Ending Excess Waste or Space With Digital Textile Printing
Duncan Ferguson, Vice President of Commercial & Industrial Printing at Epson UK & Europe’s career trajectory, seemed almost destined to end up working with digital printing technologies.
As a chemist for Shell, he worked to sell industrial solvents to ink manufacturers. Later, working for Kodak in the photographic industry, he was introduced to inkjet at the inception of the industry almost 30 years ago.
“When I joined Epson, we weren’t doing any textile printing,” Duncan explains. “So I’ve witnessed the growth of digital textile printing in Epson, which I’m very pleased about.”
Epson is the king of Kaizen - the lean manufacturing approach focused on continuous improvement. But Duncan says taking a lean production approach is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to improving the textiles industry.
"You need to actually innovate with technology; you need to be able to deliver messages to the consumer,” he explains.
“This has to happen if we are going to tackle the very big issues in terms of sustainability in textiles."
One of Epson’s flagship innovations is its digital textile printing (DTP) technologies. At the launch of Epson UK’s Textile Innovation Centre in the UK, Manufacturing Digital learned about DTP’s diversity of printing and business applications and how inkjet technology provides a sustainable and flexible alternative to traditional printing.
This increased flexibility extends beyond production methods to business models.
DTP enables the broader adoption of just-in-time (JIT) production approaches in the textiles industry and facilitates the growing trend of reshoring and nearshoring in manufacturing.
Adopting these approaches as part of a new business model focused on sustainable personalised and slow consumption will be critical to reducing the global problem of textile waste.
DTP: Unlocking JIT & Reshoring in Textiles
JIT manufacturing turns traditional production methods on their head.
Instead of creating a backlog of stock for anticipated demand, manufacturers produce exactly what is needed when it is needed. This approach could be critical in addressing the excess across manufacturing, from unsold electric vehicle fleets to food manufacturers overestimating demand.
In the global textiles industry dominated by the ‘fast fashion’ model of high-volume production at low costs, up to 30% of goods go unsold each year, ending up in landfills. This model has proved itself not only unsustainable and exploitative, but also poorly attuned to consumer demand.
The fashion industry is crying out for JIT, which DTP helps enable. This technology also supports the greater adoption of reshoring and nearshoring in the textiles sector, particularly for SMEs, startups and emerging manufacturers.
Duncan states there has been an explosion of this in the textiles industry, a trend which will only continue.
“The beauty of digital technology, particularly sublimation technology, is that it’s affordable and easy to set up and scale,” he explains.
"In combination with nearshoring, we can dramatically reduce waste, including both end waste from overproduction and waste during the manufacturing process and transportation.”
The global textiles industry contributes roughly 6-10% of global carbon emissions - more than aviation and shipping combined.
Through enabling the competitive adoption of JIT and reshoring through DTP, the industry can address the core of the problem - fashion’s unsustainable business model. Emerging textile manufacturers are doing this, fueling the rise of microfactories.
Microfactories & Mitigating Fast Fashion
“I’ve gone and visited quite a few micro-factories myself which have been set up by the actual brand owner,” Duncan explains.
"This is very prevalent in the sportswear industry, especially in cycling.
Cycling is very big across Europe and what you tend to have is a lot of brands making their own branded cycling wear, often offering an angle of customisation as well.
So they'll not just make their own brand, but also allow buyers to customise their lycra for their cycling club for example.”
SMEs are currently forced to compete in a market dominated by a high-volume, low-quality production model. Duncan argues that with DTP they have a key differentiator that gives them the operational freedom to pursue the benefits of JTI.
“It gives them the potential to grow a business with their own perspective, model and designs. They have the ability to start small and grow their manufacturing base in line with business growth,” he explains.
“You no longer have to over-invest and then be beholden to manufacturing volume for the sake of it, which was the old business model.”
Duncan foresees the mass adoption of this technology among small and larger manufacturers as it is economically expedient for the stage the industry is at.
Textiles, Tariffs and Taking a ‘Trojan Horse’ Approach
Only three months in, 2025 has been highly taxing for many manufacturers.
McKinsey’s report on the ‘State of Fashion in 2025’ projects heightened consumer price sensitivity and sluggish growth this year in the textiles industry. Many DTP businesses have started the new year by going into liquidation. But Phil McMullin, Head of Sales Commercial & Industrial at Epson UK, notes there are multiple factors at play.
“The question is, is that a reflection of how tough the market is, or is it just bad management?” asks Phil.
“Regardless, it’s tough out there, so businesses want to be completely on point in terms of reducing overheads and investing in the latest innovations.”
The answer to this is DTP, which enables textile manufacturers to reduce production stock and scale without sacrificing profit. As more large brands explore nearshoring and reshoring to combat current supply chain disruption, Epson has been having conversations about broader DTP adoption.
“We play a very long game,” explains Phil. “For us, it’s part of our commitment to the environment, which has always been part of our DNA. That’s very important to us.
“We’ve been trying to get some of the bigger brands to explore using this technology in short runs on a few selected lines because they’re nervous about jumping in fully.
“So we try it on a small level first to prove that it works and has a future. It’s a tough conversation, but if you push the right doors, they’ll start to open and people engage.”
Phil likens it to a "Trojan horse" approach, where they talk to manufacturers about adopting DTP alongside traditional production methods.
Epson also gives companies the ability to run in-depth ink and fabric testing with industrial direct-to-fabric printers like the Mona Lisa ML-16000JQ, which has a new double-sided printing feature. This is run with Epson’s partner Fortex, a company based at Lake Como that researches commercial ink chemistry and fabric construction.
“Dye sublimation technology is popular because the images are vibrant and stunning,” Phil explains. “Pigment ink, on the other hand, is slightly flatter, but it sits on the surface of the textile instead of being absorbed, which opens up new possibilities for printing on innovative fabrics.”
Epson’s strength lies in its diversity of ink sets, from low-cost options to premium industrial solutions, giving customers flexibility and choice.
It makes sense then that DTP is a conduit for greater choice too - giving textile manufacturers of all sizes the opportunity to explore reshoring, nearshoring and the business and sustainability benefits of a JIT model.
To read the full article in the magazine, click HERE.
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