ENTREPRENEURIAL STARTUP "THE AFRICAN PRINT COMPANY" INVESTS IN HP STITCH TECHNOLOGY TO BUILD A LUXURY HOME FURNISHING AND LIFESTYLE BRAND
“Choosing to purchase their own machinery and not to outsource the manufacture of their products will give them absolute control of their supply chain, removing the requirement for stock. And importantly, giving them the freedom to listen to their consumers and create the designs and products that their loyal customers love.” The African Print Company
Building a business and a new future by investing in design and HP technology
This entrepreneurial husband and wife team, who are new to both Design and Textiles - will soon launch “The African Print Company”.
The availability of uncomplicated digital textile printing equipment and cloud-based design software offered Thabani and Nonomi an exciting opportunity to build a new future and a new business together. Their investment is also an investment that offers them the ability to control and rebalance their working lives. Reflecting on a year in lockdown and the birth of their daughter, they now look forward to building a luxury Designer Homewares and Lifestyle brand together.
Specialising in African textile prints, homeware, furnishings and accessories their luxury brand has just launched online.
With a love of African design and Interiors, the brand will offer a unique collection of printed products, all of which will be printed in-house on the HP Stitch S300 and manufactured onsite.
Initially these will include fabrics, cushions, throws, lampshades and footstools plus Kimono’s and African belts. As the brand gains momentum, they intend to add new products as demand increases, growing the product range organically with the support of their community.
Controlling their supply chain was a fundamental priority when formulating their business plan together.
Choosing to purchase their own machinery and not to outsource the manufacture of their products will give them absolute control of their supply chain, removing the requirement for stock. And importantly, giving them the freedom to listen to their consumers and create the designs and products that their loyal customers love. They intend to trial new products online making singular prototypes (not expensive external samples) and implement customized manufacture and on-demand production from day one.
Working with their unique skill sets, they share the operational aspects of business.
With Nonomi’s eye for design and style, she will focus on the creative elements and the costings (Nonomi is also an accountant) whilst Thabani will concentrate on the logistics: production, sourcing, marketing and operations. Product development is a joint occupation, and Thabani and Nonomi work together to fine tune the finished products before they are offered for sale online. Having print technology at their fingertips onsite makes this process both seamless and speedy. Minor adjustments take minutes not days and products are developed in real time. Together they make the perfect team.
With a new website just launched, Thabani has been busy printing and manufacturing products for photography and marketing. As an online brand their visual identity is a primary focus, as is the quality of their product shots, which highlight their brands style and culture. Bold colours, powerful designs and beautiful fabrics, that include velvet and faux silk, are used in their designer collections.
As a small business choosing the correct technology to support their early growth demanded careful consideration.
Thabani consider alternate technologies before working with the team at RA Smart to decide on the HP Stitch S300. The machine fulfilled their initial requirements and also allowed them to grow their business by adding other products utilising dye sublimation technology.
With no previous design or textile printing experience – ease of use – was an important factor. The HP Stitch offered both high quality printed textiles, and the simplicity of use required for a team - new to print. As an intuitive technology, the HP Stitch delivered a practical solution to the brands print requirements, whilst also ensuring that they had online support for machine maintenance, service and consumables.
Another factor that was of primary importance when choosing technology was the ability to achieve vibrant colours – good colour consistency and accurate colour management. Choosing the HP Stitch dye sublimation system ensured that Thabani and Nonomi’s - bold African colour palette could be achieved across a wide variety of materials and that colour would be consistently maintained on-demand without wasting time, product and energy sampling.
Equipped with the technology to control their own future:
Thabani and Nonomi have an exciting journey ahead. We wish them every success with their new venture – “The African Print Company” and look forward to following their commercial success and watching their designer collections flourish.
Are you interested in seeing for yourself the quality of HP Stitch S300? Request your print sample here and unlock your customers ‘imagination and grow.
The Designer brand exists in many forms across the apparel landscape (online and off) from couture garments to streetwear, sportswear and accessories. Print on Demand using digital ink jet technologies has unlocked the fashion sector to facilitate small scale personalised manufacturing. The availability of printed fabric, customised to meet your garment specifications – pattern, print and fabric type now enables independent fashion brands to flourish, online and off.”
