the formulation of nine national and industry standards. The company is also one of the organizations involved in the development of VOC emission standards. In 2020, HONGSAM participated in the formulation of the national standard “Limits of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Content in Inks.”
In 2023, JETALL® water-based eco-friendly ink was included in the 16th batch of the Recommended Catalogue of Advanced Energy-Saving and Emission-Reduction Technologies in China’s Printing and Dyeing Industry. HONGSAM’s products have also obtained OEKO-TEX® ECO PASSPORT certification and passed SGS environmental testing.
As automotive cabins evolve from purely functional spaces into more personalized and emotionally engaging environments, color, texture, material, and individual expression are becoming increasingly important elements of interior design.
Water-based digital printing is well positioned to address this emerging demand by combining digital flexibility, material compatibility, customization capabilities, and environmental performance. HONGSAM’s existing Hong-Jet® solution is already positioned for applications across automotive interiors, leather, footwear, home furnishings, and other specialty substrates.
Looking ahead, HONGSAM will continue to advance its technology portfolio, with the Hong-Jet® water-based latex printing solution and Hong-Jet® HJ-1808L water-based eco-friendly latex printer as key solutions for specialty digital printing applications. By working closely with automotive brands, seat manufacturers, interior suppliers, and CMF designers, HONGSAM aims to provide more sustainable, flexible, and differentiated digital printing solutions for the next generation of automotive interiors.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is water-based digital printing for automotive interiors?
Water-based digital printing for automotive interiors is a digital printing technology that uses water-based inks to apply high-resolution patterns, colors, textures, and customized designs directly onto interior materials. HONGSAM’s Hong-Jet® printing solution is designed for applications such as automotive seats, steering wheels, floor mats, door panels, and other interior components.
2. What are the advantages of water-based digital printing for automotive interiors?
Water-based digital printing offers several advantages, including low-VOC printing, reduced odor, no plate making, high-resolution pattern reproduction, and greater flexibility for customized and small-batch production. It can also reproduce complex patterns, gradients, and personalized designs that are difficult to achieve with conventional printing methods.
3. Is water-based digital printing suitable for small-batch automotive interior customization?
Yes. Because digital printing does not require traditional plate making, it is well suited to small-batch, multi-design, and personalized automotive interior production. HONGSAM’s solution supports a minimum printing length of approximately one meter, making it suitable for limited editions, special vehicle models, customized interiors, and CMF design development.
4. Can water-based latex digital printing be used for automotive leather?
Yes. HONGSAM’s water-based latex printing technology is designed for flexible substrates such as automotive leather, PU leather, PVC, microfiber leather, and related interior materials. Depending on the substrate and application, the printed surface can maintain the required softness, flexibility, and tactile properties of the material.
5. What automotive interior applications can HONGSAM’s digital printing solution support?
HONGSAM’s water-based digital printing solution can be applied to a wide range of automotive interior components, including car seats, steering wheels, floor mats, door panels, instrument panels, and other interior trim materials. It can also support customized CMF designs, limited-edition vehicles, and personalized interior applications.
