INDUSTRY NEWS www.images-magazine.com 18 images OCTOBER 2026 Stay in the picture with our Instagram profile and stories: @imagesmaguk Garment decorator expands with direct-to-object technology Northern Irish garment decorator Cuchulainn Workwear has expanded its in-house printing capabilities by investing in Inkcups direct-to-object printing technology. It has brought promotional product production back in-house so it could offer a one-stop shop for items such as cups, pens and travel mugs as well as customised clothing. The company, based in Jonesborough, invested in two Inkcups direct-to-object machines: a Helix One benchtop cylindrical UV inkjet printer and an X5-T flatbed UV inkjet printer. They represent a “significant” investment for Cuchulainn Workwear and a major step in broadening its in-house printing capabilities. imagesmag.uk/workwear-object Travel mugs printed on the Inkcups X5-T flatbed UV inkjet printer at Cuchulainn Workwear Distributor Nova Chrome UK has expanded its direct-to-film (DTF) range with the addition of the FilmJet Mini 30/60 all-in-one DTF systems from Polyprint. The printer, powder shaker, curing unit and filtration are integrated into one platform, together with an embedded mini PC, touchscreen and RIP software, offering a complete DTF production workflow in a compact footprint. The FilmJet Mini 30 made its first UK trade show appearance on Nova Chrome’s stand at The Print Show 2026 at the end of September. “What particularly appealed to us about FilmJet Mini is how much of the DTF workflow is integrated into such a compact footprint,” commented Ryan Connolly, Nova Chrome’s business development manager. “But compactness alone is not enough: customers increasingly expect reliability, a complete system warranty and matched inks, film and powder. FilmJet Mini brings those elements together in a professional, easy-to-manage solution.” Designed to support professional DTF production from entry-level through to mid-range applications, the Polyprint FilmJet Mini is available in 33cm and 60cm versions. Both models are available with dual Epson i1600 or i3200 print heads and include automatic white-ink circulation and agitation, wet capping, media and ink sensors and anticrash protection. imagesmag.uk/nova-polyprint [L-R] Polyprint service engineer George Marsonis and Ian McDowall and Ryan Connolly of Nova Chrome UK with the FilmJet Mini Nova Chrome UK adds the Polyprint FilmJet Mini DTF series More than half of fans ditch merch sales because of queues and stockouts 97% of fans want custom merch when they go to live events, but 63% walk away from merch purchases because of long queues and outof-stock items, new research reveals. The study, carried out by digital identification specialist Avery Dennison, also revealed that 52% of fans are willing to pay upwards of $15 (£11) more for personalisation of merch during a live event. However, the research also revealed that only 20% of fans would queue for longer than 20 minutes for merch to be customised during an event. According to Avery Dennison, digital solutions are being introduced to streamline the ordering process and enhance the fan experience at live events, including its product Custom Studio. Custom Studio’s self-service ordering kiosks allow fans to browse, personalise and order merchandise in minutes. The findings from the survey of 1,400 people across the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, France, Benelux, Italy, Spain and Portugal are published in a free-to-download white paper, From the Stands to the Store: Unlocking Untapped Revenue in Live Event Retail [imagesmag.uk/avery_ white_paper]. imagesmag.uk/avery-custommerch Research by Avery Dennison reveals that 97% of fans want custom merch when they go to live events q f
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