Specialist areas are a focus, and the business has grown to support a diverse portfolio: Retail, Signage, Events, Construction, Corporate Infrastructure, Fleet Livery, Luxury brands and the Advertising industry across a wide spread of market sectors and products. The business and the team have onboarded a deep knowledge of each of these sectors and the compliance and product specifications required. Whilst constantly keeping an eye on new technologies, materials and their potential applications.
“The department is well staffed with experienced technicians on hand to help creatives explore new printing processes and discover new materials and applications. Creativity is encouraged and design boundaries pushed as the student’s experiment using multiple applications. They are developing two new print hubs which will be open to all creatives within the university: Fashion, Interiors, Textiles, Theatre, Graphics and Embroidery and knitting, Fine Art, nobody is refused access”.
““We've got seven machines and we're doing generally around about 120, 10m rolls of wallpaper per day on each one. We print six days a week, it’s around about 5000 rolls. We are the world's largest digital printer for wallcoverings. And we use more ink than anybody else in the world. But you’ve got to remember that wallcovering print is full coverage, that's where the ink volume comes through. We now operate using 7 HP Latex 1500 digital printing machines, running dual rolls.” John-Mark Founder - John Mark Ltd
“During the pandemic our customers had to pivot and were busy in particular areas like floor-graphics but I believe the industry is still recovering and looking to plan ahead. I also believe a lot of our customers are looking at new business revenues and look to digital technologies for growth.” Jason Burroughs - Perfect Colours
““The ability to use HP latex white ink print onto coloured or clear media give you an opportunity to try different applications and effects with the media. In the décor sector we have seen a move to more natural surfaces in textiles and wallpapers which are not always white. If you do not have the option of white ink, colours may not turn out as expected, or they may seem desaturated.
White ink gives the option to emphasise parts of a design. Printing with white ink onto acrylics or glass for kitchen splash backs or room dividers with 3- or 5-layer printing by example.”
“Here’s a quick roundup of the technologies and new product launches for 2022 – NOT TO BE MISSED - that will be on-site in Berlin. FESPA Global 2022 has four major sponsors for their landmark event: Durst, Mimaki, Brother and HP.”
“As a creative team, Gillian Arnold realised early on in their business plan, that managing production in-house would give them absolute control of their supply chain. A decision that has served them well and continues to unlock new product opportunities and to expand their business organically into new market sectors.”
“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.”
“A number of industry practitioners from across Europe joined the webinar to share their inspiring case studies and their knowledge and practical experiences. Representing a huge variety of high value applications for public spaces, like offices, hotels, retail food environments and other décor applications.”
“The HP Stitch technology offers a high-quality finish with a straightforward user interface, allowing students to use it independently. The machines capacity to perform a lot of its own maintenance means that in a busy workshop with many processes, the HP Stitch could be added as a new machine, without compromising the running of the rest of the equipment” - Katherine Wibmer | Cardiff University
“The archive was originally founded by Tony Hutchinson as “Charlton Fabrics” in 2015. Now rebranded as “Mallion and Knowles” this extensive archive serves as a reference library for their customers. Going further, their design studio can also adapt artwork to meet client specification: scale, colour and style. With a large selection of furnishing fabrics available, designs can be infinitely customised and custom printed to meet client specification”.
“As we move towards a sustainable future, each and every product we consume has an environmental impact. Every choice that we make as designers and printers matters and collectively, we can make a significant contribution to the environmental impact of the products we create across all commercial sectors. Together we can drive effective change for a sustainable future.” Watch This Presentation Here >>
“Choosing to purchase their own machinery and not to outsource the manufacture of their products will give them absolute control of their supply chain, removing the requirement for stock. And importantly, giving them the freedom to listen to their consumers and create the designs and products that their loyal customers love.” The African Print Company
“As we move towards a sustainable future, each and every product we consume has an environmental impact. Every choice that we make as designers and printers matters and collectively, we can make a significant contribution to the environmental impact of the products we create across all commercial sectors. Together we can drive effective change for a sustainable future”.
“The fashion industry offers graduates an exciting career path in a market sector that is becoming increasingly digitised as the industry switches to meet market demands. To ensure that graduates are educated in the application of new technologies MMU has invested in a HP Stitch S300. The purchase ensures that the digital textile printing department offers the latest technology, and that graduates are equipped with the skills the industry desperately needs to adapt to a digital future”.
