Impressions Expo Long Beach 2026 is a wrap. With over 10,000 attendees and 310 exhibitors packing 116,000 square feet, this year’s show brought non-stop energy from the expo floor to the classrooms.

Our SanMar booth saw non-stop traffic, with the biggest stories being our new partnership with Richardson and 3D Designer, your new ultimate mock-up tool.

As always, your SanMar Decorator Solutions Team was on-site exploring the standout innovations across the show floor. Here are the highlights that caught our attention this year.

The Digital Print Ecosystem

Epson is leaning into digital printing for small businesses, with their craft‑market focused SureColor F1070 DTG/DTF combo printer. Now in its second year, it continues to be a crowd favorite. It’s a smart option for small to mid‑size decorators or on‑demand operations that need multiple compact printers without sacrificing capability.

A new addition this year is the SureColor V1070 Desktop UV Printer. Coming in at less than half the cost of a typical DTG or UV printer, this could be the ideal starting point for decorators wanting to enter the hard‑goods space without the usual investment barriers.

Sawgrass made a strong impression with the unveiling of VersiFlex, a new ink-and-paper system that broadens the possibilities for sublimation. With this innovation, decorators can now sublimate onto more than 20 fabric types, from cotton to cutting boards. It makes use of alternate paper for cotton and polyester/hard goods.

Best of all, the ink set is compatible with existing SG500 and SG1000 printers, making it easier than ever to add promotional products to your decoration lineup.

The Screen Room

M&R debuted their new Stinger Series automatic presses: the Hornet and the Yellowjacket. Designed to deliver quality and efficiency at an accessible price point, both presses feature a modern icon‑based interface with integrated multilingual tutorials, simplifying onboarding and eliminating the need for external manuals.

• Hornet: Built for quieter operation, it includes a 7.5″ HMI touchscreen and multiple station/color configurations across two max imaging sizes.
• Yellowjacket: Engineered for higher volume and expanded color output, it offers double index capability, a 10″ HMI touchscreen, larger max imaging sizes, and six flash‑cure communication ports. It’s also compatible with hybrid printing.

International Coatings added a standout new ink to their FlexCure line: Unicorn White Low Bleed Ink. It offers a flexible cure range of 275°–325°F and a creamy, user‑friendly viscosity.

This should be welcome news for decorators used to the thicker, harder‑to‑manage low‑bleed options on the market. Unicorn White requires less pressure to clear the mesh, flashes quickly, has high pigmentation, and maintains low tack, making it a practical upgrade in any screen room.

What’s the Stitch?

Melco highlighted their SUMMIT Manager software, designed to simplify embroidery production, from design prep to job queuing. Whether you’re running a single machine or a full production floor, SUMMIT provides centralized visibility and control. Install it on any Windows PC, connect via Wi‑Fi or Ethernet, and streamline your embroidery workflow effortlessly.

Melco has also deepened its presence in the tech ecosystem through a new partnership with Fulfill Engine. Integrated into the STAHLS’ Fulfill Engine platform, this collaboration allows Fulfill Engine to manage the full production process for Melco embroidery machines, from e‑commerce intake to final output.

It connects with popular platforms such as Shopify, Printify, Order Desk, and others, supporting multiple decoration methods including embroidery, DTF, and screen printing. Watch the overview here.

In the Tech Space

Throughout the Long Beach show, most decorator‑related systems maintained consistent messaging and presence this year. One notable newcomer, however, appeared within the central ROQ section, a CRM platform developed specifically for decorators.

The platform, Sales.ink CRM, is the brainchild of Kevin Baumgart. Since many shops implementing his sales strategies lacked a simple, affordable CRM option, Kevin decided to build one tailored to the way decorators actually work.

We’ve already onboarded him as both an affiliate service provider and a tech system partner. This tool, paired with Kevin’s insights, promises to make customer engagement more automated, streamlined, and effective for shops of any size.

The Takeaway

There was plenty more to see at Impressions Long Beach this year: special‑effects screen printing, AI digitizing, automation, and social strategy. Decorators showed up hungry to learn, and sessions were standing room only.

Thank you to all of our customers and industry partners who came to visit with us. We appreciate you all—see you in Atlantic City!

If you have any questions or would like to find out more about our affiliate service providers and tech system partners, we’re here to help! Contact the Decorator Solutions team anytime for recommendations or advice.