“All Hail the Power of Print – For ITMA didn’t disappoint. Packed with innovations at all levels the show proved to be an incredible success. Visitor numbers reached 111,000 from an impressive 143 countries, exhibitors peaked at 1,709 spread across an incredible 200,000 sqm of exhibition space. The venue was well organised, easy to reach and well serviced and for those that exhibited and those that visited - credited as a truly successful experience.”

“The digital textile soft signage market has grown exponentially over the last ten years and continues to drive the digital textile agenda as recent analytics confirm. The progress is reflected in the numbers, for out of a global printed signage market predicted to be worth USD $41.39 billion by 2027 (Mordor Intelligence) the digitally printed component is predicted to rise from 56.73 % in 2022 to a staggering 86.74% by 2027 (Research & Markets).”

“This season we wanted to push our garments towards couture, really intricate embroideries, intricate prints, vibrant prints, deep colours and shades. That’s the vision behind the aesthetic of the brand - I guess, it’s couture inspired. Kind of very elegant, and quite sharp cutting. We print all our fabrics (well almost) in house using the Epson technology. We can test everything instantly in our own studio, depth of colour, texture - everything. I want to make beautiful clothes, so we want people to be able to view the collection and women say, “Oh, I love that dress” - Richard Quinn

From DTG & DTF to Screen Printing and from Digital Inks to Consumables the scope of innovation was evident to all attendees who showed great interest in the 70+ new product launches at FESPA.

With such a wide variety of offers on display, our Technical Editor highlights some of the notable unveilings that took place:

To frame the conversation Simon explained: “The apparel industry can be very inefficient. Up to Sixty percent of cost is the cost price of a garment can be the fabric alone, but it doesn’t matter what you’re paying if nobody is buying it. We need to be smarter at the front end, to be more profitable at the back end.” - Simon Platts

“The drive to carbon neutrality and eco-responsibility has echoed resolutely across the digital textile print community, with many environmental success stories to share. As the global footprint of digital textile printing market continues to grow - $7.9 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 14.8% from 2021 to 2030”. FESPA Textile Ambassador

Milan design week once again delivered an unforgettable experience. “Celebrating design and utilising art to provoke conversation and stimulate change… This year there’s a new, palpable energy on the Interior circuit as it returns to full throttle, post pandemic. It’s a collaborative energy and a force for good. Regardless of industry sector, luxury or mass market, sustainability, circularity and responsible sourcing are finally mainstream.”

“Businesses that transition 100% to digital may lose extreme price-driven customers, but this is a rare situation. A new range of affordable digital printers enables manufacturers to introduce digital printing capability alongside traditional printing methods. Some customers may be keen to experience the benefits of digital printing; others may need reassurance to develop the confidence to test digital printing technologies.”- JOS NOTERMANS SPGPRINTS

Dye Sublimation: Inks and Papers Review Q1 2023 “With a combined market potential total approaching USD 3 billion by 2030, unsurprisingly production of Dye Sublimation Ink and Paper, has attracted substantial commercial interest in the manufacturing community. With the start of 2023 witnessing widespread and comprehensive offers from the most reputable manufacturers.” - Texintel Technical Editor

Whats New in the World of Wallcoverings? “As the digitisation of the wallcoverings industry continues to gain pace, we look forward to the future advancement of digital production technologies, market growth and the creative and environmental benefits these technologies will no doubt achieve”. FESPA Textile Ambassador

“Zooming in on the digital machinery market which was valued at 320 million USD in 2018 and is now projected to reach 890 million USD by 2030, at a CAGR of 13.8% during the forecast period. (Future Market Insights)

The key takeaway here is that of this market, it was estimated in 2022, that a whopping 52% of all digital printing used dye-sublimation inks (Grand View Research) making it the largest ink type by usage in the digital textile print sector.” - Texintel Technical Editor

“The basis of the DTF economic model is the straight forward nature of the printing process, which is not only easy to learn, but also simple to execute. Printing onto a regular substrate like the PET film is an uncomplicated Digital Print procedure not unlike printing a paper or poster, which is a widely known operation in all sectors of the print industry.” TEXINTEL Technical Editor

“Overall, Metaverse Fashion Week was an incredible four-day event that left me feeling inspired and energized; seeing my design come to life and being part of such a multicultural music, fashion, and art space was amazing, and my digital wardrobe is now full of cool new looks, I’m already looking forward to what next year will bring.” Estelle Pearce

“Winning an Epson SureColor SC-F100 Dye sublimation printer, Sarah Thornley has spent the last six months developing and building her designer brand. The SureColor printer offers a dye sublimation printing process that can be applied to multiple surfaces, from textiles to ceramics – Sarah has been exploring new applications to create products herself. All of her products are created by hand and in-house.”

“The water saving credentials of digital textile printing now provide a welcome eco-friendly solution to the textile industries negative environmental legacy” FESPA

“If all linear meters in the world during one year were printed by digital textile printers instead of conventional printing, we would save 760 billion liters of water” - JOS NOTERMANS SPGPRINTS