London, UK – November 2026 – ARTS THREAD, in collaboration with Google Arts & Culture, has announced Grace Holden as the winner of the Textiles – Print/Embroidery category at the Global Creative Graduate Showcase 2026. Holden, a graduate of the Design for Textiles BA (Hons) programme at Heriot-Watt University, was recognised for her project "Stories in Bloom," which explores themes of belonging and memory through layered, nature-inspired visual narratives.
The Global Creative Graduate Showcase is an annual initiative that celebrates emerging creative talent from across the globe. This year's edition drew an extraordinary response, featuring 4,371 graduating creatives from 382 universities, judged by a panel of 236 industry professionals, and supported by 446,473 public votes.
Holden's winning project examines what makes a house feel like a home, drawing on her own experiences across childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Her work is deeply informed by Victorian floriography, the practice of using flowers to convey emotion and unspoken meaning, alongside the concept of biophilia, which considers how connection to nature can support emotional and psychological wellbeing.
As industries worldwide continue to reckon with questions of sustainability, identity, and craftsmanship, showcases like this one underline the vital role emerging designers play in shaping the future of textile and creative practice. ARTS THREAD extends its thanks to the judges and the public voters whose engagement made this year's showcase possible, and reaffirms its commitment to platforming the next generation of creative talent as the industry continues to evolve.
About Arts Thread
Arts Threadis the world’s leading digital platform connecting emerging creatives with industry professionals, institutions, and opportunities that shape creative careers.
Dedicated to fostering talent, developing ethical practices, and driving sustainability in design, Arts Thread serves as an essential resource for young creatives navigating today’s competitive industries.
The Arts Thread platform is a fantastic free tool for new creatives and we have formed relationships with brands, retailers, trade shows, events, media and charities. Charities such as Designers Against Aids, Greenpeace and United Nations, cultural institutions such as the British Library through to brands such as Levi's, Nike and Urban Outfitters and shows such as NYCxDESIGN New York Design Week, Design Pavilion, Milan Design Week, London Design Festival, designjunction +++
If you are an Arts Thread member with a story to tell – please do Contact Us http://www.artsthread.com/contact-us/
The Ecommerce Leadership Summit North brought together retail and ecommerce leaders in Manchester to discuss the challenges, opportunities and commercial decisions shaping the industry.
Across the day's sessions, speakers explored the future of retail profitability, the growing importance of verifiable product data in AI-driven commerce, the realities of building and scaling brands, and how businesses can protect their margins without compromising customer value. From the discussions on stage to the experiences shared by founders, here are the key insights from this year's summit.
The State of Retail 2027: What Will Separate the Winners from Everyone Else?
This is not simply a matter of faster machines.
It is a question of whether your production model - technology stack, workflow discipline, and quality control - is genuinely built for the realities of club and event merchandise.
Those realities are unforgiving: brand-perfect colour, flawless personalisation, licensing compliance, and turnaround measured in hours rather than weeks.
Colour Separation: The Craft Digital Textile Design Shouldn’t Forget
Textile designer Stephan Alker draws on more than 40 years in the industry, going back to his start at Transfertex in 1980, to trace how colour separation moved from drum scanners, hand-retouched films and engraved gravure cylinders to fully digital workflows.
He argues that this production knowledge still matters in the age of digital printing, because properly separated designs give brands far more freedom.
The Path Foward: Connect Every Link:
Design, colour, workflow, production, data. Each link now depends on the one before it, and the printers who will lead the market are those who strengthen the whole chain, not just the machinery at its centre.
So, this autumn, ask the bigger question on your own shop floor.
Not "Which printer?" but "How well does my business connect demand, design and production?"
Rebés's story isn't one of nostalgia - It's a working blueprint for how heritage manufacturers can stay indispensable in a market that rewards speed, certification, and specificity in equal measure. Four million metres of stock mean nothing without the digital printing capability to turn it into something distinctive.
A 150-year name means nothing without the R&D discipline to win a tender for antistatic, carbon-fibre-infused uniform fabric on the first attempt.
Image Credit: Tejidos Rebé
What if the next dress you wore never touched the factory floor?
This is no longer a fringe experiment. It is a maturing production model, backed by genuine material science, real circularity, and an AI-assisted workflow that is becoming more accessible by the month.
Her advice to designers and brands alike is refreshingly practical: start small, get hands-on with an accessible 3D printer, and build fluency before the technology becomes table stakes. The businesses that treat this moment with curiosity, rather than scepticism, will be the ones shaping fashion's next decade rather than reacting to it.
