The Digital Textile Printing Conference, held from Dec. 7-8 in Durham, North Carolina, wrapped a two-day event with one common theme: the printing industry is changing.

On Dec. 7, suppliers, manufacturers, print service providers (PSPs), apparel decorators, and more came together in North Carolina to explore the innovations in digital textile printing and what it means for the print industry. From banners to home décor, commercial packaging, and apparel, digital textile printing is clearly bringing to light a few growing trends in the industry.

The complete lineup of presenters on day one included:

• Business Growth and DTG – Victor Pena, Omniprint International
• Textile Industry Update: 2022 and Beyond – Johnny Shell, Keypoint Intelligence
• New Spot Color Library Optimization – Jim Raffel and Shelby Sapusek, ColorCasters LLC
• Décor-Print Story – Dee Dee Davis, Décor Print
• Empowering the Print Community to Better Understand the Interior Design Industry Panel – Adrienne Palmer (moderator), Big Picture; Alyssa McNamarra, Spoonflower; Michael Sanders, Digital Bias Consulting; Kathryn Sanders, Western Sensibility
• On Demand Direct Print – Stene Amitai, Greentex America
• Digital Product Passports – Lily Hogan, Toxnot.com
• How to Formulate Pigment Ink Jet Inks for Fashion and Apparel Applications – Scott Donovan, DuPont Industrial Solutions
• Computer to Screen Application for Garment Printing – Carle Blue, Clemson University

Day One: Textile Printing Sustainability

The conference explored sustainability in the printing industry.

Rising to the top of discussion on day one of the conference was sustainability. The first presentation, given by Victor Pena, founder and CEO of OmniPrint International, explored ways businesses can grow through digital print on demand. Pena touched on several key traits that successful businesses in today’s printing industry share, including becoming more sustainable through on-demand printing, which reduces waste in both textiles and processing/production.

Johnny Shell of Keypoint Intelligence also took the floor with some staggering numbers regarding global textile waste, which is the second largest polluter in the world behind energy. Shell pointed to several key innovations in digital equipment and other areas of technology that will help move toward improving those numbers.

As conversations continued throughout day one of the conference, another theme also became apparent: automation. Many presenters noted that digital textile printing allows for greater automation, leading to fewer touch points, more efficiency, and ultimately, less waste.

Day Two: Technology, New Revenue, and the Future

The second day explored innovations in technology, new areas for growth, and what the future holds for digital textile printing.

Opening up the discussions was Kathryn Sanders, founder and CEO of Western Sensibility, with “Digital Textile Printing as an Artistic Medium.” She spoke about the opportunity to build relationships with creatives in the artistic community. Sanders pointed out that digital textile printing opens up possibilities for artists when it comes to end-use products. She emphasized the importance of print service providers (PSPs) being collaborators rather than just printers.

Following Sanders’ presentation cam several that highlighted technology in the industry. From major developments in color matching to improvements in standard lighting, each one tied back to the main takeaway from day one: change.

Other presentations from the day included:

• Performing Color Process Control in Digital Textile Printing – Viktor Lazzeri, Barbieri Electronic
• TextileRGB (Fogra58)” the Overarching Digital Textile Working Space – Joe Tschudi, Tschudi Software Technology GmbH
• LED Lighting & Color Matching – How Textile Companies are Dealing with the Revolution – James Summers, JUST Normlicht Inc. & GL Optic
• Advancements in Digital Textile Manufacturing – Frank Henderson, Henderson Sewing
• How to Get the Best Fitting Apparel Using Today/Tomorrow Technologies – Daniel Watts and Julie Van der Sommen, Pattern Room Sales Pty Ltd

The day wrapped with a networking lunch, with much discussion centered around the final presentations. Attendees talked about innovations in automation and even robotics mean for the industry.

“I was very pleased with the conference,” says Ray Weiss, VP, eLearning & Certifications, PRINTING United Alliance. “Our steering committee worked hard to pull together an eclectic set of topics as we worked to appear to different communities — apparel decorators, designers for both fashion and home décor, and suppliers looking for trends to help with their decisions on products.”

Weiss notes that this year’s event was purposefully set up differently than years past. “This year was different than years past — intentionally — with the addition of networking breaks during the day so that people could connect with other attendees, our exhibitors and sponsors, and speakers to share information and experience.”