Adding Apparel? Visit the Apparel Zone at the Expo
The following article was originally published by Printing Impressions. To read more of their content, subscribe to their newsletter, Today on PIWorld.
Apparel decoration is becoming an increasingly popular service for in-plants. Already 14% of them provide this, according to IPI's new report, In-plant Capabilities, Performance, and Expansion (2026). Those looking to get started in apparel would do well to attend PRINTING United Expo (Sept. 23-25, Las Vegas), where an entire Apparel Zone (Booth C1485) awaits them.
“When attendees visit the Apparel Zone, they’re coming to learn, not be sold to,” says Cassie Green, content director, Apparelist. “They’re seeing what the equipment and technologies are capable of and having educational conversations with the sponsors. It’s all about finding out what you don’t know and going beyond what you thought was possible in apparel decoration.”
For the third year, the Zone is tied together by a design theme created in partnership with local decorators. This year’s theme, “Wear the Future,” is a vibrant homage to the creative energy that apparel decorating technologies offer — and a nudge to attendees to think ahead, consider what’s bigger, and go create their own future in the segment.
At the Apparelist Live! Theatre, Zone sponsors DTF Superstore, Hirsch Solutions, SanMar, STAHLS’, and SuperGamut will take the stage several times throughout the show. The schedule of sessions covers direct-to-film (DTF), direct-to-garment (DTG), embroidery, online stores, supply chain issues, and so much more. View all the Apparel Zone sessions here.
“These are not 45-minute sales presentations,” Green says. “They are designed to ensure attendees learn something specific about apparel decorating techniques and blanks alongside the opportunities they offer.”
Sessions are tailored for everyone ranging from beginners to veteran decorators.
Despite DTF’s explosion over the past few years, it will not crowd out everything else. “No single technology will dominate the Apparel Zone, but rather it’s about teaching decorators how to leverage each one in their specific business,” Green says. “The smart ones will consider if DTF is good for them, but they will also explore all the technologies in the Zone.”
Who shows up tells the convergence story in miniature: veteran garment decorators, yes, but also commercial and wide-format printers, promotional products distributors, and in-plants evaluating apparel as a next revenue stream.
“As convergence continues to blur the lines between the various printing industry verticals, apparel is more and more becoming a common theme across all of them,” Green says.
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