AVA CAD/CAM Reveals Top 10 to Watch 2026 ─ Celebrating the Next Generation of Textile Design Talent
London, UK – August 2026 – AVA CAD/CAM, a leading provider of design software and solutions for the textile and fashion industry, has announced its highly anticipated Top 10 to Watch 2026 list, recognising ten outstanding graduating textile designers from universities across the United Kingdom.
This year's selection process proved particularly competitive, with the standard of work described as exceptional across the board.
In recognition of the remarkable quality on display, AVA awarded two overall winners for the first time: Rome Bullman of Falmouth University and Iris Andrews of Birmingham City University.
The remaining eight designers selected span institutions including Glasgow School of Art, Nottingham Trent University, Edinburgh College of Art, and Bath Spa University, among others.
The 2026 edition of New Designers also marked a significant milestone for the exhibition itself, bringing both exhibition weeks together into a single, unified creative showcase for the first time.
The result was a rich and diverse display of disciplines, with themes of sustainability, craftsmanship, and material innovation sitting alongside digital experimentation.
Debbie Buchan, Director at AVA CAD/CAM, commented on the selection process: "We're looking for that spark – sometimes it's technical excellence, sometimes it's brave thinking."
AVA's Top 10 to Watch initiative is designed to bridge the gap between graduating designers and the wider creative industry.
As a company that works closely with both universities and businesses, AVA is uniquely positioned to champion emerging talent at the critical early stages of their careers.
The list is accompanied by in-depth interviews with each selected designer, offering insight into their collections, creative processes, and professional ambitions.
The ten designers named in this year's list are Rome Bullman, Iris Andrews, Emily Hodgson, Grace Holden, Sarah Davies, Maia McLaren, Lily Minor, Amy Holmes, Harriet Letts, and Ella Blow.
Full designer profiles and interviews are available via the AVA CAD/CAM website.
About AVA Software
AVA have been creating software to facilitate the design and production of decorative print for use on Apple® Macs® for almost as long as they have been around.
AVA today is structured in two (overlapping) groups. One group focuses on the particular needs and challenges of printing onto textiles (Fashion, Home Furnishing), while the other specialises in the challenges of decorative printing onto other ‘Surfaces’ (Flooring, Wallcoverings, Ceramics).
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.
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Bacup – Lancashire-August 2026 – Super Wide-Digital, a family-run trade digital print company based in the North West of England, has confirmed its participation in The Print Show 2026.
The company will exhibit at stand P440, positioned at the heart of Hall 1 at the NEC, marking a significant step in its ongoing commitment to connecting with trade and creative professionals across the industry
Shawnee, KS – August , 2026 – Nazdar Ink Technologies today announced the appointment of Edward (Ed) Baiden as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective 8th September 2026.
The appointment marks a significant milestone for Nazdar as the company builds on its century-long legacy and charts a course for its next chapter of growth and innovation across the global printing industry.
From September 23 – 25, at PRINTING United 2026 (Las Vegas Convention Center), Kongsberg and MultiCam will showcase how connected production workflows enhance precision, productivity, and scalability across print, display, packaging and signage applications.
London, UK – 20 August 2026 – AVA CAD/CAM, a leading provider of design software and solutions for the textile and fashion industry, has announced its highly anticipated Top 10 to Watch 2026 list, recognising ten outstanding graduating textile designers from universities across the United Kingdom.
The announcement follows AVA's attendance at New Designers, the annual exhibition showcasing the UK's most promising creative graduates
Roland DG South Africa has announced it will launch the new TrueVis VG4-540 and VG4-640 eco-solvent print and cut devices at the FESPA Africa and Sign Africa Expo.
The event is taking place from 8-10 September 2026, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, at Gallagher Convention Centre.
Altrincham – Cheshire – August 2926 – Friedmans Ltd, a UK-based textile manufacturer and digital printing specialist, has announced the expansion of its wholesale stretch fabric and digital printing services, offering designers, brands, and businesses an accessible route to fully customised fabric solutions with low minimum order quantities and fast turnaround times.
Frankfurt, Germany – August 2026 – Heimtextil, one of the world's leading trade fairs for home and contract textiles, has announced its return to Messe Frankfurt GmbH from 12 to 15 January 2027.
The event will once again transform its iconic home base into a showcase of the finest in woven, stitched, and draped textiles, reaffirming its position as the definitive gathering point for the global textile industry.
