In order to improve the pigment inkjet printing performance of polyester fabrics, surface modification of polyester fabric was carried out with atmospheric air plasma under different experimental conditions. The treated samples were printed with magenta pigment ink. SEM and XPS analysis indicated that the enhanced color performance was mainly contributed by not only the etching effect but also oxygen-containing polar groups induced onto fiber surfaces through plasma treatment. Thereby the surface modification of polyester fabrics using atmospheric-pressure air plasma offers a potential way to fabric pretreatment for pigment inkjet printing with the advantages of environmental friendly and energy saving over traditional pretreatment methods.