IMAGECO PARTNER WITH HP TECHNOLOGY TO DELIVER SUSTAINABLE PRINTED PRODUCTION FOR RETAIL GRAPHICS AND POS
“When we saw the quality coming off the HP Latex 800W, and once we had evaluated the positive impact the machinery would deliver for our factory’s environmental workflow, we knew that it was the right technology for us. “The HP Latex water-based inks allow us to print onto substrates that can be recycled. Our company and HP share the same environmental ethos. Allowing us to move forward to secure a new eco-friendly workflow for our products and importantly our clients”
Imageco believe that print has a sustainable future because the industry and its practitioners care deeply about the environment and the impact we make with each and every printed metre.
We recently visited Imageco, a pioneering wide format and retail signage business based in Leeds, UK. The company is owned and managed by Nathan Swinson Bullough.
Nathan, is passionate about sustainability, in his private and business life, and here he explains why: “My love of nature stems from being a kid. I was always fascinated by the natural world and space. From a photography point of view, I just love going out watching the sunrise every day. When I'm out in nature, I feel alive, I can think – nature completely inspires me”.
It's clear that sustainability is an important pillar of Imageco’s future investment and commercial growth. We asked Nathan why the partnership with HP technology was the right next step?
“When I took over Imageco the environmental impact of our production workflow needed urgent attention, and our team immediately began to evaluate new technologies that could replace our ageing print machinery. Back then our environmental footprint was massive, and we had to search for an environmentally efficient alternative”.
“When we saw the quality coming off the HP Latex 800W, and once we had evaluated the positive impact the machinery would deliver for our factory’s environmental workflow, we knew that it was the right technology for us. We were also impressed by HP’s recycling programs. Being able to recycle our HP Ink cartridges with HP Planet Partners, ensures that our waste products don’t become new products and don’t end up in oceans or landfills.”
Imageco are one of the UK's leading, innovative printing companies, they work closely with their clients and thrive by looking beyond the obvious, to drive change.
Imageco provide their customers with affordable, versatile products that are manufactured using responsible production process, sustainable materials and best practice wherever possible.
Nathan Swinson Bullough commented: “Here at Imageco, we are extremely innovative and push the boundaries of print quality to the max. We are also acutely focussed on achieving our clients’ creative ambitions. Working closely with our clients we deliver stand-out POS and retail display graphics.
Our team are ambitious and determined to drive change across our industry, we hold deep connections with our customers and stakeholders, and our supply chain partnerships ultimately underpin our company’s vision”.
“We evaluated lots of alternate technologies and quickly decided on the HP Latex 800W because the machinery and its default software suite, offered us consistent productivity, print quality, colour matching and a remote view and control of our production machinery at the push of a button”
“The HP Latex water-based inks allow us to print onto substrates that can be recycled. Our company and HP share the same environmental ethos. Allowing us to move forward to secure a new eco-friendly workflow for our products and importantly our clients”
One of Imageco’s most recent projects was the Dr. Martens retail store, in Carnaby street, London.
The project began in the summer or 2021 at a time when the business recognised that consumer behaviour in the retail environment was changing. The brand needed to test a new vision of the future and set to work reimagining how a Dr. Martens store would look and function in an evolving retail environment. This project involved onboarding new technologies, and commercial insights, as well as redesigning their retail interiors.
“The projects ambition was to move away from a ‘one size fits all’ approach and towards ‘ever-evolving retail’ which is completely modular and enable continuous innovation, newness, and temptation. ” said Global Retail & Trade Marketing Manager at Dr. Martens - Airwair International Ltd. Adding: “We landed on some exciting initiatives for the store across digital, print and product to give our product the stage it deserves”.
Nathan Swinson Bullough also commented:
“I'm very proud that we have been involved in the new Dr. Martens test and learn concept store on Carnaby Street, London. Working with our friends _wearesyn. With the marketing concept and artwork for the sustainable print and POS and with B Batch Group on the internal windows and wallpaper. “A combination of HP Latex water based vegan ink and sustainable print media from Antalis and Drytac proved that this is how instore POS should be done” added Nathan Swinson Bullough.
In summary Nathan added:
“The Print Industry has been damaging in the past. But I think we're turning a corner now, if we take the right steps, as a business, we can really limit what we're doing to the environment. My personal ambition is to become one of the most sustainable and creative printing companies in the UK, supported by HP technology and their constant innovation. I think we can achieve that, and I look forward to actively seeking environmental change, with every printed meter we produce here at Imageco”.
Social responsibility is a hot topic for businesses across the board. Download this informative eBook on why the print industry needs a sustainable edge here.
Nexo Interiores is a 100% Spanish interior design company with the aim of making decoration, in addition to an art, a sustainable trend to take care of the planet while we dress it with the most original and special designs.
The company offers practical, simple to install and quality solutions to decorate homes and businesses in an elegant way, with subtlety and authenticity. For this, Nexo uses HP Latex 1500 technology to work on the digital prints of its projects with the new HP Latex inks, composed of 65% water, which means that the drying of these inks does not require special ventilation.
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.”
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 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”.
Are we witnessing the reinvention of Merch driven by adaptive, digital technologies?
The commercial opportunity presented by printed, personalised merchandise is already a lucrative revenue stream; it is the core driver of growth in a multi-billion-pound industry. And the mandate for print businesses is clear: automate, adapt, and offer undeniable added value, or choose to gradually lose market share.
Powderless DTF is an important area of innovation. It deserves research, investment, and thoughtful development.
“But at its current stage, it often feels like the industry is attempting to commercialize the concept ahead of the underlying chemistry and system readiness”.
All Apparel Manufacturers face an Urgent Mandate: “Automate or be Left Behind”.
Industry leaders like Super Nova Sports and Ryozo International were struggling with severe pre-press bottlenecks and unsustainable fabric waste. By integrating AI Sublimation Software into their workflows, these forward-thinking businesses eliminated manual variable data entry, boosted fabric efficiency to over 80%, and reduced delivery times by more than half, establishing a highly profitable, agile, and environmentally responsible production model.
The Future of Manufacturing belongs to those who Embrace Connected Digital Ecosystems
“Whether you produce garments, car interiors, or home furnishings, the transition from creative concept to production-ready product often remains fragmented. Design teams work tirelessly to develop compelling materials, yet technical teams struggle to interpret these visions without losing data along the way.”
The European digital wallcovering marketplace is expanding at an impressive rate.
“For print professionals and interior designers, this transition presents a distinct set of challenges. Achieving flawless colour consistency, managing complex substrates, and meeting stringent environmental standards are no longer optional extras; they are fundamental requirements for commercial success.”
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