Epson Opens Innovation Centre And Launches Textile Academy In UK
Epson has inaugurated a new Innovation Centre in Lutterworth, Leicestershire, UK, alongside launching its first-ever Textile Academy, aimed at inspiring young designers and students to contribute to a more sustainable textile industry.
To mark the occasion, textile design students from Nottingham Trent University (NTU) participated in a one-day workshop, where they printed their designs onto various substrates using Epson’s digital textile printing solutions, including direct-to-garment (DTG), direct-to-film (DTFilm), and dye sublimation printers.
Duncan Ferguson, Managing Director and European VP for Large Format Print at Epson UK, emphasized the importance of digital textile printing in reducing the fashion industry’s environmental impact: “Educating and inspiring students about digital textile printing is key to future-proofing our industry while also reducing water waste and CO₂ emissions. Marrying their creativity with our technology is an exciting prospect, and it’s a pleasure to see students take an interest in textile printing as they embark on their careers.”
As part of the event, NTU student Katy Harvey won an award for the most creative and impactful design, receiving an Epson SureColor F100 dye-sublimation printer as a prize. Industry experts, including Epson executives and Printfab co-founder Oliver Mustoe-Playfair, also conducted a business workshop on commercializing textile printing.