The 2027 FESPA Awards are now open for entry, and the message to businesses across textiles, apparel, interiors and beyond is simple: your work deserves recognition. Every gold winner featured here started in the same place every entrant does - with a project they believed was worth submitting.
As the only independent awards programme with 18 categories dedicated to print and signage, FESPA offers a genuinely global stage, with shortlisted entries displayed at FESPA Global Print Expo in Spring 2027.
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.
London, UK – November 2026 – ARTS THREAD, in collaboration with Google Arts & Culture, has announced Grace Holden as the winner of the Textiles – Print/Embroidery category at the Global Creative Graduate Showcase 2026. Holden, a graduate of the Design for Textiles BA (Hons) programme at Heriot-Watt University, was recognised for her project "Stories in Bloom," which explores themes of belonging and memory through layered, nature-inspired visual narratives.
PARSIPPANY, N.J., U.S.A. – November 9th, 2026 – Sun Chemical has released its sixteenth annual Sustainability Report, detailing measurable progress across its global operations, product portfolio, supply chain and workforce while reinforcing the company’s commitment to transparent, data-driven sustainability performance.
The report reflects Sun Chemical’s continued work to embed sustainability into business strategy and daily decision-making. Guided by the “five Rs” framework – Reuse, Reduce, Renew, Recycle and Redesign – the company is advancing resource efficiency, circular product design and responsible value-chain practices
Willerby – East Yorkshire – UK – November 2026 – Agfa Inkjet Solutions has announced a major double investment from Image Data Group, with the installation of two new presses: a Panthera and a Tauro. The move marks a significant expansion of production capacity for the UK-based print specialist and reinforces Agfa's position as a trusted partner for high-performance inkjet technology.
The dual investment sees both machines operating side by side at Image Data Group's facility, delivering a substantial boost in production capacity, productivity, and operational flexibility. For Agfa, the announcement represents more than a sale—it reflects a deepening relationship with a customer committed to scaling its capabilities for the future.
Dorking – UK – November 2026 – FESPA has announced the launch of MERCH by FESPA, a new event bringing together the people, ideas and opportunities shaping the merchandise industry. The event will be co-located with FESPA Global Print Expo at Messe Munich, Germany, from 6 to 9 April 2027.
MERCH by FESPA will spotlight the fast-growing world of branded merchandise and product personalisation, spanning sectors as diverse as music, sports, entertainment and the creator economy. The event is designed to connect printers, brands, merchandise professionals and creators, offering a dedicated space to explore the trends, technologies and creative possibilities redefining the industry.
Peterborough, UK – November 2026 – Snuggle Ltd, a print-on-demand and trade print fulfilment specialist, has outlined how its 40,000 sq ft operation is prepared to support brands through the upcoming peak trading season, as retailers brace for a surge in Black Friday and Christmas demand.
With peak season fast approaching, Snuggle Ltd is urging businesses to scrutinise the reliability of their fulfilment partners before committing to high-volume trading periods. The company says that too many brands discover the limitations of their supply chain only when it is too late, risking stock shortages, quality lapses, and reputational damage during the busiest weeks of the year.
Lyon, France – November 2026 – Epson France has confirmed its renewed partnership with C!Print as a Gold Sponsor, reaffirming its commitment to driving innovation across the print and visual communication industry. The company will return to the 2027 edition of the trade show to showcase its latest advancements to professionals in the sector.
Among the innovations on display will be ContourJet, Epson's newly unveiled technology for direct inkjet printing on three-dimensional objects.
Altham Lancashire – November 2026 – Soyang Europe Ltd has been awarded Carbon Reduced Operation Certification by CarbonQuota for 2025, marking a significant milestone in the company's commitment to reducing its environmental impact. The certification follows a year of measurable progress, with carbon intensity per full-time employee falling by 9% compared with 2024.
Bergamo, Italy – November 2026 – Electronics For Imaging (EFI) welcomed customers, partners, and industry professionals to its Customer Experience Center in Bergamo, Italy, for EFI Ignite EMEA, a flagship event dedicated to the future of industrial textile printing and display graphics. The event drew representatives from 15 companies and more than 30 VIP guests, underscoring the growing demand for innovation in digital print
Emmerich am Rhein, Nordrhein-Westfalen – November 2026 – Brother Industrial Printing EMEA has announced the launch of PT 8158, a new pretreatment solution designed to elevate direct-to-garment (DTG) printing through improved sustainability, enhanced print quality, and a better production environment. The launch reflects the company's ongoing commitment to driving meaningful change across the textile printing industry.
Uxbridge – UK – November 2026 – Perfect Colours has announced the release of Onyx 25.5, the latest update to its industry-leading print workflow software. The new version introduces a range of enhancements designed to help print businesses work faster, smarter, and more sustainably.
