Digital Textile Printing Conference Highlighted Current Events, Challenges in the Industry

The event was co-sponsored by PRINTING United Alliance and AATCC. | Credit: Cassie Green

After COVID-19 pandemic restrictions forced last year’s event to go virtual, this year’s Digital Textile Printing conference was back in person in Raleigh, North Carolina. Held on December 8-9, and co-sponsored by PRINTING United Alliance and the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC), the event featured panels and presentations focusing on topics such as sustainability, color management, and print-on-demand in the digital textile printing space.

Kicking off the event was a greeting from Diana Wyman of AATCC and Ray Weiss of PRINTING United Alliance, who also welcomed members of the steering committee as the first panel. Steering committee members include:

• Ken Bach, Aberdeen Fabrics
• David Clark, Huntsman Textile Effects
• Hanna Frahm, Target (not in attendance)
• Kerry King, Spoonflower
• Katelyn Lee, Cotton Incorporated
• Alyssa McNamara, Spoonflower
• Mike Sanders, Digital Bias Consulting
• Kimmy Schenter, Nike (not in attendance)
• Lewis Shuler, Alpine Group (not in attendance)
• Hitoshi Ujiie, Thomas Jefferson University

According to Kerry King, the event took a few months to put together. “We typically meet in the spring to discuss the plan for the conference, including a call for papers and potential themes,” she said. “We meet regularly through the summer to review submissions and seek out additional speakers with the goal of having the program live by early September.”

The event featured panels and presentations focusing on topics such as sustainability, color management, and print-on-demand in the digital textile printing space. | Credit: Cassie Green

The first panel discussion set the bar when it came to relevant topics, with panelists touching on current events such as supply chain issues, challenges with sustainability, and what the future of digital textile printing looks like. “What we have seen in the past few years is growth in e-commerce with more people shopping online,” King pointed out during the panel.

Alyssa McNamara agreed, adding that the industry is seeing more localized and U.S.-based purchasing, with an emphasis on raw materials and manufacturing communication in the supply chain.

“People are looking at sustainability (recycling and organic sourcing),” added Mike Sanders during the opening panel. “We’re seeing less [focus on] ‘fast fashion’ where people are throwing away [textiles].”

Day one also featured presentations covering technologies spurring digital textile printing growth, soft signage, print and fabric trends, and more.

Of highlight for the day was a new presentation by young designers Myrna Gutierrez, MA^EN Studio; and Kaijie Chen. Both women spoke on their experience with digital textile printing, as well as the challenges they’re facing in today’s world of fashion.

Day two opened with several presentations discussing color, a topic that continues to present challenges in the world of print. After lunch, the discussion again turned to sustainability. The closing panel discussion featured heavy participation from the audience, as panelists offered their insights on sustainability from both an equipment viewpoint as well as on the supply chain side.

The conference wrapped up with a quick thank you from Weiss and Wyman. “While we considered the virtual program [last year] a success, it was wonderful to meet in person,” King added. “In-person programs enable us to create a full schedule of sessions, and we find that the networking opportunity that exists through face-to-face interaction is invaluable.”