Knit article of apparel and apparel printing system and method

A method of providing an article of apparel having a printed knit textile region, the method comprising:

• knitting a tubular knit textile having an internal side and an opposite external side configured to be exposed during use, the tubular knit textile comprising:
• a series of parallel rows of loops on the external side formed from an arrangement of interlocked loops forming the tubular knit textile, the rows of loops each having a pair of opposite side portions and a top portion therebetween facing outward from a tubular region and;
• a plurality of channels on the external side formed between adjacent ones of the parallel rows of loops, each of the plurality of channels including a base channel portion facing outward from the tubular region and opposing side portions of the adjacent rows of the loops that form the channel;
• placing the tubular knit textile on a tubular platen in a registration print arrangement with a print head, wherein placing the tubular knit textile on the tubular platen comprises matching at least one orientation gap formed in the tubular knit textile with a corresponding at least one orientation feature extending from the surface of the platen;
• and
• while retaining the tubular knit textile in the registration print arrangement with the print head, printing an ink design on the external side of the tubular knit textile including applying ink to the parallel rows and the base channel portions.

A method of printing a knitted article, wherein the knitted article includes rows of intermeshed loops and channels separating the rows, wherein the rows and channels form a pattern of repeating gaps formed in the knitted article, the method comprising:

• positioning the knitted article on a tubular platen of a printer, wherein the tubular platen includes a plurality of raised geometric features disposed on a platen surface in a spaced apart configuration, wherein the raised geometric features include a plurality of projections having a geometric shape configured to be received by a corresponding pattern of repeating gaps formed in the knitted article,
• wherein the step of positioning the knitted article includes inserting at least one of the plurality of raised geometric features into at least one gap of the pattern of repeating gaps of the knitted article;
• and
• printing a design onto the knitted article.