Caldeira adds digital prints to dec pillows

Home Textiles Today Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 3/19/2013 11:08:40 AM

At the New York Market - On demand is not just for TV programming anymore. Caldeira's onto it, too, but for its decorative pillow business.
As Tony Calderia, founder and owner of the company, explained to HTT, "We're working in China on new digital formats to create new designs that retailers can order without committing to big orders. Instead of placing tens of thousands, they can test a few hundred and go from there to either replenish or test new designs."
He said the digital formats include digital prints, digital panels, digital tapestries and others that can be produced in small or large batches at a time, depending on retailers' specific needs.
"For example, we only need 100 meters of a fabric - the mill takes that roll of fabric and prints on it, if that is what it takes," Caldeira said. "By comparison, before you had to invest in screens and other equipment for printing, when meant a higher up-front cost for us."
As a result of this new move, "for us the minimums are very low, and what we can offer the retailers are unique looks from our big library of designs. Our design team creates designs to order, so their only limit is their imagination."
Caldeira is introducing the program to the U.S. this week during the New York Home Fashions Market. But the company has already implemented it on its home turf, the United Kingdom.
"When we started two years ago, we were working with European printers," Caldeira said. "But it was more expensive. Now the Chinese have the technology and capability, and it's allowed us to produce these goods more affordably and bring them to the U.S. for the mid- to high-end markets."