ImagesMagUK_March_2021

www.images-magazine.com 32 images MARCH 2021 TIPS & TECHNIQUES problem faced by many businesses following the coronavirus pandemic. In an unprecedented turn of events, once thriving firms are finding themselves stranded. Through no fault of their own, they are left thinking what to do next... The good news is, they may already have the skills and equipment required to pivot their business into a new direction, broadening their horizons with new opportunities. That’s the beautiful thing about print, it’s so versatile! There are literally thousands of different applications, and modern machinery is seldom limited to producing just one type of product. For example, the guy who set up his business to print soft signage for the exhibition industry probably has very similar print technology as the person who’s printing the local football club kits. The point is, if you’ve already invested in a print technology then there is a strong possibility that there are opportunities out there for you still – you just need to figure out what they are. Design aspirations We’ve seen some sectors of the market experience exceptional growth over the past 12 months, despite Covid’s best efforts. One of these is the interior and décor market, which is now set to be worth over $13 billion by 2025! So, if you’re finding your latex printer is a rather expensive office ornament right now, maybe you can put it to use producing wallpaper for the booming home improvement sector? Likewise, perhaps you normally use a dye-sublimation system that’s not getting much action at the moment – how about using it to manufacture some soft furnishings, such as cushions or even a set of curtains? You might be pleasantly surprised how easy it is to transfer your skills into creating items for this lucrative market. The production process for dye- sublimating a cushion would go a little something like this: 1. First up, you need to source your material and a design. There’s a plethora of fabulous polyesters available these days for producing furnishing fabrics. We have a superb range available at R A Smart, from those that mimic linen Industry experts provide insight and guidance in all areas of digital garment and textile printing Digital helpdesk D iscovering a niche is often a fundamental step when setting up a business. But what do you do when your niche disappears overnight? What happens when a global pandemic temporarily renders your product obsolete and your services are no longer required? This is a Print is so versatile – there are literally thousands of different applications, and modern machinery is seldom limited to producing just one product If your printing niche has fallen by the wayside thanks to the pandemic, Alex Mighall of R A Smart has some great advice on how to make the most of the machines you have and pivot your business towards the home décor market Alex Mighall