“Much has changed during the cause of the pandemic. We have all had to adapt to a virtual world - there have been many challenges, but with those forced events, unexpected benefits have emerged – a tsunami of virtual knowledge”. HP
“By the end of the year, we'll probably be in a better position that we were before the actual pandemic hit - because we've picked new customers thanks to our new HP technology and our expanded business model.” MPS | HP
Décor is an evolving space. Colours, materials and design styles change rapidly . The big change that is taking place now is the reopening of public spaces - we are all hankering to re-connect. Terry Raghunath - HP
“The creative freedom offered by inkjet technology has spawned a new generation of creatives and technicians and together they have unlocked the sector” - HP X PAPERGRAPHICS
“Orders for their designs increased during the pandemic…the company recognised that they needed to re-equip..” Gillian Arnold | HP STITCH S300
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”.
London – UK – September 2026 – ARTS THREAD has announced the call for applications for the Designers in Residence Pforzheim 2027 programme, a fully funded three-month residency hosted at EMMA Creative Center Pforzheim.
The residency will run from 1 April to 30 June 2027, offering emerging designers a rare opportunity to develop their practice within a dedicated creative environment.
Applications close on 2 November 2026 at 23:59 CET.
Oberthausen – Germany – September 2026 – KARL MAYER has announced the launch of a new, highly productive model of its HKS 3-M EL, engineered to meet the escalating demands of the sporting goods market.
The extra-wide tricot machine combines a working width of 330", expandable by a further 10", with production speeds of up to 2,800 min⁻¹, setting a new performance benchmark for manufacturers of modern sporting goods.
Crewe – Cheshire - UK – 18 September 2026 – Hybrid Services Ltd, the official Mimaki distributor for the UK and Ireland, today highlighted how Mimaki's advanced white ink technology is setting a new standard for Direct-to-Film (DTF) printing, addressing a critical challenge facing garment decorators across the industry.
Tonbridge – UK – September 2026 Compass Business Finance will return to The Print Show this year, inviting visitors to explore their game plans for growth and the strategic decisions that can help drive long-term success in an increasingly fast-moving market.
Located on Stand P580, Compass will deliver an immersive experience designed to explore the challenges, opportunities and key business decisions facing print companies today.
Rather than offering generic advice, the stand will encourage visitors to think differently about their ambitions, investment priorities, and the practical steps required to move their businesses forward with confidence
Anglesey – September 2026 – Nova Chrome UK has today announced the launch of the Filmjet Mini, a new series of all-in-one direct-to-film (DTF) printers designed to eliminate the complexity of running separate printing, powder application, and curing units.
Built by PolyPrint, a garment printer manufacturer since 2006, the Filmjet Mini brings together everything a business needs to start DTF production within a single, compact machine.
China Print Supplies has expanded its textile offering with nine Gongzheng Apsaras printers, covering dye sublimation, direct-to-fabric pigment printing and hybrid working.
The full range is available now, and adds textile to a Gongzheng line-up the company already sells across UV and eco-solvent.
You can learn more about these printers by talking to China Print Supplies at The Print Show later this month (stands S220 and S420).
Dorking – UK – September 2026 – FESPA has announced a new instalment of its FESPA Insights webinar series, focusing on one of the garment decoration industry's fastest-growing opportunities: personalised apparel.
The session, titled "Scaling Your Personalised Apparel Business", will take place on 29 September 2026 at 14:00 BST.
Burscough, UK, September 14, 2026: Quality Print Services (QPS) has announced it will showcase six printers from across the ColorJet and Roland DG ranges, alongside Nazdar's alternative digital inks, on its stand (150) at The Sign Show 2026.
Taking place in hall 1 of the NEC in Birmingham from 29 September to 1 October, The Sign Show, co-located with The Print Show, gives visitors access to both events with a single registration.
September 2026 - Epson today announces the SureColor SC-F300, a new A3 dye-sublimation printer designed to help small businesses and growing personalisation providers produce professional-quality output with a compact, user-friendly workflow.
The SC-F300 is positioned to help users broaden their product offering – supporting expansion from A4 into
Mortsel – Belgium – September 2026– Agfa has today announced the launch of the Jeti Tauro H3300 HS, a new hybrid UV LED inkjet press that extends its award-winning Tauro family.
