There was plenty to see in the ASI Pavilion and nearby Apparel Zone at this year’s PRINTING United Expo, held from Sept. 23 to 25 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Whether it was a heavyweight, oversized fleece with a lived-in garment dye or a new carousel press that automates heat-transfer application, suppliers and equipment manufacturers were chock-full of solutions for distributors and decorators to stay on trend and in demand.

1. Fleece Gets an Upgrade

Mock-neck fleece, like this style from LAT Apparel (asi/65948), was trending at the show.

Heavyweight fleece with a boxy, relaxed fit continues to be popular, but apparel suppliers are adding new touches to build interest and capture Gen Z’s eclectic tastes.

Bella+Canvas (asi/39590) recently released two new fleece styles: a 10-ounce half-zip pullover sweatshirt with a heavy silver-tone zipper and a boxy fit. A women’s version of the same style is more cropped and slightly shrunken, while retaining the boxy fit of the unisex version. The other new style, a 10-ounce polo sweatshirt, features a polo collar and horn buttons.

“We’re kind of leaning into this collegiate, heritage thing that’s trending in the market,” said Eboni Hudson, head of marketing.

Another trending twist on fleece is mock necks – a short upright collar sitting higher than a regular crewneck but lower than a turtleneck. Many credit the viral Parke mock-neck sweatshirts, which feature the designer’s name in large collegiate-style appliqué across the front, as fueling the trend.

LAT Apparel (asi/65948) showed off a unisex mock-neck fleece. “This is probably the hottest item in the industry today,” said Dustin Moe, senior director of distributor sales, adding that places like airports are filled with people sporting the neckline.

2. Made in USA Still a Draw

Bayside Apparel (asi/30224) touted its Made-in-the-USA vertical manufacturing model at PRINTING United Expo.

As America’s 250th anniversary comes to a close, U.S.-made garments and accessories are retaining their appeal. Francis Ha, sales executive at Bayside Apparel (asi/30244), attributes the popularity to both the quality of the garments and some continued tariff-related uncertainties making the price of Made-in-USA products more competitive.

Plus, he said, there’s a customer service benefit with having apparel made close to home. “We’re all here,” he said. “We understand the lingo and the industry. All your questions will be answered.”

Bayside, which has been around since 1995, has a fully vertical operation, owning all its own facilities from knitting to dyeing to final cut and sew, Ha said.

Expert Brand (asi/53404), which specializes in U.S.-made performance apparel, has also noted the resurging interest in domestic manufacturing. The supplier works on a number of large custom apparel programs for the U.S. military, with the Marine Corps, for example, training in its quick-dry, moisture-wicking shirts for the last 15 years, according to Alex Ketterling, director of brand marketing.

Her take on the popularity bump for Made in the USA? “We like supporting the community locally – voting with our dollars, basically,” she said.

3. Faded Colors & Muted Tones

Stanley/Stella (asi/89011) showed off its sun-faded garment dye collection at the show.

Several equipment manufacturers at PRINTING United were showing off neon and fluorescent ink capabilities. Kornit, for example, marked the North American trade show debut of its Atlas MATRIX, an enhanced direct-to-garment system that can decorate across cotton, polyester and blends while maintaining consistent quality. The machine also includes neon ink capabilities, an extended-gamut setup to create eye-catching colors, according to the company.

Despite the trend toward brightness in decoration, the blanks themselves aren’t quite as showy. Aamir Madha, director of sales at Smart Blanks (asi/87811), said “muted, earthy tones” were in demand. Hudson of Bella+Canvas pointed to “true burgundy” as the “hero color” of the supplier’s fall 2026 catalog.

Garment dyes, washes and “extreme distress” are also on trend, as end-users seek out that lived-in, vintage feel. Dan Bush, decoration lab manager for Stanley/Stella (asi/89011), pointed to the supplier’s unique garment-dyeing process that provides high and low colors for a “sun-faded,” textural look.

4. Innovations in Automatic Transfers

Stahls’ (asi/88984) demonstrated how to decorate transfers, like this one-color screen-printed transfer, on its new carousel heat press.

As always, the Expo floor was also packed with a variety of equipment for embroidery, screen printing and digital decoration. Automation continues to be a huge trend. Among the noteworthy releases this year was the ROQ ID Press, a compact machine that the company said brings high-speed automation to small-format transfers. It’s ideal for heat printing tags on shirts as well as decorating bags, can coolers and other products, according to ROQ.

Stahls’ (asi/88984) was showing off the capabilities of a new Hotronix six-station carousel heat press, which includes three heaters, an automated transfer placer and optional automatic peeler. The operator just has to load the transfers and the shirts, then unload shirts when they’re done. “You have one operator essentially with the capabilities to do 300 to 400 garments an hour,” said Dave Conner, director of product marketing. That’s more than double the capacity of the company’s dual-station heat presses, he added.

The machine works for a variety of transfers, including direct to film and screen-printed transfers. “You have the capability to easily say yes to a 5,000-piece one-color job and then turn around and say yes to 200 pieces for a 12-color job with some direct-to-film transfers or hybrid transfers,” Conner said. “You have the flexibility to really leverage all of these solutions.”

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