The upgrade comes as the print industry continues to grapple with rising demands for efficiency and environmental responsibility. Onyx 25.5 has been engineered to meet these challenges head-on, equipping print professionals with the tools they need to stay ahead of the curve.
Dubai, UAE – November 2026 – Heimtextil is strengthening its presence in the Middle East's interior design and hospitality sectors, partnering for the first time with Downtown Design, the region's leading design fair held as part of Dubai Design Week. Together with Milan-based design platform Alcova, Heimtextil is presenting the Heimtextil Trends 27/28 "The Performance of Everyday Living" in Dubai from 4 to 8 November. The compact presentation, featuring film, text and visual elements, offers the international and regional design community fresh insight into the key trend themes shaping the industry's future.
GREEN GRADS at YORKTON WORKSHOPS
Regenerative design, waste reduction and reuse, biomaterials, preserving crafts, rescuing species, nurturing nature and more: eco-projects at the cutting edge.
25 new GREEN GRADS - making 300 GREEN GRADS in total.
Makers Innovators Activists
Saturday November 14th, 11-7PM | Sunday November 15th, 11-6PM | 1-3 Yorkton Street, London E2 8NH
Admission free
Sponsored by Pearson Lloyd, hosting the show in their gallery for the third time.
Las Vegas, NV – Monotech Systems Limited, a globally-acclaimed Indian manufacturer and one-stop solution provider for the printing and packaging industry, has been chosen by Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems (PCS) as its India distribution partner. The agreement, signed by Mr TP Jain, Managing Director of Monotech Systems Limited, and Mr Stuart Fox, CEO of Kongsberg PCS, was finalised during Printing United Expo 2026, held at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Under the terms of the partnership, Monotech Systems Limited is authorised to distribute the full range of Kongsberg X and C Series digital cutting systems across India, bringing precision cutting technology to the country's fast-evolving signage and display industry at a time when producers face mounting pressure to deliver faster, more sustainable, and more customised output.
The Lancashire print specialist is extending its print-on-demand model from wall coverings into textiles with the Epson Monna Lisa ML-13000.
Shrewsbury, UK – November 2026 – Big Value Banners, a UK-based manufacturer of custom printed banners and signage, has chosen the Veloblade Nexus from Vivid Laminating Technologies Ltd to support its growing production capabilities. The announcement follows a period of evaluation, culminating in staff training completed today in Shropshire.
Exclusive Mimaki distributor, Hybrid Services will host two Mimaki Technology Taster Days at its Crewe showroom this November, giving businesses the opportunity to explore their next printing investment, diversification or upgrade in a relaxed, informal setting.
Taking place on Thursday 12th and 19th November, from 10am - 4pm, the events are designed for companies at any stage of their research, including those still considering which direction to take. Visitors can explore the Mimaki range, see printed applications and discuss their ideas with Hybrid’s product specialists.
Milan, 4 November 2026 – The 37th edition of Viscom, the international exhibition dedicated to visual communication, has concluded in Milan, debuting its new Exhibition & Conference format at the Allianz MiCo Convention Centre. The refreshed venue and identity reflect the transformations underway across the industry, delivering two dynamic days that brought together 5,189 visitors and more than 90 exhibitors to explore the sector's emerging opportunities.
Wednesday, November 04, 2026 - Aarhus, DK & Milwaukee, WI — To provide the proper level of support for customers in the Americas, Mikkelsen Innovation ApS has registered and started its U.S. subsidiary, FASTSEWN, Inc., located in Milwaukee, WI. In addition to the U.S. sales and management team, Steve Aranoff (Chief Business Officer) and Jim Manelski (Director of Sales, Americas), whom many in the industry already know, industry veteran Ranjan Singh has now joined as COO for FASTSEWN, Inc. Part of the engineering team is also in Milwaukee, bringing the number of U.S. employees to six so far.
Oswestry, UK – November 2026 – China Print Supplies (CPS) has confirmed it can supply ink, spare parts and servicing for Gongzheng printers across the UK, following the voluntary liquidation of Your Embroidery Services (YES) on 15 October. YES notified customers by email on 20 October that it could no longer provide servicing, technical assistance or customer support.
Gongzheng was one of the brands YES supplied in the UK, covering UV flatbed, eco solvent and UV DTF machines. The sudden withdrawal of support has left an unknown number of owners without a clear path to consumables, parts or engineering help, raising concerns about machine downtime across the sector.
CPS already supplies Gongzheng equipment and holds the supplier relationships needed to source consumables and parts for any Gongzheng machine in the country, regardless of where it was originally purchased.
