In the world of print and signage, many key areas are driving the way in which businesses operate and are influencing the products they output. Sustainability, customisation, availability, and quality are all at the forefront of any product, but none more so than textiles. Sustainability may often seem like a buzz word or trend, but regardless of PR spins, eco-credentials are the driving force behind the majority of products and business practices today. The bad reputation of the fashion industry over the past few years has led to many headlines citing the sector as one of the world’s biggest pollutants. While publications such as The New York Times and environmental experts have debunked this theory, the statistics and behaviours surrounding fast fashion have been in dire need of change for a long time. This coupled with the increased popularity of e-commerce, customisation, and uniqueness has meant textile and garment printing has become more and more relevant. Due to the overlap of many sign-making practices, as well as the relationship between textiles and print, textile and garment printing has long been a lucrative area for those who supply the display industry. A recent example of this evolution can be found with Bristol-based business, 2601, which moved further into large-format textile printing with the investment of new technology from Mimaki and CMYUK. The company’s wish to bring textile printing in-house in order to provide large backdrops for film and TV meant investing in new equipment and materials. Research and training into textiles, and best practices meant the business was able to better bolster its output and provide new solutions for interior decoration, as well as large-format print. With many options available for businesses such as garment printing, wide-format textiles, and interior decoration, let’s look at the key advice and focus points to look into in 2023. Where to start? In order to better understand the technology and sectors of textile printing, it is also important to understand the trends and areas of growth in the marketplace. Alex Mighall, product marketing manager at R A Smart CAD & Machinery, has seen a variety of solutions and trends impact the industry thanks to the company’s knowledge of printing and the range of machinery it offers. FASHIONING THE FUTURE As fabric printing becomes more popular, with textiles used for solutions like wide-format and garment printing, what should you consider in this vast and potentially lucrative market? 37 TASTE FOR SUCCESS / TEXTILE AND GARMENT PRINT Kornit Digital Issue 245 - February / March 2023 email: news@signlink.co.uk
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