By Graham K. Rogers

For many years, Epson Corporation has been recognised as one of the leading developers of print technology. It is particularly noted in the specialist area of fabric printing. An example of this is the output of renowned Japanese designer, Kansai Yamamoto, whose designs were shown in London in late 2103 and printed on Epson SureColor SC-F7100 series dye sublimation printers and the SurePress FP-30160.

One of the companies in the Epson Group, Epson Italia S.p.A, which purchased a 50% stake in For.Tex in 2012, has now completed a buyout of the company, Epson has announced.

The textile printing industry is expected to grow at an annual rate of 25%, so acquiring control of For.Tex, a company that specializes in sales of textile printing inks and manufacturing of essential treatment agents, is seen as a way to strengthen Epson's position in this market. Bringing the For.Tex company in-house provides a complete spectrum of know-how from strategy and design through manufacturing and sales for the entire printing process.

Pietro Roncoroni, president of For.Tex said, "We have developed a number of synergies with Epson over the years we have worked with them, and with both companies sharing the same goals, today's announcement is a natural progression from the work we have done with them to date."

Information on For.Tex is available on its website, while a PDF document from Epson explains some of the differences between analog and digital printing techniques, particularly the lower energy consumption needed for the newer processes.

Graham K. Rogers teaches at the Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University in Thailand where he is also Assistant Dean. He wrote in the Bangkok Post, Database supplement on IT subjects. For the last seven years of Database he wrote a column on Apple and Macs. He is now continuing that in the Bangkok Post supplement, Life.