Epson UK has predicted that textile printing businesses will increasingly focus on integrated production workflows in 2027, as rising operating costs and improvements in print technology shift attention towards automation and finishing efficiency.
Phil McMullin, head of sales commercial & industrial printing and business systems at Epson UK, believes the industry is moving beyond a focus on print speed towards improving productivity across the entire manufacturing process.
While manufacturers have concentrated on increasing printer speeds, improving reliability and reducing downtime, McMullin expects bottlenecks elsewhere in the production chain to become a greater concern.
Direct-to-film (DTFilm) printing provides one example. Equipment such as Epson’s SureColor SC-G6000 and SC-G9000 enables businesses to produce transfers more efficiently, with automated maintenance reducing operator intervention. However, increased printing capacity also places greater demands on subsequent processes, including powdering, curing, cutting and heat transfer.
Mr McMullin expects businesses to respond by investing in more closely connected printing and finishing systems, reducing manual handling and improving overall production efficiency.
The shift is likely to be particularly relevant to businesses producing personalised garments, workwear, sportswear and promotional textiles, where demand continues to grow.
Rising labour, energy and operating costs are also expected to influence investment decisions, with businesses seeking to increase output without necessarily expanding their workforce.
Alongside improvements in production efficiency, Mr McMullin believes new European legislation could encourage greater adoption of digital, on-demand textile manufacturing.
Under the EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, large companies have been prohibited from destroying unsold clothing and footwear since July 2026. McMullin suggests this could encourage fashion brands to reconsider traditional high-volume manufacturing models in favour of producing smaller quantities in response to demand.
He also sees potential for the legislation to strengthen the case for bringing textile production closer to customers in the UK and Europe, although maintaining competitive production costs will remain essential.
For McMullin, the industry’s priorities in 2027 will increasingly centre on the efficiency of the entire production process, rather than the performance of individual machines.
He said: “The businesses that succeed will not necessarily be those with the fastest printers, but those that can turn printed output into finished, saleable products as efficiently and reliably as possible. In 2027, I expect that end-to-end productivity will become an increasingly important measure of success.”
