Images Digital Edition March 2019

www.images-magazine.com 34 images MARCH 2019 The emphasis is on high-quality crafted textile products finished in the UK drawings, with minimum orders as small as 25. Another revenue stream is personalised tea towels for weddings, again for orders of 25 and upwards. Digital future To meet the challenges of any brief, the factories are set up with state-of-the-art equipment including three automatic carousels and two large capacity gas dryers. Investments have included a direct-to-garment digital printer, suitable for a variety of textile products including T-shirts, bags, aprons and tea towels, and two roll-to-roll digital printers (a third is arriving soon), after Stuart Morris expanded into digital printing four years ago. “The move to digital printing has been absolutely key,” Stuart says. “It has opened up a whole new market. We are now able to reproduce the most detailed and elaborate full-colour designs with no screen-making or set-up costs.” Able to achieve brilliant colour intensity and full washfastness, digtal printing has proven particularly ideal for matching the creativity of designers and illustrators, Stuart says. “They can come along with full-colour designs and there are no setting-up costs and no screen-making. You can go straight from the file, produce a proof and print. This area has grown and is expanding all the time.” Due to the popularity of digital printing, the company has expanded its sewing capacity and now employs four seamstresses. “For a larger order, even for the most detailed designs, we would still screen print as it’s much faster production, but anything under 400 units full-colour, we consider for digital printing. Because of being able to print in full-colour, people are being far more adventurous.” From cotton and canvas to Linen Union cotton-linen blend, Stuart Morris uses materials and water-based printing that are eco-friendly, part of its commitment to being ethical and sustainable. “We want to be known as a company that really cares, that provides people with a good service, fast turn-around and a competitive price,” Stuart adds. “We will stay all hours to get their orders out on time.” After continued expansion, he remains “pretty positive” for the future although he admits to being “disappointed” at the turmoil created after the Brexit referendum. “It has affected costs already as the value of the pound means that cloth coming from overseas has gone up in price.” Whatever happens, demand for printed textiles shows no sign of diminishing. “There’s a pretty reasonable market out there,” Stuart says. “We will continue concentrating on quality of products, quality of service and keeping prices as competitive as possible.” ww.stuartmorris.co.uk and cushion covers. The portfolio also includes customised stationery such as greeting cards, solid glass paperweights and full-colour notepads. From small orders to large Working with artists and illustrators such as Chloë Gardner, Richard Bawdon, Sarah Young and Laura Stoddart, the company is supplying orders from double figures to thousands of pieces. To serve the retail market, the company can now provide products bagged up, with bespoke header cards, care labels, belly bands, swing tags and barcodes. It is also about to embark on a new online venture, Watercolour Britain, selling printed products featuring the work of Diz Andrews. More generally, the company has identified home interiors as an opportunity, Stuart adds. “I want to push more on that side, particularly with my own designs.” Another core market has always been the heritage retail sector, supplying merchandise such as bags, aprons, sweat shirts, T-shirts, scarves, ties and, of course, tea towels to the likes of English Heritage, the National Trust and Historic Scotland. The product portfolio has also proven to be perfect for school and church fundraising in both the UK and overseas, with Stuart Morris being one of the first to offer the school self-portrait tea towel. Products can be printed with any design including children’s own The screen printing department includes three auto carousels Stuart Morris began his business by producing tea towels DECORATOR PROFILE