Image Courtesy of OEKOTEX
With more transparency into a more sustainable future - this is the guiding principle behind OEKO-TEX®'s commitment to responsible behavior by companies and consumers in the textile and leather world.
Above all, this includes testing and certification processes behind the OEKO-TEX® standards, which can provide security for companies in the supply chain involved in the production of textiles and leather articles.
And which in turn guarantee the highest level of consumer protection and sustainability for textiles and leather products.
At the start of the year, the OEKO-TEX® Association as usual updates the applicable test criteria, limit values and requirements for its range of certifications and labels.
All new regulations will finally come into force after a transition period on 1 April 2021.
“OEKO-TEX® aims to provide customers and partners with the best possible services and certifications.
For this reason, the test criteria for OEKO-TEX® standards are updated at least once a year based on new scientific information or statutory requirements.
A special project in 2021 will be the integration of the carbon and water footprint into our MADE IN GREEN label. “, explains Secretary General Georg Dieners. An overview of the most important changes and innovations is given below.
Recycled Materials In STANDARD 100 By OEKO-TEX®
In times of climate change and dwindling raw materials, there is an increased demand for fashion and textile products made of already used materials.
OEKO-TEX® has developed an approach to integrate recycled materials for greater sustainability as part of the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®.
This uniform approach requires a minimum amount of recycled material in an article, different test programs depending on the origin of the material and the definition of the necessary background information.
A hangtag informs consumers about recycling in the sense of a circular economy. Recycled materials are difficult to certify.
With their previous life, recycled materials pose different challenges than virgin material. For this reason, they are treated differently within the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® and receive a special mention in the scope of the certificate.
MADE IN GREEN And Step By OEKO-TEX®
Certifications are proving to be increasingly in demand - the sustainable label for textiles and leather articles MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX® is once again the strongest-growing OEKO-TEX® product.
Compared to the previous year, the number of valid labels rose by 267 percent from 1093 to 4010 (as at 31/12/2020).
OEKO-TEX®'s objective for 2021 is the systemic integration of the carbon and water footprint into the MADE IN GREEN label.
This will enable consumers to find out directly, by scanning the label of each product, what impact the manufacture of the respective article has on our ecosystem.
In order to evaluate the feasibility and examine how the carbon and water footprint can be incorporated as an integral part of the OEKO-TEX® portfolio, OEKO-TEX® has launched a pilot project at the end of 2019 in cooperation with CALIDA, a globally active supplier of underwear and nightwear clothing, and Quantis, a leading international sustainability company known for their metrics-based approach to sustainability.
The intention behind product labels is to guide consumers towards products with transparent information on their supply chain and produced by technologies with low environmental impacts.
Virtual Audits
OEKO-TEX® has introduced virtual assessments of production sites due to travel and contact restrictions imposed by COVID-19.
This applies to assessments for STANDARD 100 and LEATHER STANDARD by OEKO-TEX® as well as virtual on-site visits for STeP and ECO PASSPORT certifications.
New And Updated Limit Values
Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds (PFAS) are industrial chemicals that are mainly used in coatings for textiles such as outdoor clothing.
Based on a recent EU risk assessment, OEKO-TEX® has also changed its limit values for PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and salts as well as PFOA-related substances.
In ECO PASSPORT by OEKO-TEX® titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been added to the CAS number screening for respirable size particles.
In this context, STeP by OEKO-TEX® MRSL has also been expanded to include titanium dioxide (TiO2) for respirable sized particles. OEKO-TEX® has been part of a ZHDC team that recently published the first ZDHC White paper on air emissions.
As part of the harmonization process, OEKO-TEX® has tightened the Sulphur dioxide (SO2) limits for air emissions from solid and liquid fuels as part of STeP by OEKO-TEX®.
Overall, the strict requirements for residues in textile materials also lead to a lower impact on the environment, employees and consumers.
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.
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?
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.
Frankfurt am Main, Germany – 27 October 2026 – Heimtextil, the international trade fair for home and contract textiles, has announced the launch of the Functional Futures Lab, a new showcase curated in partnership with Future Fabrics Expo.
Taking place from 12 to 15 January 2027 in Hall 4.1, the exhibition will spotlight materials engineered to meet the evolving functional demands of architecture, interior design and hospitality, from thermal regulation to flame resistance and durability.
The Functional Futures Lab will present both visionary prototypes and commercially available solutions, with each exhibit's stage of development made transparent through Technology Readiness Levels
Shanghai, People's Republic of China – October 2026 – KARL MAYER will present a comprehensive portfolio of advanced warp knitting and warp preparation technologies at ITMA ASIA 2026, taking place from 20 to 24 November at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) in Shanghai.