Rooted in the philosophy that everything starts at home, Heimtextil's return to Messe Frankfurt is a celebration of origins — both for the fair itself and for the broader world of interior textiles.
Derby – Derbyshire – UK – August 2026 – Vivid Laminating Technologies Ltd is pleased to announce that EBI Creative Print (Easibind International Ltd) has acquired not one, but two Veloblade Nexus cutting systems, reinforcing its position as one of the UK's most comprehensively equipped print facilities.
The purchase was made in partnership with Soyang Europe.
Goyang-si, South Korea – August 2026 – BARBIERI electronics, a leading innovator in colour measurement solutions, is set to exhibit at K-Print Korea, where the company will demonstrate its flagship Spectro LFP qb spectrophotometer at Booth L502.
Cape Town – South Africa – August 2026 – NUtec Digital Ink has announced that its Quartz Q50-HYB UV-curable hybrid ink has been awarded GREENGUARD Gold Certification and is now listed in the UL Spot database.
The certification marks a significant milestone in the company's ongoing commitment to developing high-performance ink solutions that meet the highest standards for environmental responsibility.
Tirana, Albania – August 2026 – Kridia ArtPrinting Solutions, an Albanian print and interior décor specialist, has announced its adoption of Roland DG's Dimense textured printing technology, positioning the company as the only provider of locally produced, custom embossed wallpaper in Albania.
By integrating the Dimense DA-640, the Dimense Module, and Roland DG Connect Designer into its production workflow, Kridia has significantly improved design efficiency, creative output, and turnaround times across its interior décor projects.
Echbolsheim – France – August 2026 – Caldera has announced that its Direct-to-Film software now supports the Brother DTRX100, one of the most advanced integrated direct-to-film (DTF) production systems available on the market today.
The development extends Caldera's growing portfolio of compatible DTF devices, offering print professionals greater flexibility in their choice of production hardware.
The Brother DTRX100 is a 32-inch roll-to-roll DTF printer engineered for high-volume, continuous production environments.
Rock Hill - SC – August 17, 2026 – SDL Atlas, a global leader in textile testing instruments, has announced the launch of the Vortex Elite, the most advanced instrument in its trusted Vortex series of AATCC Monograph wash testing equipment.
Building on the proven performance of the Vortex M6 and Vortex Plus, the Vortex Elite delivers high-precision, automatic dispensing of multiple liquid components, setting a new benchmark for accuracy, repeatability, and efficiency in textile wash testing.
Birmingham, UK – August 2026 – Epson has announced its participation in The Print Show and The Sign Show 2026, taking place from 29 September to 1 October at the NEC Birmingham.
Visitors to the Epson stand will have the opportunity to explore the company's latest professional printing technologies through live demonstrations, gaining direct insight into how UV, Direct-to-Film (DTF), dye-sublimation and signage solutions can unlock new revenue streams and support business growth.
Raleigh – NC – Aigust 2026 - North Carolina State University has been chosen to lead a 10-year Department of War initiative aimed at modernizing textile manufacturing in the United States to support the defense industry.
The FutureTEX award – which includes $36 million in its first year and has a ceiling of $480 million over a decade – brings together industry, government, university and nonprofit partners to advance manufacturing technologies of textiles for military and domestic applications.
London, UK – August 2026 – UK-based sign and graphics specialist Signs Express has successfully delivered a striking retail installation for the England World Cup Fanatics Shop Experience on London's iconic Carnaby Street, using a range of printable media and laminates from global adhesive media manufacturer Drytac.
Reken – Germany – August 2026 – FabricVision GmbH, a textile and fabric solutions company, has announced a significant operational milestone, marking nearly one year of intensive infrastructure development with the installation of a sign outside its warehouse facility.
While the sign itself may appear modest, it represents the culmination of a year defined by substantial investment and operational transformation
Mexico City, Mexico – August 2026 – HP Graphic Arts has announced its participation in FESPA Mexico 2026, taking place from 10–12 September at Centro Banamex, Mexico City.
The HP Large Format team will be on-site to present its latest advancements in HP Latex and HP DesignJet technologies, offering print professionals a firsthand look at the future of large format printing.