Built on technology and insights gathered across the entire Tauro range, the new press is designed to meet the productivity demands of today's print service providers while offering a clear path for future growth.
Summa announces the expansion of its F Series Vantage platform into large-format production environments with the introduction of the F1832, F3220 and F3232.
Designed for high-volume signage, packaging, textile, and industrial applications, the new models extend the philosophy behind the F Series Vantage: delivering productivity gains across the entire workflow.
Alongside the new large-format models, Summa also introduces the F1625CF, a dedicated configuration optimised for dry carbon fibre cutting
United Kingdom – September 2026 – Inkloft, a new specialist digital printing business founded by Gary Weyman and Andy Hancock, has announced its entry into the direct-to-film (DTF) market.
The company has been appointed as a distributor of DuPont™ Artistri® DTF products, including P1600 inks and Artistri Jettable Adhesive JA1100, both now available to purchase online through inkloft.co.uk.
Tokyo, Japan – September 2026 – Seiko Epson Corporation today announced the launch of CONTOURJET, a new brand for its Direct-to-Shape Printing System, combining Epson's proprietary inkjet and robotics technologies to meet the growing global demand for decorating complex three-dimensional objects.
Under the CONTOURJET brand, Epson will deliver a total solution encompassing enhanced system performance, inks, related software, implementation support, and maintenance services.
The offering is designed to help customers improve efficiency in decoration processes, reduce environmental impact, and unlock a wider range of creative designs.
LAS VEGAS, NV. September 15, 2026 – Fiery, LLC, the print industry’s leading innovator of digital front ends (DFEs) and workflow software, today announced it is showcasing an end-to-end portfolio of solutions that power all corners of the digital print room at PRINTING United 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Fiery’s award-winning products power printing’s broadest range of applications, including commercial print, large format, industrial inkjet, direct-to-film, direct-to-garment, and more.
Franklin, TN – September 2026: Vanguard Digital Printing Systems, a Durst Group Company, returns to the PRINTING United Expo with a lineup that reflects the fast moving, boundary pushing, revolutionary company it has become.
In booth C1514, visitors will experience Vanguard’s proven technology, continued innovation and an all-new solution that will change the way print formed service providers think about production.
Birmingham, UK – September 2026 – Perfect Colours has announced its participation in The Print Show 2026, taking place at the NEC Birmingham from 29th September to 1st October.
The company will be offering bespoke, hands-on demonstrations of the Canon UK Colorado M5W, giving visitors the opportunity to witness the technology firsthand and explore how it can transform their production capabilities.
Leicester – UK = September 2026– Vivid Laminating Technologies Ltd, a leading innovator in finishing technology, has announced that its award-winning Veloblade Nexus has been selected by 5 Studio UK, a specialist in large-format print and exhibition stand production, to support the creation of high-quality exhibition stands.
The Veloblade Nexus was chosen for its precision etching and engraving capabilities, which allow 5 Studio UK to deliver premium wood-finished displays for clients across the UK, Europe, and beyond.
Telford, UK – September 2026 – China Print Supplies UK Ltd will unveil the Gongzheng ThunderJet AQ1602S at The Sign Show, offering visitors a hands-on demonstration of its latest entry-level eco-solvent printer at stand S220 + S240.
The ThunderJet AQ1602S is a professional 1.6m eco-solvent printer engineered for high-quality signage, graphics, and display production
Reading, UK – 15 September 2026 – HP has announced it will showcase four machines from its HP Latex portfolio, alongside the HP DesignJet Z9+ and HP PrintOS Production Hub, at The Print Show and The Sign Show 2026.
Taking place from 29 September to 1 October in Hall 1 of the NEC Birmingham, the event will feature live demonstrations and application examples highlighting opportunities across sign-making and wide-format print.
Paris - France – September 15th 2026 – Optitex, a global leader in fashion technology, has today announced the release of O/26.1, the latest evolution of its industry-leading software suite.
The update strengthens the tools that fashion and apparel businesses rely on daily, introducing enhanced pattern design capabilities, more flexible cut planning, and a smoother, more connected cloud experience through OPTINEDCloud, formerly known as O/Cloud.
