PRINTING United Expo shows trends in silver-halide replacement and more
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The fall trade show season highlights include the annual PRINTING United Expo 2026, produced annually by PRINTING United Alliance, held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, from Sept. 23-25. The event attracted more than 27,000a registered attendees from 100 countries, who visited 850-plus exhibitors covering one-million-square feet of show floor space.With a show as massive and as widespread as PRINTING United Expo, it’s impossible to do a full report on the show. There were, however, continued trends that have been growing for years that continued at this year’s event:
Garment printing
As a category, direct to film and direct to garment printing made up a large segment of the PRINTING United Expo floor. From large-scale solutions, like those offered by Kornit Digital, to a wide variety of other means, the demand for printing on all manner of cloth surfaces seems to be increasing. Smaller solutions, suitable for retail or even home use, are also coming, as shown below:
Tim Check of Epson America demonstrates the SureColor F370 compact dye-sub printer to help make high-quality personalization more accessible for makers, small businesses, schools and growing customization shops. Epson also introduced its new Sublimation Primer for Cotton, a liquid solution that enables sublimation on white and light-colored cotton garments, expanding customization opportunities beyond traditional polyester applications.
Silver-halide replacement
Since the dawn of the color digital press in 1993, the competition between digital printing and silver-halide as a photo printing platform has been heating up. For decades, the price-performance-productivity advantages of silver-halide photo printing was tough to match with digital presses. In recent years, however, the reduced number of photo paper suppliers, coupled with rising media costs, is making digital platforms more attractive. Newer equipment has achieved production parity, while new media like Felix Schoeller’s Ruby Paper has emulated the look and feel of the traditional photograph.
Rémy Mendil, Product & Marketing Leader, Kyocera Nixka, discusses the new Belharra roll-to-roll inkjet photo printer, which has already gained traction in Europe and in North America.
Asset management and AI
AI was certainly the talk of the show, especially from a workflow and productivity solution. Here, we encountered our old friend, Sam Bogach, of Portfolio DAM, to discuss how keeping track of visual assets and, through a partnership with ICS Color, keep track of color proofting.
At Printing United, Bogach talks about how his company’s digital asset management system helps companies of all sizes keep track of their assets.
“The energy throughout PRINTING United Expo 2026 was extraordinary,” said Ford Bowers, President & CEO, PRINTING United Alliance. “What we saw in Las Vegas was an industry moving forward with confidence, investing in new technology, entering new markets, building stronger businesses, and finding new ways to grow. The size and scope of this event are impressive, but its true impact comes from bringing the entire printing community together to exchange ideas, create opportunities, and shape what comes next.” PRINTING United Expo will return next year in Las Vegas from September 14-16, 2027
