Ink jet printers, some capable of producing a full colour gamut, are now widely used as output devices for computer‐generated design work. Some advances have been made in the application of these ink jet paper printing technologies to textile printing, mainly for carpets. This review describes the principal jet systems that have been developed commercially for both textile and reprographic uses, and indicates areas in which the ink jet principle appears to have future potential. The physical and chemical requirements of the inks used in the different systems, as well as the possible pretreatment of the substrate to improve ink receptivity and the durability of the print, are also discussed.