ImagesMagUK_Digital_Edition_March_2018

INDUSTRY EVENT www.images-magazine.com 42 images MARCH 2018 Review: Printwear & Promotion Live! 2018 The new January date of the Printwear & Promotion Live! show saw decorators, fresh from their Christmas break, flocking to the NEC in search of inspirational new styles and innovative new machines and accessories for 2018 On the Sol’s stand, the new Rocket, Ross and Robyn jackets – part of the brand’s extended winter range – were attracting a lot of attention. PenCarrie’s brand ambassador Kaz Richmond reported that fitted garments and no tags were the top requests from customers, while sporty vests in wicking fabrics were proving a hit. Sol’s has also extended its denim line to include the Barry shirt, Grant apron and Foxy cap. The new Hotronix Lower Heat Platen was a big draw on the Target Transfers stand among those working with delicate fabrics such as tri-blends. The company also had its 14 new glitter heat transfer vinyls on show in rolls, which new marketing manager Andy Rogers explained allowed visitors to see how differing levels of light could change the depth of colour and shimmer produced by each shade of glitter. The Result and Spiro stands were big attention-grabbers this year thanks to the cleverly displayed WorkGuard range, where garments were put together on mannequins to create inspirational, ready-to-wear work outfits. The main focus of the Spiro stand was the new, tag-free Spiro Performance Aircool Tee (S287X), which is made from an air dry, soft mesh fabric and promises great shape retention. Director Sara Sanders-Smith (pictured with brand ambassador Gary Layzell) explained that the tee is available in 17 colours including fluorescents; the first container had already sold out by the first day of the show. The stunning campervan on the Xpres stand may have been what first caught visitors’ attention, but the huge array of new products was what kept them there. First off was the new Vanilla range of polyester-rich fashion basics for sublimation printing (turn to page 29 for more information), quickly followed by the brand new Epson SureColor F2100 DTG printer (on show for the first time in the UK and pictured here with Phil McMullin, sales director of Epson), which was demonstrated producing vibrant prints. The adjoining Kustom Kit stand was packed with new styles including the new Clayton and Ford shirt range. The new version of the FreeStyler computer-to- screen (CTS) system will be available later this year, reported Mark Evans of Exile Technologies. The new machine will sit between the current FreeStyler and Spyder systems, and is likely to be priced around £20,000. Mark revealed that CTS systems have reached a tipping point in the UK, with everyone now knowing at least one business that uses this technology. [Above] The Xpres Vanilla campervan was a popular attraction for visitors to the show