2018 has been a hectic and interesting year for our textile printing equipment business. Whilst the majority of new installations have been in Asia, we have seen trends developing that has seen a recovery in production requirements in Europe, especially in labelling for household & soft furnishings. There are changes, often in surprising directions. The long heralded decline of traditional printing methods for ribbons & narrow textiles has not only failed to materialise, but the opposite has in fact occurred. Letterflex/Flexographic/Silk Screen methodologies and technologies are still going strong – the latest design machines offering unparalleled flexibility and productivity to enterprising businesses.
However a new generation of Digital printing technologies are making an impact in wide web printing which will present opportunities for narrow ribbon & garment label printing. Wedded to digital printing technologies in a new generation of hybrid printing presses will evolve, Whatever else can be said of 2018,