PIXALILI CAPTURE NEW OPPORTUNITIES WITH HP STITCH TECHNOLOGY FOR DIGITAL TEXTILE PRINTING ON DEMAND
“Pixalili typically produces short runs for its clients whilst also offering a database of designers from which customers can choose patterns for custom printed bespoke products. With an in-house sewing team, the company also offer a hemming service for home furnishings, accessories, lighting and upholstery”- PIXALILI
Located in the west coast of Ireland on the scenic Wild Atlantic Highway in Co. Donegal resides the textile printing company Pixalili.
Pixalili offer a new sustainable vision for the future of fabric printing. Donegal has a rich history in textiles – Donegal Tweed and Irish Linen are famous worldwide. As a family run business, the staff at Pixalili are proud to be part of the area’s heritage and its future utilizing digital textile printing technology.
Pixalili is both a textile printing company, a design studio, and a design archive with an inherent understanding of the requirements of the creative community.
Producing bespoke fabrics for designers and Etsy entrepreneurs alongside independents and retailers, the company initially invested in pigment technology for natural fabrics using eco-friendly inks. The business typically produces short runs for its clients whilst also offering a database of designers from which customers can choose patterns for custom printed bespoke products. With an in-house sewing team, the company also offer a hemming service for home furnishings, accessories, lighting and upholstery.
With a growing demand for luxury Interior products such as velvet cushions and upholstery, chiffon scarves for fashion clients and other applications that demand stretch fabrics such as jersey for children’s wear and athleisure, the team decided to look into dye sublimation printing for the production of polyester products in-line with their plans to expand the business.
Dye sublimation technology offers an incredibly versatile selection of fabric applications and as such, offers many new opportunities for the future expansion of Pixalili.
As an established sector of the print marketplace there are numerous dye sublimation technologies on offer and finding the right partner demanded extensive research. As a small business choosing the appropriate technology platform was an essential factor to the success of the project and so the team visited numerous trade shows to witness the technology first-hand and speak to the application specialists in real-time. Finally choosing the HP Stitch S300 after seeing a demonstration at the Print Show (UK) provided by HP supplier RA Smart.
Ease of use was also a determining factor - the HP Stitch presents a suite of technologies which together create an impressive portfolio of both print technology and software combined.
In delivering super-fast, predictable colour matching either via transfer printing or direct to fabric print, the machine successfully addresses a key pain-point for Pixalili. Accurate colour management is an important deliverable for the digital textile print service provider - poor colour management creates wasted time, ink, paper, fabric and unhappy customers. The HP Stitch machine’s inherent smart technology for unattended printing and self-maintenance also made it the perfect choice for Pixalili.
Pixalili have now welcomed the HP Stitch to their family business where all the print machines have names.
The Stitch is now a tried and tested (and much loved) addition to the printer family and has a new name – Polly. “Customers are excited by the exceptional quality of the print and the new fabrics on offer which have received a fantastic response. We see the Stitch being very, very busy providing high quality custom printed fabrics to our worldwide client base” said Noreen Harding of Pixalili.
The diversity of the Pixalili customer base demands manufacturing versatility.
For example, customers in Iceland are looking for ethically made and eco-friendly products, while in the USA and Ireland their Irish Linen is held in high regard. European clients also rely on Pixalili for personalised swimwear. The company also have their eye on sustainable textiles and are currently also focused on expanding their popular environmentally friendly fabric range.
“Thanks to the HP Stitch we can become a one-stop shop for existing customers and respond to the demands of new buyers and markets. This is our first-time using dye-sub and it opens up new avenues for us. RA Smarts have proved to be an outstanding partner in our journey, offering a wealth of knowledge, trusted advice and exceptional service”. Founder - Noreen Harding.
As an innovative company with creativity at their heart, Pixalili work in partnership with their client base to enable collaborative success.
In utilizing digital textile printing and embracing disruptive technologies the future of textile manufacturing on the west coast of Ireland is in safe hands.
Colour Is Too Important to Leave to Chance
Print will always be the part of the garment people see first.
But the sum of all parts — the fabric, the trims, the fasteners, the finish — is what determines whether a design actually delivers on its promise. Brands that continue to treat colour as a single creative decision, rather than a coordinated technical discipline spanning their entire supply chain, will keep paying for it in re-dips, delays, and disappointed design teams.
