PRINTING United Expo 2025 Report

PRINTING United Expo 2025 saw a record turnout and innovations across the tradeshow floor, where artificial intelligence was a strong and ubiquitous presence. Held at the Orange County Convention Center’s North and South Concourses in Orlando, FL from Oct. 22 to Oct. 24, the expo showcased the latest, fastest and boldest in printing technology, the newest software and more.

The show officially opened with a performance by The Freedom High School “Pride of the Patriots” Marching Band and cheerleading crew to enthusiastic crowds. Experts demonstrated installation techniques at the PDAA (Professional Decal Applicators Alliance) Installer Zone, as well as textile printing technologies at the Apparel Zone and the Apparelist Live! Theatre. Attendees could sit down for over a hundred educational sessions on all things printing and beyond, from on-demand printing and personalization to sustainability, advice for the digital transition to business management strategies in a chaotic economic landscape.

AI was the point of interest at the expo as the Alliance launched their own PRINTING AI, designed to help print providers on the business front. One of the Media Day presentations delivered to members of the trade publishing press on Tuesday, Oct. 21 illustrate just how quickly AI is being accepted and adopted in the printing industry: 85% of the 106 participants in a study by Alliance Insights believe that adopting AI is critical to staying competitive in print, 83% agree that AI would unlock new business opportunities for their shops, and 57% are already using generative AI in their design and copy. A panel with representatives from three print providers that have integrated AI into their daily production and management at the PRINTING AI Pavilion also centered the conversation on how AI could be used in the printing industry.

Amidst this focus on the potential of artificial intelligence, human ability and ingenuity continue to be rewarded. We joined our sister publications Big Picture and Screen Printing magazines in presenting the Women in Wide Format and Women in Screen Printing Awards to twelve print professionals — ten of whom were able to receive their awards in person — who exemplify leadership and dedication. The awards ceremony was graciously hosted by Adrienne Palmer, owner and founder of AP Media and former editor-in-chief of Big Picture and Screen Printing magazines, followed by a cocktail reception.

Winners of the Women in Wide Format and Women in Screen Printing Awards. Photo by Mildred Nguyen.

The awards also saw opening remarks by Lisbeth Lyons Black, director of the Women in Print Alliance, who hosted the annual Alliance Networking Luncheon for women working in all segments of the print industry. Attendees enjoyed a three-course meal, vigorous discussion with fellow print providers and a motivational speech by Joan Moon, founder of Moon Negotiation in Washington, DC, centered on what women could do to overcome the barriers they uniquely face in negotiating.

As the expo’s title sponsor, Canon U.S.A. occupied the largest booth on the tradeshow floor where a representative range of their product portfolio were on display, including the Colorado XL7R roll-to-roll and Colorado XL7H hybrid printers from their new Colorado XL-series. Also attracting great public attention was Mimaki, who showcased a variety of direct-to-film (DTF) transfers and 3D-printed objects: One notable item was a life-sized golf bag created in collaboration with The Rookies, a program for up-and-coming digital artists to build their skills through hands-on projects. Visitors also lined up at Epson’s booth to obtain T-shirts, tumblers, greeting cards and other customized items from the newly launched MakeON customization press package. Meanwhile, General Formulations stood out by taking a traditional approach, wrapping their booth in artist Guy Harvey’s hand-drawn designs featuring ocean blues and marine animals.

Fabric items with prints produced by the TS200-1600, Mimaki’s newest dye-sublimation printer. Photo by Mildred Nguyen.

On Oct. 23, the Printing United Alliance held a Student Day, where students could attend free educational sessions, live demos and connect with industry professionals.

Despite trade downturns caused by tariffs, the Printing United expo this year has been the biggest yet, drawing over 30,000 attendees from 104 countries and 838 exhibitors working in diverse sectors, from printer manufacturers to IT providers to training services. For some first-timers, the scale was at once impressive and overwhelming.

“It is a big, big event. It looks like everyone is here,” says Joel Alvarez of ThreadLab (Melbourne, Australia), a first-time exhibitor. “They don’t only have screenprinting, they also have car wraps, posters, magazines, so it’s a lot of information you get from coming here.”

The experience was even more intense for some attendees who were walking the tradeshow floor. “It’s overwhelming. I keep getting lost, I keep getting turned around, but it’s cool and everything’s awesome,” says Gary Zuyus of Wavegypsy Zuyus Artistry (Orange City, FL).

An attendee was impressed with the friendly help she and her husband had received from exhibitors. “The people are very pleasant. A lot of examples and things, and everybody’s friendly,” remarks Melanie Gill of Trendsettrz Window Tinting and Accessories (Reidsville, NC).

For others, the scale and diversity on display were the main appeals. “I like that there is a variety of vendors. People think ‘signs’ and they just want rigid substrates and graphic, but we sell clothing and dye-sub printing objects, so it’s nice to be somewhere that has all of that, and also paper products,” comments Kristi Jenkins-Correa of Signarama Fort Collins (Fort Collins, CO), one of the Women in Wide Format Awards winners.

Printing United Expo 2026 will be held Sept. 23-25 in Las Vegas. Exhibitor and sponsorship bookings are open at printingunited.com.