That’s it. The summer season is well and truly over. Those of you lucky enough to go on holiday have returned and things are really starting to pick up again (not that I thought it ever got particularly quiet!). As such, this month is another jam-packed issue, bursting at the seams with information, news and topical features.

A new sports and leisurewear clothing brand for the promotional and print wear sector called Coolactive has been launched by the group behind premium performance fabric Coolmax. Originally developed to meet the needs of top class athletes, the Coolmax brand has been well established in the sports and retail sector for the last 17 years and is used in the manufacture of sportswear, leisurewear, workwear and underwear.

The J&B Sewing Machine Co has been appointed by Brother as a UK distributor for the Brother GT-541 Digital Garment Printer. With the massive increase in interest in digital garment printing, the Brother GT-541 is already proving itself as the number one choice for discerning users, said J&B.

The Quayside Group has bought the assets of SAF UK Ltd, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of ethical and organic clothing. SAF offers quality organic clothing, which is traceable back to the farm where it is produced, and contributes directly to the sustainable development of the farming communities, said the group.

Brother has launched a new semi-commercial embroidery machine and range of accessories to help embroidery businesses and keen hobbyists increase productivity.

Following heavy investment in stock, Mantis World has reduced air freight from its Tanzanian factory by over 80% this year as part of an ongoing programme to reduce the company’s carbon footprint. MD Prama Bhardwaj said: “In 2006/07 we invested in over 2 million stock garments to reduce the need for last minute airfreights.

Excellence awards

There’s still time to enter the 2008 Printwear & Promotion Excellence Awards. In order to give more companies a chance to enter this inaugural event, the deadline for entries has been extended to Friday, November 30.

Continental Clothing has been awarded Soil Association accreditation, making it one of only two blank T-shirt brands licensed as suppliers of authentic organic garments in the UK. The company was awarded the accreditation from the UK’s organic certification body following an audit on September 6 and will now label its garments with the Soil Association's organic certification mark.

Beechfield has added the B42b Junior Hi-Viz Knitted Hat to its school uniform ranges. The hat, in 100% softfeel acrylic, incorporates twin horizontal stripes that are knitted from an advanced yarn incorporating 3M high visibility reflective thread.

Personal protective equipment (PPE), workwear and corporate clothing supplier Arco has bought a large-scale garment decoration business in Fulwood, Lancashire. The business, previously owned and operated by CCM (a subsidiary of Johnsons Service Group), is the largest facility of its kind in the UK, incorporating premises of 56,000 sq ft and a workforce of 135 people.

August proved an eventful month in the Premiership.Wayne Rooney’s injury has put him out for at least two months and Sven Goran Erikkson’s Manchester City topped the table for a short while. In the Gamegear Fantasy League (as in the Premiership) things are quite close as so few games have been played so far.

T-shirt and Sons, the UK’s only organic Soil Association certified textile printer, has won an exhibition space at the RITE Group conference on Eco-textiles, which takes place on October 10 in London.

As winter approaches Gustav Daiber GmbH presents its new Winter All Stars catalogue, offering everything from jackets to scarves and hats.

The catalogue includes details on the James & Nicholson Bonded Fleece Jacket (JN 139), the 3 in 1 Jacket (JN 103), and matching Myrtle Beach caps, hats, and beanies. Other accessories include the Microfleece Gloves, Cap, Scarf, Headband and Bag.

Technical seminars on embroidery, printing and flocking; fashion shows every day, a special show on workflow in digital textile printing and the Marketplace for Textile Licences are just some of the highlights of the forthcoming trade fair TV Textilveredlung & Promotion.

Specialist headwear and bag supplier The Marketing Worx has been sold to former promotional products distributor Malcolm Watson for an undisclosed sum. The sale will enable The Marketing Worx to become a major force in the supply of promotional headwear and bags in the UK and EU, said Malcolm Watson.