A Century of Textiles, and an Ever-changing World
Few companies can trace their roots back more than a century and still count themselves among their industry's innovators. Texia, headquartered in Monistrol de Montserrat, Spain, is one of them.
But the story of Texia is not simply one of longevity.
It is a story of continual reinvention. As the textile industry has grown more global and competitive, Texia has repeatedly reshaped its business, investing in technology, developing its own brands, and placing sustainability at the centre of its mission. In doing so, it offers a compelling example of how a heritage manufacturer can lead rather than follow through a period of profound industry change. Image Credit: Texia
What are we craving Ultimately?
The instinct to slow down while simultaneously optimising every measurable aspect of life isn't a passing curiosity. It's a structural response to a world that feels increasingly unstable, and it's reshaping what people expect from their homes, hotels, workplaces and healthcare environments alike.
For the design and manufacturing sectors, this means rethinking both product and process.
The Structual Shift is Real and its Already Here
Volumes are moving east, where digital production is accelerating rapidly. Consumer behaviour has shifted.
Demand is now driven by personalisation, shorter buying cycles, and an expectation of near-instant responsiveness. Regulatory pressure is intensifying, with supply chain transparency now a legal and commercial fact in many markets. And margins? They are under sustained, structural pressure.
This is not a temporary disruption. It is a fundamental reordering of how textile manufacturing must operate.
The Challenge: Standing Firm as the Industry Shifts
The wallpaper landscape has changed dramatically. Digital printing has lowered the barrier to entry, spawning countless direct-to-consumer brands and pushing much of the market towards faster, cheaper production.
At the same time, manufacturing in the UK has grown steadily harder - rising minimum wage, national insurance, energy and substrate costs all bear down on margins. Surface Print have embraced all of these challenges - and stand resolutely prepared for the future.
From Helsinki's printing mill to Paris's Le Marais, discover how Marimekko is scaling a design-led brand with purpose, craft, and bold innovation.
But what makes Marimekko's story compelling is not just its aesthetic legacy?
The word "toxic" carries weight. It conjures danger, harm, and things best avoided.
“Yet in the textile industry - Where between 3,000 and 10,000 chemicals move through the supply chain, a reflexive fear of the term is one of our biggest obstacles to progress.”
This article distils the key takeaways and what buyers, designers, and brands should be asking right now.
What Is the Digital Product Passport?
At its core, a Digital Product Passport is a digital record attached to a physical product - For a printed textile product, this means the DPP would capture data on the substrate, inks and dyes used, the printing process and technology, chemical compliance, environmental impact (including water and energy use), supply chain traceability, and end-of-life instructions.
The Market Gap that Changed Everything
Future Fashion was founded in 2019, timed deliberately to coincide with a pivotal moment in global textile technology: the commercial launch of the EFI Reggiani BOLT Single-Pass digital printing system.
The founders recognised that single-pass architecture had fundamentally changed what was industrially possible - and that Pakistan's domestic market had yet to catch up.
Print is no longer defined by the inefficiencies that once characterised it…as advances in production processes and technology have significantly improved its environmental performance.
Taran Rai, Corporate Sustainability Manager at Epson explains why?
The story of what happens when young designers access digital technology is still being written.
What once was a theoretical sustainability goal seems to have shifted into an active regulatory reality.
Is the Textile Market Finally Recovering?
After a difficult few years, there are genuine reasons for optimism. Duncan was candid about the challenges: "The market for textiles has been very difficult over the last three years. I'm not going to hide the truth there. But the tide is turning.“
A profound shift is currently reshaping the sector
Changing consumer expectations demand greater design diversity, faster turnaround times, and sustainable manufacturing practices.
To thrive, interior brands must adapt their supply chains, bringing production closer to the end consumer and moving away from bulk manufacturing.
Digital textile printing offers a definitive solution to these operational bottlenecks.
Digital transformation doesn't announce itself.
It accumulates - one innovation at a time - until an entire industry looks back and realises the ground has shifted beneath its feet. That's precisely where textiles stands today.
The conversations happening now about AI, automation, sustainability, and digital product passports are not theoretical. They are shaping decisions being made on factory floors and in boardrooms right now.
“By leveraging advanced digital textile printing, Marylene Madou has successfully merged traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. Her approach offers a blueprint for how independent designers can scale their brands globally while maintaining a minimal environmental footprint.”
The textile industry is undergoing a vital transformation. As the insights from Techtextil and Texprocess reveal, the path forward relies on a combination of sustainable hardware, intelligent chemistry, and seamless digital workflows.
