What’s New in Custom Printing: August 2026 Industry Briefing
New Equipment, New Technology, and What’s Coming at PRINTING United Expo
By Matt Harvey, Little 6 Industries | Published: August 31, 2026
The last few weeks have been genuinely exciting in the custom printing world. Major equipment launches. Hybrid machines that combine multiple processes. New ink chemistry that opens up product categories. And a major industry show coming in three weeks that should accelerate all of it.
Here’s what’s happening, what it means, and why any of this matters if you’re a small business ordering custom apparel, stickers, or promotional products.
The Big Picture: Custom printing equipment is going through a genuine transformation. Manufacturers are combining multiple processes into single machines. New ink chemistry is expanding what’s possible. And smaller, more capable equipment is making advanced techniques accessible to more shops. Good news for customers.
DTG and DTF Are Merging
Brother just introduced the GTX300—a hybrid printer that handles both DTG (direct-to-garment) and DTF (direct-to-film) in one machine. That’s a meaningful shift.
Traditionally, DTG works great on soft-hand cotton but struggles with polyester, blends, and performance fabrics. DTF handles those materials well but has a slightly different feel. Shops running both technologies had to invest in two separate machines and switch between them.
A hybrid platform means shops can choose the right method for each specific job—DTG for premium cotton work, DTF for polyester and performance fabrics—without duplicating equipment.
What this means for customers: Shops with hybrid capability can better match the decoration method to your specific garment. Better quality, more options, less compromise.
Industrial DTF Is Getting Serious
Brother also introduced the DTRX—a 32-inch all-in-one roll DTF system rated for high-volume production (up to 19.52 meters of output). This is production-scale equipment, not desktop hobbyist gear.
Combined with recent industrial launches from Epson, Mimaki, and Roland, established manufacturers are rapidly legitimizing DTF as serious industrial textile equipment—not the converted-printer market DTF started as just a few years ago.
What this means for customers: Faster turnaround on large orders. Better consistency across volume production. And the increased manufacturer investment means DTF technology will keep improving.
Multi-Function Machines Are Coming Down-Market
One of the most interesting announcements this month: LONGER is taking preorders on the ePrint, a single machine that claims to handle UV printing, UV-DTF, DTG, apparel DTF, AND textured/relief 3D printing.
Preorders start at $1,699 for single-head and $2,499 for dual-head configurations. Preorder window runs through September 10.
Whether the actual production reliability will match the marketing claims remains to be seen. Multifunction machines historically have tradeoffs versus dedicated equipment. But the direction is clear: inexpensive multifunction machines are lowering the barrier to entry for small custom decoration operations.
What this means for customers: More shops entering the market means more options, but quality will vary widely. Choose shops based on demonstrated results, not equipment claims.
UV-DTF Ink Chemistry Is Improving
Beyond just faster printers, the actual ink technology behind UV-DTF is advancing. NUtec Digital Ink recently introduced Ruby R10-DTF, compatible with Epson I3200, I1600, and XP600 printheads. It’s designed specifically for hard surfaces—glass, metal, wood, plastic, and ceramic—with clean transfer that doesn’t require vinyl-style weeding.
This continues to strengthen UV-DTF as a serious alternative for short-run decals, promotional products, and personalized items on hard surfaces.
What this means for customers: UV-DTF quality on tumblers, bottles, promotional products, and personalized items keeps improving. If you’ve been considering branded drinkware or custom hard-goods projects, the technology is getting more reliable and cost-effective.
Expanded Color Gamut Is the Technology Worth Watching
One of the most interesting technologies previewed for the upcoming PRINTING United Expo is expanded-gamut DTF printing—specifically, the Prestige XL3 system that adds RGBO colors (Red, Green, Blue, Orange) alongside traditional CMYK.
Standard CMYK printing struggles with certain colors: bright reds, oranges, greens, and especially royal blue often print duller than the design shows on screen. Expanded gamut printing addresses this by adding those colors as separate inks rather than trying to mix them from CMYK primaries.
What this means for customers: If expanded-gamut DTF production becomes reliable and affordable, difficult brand colors, royal blues, bright oranges and reds could become achievable at production quality—not just approximate matches. This would be a legitimate premium-service differentiator, not just another speed specification.
PRINTING United Expo Is Only Three Weeks Away
PRINTING United Expo 2026 runs September 23-25 in Las Vegas. Based on what’s already being announced by exhibitors, this show should be unusually DTF-heavy.
AA Print Supply alone plans to run five DTF machines live at the show, including:
Epson’s 35-inch SureColor G6070
DTF Station’s new all-in-one Vega S17
The triple-I3200 Prestige XL3 with expanded RGBO color
Automated shakers and presses
Combined with equipment previews from Brother, LONGER, Roland, Mimaki, and others, we expect meaningful announcements across DTF, UV-DTF, hybrid systems, and workflow automation.
If you’re considering major equipment investments or evaluating suppliers, waiting until after the show provides significantly better information about what’s actually coming to market.
What This All Means Together
Step back and look at the pattern:
Multiple processes are converging. Machines that used to be dedicated single-purpose are becoming multi-function platforms.
Ink chemistry is expanding possibilities. New formulations open up new substrates, new applications, and better color reproduction.
Small equipment is getting more capable. Techniques that required dedicated industrial setups a few years ago are now available on smaller machines.
Established manufacturers are investing heavily. Brother, Epson, Roland, Mimaki, and others aren’t treating DTF as a fad—they’re building serious industrial platforms.
Automation continues to advance. Every new machine emphasizes less operator involvement, less maintenance, more reliability.
Together, this means custom printing is genuinely maturing as an industry. The tools are better. The options are broader. The quality baseline keeps rising.
What Little 6 Is Watching
A few things we’re paying particular attention to over the next several weeks:
Expanded-gamut DTF: Reliable RGBO printing could genuinely change what’s possible for brand color matching. This is our top interest at PRINTING United.
Hybrid DTG/DTF platforms: The convergence of these two processes has real implications for how shops handle mixed material orders. Worth understanding regardless of current equipment plans.
UV-DTF advancement: As UV-DTF chemistry and equipment continue improving, our existing UV-DTF workflow becomes more capable. Better outcomes for customers ordering branded drinkware, promotional products, and personalized hard goods.
Multi-function equipment reliability: The LONGER ePrint and similar machines could either represent a real breakthrough or another round of overpromised, underdelivered equipment. Time and reviews will tell.
Practical Takeaways for Small Business Customers
If you’re ordering custom apparel, stickers, or promotional products right now:
The tools your suppliers have access to keep improving. Quality expectations are rising across the industry.
New product categories are becoming viable. Personalized hard goods, expanded-color decoration, and specialty finishes are more accessible than a year ago.
Choose suppliers investing in their capability. Shops that update equipment, adopt new technology, and continue learning will produce better results than those coasting on older setups.
Ask what’s possible today that wasn’t six months ago. A shop’s answer tells you whether they’re actually engaged with the industry or just running old workflows.
Looking Ahead
PRINTING United Expo (September 23-25) will provide much more concrete information about what’s actually coming to market in late 2026 and into 2027. Expect equipment announcements, new ink formulations, workflow automation updates, and probably a few surprises.
We’ll report back after the show with the developments that actually matter for small business customers—not just the marketing hype, but the practical implications of what’s newly possible.
Questions about how any of this affects your current or future orders? Reach out at matt@little6llc.com or (520) 705-4026. We’re always happy to talk about what’s actually possible for your specific project.
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