The company's presence spans two exhibition halls, with warp knitting innovations on display in Hall 4.1, Booth C18, and warp preparation solutions featured in Hall 3, Booth
Bolzano, Italy – 26 October 2026 – Durst will participate as Leading Sponsor at Viscom 2026, taking place on 28 and 29 October at Allianz MiCo Milan.
In the year marking its 90th anniversary, the South Tyrolean company returns to the leading event for the Italian visual communication market with a new format, a new location, and the Italian debut of a new printing technology.
Durst's presence at Viscom underscores the company's commitment to maintaining close dialogue with customers, prospects, and industry professionals.
Clay Cross – UK – July 2026 – Resolute highlights its new DTF Pneumatic Twin Platen Heat Press, a professional-grade heat press designed to help print shops increase output, improve consistency, and reduce downtime across high-volume production runs.
The machine's dual-platen design allows operators to prepare the next garment while the current one is being pressed, significantly reducing idle time and increasing throughput.
This makes it particularly well-suited to print shops running large direct-to-film (DTF) and transfer print operations, where speed and consistency are critical.
Pattern Room Launches New Pattern Room Experience, Making Online Design-to-Pattern Faster Than Ever
Victoria, Australia, 27/10/2026 – Pattern Room, the online pattern-making studio founded by Australian pattern maker Julia Watts, today announced the launch of its updated platform, introducing a new guided design pathway, an in-house sampling service, and an expanded catalogue of styles for apparel businesses worldwide.
The update is designed to make it faster and easier for designers, garment technicians, and manufacturers to move from concept to production-ready pattern, without the friction that has traditionally slowed the early stages of garment development.
Athens , Greece – 23 October 2026 – UFABRIK has extended its European distribution network into Greece with the appointment of TSEKMERES GS, an established supplier to the country's textile, screen and large-format digital printing industries.
The agreement brings UFABRIK's digital textile portfolio to a market where UV and Latex technologies remain dominant, but where dye-sublimation is emerging as a significant area of potential growth.
The partnership will focus on providing high-quality textiles for silicone edge graphics (SEG) applications, alongside a wider substrate offering for the Greek market.
São Paulo, Brazil – October 2026 – FESPA has announced that FESPA Brasil 2027 will take place from 1 – 4 March in the Blue and White Pavilions of Expo Center Norte, São Paulo.
The leading digital printing exhibition will bring together the sector's biggest global players to showcase the latest solutions across packaging, textiles, signage, and personalised products.
As one of the most visited exhibitions organised by FESPA, FESPA Brasil 2027 will give visitors access to complete solutions and technological innovations spanning print shops, packaging and labels, textile printing, personalised products, 3D printing, and signage and wide format, among other sectors
New York City, USA, October, 2026 – NedGraphics, a global leader in textile and apparel design software, today announced the official launch of NedGraphics 2027, a major software release designed to bring creativity, technology, and production closer together through a more connected and flexible digital ecosystem.
At the center of NedGraphics 2027 is OPTINEDCloud, a new cloud storage and asset management environment integrated across key NedGraphics applications.
OPTINEDCloud gives design, approval, and production teams a centralized space to store, organize, visualize, share, and manage product development files.
Mönchengladbach, Germany – Monforts will showcase its latest advances in finishing, coating and energy-efficient processing at India ITME 2026, as the region's textile manufacturers increasingly look beyond volume production towards higher-value fabrics.
The German finishing machinery specialist will exhibit in Greater Noida , India at stand A5 in Hall 1 from December 4-9.
Milan, Italy – October 22nd 2026 – Agfa Inkjet Solutions today announced it will present its award-winning Jeti Bronco H3300 HS live at Viscom Italia 2026, taking place 28–29 October at the Allianz MiCo Convention Center.
Visitors can see the hybrid wide-format printer in action at Stand 8 B17/C20, where Agfa will demonstrate its capabilities for sign and display businesses seeking greater productivity without compromising on image quality.
The 3.3-metre Bronco H3300 HS delivers print speeds of up to 450 m²/h while maintaining high image quality, combining the flexibility to handle both rigid and roll media in a single hybrid platform.
Berlin, Germany – 21 October 2026 – NVIDIA today announced that Europe's leading ecosystem partners are adopting the NVIDIA DSX™ AI Factory Platform to build AI factories that minimise water consumption for cooling and use less power for the same AI output.
The platform also helps partners bring new capacity online faster and adapt workload power consumption to support grid reliability.