South Normanton - UK – November 2026 - As the out-of-home advertising market continues its rapid expansion, Sun Chemical is driving the industry's shift toward water-based ink technology with its Streamline™ Toccata range, engineered to meet the rising demand for high-quality, durable graphics while reducing environmental impact.
London, UK – November 2nd 2026 – Spandex UK has today announced a new partnership with HP, bringing HP Latex printing technology to its customers across the UK. The collaboration marks a significant expansion of Spandex's large-format hardware offering, giving its customers greater choice across print technologies.
The initial line-up under this partnership will include the HP Latex 630, 730 and 830 series. These additions build on Spandex's existing portfolio, reinforcing its commitment to equipping sign and display professionals with the tools they need to stay competitive in an evolving industry.
Malvern – Worcestershire – November 2026 Vivid Laminating Technologies has announced that PB Signs, a leading UK print and signage specialist, has chosen its multi-award-winning Velobade Nexus for use across its production operations. The decision follows a thorough review of the market, with PB Signs selecting the Velobade Nexus as the finishing solution best suited to its high standards of craftsmanship.
Speciality print leaders from five Southern European countries will meet in Porto next month for the eleventh FESPA Southern European Congress, taking place on 11–12 November at HF Ipanema Porto, Portugal.
The two-day event, which is organised by five FESPA member associations – FESPA France, FESPA Italia, FESPA España, APIGRAF (Portugal) and the FESPA Hellas Association (Greece) – gives members of the community in Southern Europe the opportunity to benchmark their own strategies against peers facing similar conditions, as well as compare notes with neighbouring markets on customer expectations, workforce shortages, investment and new technology.
Batley, West Yorkshire – October 2026 – Roaches International, a member of the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA), has dispatched its largest integrated order for textile laboratory equipment to date.
A total of 19 testing machines weighing more than two tonnes have been delivered for a new laboratory being established by Indonesia's Alia Digital Printex, underscoring the British manufacturer's capability to supply complete testing facilities rather than individual instruments alone.
Mortsel, Belgium – October 29th 2026 – Agfa Inkjet Solutions has announced Experience Day 2026, a hands-on event dedicated to demonstrating how advanced inkjet printing and precision finishing can work together within a single, integrated workflow.
The event will take place on Thursday, 26 November 2026, from 09:00 to 15:00 at Agfa Headquarters in Mortsel, Belgium.
Developed in partnership with Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems, Experience Day 2026 will give print service providers a first-hand look at how combining print and finishing technologies can boost productivity, broaden application possibilities, and open up new business opportunities across sectors including signage, display, packaging, and corrugated production.
Balrothery, Ireland – October 2026 – Retink Graphics has added a second Epson SureColor R5000L latex printer to its Balrothery production floor, supplied by digitalprint.ie.
The investment follows strong returns from the company's first R5000L, which the team says paid for itself before they decided to expand.
Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg – October 2026 - The CHT Group has announced the expansion of its dyes portfolio with two new additions: BEMACID Brilliant Blue F-WN for polyamide and wool, and BEZAKTIV Solar Yellow ONE for flexible dyeing processes.
The launch reinforces CHT Group's commitment to delivering high-performance, sustainable colorant solutions for the global textile industry.
Both new dyes address growing demand among textile manufacturers for products that combine color brilliance, process reliability, and responsible formulation.
Staffordshire, UK – October 2026 – Staffordshire Signs & Graphics Ltd has announced the installation of a new DLI-3325 flatbed printer, supplied by China Print Supplies UK Ltd.
The investment marks a significant step forward for the business, enhancing its production capabilities and expanding the range of signage solutions it can offer customers.
The installation follows months of careful planning, with the new machine now in place and undergoing fine-tuning and staff training ahead of full commissioning
Corby – Northants – October 2026 – Keencut Ltd, a leading innovator in the cutting and finishing equipment industry, has today highlighted its Evolution3 Lift & Hover technology, a breakthrough system designed to make material positioning faster, easier and more accurate than ever before.
The new technology allows operators to adjust, align and achieve perfect positioning with precise control, all through simple single-person operation.
By streamlining what has traditionally been a multi-step, often cumbersome process, Keencut is addressing a long-standing challenge faced by professionals across the sign-making, graphics and framing industries: achieving exact cutting precision without compromising on speed or efficiency.
Istanbul – Turkiye – October 2026 – Optimum Digital has announced that Kilim Home, an established Turkish carpet manufacturer serving international markets, has invested in its direct-to-carpet printing technology.
The move strengthens Kilim Home's production capabilities and marks a significant step forward in the company's ongoing embrace of innovation within digital carpet manufacturing.