Get inspired by the possibilities at SD UK

Jenny Matthew, event director at Sign & Digital UK, provides an insight into why garment decorators should attend the UK’s biggest event in signage, display, and print.

Visitors to Sign & Digital UK 2022 can expect to be inspired by all that’s exciting and new in the world of textile printing, sublimation, garment decorating, and giftware personalisation over three days between March 22 and 24.

A visit to Sign & Digital UK can be a great place for those seeking new suppliers, or looking to polish up their industry skills and discover more about the latest innovations and trends.

For the garment decorator there will be much to see. One of the most exciting innovations has been the introduction of direct transfer film (DTF) printing which looks set to take the market by storm. DTF is an alternative printing process to direct to garment (DTG) printing and opens up a world of possibilities beyond polyester fabrics for the garment decorating sector.

A step up

For the small business looking to take a step-up in production there is also a wealth of entry level textile printers on show, particularly for the dye sublimation process. These affordable 1.6m small footprint machines are ideal for garment decorating businesses looking to take their first steps into automated production.

Many of these new sublimation technologies will be on display for the first time in the UK, and with high productivity and reliability, these entry level printers now enable garment decorating businesses to diversify their offerings and open doors to new markets.

Visitors looking to learn more about textile printing can follow the TextileTech trail which will feature applications and demonstrations, skills workshops, industry speakers, and marketing leading specialist exhibitors.

Interesting revelations

One of the most interesting revelations to come out of the pandemic period was that personalised products elicit a wide range of human emotions, and that people are more than prepared to pay for emotions. With modern digital printing techniques such as UV printing, dye sublimation transfer printing, DTG T shirt printing, and digital embroidery, almost anything can be personalised on demand today.

The UK market for personalised products is now estimated to be worth more than £1 billion annually, and this consumer demand for customisation and personalisation is also one of the biggest drivers of technological development in our industry. A visit to the show is no longer about looking at all the exciting new equipment and materials on display, and more about what you can do with the output and how to make more money from it.

Business education

Business education has always played a significant role at Sign & Digital UK, and new for 2022 is the SDUK Explains Lounge. This is a rolling programme of business and technical advice sessions designed to help visitors keep up with the changing market, gain insight to strengthen and grow their businesses, and identify new revenue opportunities.

One of the key sessions that P&P readers might want to look out for is Social Media and Effective Marketing. The noise created by social media can be a fantastic vehicle for engaging with your customer base and potential customers. Ignoring the power of social media and what it can ultimately do for spreading the word about your unique business offering cannot be underestimated, and as such the avenue to sell is as equally important as the avenue to produce.

You can expect to see real-life examples from our industry with feedback and experiences of the subtle changes taking place across social media platforms.

Sign & Digital UK 2022 will delight visitors seeking new inspirations and additional revenue opportunities. You can expect the unveiling of new innovations in print technology, experience a wide range of products and learning opportunities, and see what’s possible in terms of output and be inspired by the new creative applications on show.

• To register visit signuk.com