NVIDIA DSX is a full-stack AI factory reference architecture, co-innovated with the world's leading infrastructure companies, in which compute, networking, storage, software, power and cooling are codesigned as one system.
East Sussex, UK – October 2026 – Vivid Laminating Technologies has announced that Pureprint Group, a leading print and marketing services business, has selected its multi award-winning Veloblade technology for use across its operations.
The decision underscores a shared commitment to innovation and efficiency within the print industry.
Imst – Ostreich – October 2026 – DyStar, a global leader in textile chemistry and innovative solutions, has announced its pivotal role in helping Textildruck Imst (TDI) achieve successful certification of the German "Multitarn" camouflage print.
The achievement, reached within a matter of months despite an ambitious timeline and exceptionally stringent requirements, enabled production to commence on schedule as part of a strategic collaboration with Getzner Textil.
The certification process demanded rigorous standards across colour performance, durability, infrared signature, and safety compliance.
From the outset, DyStar supported TDI by supplying the necessary products, technical expertise, and hands-on application support required to meet these demanding benchmarks.
Milan, Italy – October 2026– Epson will present its latest advancements in signage, UV printing and textile customisation at VISCOM 2026, taking place at Allianz MiCo Milan on 28-29 October.
Visitors can find Epson at Gate 3, Stand G14, where the company's specialists will demonstrate how its newest technologies are helping businesses expand into high-value applications through superior print quality and precise colour management.
As visual communication and personalisation markets continue to evolve at pace, Epson is positioning itself at the forefront of that change.
Leicester, UK – October 2026 – VeriVide is an official RAL Distributor in the United Kingdom, giving UK designers, specifiers and manufacturers direct access to the complete range of RAL colour standard products.
The appointment reinforces VeriVide's commitment to supporting the architecture, interior design, and industrial design sectors with reliable, globally recognised tools for accurate colour communication.
South Normanton – UK – October 2026 – Sun Chemical, a global leader in printing inks, coatings, and pigments, today reinforced the importance of looking beyond colour when selecting dyes for printing inks, urging formulators and manufacturers to weigh performance data alongside colour accuracy to achieve reliable, long-lasting results.
While colour remains a defining factor in dye selection, Sun Chemical emphasises that performance properties are equally critical to a dye's overall suitability for an application.
These include lightfastness, which is shaped by dye concentration, binder composition, substrate, and testing conditions; resistance properties, such as bleed resistance and over-lacquering resistance; and migration behaviour, which can vary depending on the substrate, coating, and storage conditions.
United Kingdom – October 2026 – Textile Skills Centre has announced a new Design to Print Competition in partnership with Prinfab, the UK's leading digital fabric printer.
The competition invites UK schoolchildren aged 5 to 18 to submit original textile designs or artwork for the chance to see their work professionally printed onto fabric.
The initiative aims to give young designers a tangible, industry-standard outcome for their creative work, while introducing them to the practical realities of textile design and digital printing.
Telford, UK – October 2026 – Ricoh UK has announced the return of Print Evolution Live, its flagship industry event, for a fourth consecutive year.
Taking place on 10-11 November 2026 at Ricoh's Telford site, the event will once again bring together leaders from across the print sector to explore the strategic shifts shaping the industry's future.
Karachi – Pakistan – October 2026 – ZIMMER AUSTRIA successfully concluded its participation at IGATEX PAKISTAN 2026, one of the region's leading exhibitions for textile and garment technology.
The event highlighted a growing shift among Pakistani manufacturers toward high-value technical textile production, a trend that aligns closely with ZIMMER AUSTRIA's innovative solutions.
Throughout the exhibition, ZIMMER AUSTRIA demonstrated the capabilities of its #magnoroll and #colaris technologies, both designed to support manufacturers moving into advanced technical textile segments, including coating, printing, and specialty fabric production.
Southend – Essex – October 2026 – Vivid Laminating Technologies Ltd has announced the successful installation of its multi award-winning VeloBlade Nexus cutting system at Guardian Exhibition and Display, a leading name in the exhibition and display industry.
The installation, completed last week, equips Guardian Display with one of the most advanced cutting solutions available, reinforcing the sector's ongoing shift towards greater automation and precision.
Uxbridge, UK – October 2026 – Perfect Colours will host a Celebration in Colour event on Thursday 5 November at the Xerox UK IC Centre in Uxbridge, giving attendees a first-hand look at the new Proficio colour presses in action.
The event will showcase the capabilities of the Proficio range, with live demonstrations featuring a striking collection of fluorescent colours designed to push the boundaries of what print professionals can achieve with colour technology.