With textile print gaining ground, FESPA 2017 Mexico edition, to be held from September 21-23 in Mexico City, will offer a first-hand experience of latest products from top brands in the industry.

One such company to feature at the Mexican event is Kornit Digital. The Vulcan from Kornit Digital is targeted at screen printers that produce collections and short runs for retail use and promotional purposes. Lea Duckwitz, Regional Marketing Manager EMEA at Kornit Digital, describes the textile print sector as an ‘ever-evolving’ market and, from the point of view of both a manufacturer and print company, keeping track is a ‘non-stop job’.

The industry now needs the tools to enable companies to become online business enablers. That is how they will be able to meet increasing demand for short-run turnarounds and customize and personalie requirements, while at the same time remain versatile and sustainable. Kornit’s has identified two key trends in textile prints, mass customisation and professionalisation of workflow and job management solutions.

New launches in the offing

Launched at FESPA 2017, earlier this year, the Storm Duo is a direct-to-garment printing system that has 16 print heads in a double CMYK configuration, a productivity of over 200 prints per hour, and is well suited for producing light garments. Meanwhile, the heavy-duty Vulcan is targeted at screen printers producing collections and short runs for retailers and promotional purposes.

Another leading brand featured at FESPA Mexico this year is Epson, which, like Mutoh, has a number of textile print options on offer to the market. Heather Kendle, Market Development Manager, Epson Europe says they have seen increasing call for on-demand, customised and personalised fashion and interior decor. Digital processes can print on synthetic as well as natural fibres and they have seen huge strides in the range of polyester-based materials, many convincingly simulating the look and feel of natural products such as cotton, silk, satin or leather. Polyester-based materials are required for the dye sublimation process and can achieve really top quality results, even with complex design.

Some textile print solutions from Epson are: SC-F9200 and SC-F7200 64-inch models from the Epson SureColor SC-F series, suitable for low to medium production. Epson also offers the 44-inch SC-F6200, which it said is ideal for more flexible production environments.

Trendsetting equipment

Another major manufacturer with a strong presence in textile print sector is Mutoh. They will feature at FESPA Mexico this year. Nick Decock, Commercial Marketing Manager at Mutoh Belgium, there is a clear shift from centralised production and stocking of prints made with analogue equipment towards local and on-demand production of digitally printed textiles, specifically linked to the key benefits of digital inkjet technology. There is also a new trend towards direct printing on natural fibres like cotton using water based pigmented inks for applications such as home furnishings, upholstery and fast fashion. One of the advantages of water-based pigmented inks is that prints only need to be fixated after printing, making the manufacture process a lot shorter and easier.

Digital printing has now reached a good level of maturity with regards technology, quality and print speeds, which have are acceptable for traditional textile printers for their short run needs.

This year’s upcoming FESPA Mexico edition has much more in store. Being held at the Centro Citibanamex in Mexico City, the event will see visitors from across the Latin America region as they seek to learn more about latest solutions from various areas of the wider print industry. Visitors will have access to a series of informative seminars that are designed to offer valuable insight into key topics, while the event will also play host to the Mexican round of the FESPA World Wrap Masters.