FESPA Mexico is one of Latin America's foremost events for the print and visual communications industry, drawing together professionals, partners, and businesses seeking to stay ahead of an increasingly competitive market
Bracknel – Berkshire - August 2026 – UFABRIK, a leader in high-performance textile solutions, today highlights one of its latest innovation: the UFabrik Opaque Textile ECO.
Engineered for retail, events, exhibitions, banners, and soft signage applications, this groundbreaking blockout textile sets a new standard for sustainable, high-quality print media.
The UFabrik Opaque Textile ECO has been developed to deliver ultimate colour reproduction with both UV and Latex inks.
SOUTH NORMANTON, UK – August 2026 – Sun Chemical, a leading producer of printing inks, coatings, and supplies, has announced its participation in the 27th International Advertising Industry and Digital Printing Technologies Exhibition, SIGN İstanbul.
The company will exhibit at Hall 5, Booth 5C09, where it will present its latest innovations across textile printing, graphics, and packaging solutions to industry professionals from across the region.
Soyang Europe has strengthened its hardware team with the appointments of Andy Webb as Commercial Director and Ian Windebank as Wide-Format Print Specialist.
Both join Soyang with immediate effect, bringing decades of combined experience across print technology, hardware sales, customer support and the wider print industry.
Milano, Italy – August 2026 – Viscom Italia, the leading international trade fair for visual communication and the sign industry, has announced that Hyper Personalisation 2.0 will be a defining theme at its upcoming 2026 edition.
The event will take place on 28th and 29th October at Allianz MiCo Milano, bringing together industry professionals to explore the technologies and trends reshaping the future of print and visual communications.
Hyper Personalisation 2.0 marks a significant evolution in how the printing industry approaches customer engagement
Liverpool – UK – August 2026 – Hobs Repro, the UK's largest independent print network, has selected Razar, produced by Vivid Laminating Technologies Ltd, as part of its continued commitment to innovation and industry-leading service delivery.
The partnership marks a significant milestone for both organisations, bringing together two of the print industry's most forward-thinking names.
El Reno, Oklahoma – August 2026 – Trans-Tech, LLC, an AAR-M-1003 compliant railroad graphics manufacturer and the largest user of premium vinyl in the Southwest, has built its reputation on a straightforward promise: same-day railcar markings, every day.
Powered by a floor of over 20 Summa roll cutters, the El Reno-based company has upheld that standard for two decades, keeping North America's railcars compliant and on the move.
Hanover, Germany – August, 2026 – ColorGATE has announced its participation in the DIPA Workshop – Digital Manufacturing Toolbox, taking place on 15 September 2026 at Kursaal Stuttgart.
The half-day workshop, running from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, will bring together leading experts from across the digital manufacturing value chain ahead of Surface in Motion 2026.
Faversham – Kent - August 2026 – Prinfab, a UK-based print-on-demand textile company, has revealed how the industrial Monna Lisa ML-8000 printer sits at the heart of its high-quality, fast-turnaround production model.
By leveraging one of the textile industry's most advanced digital printing systems, Prinfab is removing the barriers that have long prevented independent designers and entrepreneurs from accessing commercial-grade fabric printing.
Nottingham – UK – August 2026 – Tennants UK, a specialist number plate manufacturer, has announced the installation of a second VeloBlade Nexus digital cutting system, significantly expanding its in-house production capabilities.
The investment is designed to meet growing demand from dealership groups, increase manufacturing capacity, and strengthen supply chain resilience.
Spilsby, Lincolnshire,- August 2026 - Countryside Art, a producer of premium bags and kitchen textiles, has announced its commitment to printing exclusively onto 100% cotton across its entire product range.
Central to this commitment is the Mimaki TX330, a high-performance textile printer that delivers the colour consistency and vibrancy that both the brand and its customers demand.
Green Bay, Wis. — August 2026 — BW Converting will introduce textile manufacturers to the capabilities of its Baldwin TexCoat® G4 precision spray finishing system at the 33rd Apparel Sourcing Show, taking place Aug. 18–20 at the Tikal Futura Convention Center in Guatemala City.
The company will participate through its local agent, Maprimaq, at booths 25 and 26.
Soyang Europe, a leading manufacturer and distributor of digitally printable wide-format and superwide-format media, surface coverings and advanced print production hardware solutions, has underlined its long-term commitment to its partnership with Platinum Technologies LIYU by making a major investment in new customer facilities and technical expertise.