New opportunities in textile printing – highlights from day 1 of FIT 2021: Printed Clothing

From 9 – 10 June 2021, FESPA hosted its second FESPA Innovations and Trends (FIT) live virtual event which highlighted the latest technologies and opportunities for print in the apparel and fashion market.

Over 700 visitors from 108 countries attended the event to hear from experts and print professionals. The two-day programme was designed to inspire and uncover new ways to meet the ever-evolving demands of textile production.

Whether it’s drop-shipping, web-2-print, overheads reduction or productivity-boosting, you’ll find inspiration in the FIT sessions. In this article, we’ve included an overview of the panel discussions and presentations from the first day of the event. Simply click on the links to take you straight to the relevant session.   

Opening the event sessions, FESPA’s Technical Lead and Head of Associations, Graeme Richardson-Locke led a panel discussion with printers from across the globe as they shared their thoughts on the latest developments in garment decoration.

In a session called ‘Take It to the Max’, Kornit’s Chief Marketing Officer, Omer Kulka talked about the company’s latest innovations in digital printing.

Simon Landau, Director of Global Strategic Partners at PrintFactory, revealed how the company’s industrial textile and DTG solutions can be used to maximise productivity in the creation, distribution and production of textiles and garments.

Sales Director, Vincent Zheng from Flora, walked attendees through the company’s full print portfolio encompassing textile, packaging and labels.

Business Development Manager, Jerry Erich and EU Manager, Roderick Verweij from DTG Digital inspired audiences, encouraging them to expand their product offering by applying DTG technology to more than just t-shirt design and discussed how textile printers can leverage opportunities for growth by integrating personalisation into their offering.

With sustainability high on the event’s agenda and a vital consideration for the future of textile production, Stefano Fabozzi, Product Manager at Coveme, explained the advantages of opting for digital and sustainable heat transfer films to achieve high quality, next-generation hybrid print.

Frens Peters, CEO of Lotus Holland spoke of the vital importance of screen preparation and cleaning to achieve high-quality finished output.

Robert Verhagen, International Sales Representative of Sport Print Lab talked about the latest trends and how the company is thriving thanks to today’s print technology.

Highlighting new opportunities with heat transfer vinyl, Marco Pigato, Managing Director of B-Flex summarised some helpful tips and techniques that’ll help you to take advantage of this print technique in his session entitled ‘Tools for Creatives’.

To maximise production potential and find affordable solutions in screen printing and DTG, Marketing Coordinator of Vastex, Paul Zingone, shared his production-boosting, cost-cutting techniques and knowledge with attendees.

Throughout the day, visitors also had the opportunity to network and attend a series of product demonstrations that showed the new technologies in action.

In the coming year, as we face new challenges and adapt to continuous change, these insights and new product innovations will be invaluable to print professionals. As ever, FESPA and its exhibitors are here to support you, giving you direction and guidance on how to be resilient and plan your recovery.

To access the full playlist of videos from FESPA Innovations and Trends 2021 – Printed Clothing, visit here.

Interested in finding out more about the latest solutions in textile printing? At FESPA Global Print Expo 2021, we’re connecting visitors with a broad spectrum of exhibitors. Europe's leading exhibition for screen and digital wide format print, textile printing and signage. Discover the latest products, network with like-minded individuals and explore new business opportunites. Register now and use promo code FESH101 ​to receive a discount of 30 euros.