The traditional textile market produced over $43 billion in worldwide billings last year, apparel textiles made up the largest portion of that amount at almost 90 percent of the total. Also included in this number are automotive trimmings and carpets, according to a recent I.T. Strategies report. The digital garment printing industry is starting to make its stamp upon this industry, with significant growth in recent years. And it looks like its set to grow even further in the future.

In April of last year, we reported on the rapid growth of 3D design technology in product development and online consumer 3D print services, as well as the growing adoption of 3D software in architecture, interior design and manufacturing, resulting in a strong demand for 3D printers to produce these prototypes. As of lately, we have had announcements from an Italian inventor, Enrico Dini, chairman of the company Monolite UK Ltd., who has developed a huge three-dimensional printer called D-Shape that can print entire buildings out of sand and an inorganic binder.

There has been some game changing announcements from the manufacturers of inkjet plotters recently. Both Canon and HP have introduced new technical inkjet devices that are giving LED technologies a run for their money. These integrated systems are ideal for users wishing to archive, e-mail, or copy large-format prints. These systems can be incorporated into a variety of markets including CAD, AEC, GIS and pay-for-print; they can also be used for countless applications such as maps, blueprints, OCR, copying raster to vector conversions, photographs, artwork paintings, drawings, court documents, newsprint and etc.

Graph Expo just wrapped up in Chicago, and after walking around the show and speaking to customers, I've come to the conclusion that the need for print in the digital age is alive and well and innovating itself at a staggering rate. Customers were here in big numbers looking for new techniques and technologies that would continue to push the limits of what they can do with ink on paper, plastic, metal, wood, glass and many other substrates.

Canon EXPO 2010 took place September 1-3 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City, with the theme being "We Speak Image." This once-every-five-year event that Canon puts on for customers, partners and dealers drew nearly 3,000 invited customers and dealers to see the latest in current and future digital printing technology before the show makes its appearance in Tokyo and Paris later this year.

It wasn't long ago that artists wanting to produce open or limited edition prints of their artwork needed to have them reproduced via the traditional printing press. The biggest disadvantage was that the artist needed to purchase a run of at least 5,000 prints in order to make it worthwhile even to turn the press on. Therefore, the entire fine art reproduction market was dominated by a small group of publishers who financed, printed and distributed the artwork.

There is a real sense of excitement taking place in the video arena recently. The world of video and video production has reached a new point in its development; and it is changing the modes of capture themselves in an incredible and ground-breaking way; a point that sees still photography mediums morphing into the world of video in a visually stunning and a technologically exciting way.

In 2005, we wrote about a fascinating new technology being developed at that time at the University of Manchester in England, where scientists were in the process of developing a technique through which inkjet nozzles would spray live human cells onto a patient.

With the rapid growth of 3D design technology in product development and online consumer 3D print services, and the growing adoption of 3D software in architecture, interior design and manufacturing, there is a strong demand for 3D printers to produce these prototypes. Purchasing a 3D printer may be a little too expensive for some companies, therefore setting the stage for current printing companies to add 3D printing to their list of offerings. Let’s explore different 3D printers currently being used in the marketplace.

Inkjet proofing has come a long way over the past 10 years and is now fully accepted in the prepress and creative arena. But what are the options, and what should we consider when looking for a proofing system? Let’s look at some of the leading contenders.