The Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA – Fairfax, Virginia) and the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) have partnered to produce the Fourth Annual Digital Textile Printing Conference, taking place December 11 and 12, 2019 in Durham, North Carolina. Registration for the two-day event is now open online. Early-bird registration is in effect through to November 26, 2019, and the conference will take place at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel. Learn more at aatcc.org.
The conference will cover an array of topics, including the newest digital textile ink and printing technologies, key market drivers and conditions, colour management and workflow developments, design software and digital manufacturing and integration. “This conference will bring in forward-thinking, innovative speakers – really setting the stage for what’s going to happen in the future. It’s a good time to be in textiles, and the Digital Textile Printing Conference will shed light on the opportunities coming up,” said SGIA Digital Textile and Décor Committee member Ken Bach, Business Development Manager at Aberdeen Fabrics.
Conference sessions will explore the digital textile printing segment from all angles. Sessions will include:
- Digital Fabric Printing – The Innovation Continues! Here, Ron Gilboa of Keypoint Intelligence/InfoTrends, will cover the growth trends in digital printing so business owners have the information they need to make decisions about where to invest.
- Pixel to Output – Managing Data from the Source File to Printed Fabric, with Mike Syverson of Durst, will present tools to help manage data for design, print preparation, printing and repeatability.
- Sustainability in Textile Printing, presented, by Sensient’s Michael Labella, will discuss the importance of sustainability in textiles and how it can become a competitive advantage.
- Meagan Tyler of Colosseum will present Brand Adoption of Digital Print Technologies: Challenges and Opportunities, which will take a deep dive into why brands are or are not adopting digital technology within their supply chains, and present a vision of where some brands would like to see technology grow and thrive.
Digital & Donuts, with an “all-star panel of industry experts” is designed for anyone who needs a primer on available digital printing technologies for textiles and their requirements. Speakers will include: Ken Bach, Aberdeen Fabrics Inc.; David Clark, Huntsman Textile Effects; Kerry King, Spoonflower Inc.; Katelyn Lee, Cotton Incorporated; Michael Sanders, Top Value Fabrics; Johnny Shell, SGIA; and Hitoshi Ujiie, Thomas Jefferson University.
“I’m tremendously proud of SGIA’s and AATCC’s ongoing collaboration in digital textile printing,” said AATCC President Kerry King, Senior Vice President of Research & Development at Spoonflower, also a member of SGIA’s Digital Textile and Décor Committee. “Attendees will learn more about how technology is evolving and gain a better understanding of the components that make up a digital print solution.”