Printing Carpets manufactures a range of substrates suitable for UV-curable, solvent-based and latex ink formulations, as well as carpets and floor mats that can be printed with disperse inks or via two-step dye sublimation.

According to Jon Price, managing director of CMYUK Digital, the new materials, which are available in a range of widths up to 5m, will give wide format printers another avenue to get value out of their existing assets.

"This market isn't as price competitive as other standard wide format work because its not a large volume market, so there's not many printers that can do it," he said.

"A lot of the work that's being produced for things like exhibition floor coverings either tends to be multi-layered, with an adhesive layer and a printed layer that is then over-laminated with an anti-slip coating, which is time-consuming and costly, or it tends to come in from the continent on a six week lead time."

Price added that because Printing Carpets had a range of subtrates suitable for various different print techniques, wide format printers would be able to start producing higher value products on their existing assets regardless of what equipment they're running.

"Most people tend to think that for fabrics they will have to invest in die sublimation and for soft furnishings and flags, yes, absolutely that's the case. But the boom market for fabric is retail and most of that is single-sided, so you can print on your existing UV or solvent printer," said Price.

Prices for the substrates vary. However, Price said a guide price would be £9 per sqm for solvent printed carpets, £13-15 per sqm for die sub printed carpet, and £14-20 per sqm for UV printed vinyl.