Clay Cross – September 2026 – Resolute DTF has confirmed it will unveil its latest range of digital cutting solutions at The Print Show 2026, held at the NEC Birmingham from 29 September to 1 October.
The announcement reflects the company's continued commitment to advancing production efficiency across the DTF, vinyl, UV DTF transfer and label sectors.
Visitors to Stand P610 will be given a first-hand look at three cutting systems designed to address the industry's growing demand for accuracy, flexibility and streamlined workflows.
Hamamatsu, Japan – September, 2026 – Roland DG, a leading manufacturer of wide-format digital printing solutions, has announced the launch of the TrueVis MG2 Series, a next-generation UV printer/cutter range comprising the MG2-640 and MG2-300.
Designed to help print businesses increase profitability, the new series combines significantly higher productivity, exceptional print quality, advanced application capabilities and lower running costs in a single integrated UV Print & Cut solution.
September 2026 – Georg+Otto Friedrich GmbH, a fourth-generation German textile manufacturer, today announced its participation in PRINTING United Expo 2026, North America's largest gathering of the print industry.
The company will exhibit at Booth C1996 from 23–25 September 2026 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The expo represents a pivotal opportunity for Georg+Otto Friedrich to demonstrate how warp-knitted polyester is reshaping the possibilities of digital printing.
Altrincham – Cheshire – Funki Fabrics has today released its Autumn/Winter 2026 fabric trend report, identifying four key directions set to define the season: warm neutrals, deep jewel tones, vampy cherry reds and dark, moody botanicals.
The report offers designers across dancewear, performance wear, costume and beyond a clear framework for translating seasonal colour and print movements into fabric choices.
According to Funki Fabrics, AW26 marks a decisive shift towards richer, more dramatic palettes.
Cool creams and pale beiges are giving way to toasted beige, camel and biscuit browns, offering warmth and versatility as either standalone tones or a base for bolder accents.
Colombo, Sri Lanka – September 2026 – Winterquilts (Pvt) Ltd., one of Sri Lanka's leading garment manufacturers and exporters, has invested in Coats Digital's award-winning GSDCost solution together with its newly launched AI-powered GSDQuest platform.
The move is designed to standardise garment costing, improve costing accuracy and accelerate Bill of Labour generation across the company's manufacturing operations.
London, UK – September 2026 – The Only Natural International Student Design Competition 2026, supported by Artsthread, has revealed its Category and People's Choice winners.
Selected from an exceptional field of entries from student designers across the globe, this year's winning projects span Fashion and Home, showcasing outstanding creativity, craftsmanship and innovation in the use of natural materials.
Bressanone – September 2026 – Durst Graphics today features its P5 350 CORE, a new 3.5-metre hybrid printing platform designed to serve as an accessible entry point into the wider Durst Ecosystem.
The system brings together proven technologies from across the P5 portfolio, offering print businesses a reliable and future-ready first step into industrial digital printing.
This machine reflects Durst's continued commitment to lowering the barrier to entry for print operators seeking dependable, scalable technology without compromising on quality or performance.
Peterborough -September 2026 – Snuggle, a leading trade fulfilment provider, has today announced it is the first company in Europe to install three Epson G9000 DTF systems, marking a significant expansion of its production capacity to meet surging demand from trade customers across the UK and Europe.
The graphic industry is changing at high speed. Automation, artificial intelligence, personalization, new materials and sustainability are transforming the way products are made while, at the same time, opening up new business opportunities for professionals in the sector.
Against this backdrop, C!Print Madrid 2027 will bring together manufacturers, distributors, printers and professionals from the printing and visual communication world at IFEMA MADRID from January 12 to 14, showcasing the technologies and trends driving this evolution.
This eleventh edition arrives with a strong market response: 90% of its more than 7,000 m² of exhibition space is already booked, with leading companies in the sector such as HP, Epson, Fujifilm, Roland DG, Mimaki, Digidelta and Konica Minolta, among others
Las Vegas – Nevada – September 2026 – BARBIERI electronics, a specialist in colour measurement technology, has announced its sponsorship of the G7+ Exchange, an industry gathering set to take place ahead of PRINTING United Expo 2026.
The event will bring together experts and professionals from across the printing sector to discuss advancements in colour management and print quality.
The G7+ Exchange will be held on 22 September 2026 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Room N109, as part of the broader PRINTING United Expo.