Epson launches Textile Academy at new innovation centre to support digital textile printing and sustainability
Epson, a global technology company specializing in digital printing, imaging, and sustainability solutions, has opened a new Innovation Centre in Lutterworth, Leicestershire.
To mark the launch, the company introduced its first Textile Academy, designed to provide students with practical experience in digital textile printing and promote sustainable printing alternatives.
The one-day workshop invited Nottingham Trent University (NTU) textile design students to explore Epson’s digital textile printing technologies, including direct-to-garment (DTG), direct-to-film (DTFilm), and dye sublimation printers. Participants printed their designs onto different materials, gaining insight into commercial textile production and sustainability practices.
A design competition was held during the event, with members of the media selecting the most creative, colorful, and impactful design.
Katy Harvey, a textile design student at NTU, won the competition and received an Epson SureColor F100 dye-sublimation printer. Harvey stated:
"Today I learned about the different options for starting my own business or building my career through a company. It was also really great to see how my designs could work across such a wide range of items. Winning the competition for best design was really flattering, and I look forward to trying out my new (dye-sub) printer at home."
Alongside hands-on training, students attended a business workshop featuring experts from Epson and the textile industry. Speakers included:
Phil McMullin, Head of Sales for Large Format Print at Epson
Oliver Mustoe-Playfair, Co-founder of Prinfab
Taranpreet Rai, Corporate Sustainability Manager at Epson UK
Polly Chapman, Marketing Manager at Epson
The discussions covered strategies for commercializing textile printing, sustainability considerations in the fashion industry, and career opportunities in digital textile printing.
Sustainability discussions
The event featured a fashion industry session led by April Holyome, Head of Product at 16Arlington, who shared insights on her career path, including experience with Burberry, Cath Kidston, and PANGAIA.:
"Today was a great chance to connect with students that are about to embark on their professional journey. I was so pleased that I could share my own experiences to help other students make the most out of their textile design degrees in the fashion world."
Sustainability in textile printing was another key focus, with Taranpreet Rai presenting findings from Epson’s research on water waste in UK and European wardrobes:
"The fashion sector receives a large spotlight in terms of its environmental footprint and today was a great chance to educate students on what this looks like. Epson has recently conducted research quantifying the water waste attributed to UK and European wardrobes through imported, analogue-printed garments, and it’s great to highlight the reduced impact of on-demand, digital textile printing."
The event concluded with a presentation by Duncan Ferguson, Managing Director and European VP for Large Format Print at Epson UK, who outlined the role of digital textile printing in sustainability and industry innovation:
"Educating and inspiring students about the opportunities offered by digital textile printing is not only key to future-proofing our industry, but also to reducing the water waste and CO2e of the fashion industry. Marrying their creativity with our technology is an exciting prospect and it’s an absolute pleasure to see students take such an interest in textile printing as they embark on the next chapter of their lives."
