From the Editor: A Growing Industry

Back in 2012, business travel was one of the major perks that led me to accept a job at Big Picture. Within the first year, I flew to Las Vegas, Chicago, and Orlando for major tradeshows (you can probably guess which ones). My first solo business trip was in 2014, to Clearwater Beach, Florida. I arrived at the gorgeous Sandpearl Resort, where I was greeted with a mimosa, a room with an ocean view, and hours to spare before that night’s networking event. I was poolside, living the dream.

Sigh … OK, back to work. The reason I was in the Sunshine State was for the Wallcoverings Association Annual Meeting. I was there to discover and speak to wallcovering manufacturers that were dipping their toes into digital print, and learn how Big Picture could tap into the interior décor market. That was four years ago. As I’ve attended every annual meeting since, I’ve seen the event transform from discussing standard, gravure designs to showcasing customized, personalized, and even textured digital print wallcoverings for countless industries.

But it’s not just within the Wallcoverings Association that we’re seeing this move to digital. Digitally printed textile products and applications are now filling tradeshow floors like FESPA, SGIA Expo, ISA Expo, and Print. And, smaller, niche events like SGIA and AATCC’s Digital Textile Printing Conference, Smithers Pira’s Digital Print Week, and Dscoop are also capitalizing on the potential that digital brings to the interior décor market.

So, because Big Picture is your go-to source for the latest trends and technology in the wide-format industry, we’ve created a special edition focused on interior décor and textiles. This section includes expert insights, the coolest case studies, and a decorative media showcase. We hope you see interior’s digital future, where it can fit into your print shop’s offerings, and how you can succeed in the booming market.

In short, I love having the opportunity to travel the world. But witnessing these innovative changes at shows and within the industry, and being able to relay new ideas, technology, and applications to you, is what really keeps me coming back for more. Occasionally working poolside is just a plus.

Read more from Big Picture's November/December 2017 issue featuring the first-ever Interior Décor & Textiles special edition.