INDUSTRY NEWS www.images-magazine.com 20 images OCTOBER 2026 DECORATED PRODUCT OF THE MONTH In a time where all the talk seems to be of AI and automation, it was glorious to stumble across the comfortingly low-tech and definitely quirky golfer cap from PuffyCorbin. Founder Elizabeth Corbin had been doing machine embroidery and digitising for three years when she had a thought last year: “What if I could make designs interactive?” She opened a store on Etsy where she listed her first interactive design, a hat featuring a book with a cover that opens. “Very soon after opening the store one of my designs went viral on TikTok and the orders were coming in faster than I could fulfil, so we reinvested the money into an industrial six-head embroidery machine. I am constantly experimenting with new ways to bring thread to life so stay tuned. “The ideas really come to me in a flash, usually while I’m in the middle of something quite mundane and I then scramble to write them down in my notes app before I forget.” The joy of digitising For the golfer cap, Elizabeth did the digitising herself. “When stitching on a cap a design that looks good in the software may warp and bend when stitched, so this needed to be accounted for when digitising the golf design. “For instance, the pole in my software is really bent to the right but it doesn’t stitch out that way. Also planning the stops to lay down the string requires a bit of thought. “It’s part of the creative process that I enjoy and for this I don’t think I will ever outsource it.” The cap is a Beechfield Low Profile Vintage Cap in bottle green. She always uses Beechfield: “The quality is so good.” Alongside the six-head ZSK machine, which is a 2010 model, she also uses a modern single-head Brother. “It’s useful having the two machines in case I need to do a oneoff cap or beanie,” she explains. “I always use Madeira thread, specifically the Rayon 40 as it has a lovely shine to it, which is really useful for creating the illusion of different shades by changing the stitch angle.” The response to her caps is, she says, “always one of delight, which I love. I always find it funny that people are messaging me from their pocket-sized super-computer to tell me how clever my bead and string design is.” @puffycorbin The golfer cap from Puffy Corbin with its bead and string design Watch our latest videos on Vimeo: @imagesmaguk Girls Who Print reports on progress and opportunities for women More women are building careers and businesses in the print sector but there is still much that the industry could be doing, according to a new report from Girls Who Print. The industry network, which champions women in print around the world including the UK, has highlighted progress and opportunities in a new 2026 Industry Insights Report. It found that mentorship has become a strategic tool for retaining talent, technology fluency is becoming a leadership differentiator, and clear career pathways are essential to attracting new talent. The report revealed that more women are building businesses and pursuing entrepreneurship and reshaping what that looks like, adding: “Women-owned and women-led print businesses bring new ideas, broader leadership perspectives and innovative approaches to serving customers and growing the industry.” It identifies 10 industry insights centred on mentorship, technology, leadership, entrepreneurship, workforce development, career advancement and the emerging opportunities women see across print and graphic communications. Deborah Corn, executive director of Girls Who Print, said: “The findings point to an industry where women are embracing technology, pursuing leadership opportunities, building businesses, expanding professional networks and investing in their own career growth. “At the same time, women are looking for employers who intentionally invest in mentorship, create visibility opportunities, provide clear career pathways and actively support professional growth. “These findings represent opportunities for employers, educators, associations and industry leaders to strengthen recruitment, retention, leadership development and long-term business success by investing in people as intentionally as they invest in technology.” imagesmag.uk/girls-progress Deborah Corn, executive director of Girls Who Print
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