#Digital Printing

2025-02-13

UK government leaders unveil Pincroft’s £1.5m military textile printing expansion

Global leader in military fabric printing, dyeing and finishing, Pincroft, has reinforced its position in camouflage fabric manufacturing with a £1.5 million investment in cutting-edge rotary printing technology. During a high-profile visit from UK government officials, the company also announced it has brought rotary laser engraving technology in-house, further strengthening its domestic capabilities in camouflage fabric production.

(L-R) John Vareldzis (CEO), Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, Maria Eagle MP, Mike Collins (MD) © 2025 Pincroft

The event was attended by prominent figures including Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, Speaker of the House of Commons and Member of Parliament for Chorley, Maria Eagle MP, Minister of State for Defence Procurement and Industry, and Pincroft’s CEO John Vareldzis, alongside Managing Director Mike Collins. In a symbolic moment marking the company’s military printing expansion, the officials cut the ribbon in front of a small group of directors and industry guests, underscoring the significance of UK-based expertise in military textiles. Discussions focused on the importance of reshoring camouflage fabric production, reinforcing national supply chains and the wider benefits for local employment.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle said: “This is a major investment creating high quality jobs, but most of all, producing the best camouflage in the world being printed here. We look forward to the United Kingdom wearing printed uniforms from Adlington.”

Maria Eagle MP added: “The impact of having the capability in the UK to make uniforms to these standards is quite clear. It means that you can keep the intellectual property of how you're designing your uniforms local, instead of them being sent around the world. To have the capability to do that here is a very powerful sovereign strength.”

John Vareldzis commented: “The scale of today’s visit and the calibre of attendees demonstrate the strategic importance of this investment—to ourselves, the local area and the UK. With many decades of military printing experience, we now have one of the best rotary printing technologies available. This positions us to meet our customers’ evolving needs, explore new markets and offer greater versatility, including lighter fabrics.”

Mike Collins highlighted: “This investment presents a huge opportunity for growth. By adding this additional equipment, we have increased our annual capacity to over eight million metres, ensuring we are well-positioned to meet growing customer demand.”

Pincroft’s new investment includes a Rotascreen TG by Austrian manufacturer Zimmer, with 12 printheads and a magnet system to ensure greater precision, faster reorders and uniform coverage. To further enhance production, Pincroft has also brought screen-making in-house with the SPGPrints bestLEN direct rotary engraving system. This allows for greater flexibility, creativity and speed when producing new designs for customers – from concept to printed fabric.

£1m+ investment to dramatically boost Pincroft’s camouflage printing capacity

Global leader in military fabric printing, dyeing and finishing, Pincroft, has announced an investment of over £1m for the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment for its factory in the United Kingdom that is set to increase the textile manufacturer’s camouflage printing capacity to over 8 million metres a year.

USColorworks expands digital platform with Kornit Atlas MATRIX and Atlas MAX PLUS solutions

Kornit Digital Ltd. (NASDAQ: KRNT), a global pioneer in sustainable, on-demand digital fashion and textile production, today announced that USColorworks, a North Carolina-based apparel decoration and fulfillment company specializing in custom and on-demand printing for retail and promotional markets, has expanded its Kornit digital production platform with the addition of Atlas MATRIX and Atlas MAX PLUS systems to deliver high-quality, on-demand apparel across cotton, blended fabrics and polyester.

DTF vs DTG Printing - The technologies shaping today’s custom merchandise market

From sportswear to branded tote bags, custom merchandise continues to grow in popularity across sectors, driving print shops to cater to short runs, personalisation, and rapid turnaround. As print providers look to this market, two printing technologies often stand out: Direct‑to‑Film (DTF) and Direct‑to‑Garment (DTG). Each offers its own benefits, and understanding these differences helps determine the most suitable production method for print service providers.

Mimaki celebrates Triple EDP Award win at FESPA 2026

Mimaki Europe, a leading manufacturer of industrial inkjet printers and cutting plotters, was presented with 3 EDP Awards at the association’s 2026 ceremony, held at FESPA Global Print Expo. These highly acclaimed awards celebrate best-in-class innovation across the print industry, and Mimaki was honoured in three different categories.

EFI brings high-performance display graphics, packaging, and textile printing innovations to FESPA 2026

Electronics For Imaging, Inc. (EFI™) is bringing a broad range of new hybrid, roll-to-roll, and textile inkjet innovations to FESPA Global Print Expo 2026, taking place 19-22 May at Fira Barcelona Gran Via. Visitors to the EFI stand (Hall 3, #C85) will see the new EFI VUTEk M3h X hybrid LED printer, new EFI VUTEk® FabriVU® 340 i8 eight-colour dye sublimation printer, the EFI VUTEk X5r roll-to-roll LED printer, and the EFI VUTEk Q3h XP seven-colour hybrid printer in action, each designed to help sign and display producers scale output, diversify applications, and drive more profitable growth.

Rieter sees Barmag integration on track as orders and sales rise

The first half of 2026 was shaped by the successful completion of the largest acquisition in Rieter’s history. The Man-Made Fiber Division enables entry into the growth segment of man-made fibers and sustainably strengthens Rieter’s market position in the Asia region. The expanded Group is now the world’s leading system supplier for the processing of natural and man-made fibers. In the first half of the year, initial cost savings in material costs and operating expenses have already been realized. The targeted synergies are expected to amount to at least CHF 20 million by the end of the 2028 financial year. Due to the completion of the acquisition on February 2, 2026, the first half of the year for the Man-Made Fiber Division only amounts to five months.