When it all started, except for those immediately connected within the value chain, printing was not something many cared about. It was neither a priority area, nor seen as something that separated the wheat from the chaff.
But both priorities and perspectives have changed in this millennium, and this is 2022. Today's realities are stark and, possibly ruthless. Now, if the printing, be it screen or digital, is not classy, or not sustainably carried out, a number of players in the printing sector can find themselves out of business—printer manufacturers, software developers, ink producers, and a host of others.
The realities might seem to be the same as in any other business—move with the times (preferably ahead of it) or get left behind. But those actualities get accentuated in this industry because textiles printing is not just that, but is a tad bit more. It is a lot about finesse and sophistication.
The place to visit, not only to see what's trending but also to plan ahead, is FESPA Global Print Expo. The 2022 edition got under way yesterday (31 May) in Berlin. As the FESPA website says in simple language, the venue would be where "key industry suppliers will come together to showcase the latest developments in wide format, digital, offset, textile, and direct-to-garment printing, as well as embroidery, signage and much more." Kind of sums it up.