A Q&A with Premex Solutions’ Christen Gilmartin and Mitesh Patel
After a standout year at PRINTING United 2025, Premex Solutions reflects on how its PrepRITE™ fabrics became one of the most talked-about materials across the show floor. Though the company didn’t exhibit directly, its fabrics were at the centre of live demonstrations on booths from HP, Mimaki, Monti Antonio, Klieverik, Coldenhove and DGI — powering everything from 3-metre-wide prints to made up products and bold designer collaborations.
We spoke to Christen Gilmartin, Operations Manager, and Mitesh Patel, Sales Manager, to discuss what the experience revealed about the future of digital textile printing, how PrepRITE™ Fabrics performed across so many OEM platforms, and what they learned from seeing their fabrics in action on a global stage.
What was PRINTING United 2025 like for Premex Solutions this year, given that you weren’t exhibiting directly but had such a major presence across the show?
CG: Even without our own booth, it was one of the most visible years we’ve ever had. PrepRITE™ fabrics were front and centre across the show floor in live printing, finishing, and even product creation. For us, being woven into the demonstrations of so many leading OEMs was more powerful than any standalone exhibit. It really showcased how integral PrepRITE™ Fabrics have become to the workflow of top-tier digital print technology.
PrepRITE™ fabrics featured across multiple OEM booths, including HP, Mimaki, Monti Antonio, Klieverik, Coldenhove, and DGI. What did it mean for Premex to be represented by so many global brands in one place?
CG: It was incredibly validating. These OEMs are industry leaders, and the fact that they chose PrepRITE™ Fabrics for their textile demonstrations speaks volumes about the trust they place in our materials. Seeing our fabrics perform flawlessly across such a wide range of printing and finishing systems underscored our commitment to versatility and reliability.
Many of the OEM booths such as HP and Mimaki had a huge focus on PrepRITE™ Fabrics, including live printing and creative collaborations. How did those partnerships come together, and what kind of feedback did you receive?
CG: Our partnerships with key OEMs like HP and Mimaki are built on years of collaboration and shared goals for advancing digital textile printing. For PRINTING United, both HP and Mimaki wanted to highlight true print-to-product efficiency, and PrepRITE™ Fabrics were the perfect fit for that story. Visitors were amazed at how cleanly the prints came out and how production-ready the fabric was right off the printer. The feedback was phenomenal.
You also showcased the work of designer Beth Lingard, winner of the Premier Digital Textiles New Designers Prize. Why was it important to include her artwork in the demonstrations?
CG: Beth’s work represents the next generation of textile design — traditional hand-drawn designs, digitised for textile printing. Including her designs allowed us to bridge innovation in both materials and artistry. It was a great way to show how PrepRITE™ Fabrics enable designers to move from digital concept to physical product with stunning clarity, detail, and colour integrity. Beth’s designs were exclusively shown on HP and all collaborative OEMs connected with HP such as Colex, Summa, Zund, Monti Antonio, and Klieverik.
How did collaborations with other partners like Monti Antonio and Klieverik complement the HP work and help show the range of PrepRITE™ Fabric applications?
CG: Each partner brought a different part of the digital printing ecosystem to life. Monti Antonio and Klieverik highlighted precision finishing and heat technologies, while Colex, Zund and Summa demonstrated the versatility of their precision cutting machines. Together, they showed the full workflow potential from fabric to finished printed textile, proving that PrepRITE™ Fabrics perform consistently across multiple platforms and at every stage of production.
Mimaki also showcased designs from FRIDA LAS VEGAS, known for her bold, neon-infused aesthetic. How did this collaboration come about, and what impact did it have on the Mimaki booth?
MP: Our collaboration with FRIDA LAS VEGAS was a natural extension of Mimaki’s goal to demonstrate the power of their latest print technologies through high-impact visual storytelling. Frida’s bold, vibrant, and distinctly Floridian artwork was the perfect match. Her designs pushed colour and contrast to the limit, exactly what Mimaki wanted to highlight. The response on the show floor was tremendous. Her pieces brought an unmistakable energy to the booth, drawing visitors in and encouraging deeper conversations about both the creative potential and technical capabilities behind the prints. Combined with the range of PrepRITE™ Fabrics showcased by Mimaki and partners like ITNH, Economy Sign Supply, and Millcraft, it created a cohesive, high-visibility presentation that truly stood out at PRINTING United this year.
Was there anything about seeing PrepRITE™ fabrics in live demonstrations — such as the 3-metre-wide prints or being processed on precision equipment that surprised or impressed you personally?
CG: Seeing our fabrics run seamlessly on so many systems, back-to-back, was genuinely impressive. The 3-metre prints really emphasised scale and consistency, while the precision-cut tote bags, pillow covers and samples brought the real-world application to life. It’s one thing to know your fabrics perform well in the lab; it’s another to watch hundreds of people witness it live and respond with enthusiasm.
What kind of conversations did you have with printers, designers, or OEM teams at the show about where the industry is heading next?
CG: A lot of discussions centred on sustainability and workflow simplification. Printers are looking for solutions that minimise pretreatment, reduce waste, and enable faster turnaround without sacrificing quality. That’s exactly where PrepRITE™ Fabrics shine — providing ready-to-print solutions that are compatible across multiple ink technologies and printers.
Were there any stand-out moments or partnerships from the show that you’ll remember?
CG: The most memorable part of the show was gaining clarity on the industry’s shifting priorities. Conversations around sustainability, process efficiency, and material consistency kept coming up, and it was encouraging to see how PrepRITE™ Fabrics naturally fit into those discussions.
From a technical or commercial perspective, what did Premex learn from being so deeply embedded in different OEM ecosystems this year?
CG: We gained invaluable insights into how each OEM fine-tunes their processes and how PrepRITE™ Fabrics can support their workflow and unique performance targets. Commercially, it reaffirmed the growing demand for innovative, consistent, and sustainable print-ready fabrics, not just as substrates, but as key enablers in digital textile printing’s evolution.
How do you think this year’s collaborations at PRINTING United will influence how Premex works with OEMs and print professionals in 2026?
CG: We’re more focused than ever on developing our established technical partnerships. Going forward, we’ll continue to co-develop and test fabrics alongside OEMs to optimise print performance for new platforms and inks. The goal is to keep PrepRITE™ Fabrics at the forefront of innovation and aligned with where the technology and the market are heading.
Finally, how would you sum up what PRINTING United 2025 showed about the role of PrepRITE™ Fabrics in digital textile printing today?
CG: PRINTING United 2025 proved that PrepRITE™ isn’t just a fabric, it’s a foundation for digital print success. Across printers, finishers, and brands, it delivered consistent results and creative flexibility. It’s clear that PrepRITE™ Fabric has become the benchmark for what print-ready textiles can achieve in today’s fast-evolving digital landscape.
