76-inch dye-sub printer

December 1, 2020  |  Products

Epson America’s first 76-inch industrial-level dye-sublimation printer, the SureColor® F10070, was designed to offer reliability, versatility and round-the-clock productivity at a low total cost of ownership. Featuring four 4.7-inch PrecisionCore® printheads and a new hot-swappable ink system, t…
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Smart tax moves in the age of COVID-19

December 1, 2020  |  Business

By Mark E. Battersby Given the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy, keeping a specialty fabrics operation’s tax bill low shouldn’t be a problem this year. However, to keep the business’s tax bill low year after year requires planning, and what better place to start than in a tro…
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Musicians mask up their instruments

December 1, 2020  |  Swatches

The pandemic has left stages empty, and for many musicians, even practicing as a group is difficult. Instrumental ensembles in particular face a tough challenge: the aerosols generated when playing woodwind and brass instruments make it difficult to meet in person without proper protections. Betsy M…
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Marine fabrication finishing touches

December 1, 2020  |  Features

Materials and techniques for marine trimmings that improve form and function. by Sigrid Tornquist It all matters. Fabric. Thread. Trimmings. They work together and depend upon each other. Skimp on one component and the whole project is compromised. For marine fabricators, trimmings are the critical …
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Yale researchers develop shape-shifting robotic fabric

December 1, 2020  |  Swatches

Researchers at Yale University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science have developed a robotic fabric, a breakthrough that could lead to such innovations as adaptive clothing, self-deploying shelters or lightweight shape-changing machinery. Created in the lab of Prof. Rebecca Kramer-Bottiglio…
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Tenting for the pandemic

December 1, 2020  |  Features

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the tent industry finds new ways to survive. by Jeff Moravec There are all manner of seasonal ebbs and flows in the tent rental industry, but perhaps none as anticipated as the annual ramp-up to spring, summer and fall events. Staff is hired, inventory is refreshed and …
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An unprecedented Expo in an unprecedented year

December 1, 2020  |  Editorial

It’s the day after IFAI Virtual Expo 2020 as I write this editorial—and my feet are blister-free.  That’s not to say that an in-person Expo wouldn’t have been preferable, but under the circumstances, the industry came together in the only way possible for the conversations, networking and e…
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Minidocumentary follows students as they explore T-shirt sustainability

December 1, 2020  |  Swatches

Apparel company HanesBrands Inc. has released a seven-part minidocumentary that follows three North Carolina State University students on an all-questions-answered journey from a cotton field to a finished T-shirt. The Crop to Campus documentary, created by award-winning filmmaker Rod Murphy, follow…
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Textiles and 3D technology

December 1, 2020  |  Advanced Textiles, Markets

The advent of 3D printing (3DP) has drawn considerable interest from academia, industry and amateur hobbyists as a novel method of producing objects layer-by-layer (LbL) via a bottom-up manufacturing approach. This method of “additive” manufacturing (used interchangeably with the term 3DP) build…
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Wearable technology helps stroke patients rehabilitate

December 1, 2020  |  Swatches

Dutch designer and researcher Jessica Smarsch has introduced Connextyle, a shirt designed for measuring muscle activity. Applicable for many kinds of rehabilitation, it was originally meant to help stroke patients who have lost full use of their upper body. Using a new textile technology called TexP…
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