ImagesMagUK_September_2020

INDUSTRY NEWS www.images-magazine.com 22 images SEPTEMBER 2020 Epson subsidiaries Robustelli and For. Tex to merge Epson has announced that its subsidiaries in the direct-to-textile printing sector, Robustelli and For.Tex, are set to merge by the end of 2020. Both based in Italy, Robustelli develops and manufactures textile printers while For.Tex engages primarily in textile ink sales and support. Guy Martin, sales development specialist for commercial and industrial at Epson UK, said: “Post-pandemic, fashion brands are going to need more efficient, lower volume and rapid turnaround textile printing solutions to meet both shareholder and customer demands for fashion that is less wasteful and harmful to the environment, of the highest quality and with an immediacy that off-shore production simply can’t meet. “The merger puts the combined strengths of Epson, Robustelli and For.Tex at the forefront of the response to this manufacturing shift.” imagesmag.uk/Robustelli-ForTex Caldera creates web-to-print ecommerce solution RIP software specialist Caldera has launched Caldera WebShop, a new ecommerce platform that allows businesses to go digital by creating a bespoke storefront which can be integrated into a streamlined web-to- print solution. “Available now, Caldera WebShop is a low-cost, bundled services product to enable digital printing, short runs and reshoring, as businesses move to a new way of working,” explained the company. “Lockdown and social distancing has resulted in a surge in demand for online services, and being able to fulfil this demand will be critical for businesses to thrive, particularly for textile and direct-to-garment printers.” imagesmag.uk/SMEsupport The new Caldera WebShop ecommerce platform [L-R] Robustelli and For.Tex are Epson subsidiaries in the direct-to-textile printing sector Wilcom announces new update for EmbroideryStudio e4.5 Embroidery software company Wilcom brought out a new update for EmbroideryStudio e4.5 in August. EmbroideryStudio e4.5.1 is free to all existing e4 users, and includes more than 180 enhancements and a range of new features. This includes enhanced support for the .EBD file format on SWF machines, including needle assignment recognition on compatible models, as well as 10 new embroidery fonts, providing users with 226 new fonts plus any bonus fonts already gifted. EmbroideryStudio e4.5.1 also now supports beading devices with its new Beading Element, which is available as a paid add-on Element for EmbroideryStudio e4.5.1 Designing. The updated software also now supports TrueType Fonts for languages with right-to-left text, such as Arabic and Thai. Brand new purchasers of EmbroideryStudio e4.5.1 will also automatically receive CorelDraw Graphics Suite 2020 with their purchase (including trade-ins and updates from EmbroideryStudio e3 and below; excluding existing e4 customers). The new software update now integrates with CorelDraw 2019 and 2020, for pre-owned or purchased CorelDraw software. imagesmag.uk/ EmbroideryStudio-e451 The updated EmbroideryStudio e4.5.1 is free to all existing e4 users Covid-19: UK government launches new support for SMEs The UK government has introduced two new programmes as well as a new grant scheme to help support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) beyond the coronavirus pandemic. The Small Business Leadership Programme will focus on improving small business leadership, while the Peer Networks Programme aims to help business owners improve their problem-solving skills. SMEs can also now apply for grants of up to £5,000 to help them access new technology as well as professional advice to help them to get back on track after the coronavirus lockdown. The grants will be administered by an applicant’s local Growth Hub, led by the Local Enterprise Partnership, and will be available to help SMEs access specialist professional advice and purchase minor equipment to adapt or adopt new technology in order to continue to deliver their business activity or diversify. imagesmag.uk/SMEsupport 38,078 web page views July 2020: www.images-magazine.com