Promotional bag specialist Kan is changing the shape of promotional marketing this season with the launch of its latest range of custom-shaped bags and decorations. Kan has taken the traditional Christmas star and created a different and eye-catching bag. It has also produced a pyramid-shaped bag that can hang as a Christmas decoration.

Green and eco-friendly promotional firm Eco Incentives has introduced a range of Jute bags. Manufactured from a sustainable plant fibre, the Jute bag is natural, ethical, reusable and biodegradable and available in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours.

Promotional apparel company B&C has launched two new models to its sweatshirts range, which is designed using Perfect Sweat Technology (PST). The B&C Spider for men offers a modern cut for a “chic-urban” attitude, said the company. Subtle detailing includes full metal zip-up, 2X2 ribbed collar, cuffs and borders; top stitching and side pockets, all of which “give this model the stylish look required by today’s modern man”.

The 2008 Trade Only National Show for the promotional products industry is already 80% sold, according to organisers. The show will again be held at the Ricoh Arena Coventry on January 29 and 30, moving from March due to popular demand.

Promotional and souvenir firm Intenational Insignia recently produced a range of merchandise for two exhibitions the National Galleries of Scotland – Picasso and Andy Warhol. Printed T-shirts were produced for both, and camouflage caps were made for the Warhol exhibition – even receiving a mention in an article in the Metro newspaper.

EthicStar is offering a fitted ladies’ hooded zipper jacket printed all over with bright neon stars. The garment is available from stock and can be decorated further using screen printing or embroidery. All over printed garments are available from stock in other designs, such as woodland camouflage, urban camouflage, desert camouflage, DIGI camo and stripes.

Firebrand Promotions has launched a calendar with flatter factor – each one can be customised to a person, featuring their name throughout.

Days that are important to the person, such as birthdays, conferences or product launches can also be highlighted.

There is still time to enter the Printwear & Promotion Excellence Awards 2008. For the inaugural event we have decided to extend the entry deadline to Friday, November 30 to give as many companies as possible a chance to enter.

Climate Change has been one of the biggest issues in the headlines this year, says Continental Clothing director Philip Charles, and it is not going to go away. “Climate change has gone from being dull and marginal to cool and core; the idea of going carbon neutral is gaining popularity – and quickly.”

With so many different styles and vast array of technical fabrics now on the market, you might think that clothing technology has come as far as it’s possible to go. Not only can we now get fabrics that protect from elements such as wind, rain, and high temperatures, but sportsmen’s performance can be enhanced by clothes that can maintain body temperature, support muscles and/or keep the body streamlined.

In the past few weeks, the news has been rife with stories of products from China being manufactured or sourced under unacceptable conditions.

The annual BPMA Awards are presented at the Christmas lunch and recognise excellence across various criteria in the industry. This year sees the launch of a new category: Employer of the Year. Employees across the promotional merchandise industry will be able to nominate their employers for this prestigious accolade.

The BPMA website has generated a significant business deal for Oliver Reynalds, European account manager for Premier Promotional Services. Reynalds, BPMA board director, secured a contract for £60,000 by responding to a request on the sourcing bulletin board of the BPMA website.

With new research from the UK Venture Index revealing that funding for start-up businesses has fallen since the end of last year, Bibby Financial Services is advising owners and managers to revisit basic financial principles in order to maintain a healthy cashflow.

There's no doubting it, the world of printed promotional clothing and products is a global marketplace. Even goods and garments that are decorated in the UK have probably been imported beforehand. And, when the branding's done, they are often exported again, if they are part of a multinational campaign.

It has been an eventful year for the schoolwear industry. Aside from managing the usual onslaught of press interest that annually surfaces in July, the schoolwear industry has been under investigation by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), with other interested parties, from the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) to Kevin Brenan MP, also weighing into the debate on school uniform costs.

Children may only just be going back to school for the new academic year but already it’s time for printwear professionals, uniform suppliers and headteachers to make decisions about what pupils will be wearing in a year’s time.

