A live end-to-end sportswear production workflow was the key feature of Epson's FESPA Digital stand this year.

The German Institute for Textile and Fibre Research (DITF) provides seasonal fashion charts, which are integrated into ColorDigital software to create a design. This is then patterned using cad.assyst  from Assyst and Human Solutions, which features tools to preview the design in 3D, as well as allowing the user to tailoring the garment to the correct size for a particular market.

A colour-accurate proof is created on an Epson Stylus Pro 4900, which features a Fiery XF RIP, before the finalised designs are produced on an Epson’s SureColor SC-F7100 dye-sublimation printer using an Ergosoft Professional RIP.

The final process involved heat transfer of the garment elements to Sch?ller textiles using a HeatJet 70 EVO3 Calendar press, before being welded using a Nucleus Ultrasonic device.

"This workflow unites innovative hardware, software and design tools in Epson's first end-to-end garment demonstration," explains Duncan Ferguson, director for ProGraphics at Epson Europe. “Our aim is to show how affordable new technologies can open up lucrative new opportunities for garment creation and manufacturing throughout Europe."