From Zimmer's industrial-scale energy reductions and Stratasys's on-demand 3D embellishments, to Kornit's single-step technical printing and the unified digital ecosystems of NedGraphics and Optitex, the tools for change are here. To stay competitive, brands and manufacturers must adopt these innovations, moving away from fragmented, wasteful processes towards a truly connected, circular economy.
Friedmans stands as a testament to the power of combining traditional textile knowledge with forward-thinking innovation.
“Operating from their UK headquarters, Friedmans now serves a diverse array of sectors, including swimwear, dance, entertainment, sportswear, interior decor, prosthetics, and even pet apparel. With a strategic supply chain that reliably serves clients worldwide”
The apparel decoration industry is decisively moving away from isolated, analogue production tools toward connected digital manufacturing environments.
"Kornit’s unwavering commitment to transformative technology continues to disrupt the status quo. For business leaders and innovators ready to capture the future of apparel manufacturing, the path forward is clear”
The Urgent Need for Sustainability at Scale
The transformation at Coats provides a vital blueprint for the wider textile and apparel sector. True sustainability cannot be achieved in silos. As Dearing emphasised:
“Cross-industry collaboration is the engine of meaningful change. Brands, machinery suppliers, chemical providers, and fibre producers must act as an interconnected ecosystem”
Today’s customers demand superior product quality, real-time data visibility, and lightning-fast turnaround times.
For large-scale garment decorators, managing these expectations while balancing seasonal demand fluctuations - such as the massive surges seen during Black Friday - presents a monumental challenge.
"Relying on transactional vendor relationships and outdated legacy equipment is no longer sufficient to secure long-term stability and growth.”
Printing method is never a secondary detail. It shapes the entire life cycle of a product, from concept to customer. In today’s fashion industry, where margins are tighter and speed matters more than ever, technical knowledge has become a competitive advantage.
“The future of textile design belongs to professionals who can combine creativity with execution, aesthetics with practicality, and vision with production reality”.
Durst develops and markets advanced solutions for digital production, automation, and intelligent manufacturing across industrial applications worldwide.
Roland inkjet printers and printer/cutters are widely used in a variety of visual communication fields, including signage and interior decoration.
The leading manufacturer of digital and screen-printing machinery, coating, steaming and drying systems for textile and carpet processing
EFI Reggiani has become the trusted partner for integrated, scalable solutions for the entire textile process – from yarn treatment to fabric printing and finishing.
Epson industrial digital workflow for textile printing, from technology to inks, from pre- to post-treatment and learn about Epson Textile Solution Center.
Resolute isn't just a DTF printer and supply company, they are innovators in the field, shaping the future of textile decoration with innovative DTF solutions.
As the exclusive UK & Ireland distributor for Mimaki Engineering; its industry-leading product range that comprises solvent, LED UV, 3D, dye sublimation and textile inkjet printers, cutters, inks, software.
At Agfa, we believe in print as an essential and powerful medium of communication. Our mission is to enable printing businesses to achieve profitable growth.
Brother has a comprehensive range of solutions in the areas of direct-to-garment printing - from mass production to smaller printers for customisation.
VeriVide are the light and colour experts. UK based but global specialist in the design, development and manufacture of standardised lighting cabinets & digital imaging systems (DigiEye).
Since 1986, our aim has always been the same, to add value beyond print - to create cutting-edge laminating and print finishing equipment of the highest quality.
Kornit’s innovative printing technology enables businesses to succeed in web-to-print, on-demand and mass customization concepts.
Imagine a production process where 2D sewing and cutting happen in one seamless, automated operation - no manual handling required.
Award winning supplier wide range of Printers, Finishing Equipment, Inks & Media, RIP & Colour Management Solutions and Warranty & Service Support.
Soyang Hardware offers leading edge wide and superwide format print production hardware solutions from many of the industry’s biggest and best-known printer brands..
Klieverik is a leading manufacturer of rotary thermo-processing equipment, specialising in advanced textile applications.
With Barbieri, digital textile printers achieve professional ICC profiling, calibration, and quality control - leading to enhanced color consistency and confidence across all materials.
At China Print Supplies Ltd, we are more than just a distributor - we are your strategic partner in print solutions. With a commitment to excellence and a passion for innovation
A key supplier of dye-sublimation printing equipment, consumables, and support services to a diverse range of customers across the United Kingdom.