Following the acquisition of the Stag group at the end of last year, the Blue Max Group claims to now be the most comprehensive supplier of schoolwear in the UK. The first ever Blue Max Stag combined catalogue, which will be available to customers from November 2007, offers everything a child needs for the school year, says the company.

Fruit of the Loom says its new Kids Sweats have completed their first full academic year with flying colours. The Kids Raglan Sweat, Set-In Sweat, Hooded Sweat, and Zip Through Hooded Sweat, (plus the complementary Jog Pants), were re-engineered in Fruit of the Loom’s next-generation polyester/cotton fleece fabrics in 2006.

Schoolwear plays such an important part in the print wear market, says Henbury, a company which offers a number of products to fulfil this demand. The children’s tipped polo shirts is a perfect example, says Henbury, and is a great alternative to the traditional solid dye polo shirt. The contrast tipping on the collar and cuffs gives schools or clubs the opportunity to co-ordinate House Colours as well as contrast opposition colours for their sports teams.

To start the next academic year in style, Mantis World has introduced two new kids polo shirts to the Humbugz collection – the HM58 Boys Stretch Polo and complementary HM59 Girls Stretch Polo. Taking the classic short sleeve polo shirt design, Humbugz has added new fashion details to set these styles apart, such as a trendy narrow placket and contrast colour twill tape finish to inside neck and side vents for a flash of colour.

Schoolwear spans so much, from uniforms (indoor and outdoor wear), high visibility street safety wear, sportswear and extra curricular leisure and school trip clothing (including caps and bags). PenCarrie covers all categories and provides hard-wearing, practical designs from a broad range of quality brands.

Children are tough on clothes with their playful, non-stop nature. Choosing garments able to endure hours of play in all manner of environments can therefore be a difficult job for schools and parents. Materials that can withstand the daily rigours of a child at play, whilst remaining gentle to their skin, are the demands of the day.

Result’s dedicated Junior Range of high-quality jackets combines both functional and fashion elements for two to 14-year-olds.

Result has ensured that its jackets are not only fun and easy to wear but can also withstand the most vigorous child play. It also ensures that all linings have easy access points to accommodate decoration such as school logos.

Schoolwear is a a core feature of many garment decorators’ ranges, says UKL, and with so many schools now preferring to source their uniform from a local supplier, there has never been a better time to review the schoolwear selection available from UK Leisurewear.

Rowlinson has launched Roganic – a new organic polo shirt to the schoolwear industry. Roganic uses 100% organic cotton, which has been grown without using any harmful chemicals or pesticides. It is kind to the environment and customers can be confident that the land on which it has been grown has benefited from a more sustainable approach to farming, says Rowlinson.

If you thought school uniform couldn’t get much more high-tech than blazers and jumpers with knife-resistant lining, think again. The latest 21st century technology to hit the schoolwear market could well be GPS tracking devices, says Trutex, whose recent survey revealed safety conscious mums are calling for them to be incorporated into school uniform.

Trutex offers a range of affordable uniforms that mix function with fashion and practicality with durability. With over 100 years of expertise in schoolwear, Trutex says it understands kids, what they like to wear, how comfortable they like to feel and can also satisfy parents in terms of price, durability, practicality and easy maintenance.

If your staff wasted 98% of their time you'd sack them. If you wasted 98% of the raw materials you buy, you'd go bust. But when businesses use direct mail as a marketing tool, they cheerfully expect only a 2% response, indeed they're often pleased with 2%. What a waste; what a missed opportunity.We can all do better.

We now live in a world where consumers are seriously beginning to take into consideration the environmental and ethical impact their purchases make on the planet – on both a professional and personal level.

This month sees the official launch of the International PROMOTA Show 2008 and excitement is already high. The launch of 2007’s show does not seem that long ago, but given that the success of the exhibition is still very fresh in the minds of both visitors and exhibitors, I’m hoping that 2008 will be even bigger and better.

