Written by John Scrimshaw
The rush towards digital-textile signage shows no sign of slowing down, and any wide-format PSP keen to join this bandwagon needs to address several questions. Should it be UV pigment or dye-sub? And if dye-sub, should it be via transfer or direct? What do I need to know about fabric preparation and finishing? What do they really mean when they say that fabric, or a particular class of inks, is more sustainable?
That's why Digital Textile magazine is joining with FESPA to run a day's free programme in the Textile Talk Theatre at FESPA Digital, on Wednesday, February 22. We hope our speakers, including the cream of the print-machinery, inks and consultancy community, will help put these matters in perspective and give PSPs more confidence in their future investments.
Garment printers face a parallel set of questions. No one can deny the increasing take-up of direct-to-garment inkjet technology. Yet in the USA, which is ahead of Europe in this respect, a recent industry survey showed that still only a third of garment printers have moved into this area. What's the productivity equation, and what are the technical pros and cons of inkjet versus screen in the current state of print-head and ink development?
Whether your interest is garments or banners, the pace of technical development is such that the answers may change from month to month. But this event will offer a snapshot of today's state of industry and float some expert predictions of where it might go next.
To lead off the programme we have the invaluable insights of Dr John Provost, Technical Editor of Digital Textile and a leading global consultant in his own right. Bridging both the traditional textile and the imaging fields, he in uniquely placed to assess the scale of the penetration of digital printing into traditional markets and to see how developments in what often seem like separate worlds might affect each other. In the past two years the mainstream textile-printing market, whose business is mainly fashion and home furnishing, seems to have been racing towards ever higher print speeds, with the amazing MS-LaRio now achieving over 6,000 sqm/hour. Can any lessons be taken for the future flags and soft signage, or are such high speeds irrelevant to the industry's needs?
We hope PSPs and equipment suppliers alike will come along to hear the latest news and views – and perhaps to pose their own questions directly during the day's two panel sessions. The first, in the morning, will probe soft signage, while the second, in the afternoon, will focus on garment printing.
Digital Textile's contribution is just part of an extensive four-day programme in the Textile Talk Theatre, which will be in the FESPA Fabric section of the show. To see full details and timings, visit http://www.fespa.com/fabric/en/textile-talk-theatre.html.
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