Textile design graduate wins Epson ‘Creativity in Print’ award

Textile design graduate wins Epson ‘Creativity in Print’ award

As part of its close collaboration with Birmingham City University (BCU), Epson UK has presented a ‘Creativity in Digital Print’ Award to Shannon Keenan, a 2017 BA (Hons) Textile Design graduate. To help Shannon as she develops her design career she received an Epson cartridge-free EcoTank ET-2650 printer/scanner which includes two-years’ worth of ink.

For her final project Shannon combined satin and diaphanous textiles, surface embellishments and digital print to produce a selection of highly creative decorated fabrics inspired by gothic architecture. Shannon used the Epson SureColor SC-F dye sublimation printer in the University’s print centre to achieve the results and depth of colour she wanted.  For the award

Epson UK collaborates closely with schools and universities around the country to provide digital printing expertise and technology and, in turn, learn from a new generation of artists and designers. The BCU Textile Design degree course gives students the opportunity to experience broad textile specialist skills and embrace both digital print and traditional craft skills. The SureColor SC-F in its digital print suite is in high demand by students experimenting with designs on a wide range of fabrics for fashion and décor applications.

“Since Epson started working with BCU, we have consistently been impressed by the quality and creativity we have seen from the students,” says Heather Kendle, Market Development Manager, Epson Europe. “This year’s graduation show has reinforced this impression and it was hard to pick one winner.  We were looking for work that showed an understanding that digital print is one of a pallet of tools available to a textile designer today. The ability to combine print with other elements is what came through in Shannon’s work, as well as her attention to detail and understanding of what a commercial brief may require. “