Everything Environmental specialises exclusively in the manufacture, sourcing and supply of eco friendly business gifts, and has been a productive member of PROMOTA since it first started trading in 2005.

If you visited FESPA in Berlin this year you might think there would be no need for this piece, as there were halls of digital textile printing machines – but not really that much for the smaller garment printer, according to Mike Turner of the Digital and Screen Printing Association (DSPA).

Digital ink jet printers first came into the UK market about three years ago and, although quite well developed, their use was limited. Designed around an Epson engine, which in those days was the Epson 2100 or 2200 A3 printer, these single load machines only printed onto white textiles or, at best, very light colours.

Newcastle-based technology firm Kiss Cut Technologies has launched a new self-weeding inkjet textile transfer paper. One of the greatest drawbacks of existing and potential transfer papers has always been the so called ‘polymer window’ or ‘A4 effect’, says the company. This is essentially the excessive polymer left behind by the non-image area of a print. Many users have overcome part of this issue by hand cutting images or using a cutter plotter to weed the images digitally.

Kornit, a specialist in industrial, direct to garment digital printers, has announced new capabilities on its high-end digital printer range. Kornit claims it produced the first direct to garment digital machine and says it has been a well-known leader in this field since the end of 2004. It also claims to have the lowest ink cost per print in the industry.

Bordeaux Digital PrintInk, a manufacturer of premium digital inks for the large and grand format digital graphics industry, launched its environmentally friendly Eco Sublimation Ink for use on most fabrics at this year’s FESPA.

Xpres offers a number of solutions for digital textile personalisation, each combining low set-up and consumable costs with the ability to produce shorter runs of personalised clothing and gifts both quickly and profitably.

Global pioneer of digital image transfer TheMagicTouch is this month introducing a new A3 toner colour digital LED printer from Oki. The 8800 model with TMT firmware and TMT driver upgrades enables full compatibility with all transfer papers from TheMagicTouch.

Digital Printing has transformed our business. That is the bold statement from RA Smart, which says it is one of the few textile printers in the UK to have seen an increase in demand over the past few years. “The main reason for this is the fact that we embraced digital printing onto textiles at the very beginning and I can confidently look back and say it was the right decision to make,” says RA Smart’s Magnus Mighall.

As garment decorators look to expand their product lines, digital decorating systems are proving to be a perfect complement to existing core processes such as screen printing and embroidery. Digital printing solutions are providing incremental new sales opportunities that would not be practical or possible with traditional analog technologies.

Forget heroes in a half shell, this autumn the new hero for the the Purple Turtle Merchandise Company is soft. The Londonbased distributor, which is best known for its Boost Up jackets and bespoke ranges, has introduced a new soft shell range – Rocks Lane – a high end product for the promotional industry.

Unless you have a good technical understanding of how the internet works, it is easy to be misled by website designers and programmers, says Kevin Nester of Alpha Design and Marketing in Shrewsbury.

Modern styling, maximum insulation and proven anti-pilling performance – Beechfield says its range of Suprafleece headwear and accessories delivers all this and more, making it the ideal medium for corporate or promotional messages this winter.

Despite there being far fewer UK knitwear manufacturers now, one company, Balmoral Knitwear, says it is bucking the trend. “We have become major suppliers to schoolwear, corporatewear, embroiderers and specific sports, such as cricket and bowls,” says Mike Carden of Balmoral.

Finden + Hales believes that by applying the latest fabric technology and total commitment it is able to offer an exceptional collection of the most relevant teamwear available today.

The Polar Fleece jacket from the Blue Max Group will once again be a key player in the new catalogue scheduled for completion this month.

This versatile garment has become a ‘must have’ item for a cross section of audiences including schools, the work place and the leisure sector, says the company. The Blue Max Polar is made from an easy care 300gsm polyester fabric, is available in sizes from 3-4 years through to a generous 60-inch chest size and comes in a wide range of colours.

