Wide format printers with an interest in digital textile printing will find a rich seam of innovation and inspiration at FESPA Fabric 2014, part of FESPA Digital 2014 (Messe Munich, 20-23 May 2014). 

70 exhibitors will form a clearly defined FESPA Fabric trail through the exhibition floor, highlighting equipment, consumables and services targeted towards visitors with a focus on textile applications, from promotional products, home textiles to printed apparel. Exhibitors will be identified via a variety of means including onsite signage, the show catalogue as well as the online show directory.

Prominent hardware exhibitors on the FESPA Fabric trail include, Anajet, Brother, Epson, Kornit Digital, Mimaki, Mutoh, Roland and Reggiani. Visitors will also find a raft of exhibitors showing specialist textile substrates and inks, giving them access to a wealth of expertise to help them optimise their digital textile offering to customers.

The FESPA Fabric Hub: education, information, inspiration

The Fabric Hub will provide an obvious focal point for visitors to FESPA Digital 2014 whose interests lie in textile printing, offering a rich four-day programme of seminars, workshops and a showcase of multiple digital textile applications courtesy of Kornit Digital, alongside an area for networking.

FESPA Fabric sponsor Kornit Digital will lead daily ‘tips and tricks’ seminars for digital direct-to-garment printing, while colour expert Marco Olivotto will share his expertise on achieving consistent colour with textile substrates and inks each day of the show.

Professor Marc Van Parys of the University of Ghent will highlight new and recent developments in digital printing for different kinds of textile articles, as well as exploring recent innovations in the creation of new UV inks and lacquers tailor-made for digital textile printing.

Christopher Bernat of Vapor Apparel/Source Custom will focus on how printers can diversify into apparel printing with dye sublimation, with clear guidance on pricing and profitability. A second session with Bernat will look at the pros and cons of direct to garment versus dye sublimation, depending on application and customer base. 

Thomas Poetz will address the opportunity in home textiles in a German-language session, and visitors with an interest in textile homewares will also have the chance to hear from Debbie McKeegan, Creative Director of digital textile print specialist Digetex Group, about her company’s growth as a provider of graphics and home textiles.

Renowned industry consultant Sophie Matthews-Paul will also present a daily ‘Tech Time’ session, with tailored sessions on Fabric and Garment.

The commercial and technical sessions in the Hub are interspersed with research-led seminars from Smithers Pira and Catherine Cresswell of Infotrends, both exploring the trends in digital textile printing and finishing, and diving deeper into the range of processes, materials and ink types.

The full Fabric Hub programme, with session dates and times, can be found here.

Roz McGuinness, Divisional Director at FESPA comments: “The FESPA Fabric exhibitor trail - combined with the depth and breadth of technical and commercial expertise available in the Fabric Hub - will give visitors with any level of interest in digital textile printing a comprehensive overview of the technologies and consumables available, together with guidance on how to deploy them in their business to access new and profitable revenue streams.”

Roz continues: “At the last two FESPA Digital exhibitions in Hamburg and Barcelona, FESPA Fabric has been a ‘show within a show’, physically distinct from the main event. This year, we’ve been guided by feedback from visitors and exhibitors who felt that FESPA Fabric should be fully integrated with the FESPA Digital event, allowing visitors to both events to explore the full spectrum of digital textile printing applications, from promotional products and home textiles, to garments. Together, these features make FESPA Digital the must-visit event in 2014 for anybody with an interest in digital wide format print, regardless of market or application.”

Visitors pre-registered for FESPA Fabric will have free access to FESPA Digital and its co-located exhibition, European Sign Expo, including three further content Hubs – Digital, Wrap and Sign. 

Online pre-registration avoids the onsite entry fee of €35.00.