With the Myrtle Beach label, Gustav Daiber GmbH presents a wide range of accessories, from beanies to knitted scarves – all of which keep you warm and are colourful eye-catchers in the gloomy autumn weather, says the company.

Fruit of the Loom reports a sustained growth in sales across its range of Hooded Sweats, which now includes the Lady-Fit Hooded Sweat Jacket and a selection of new fashionable colourways.

“The hoodie is a perennial promotional wear favourite and its popularity shows no signs of diminishing. Quite the opposite in fact, demand for our Hooded Sweats has never been higher and is increasing,” says Alison Woodvine, European brand manager.

Knitwear is seeing a rebirth not only in the retail sector but also in the corporate, promotional and workwear markets where perceived value, quality and image are playing an important role when it comes to choice, says Henbury.

Rowlinson knitwear completed its purchase of the Courtelle knitwear brand this spring and is actively investing in the future of its new acquisition. “We have great plans for its future,” says Rowlinson. “We are investing heavily into its product development and marketing and will officially launch it at The Schoolwear Show at AIS in November.”

In the winter months, the prospect of leaving the comfort of a warm and comfy home to brace the cold outside is not a tempting one. Making the transition as easy as possible is everyone’s top priority, so a good cover-up is an essential investment. Front Row has a selection of cosy fleeces, which it says have been carefully designed and tried and tested to ensure they stand up to this challenge.

PenCarrie is emphatic that knitwear is enjoying a revival in popularity, particularly as corporate wear. As customer services manager Andrea Charteris explains: “A crew neck or V-neck sweater worn over a shirt creates a softer but still smart corporate look.” She highlights a number of styles stocked by PenCarrie, including Russell Collection’s 711M Crew Neck Sweater. This is made from a machine washable 50% cotton/50% acrylic Cotton Blend knit; comes in four classic business wear colours; and teams with Russell Collection business shirts.

Ralawise stocks a comprehensive range of knitwear and fleece from the industry’s leading brands, whether sourcing for work, schools, or everyday wear. Henbury’s new for ‘07 HB735 is a fine example of the brand’s traditional look and style, says Ralawise, and is testimony to the quality it is known for. Made from 100% lambswool, this crew neck jumper is available in black and blue and its classic look makes it perfect for the office or leisure time.

Russell Europe offers a range of fleeces suitable for the workwear market, in both men’s and women’s styles. These include the 870M Full Zip Outdoor Fleece, made from 100% polyester anti-pill fleece, 330g/m_ and featuring a cadet collar, waistband with elastic bungee cord and release toggle and zip pockets with self-coloured zip. It also has neat fashioned cuffs for comfort and style and twin needle on armholes and shoulders. This fleece is available in black and French navy and in ladies’ and children’s sizes.

Skinnifit believes it is at the fashion forefront of the women’s marketplace and says it is committed to bridging the style gap between retail and the “traditionally rather reserved and sometimes behind the times promotional and leisurewear market”.

Being a sporting spectator is a thrilling activity: nothing beats cheering on your team from the sidelines as they play, especially when they score that all-important winning goal. However, what isn´t so appealing is shivering on the sidelines in the cold and wet winter.

Uneek’s offering this winter is a combination of its trademark functional simplicity and peerless quality, it says, with a range of fleece and reversible jackets that are ideal for the workwear segment.

A new urban lifestyle wholesale clothing range has been launched under the brand name Orotoro by a company with over 15 years’ experience in the retail marketplace. The garments, which have a vintage, surf look, are made from the company’s vertically integrated factory in Istanbul.

Thank you David Pratt, for reminding us this month of the importance of T-shirt design. The resident of the surprisingly stylish Peterborough attracted unwelcome attention from the local authorities recently, while sporting the slogan 'Don't annoy me, I'm running out of places to hide the bodies!' (an accurate account minus the odd swear word).