Stead McAlpin has been manufacturing high-quality furnishing fabrics since 1835.
Always striving to move ahead, we keep abreast of the latest technology and continually search for ways to improve our operational techniques. We offer screen printing for runs as short as 100 metres, with widths up to 3.2 metres and up to 25 colours. While our digital printing facility promises immense versatility, we also continue to provide a full range of facilities from design interpretation, colour separation and screen engraving through to fabric preparation, printing and a range of specialist finishes. Finished goods are warehoused and ultimately despatched in line with our customers’ requirements.
Printing
- Extra wide up to 3.2 meters prints
- We can print as little as 10 meters
- Rotary, flat, and digital machines
Type of Printing
Flat-screen or flatbed is another convenient way of printing that uses silk mesh screens, up to 25 colours.
Our digital printing capability allows customers to print short runs directly to fabric without the expense of producing screens and without colour restrictions.
Dyeing
Types of Dyeing
- We can dye to match any shade using the expertise of our colour chemists
- We have pigment, reactive, VAT and high temperature disperse dyeing for man-made fibres.
- We also have the ability to cross dye in our soft flow air jet machines.
Finishing
Expertise
Design
Explore
Our highly professional, the customer-focused team prides itself on quality and accuracy, producing designs of the highest standards.
Base Cloths
Materials
We have a variety of weights of cloths suitable for apparel, interiors, upholstery, and outdoors; as well as numerous shade and blind fabrics.
Milestones
The Stead McAlpin Archive: Memories From Our History
Our customers have access to over 25,000 designs in the design archive, dating from the end of the 18th Century to the 20th Century.
This amazing archive encompasses a wide range of design styles and contains work by famous designers from the 19th and 20th centuries.
Our customers have exclusive use of their selected designs and may reproduce them as they are, or adapt them as they wish.
A WALK THROUGH OUR ARCHIVE IS LIKE WALKING THROUGH THE HISTORY OF FABRIC PRINTING.
Over our vast history, we have printed for Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth II, Buckingham Palace, and other Royals, as well as Winston Churchill, and the Titanic. We are also proud to print for many famous designers, including Lucienne Day, William Morris, and Harry Wearne to name a few.
We won medals at both the Society of Arts and the International Fair in 1862.
The Victoria and Albert Chintz was chosen by Queen Victoria to furnish the Royal Yacht in 1852.
Queen Victoria was a keen artist and secretly incorporated a portrait of herself and Prince Albert into the Victoria and Albert chintz. Their side profiles were very cleverly placed to look like tendrils in amongst the florals. Can you spot the silhouettes?
The first recorded order for Queen Elizabeth was while she was still a Princess. A wedding present from the Cotton Industry, with the C in the design number dating the design between 1790 and 1894
Whilst giving an interview, the Queen was spotted sitting on a Thistle design dating to 1897. This interview was recorded at Balmoral, where, according to the Aberdeen Journal from 1855, one of the bedrooms is decorated with curtains of the Victoria and Albert chintz.
From 1952-1954 the SS Gothic was designated a Royal Yacht for the Queens tour of Australia.
This 12-colour copper roller printed fabric was used for the furnishings in the
Stateroom on the Gothic.
Hyde Park was especially designed for Prince Charles’s nursery in 1949 and was used in Clarence House.
J.K. Rowling sat on this chair whilst writing the Harry Potter series of books, she donated it to a charity and it was originally sold for £50,000 in 2002.
The new owner re-sold the chair in 2006 for £300,000!
The fabric on the chair is a Nina Campbell design printed at Stead McAlpin.
At Steads we are always making sure that we continually produce outstanding final products. Our new digital vat machine is housed in its own room so that we can control the temperature and humidity to ensure the smooth running of our digital printing equipment. You would think humidity wouldn’t be an issue here in "Sunny" Cumbria! 😜
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I believe it’s because the air temperature and the humidity are
linked. If you change one the other follows, but not necessarily in the right direction for a digital printer who’s trying to produce a
quality product.
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DIGITAL VAT PRINT TECHNOLOGY
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⭐Small Print Runs - 50m minimum
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⭐Short Lead Time - Quick response from fully integrated UK mill
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⭐Durability - Unsurpassed fastness
:
⭐Capacity - 6000m per week
:
⭐Colours - Exceptionally bright and vivid colours
:
⭐ Superior Performance
:
For the highest light, wash, and colour fastness in digital vat
technology, contact Stead McAlpin today...
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:
#digitalprint #digitaltextile #digitalfabric #digitalfabricprinting #digitalprinting #textileprint #fabricprinting #interiordesign #interiors #printstudio #designstudio #textilestudio #textiledesign #surfacepattern #madeinengland #printedinengland #carlisle #ZimmerAustria #steadmcalpin #ukmanufacturingindustry
IT'S ALIVE!
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Just like the cardiovascular system is our body's lifeline, these "veins" of colour bring life to any design!
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DIGITAL VAT PRINTING in ENGLAND
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Continuing to invest in the latest technology....
:
⭐Small Print Runs - 50m minimum
:
⭐Short Lead Time - Quick response from fully integrated UK mill
:
⭐Durability - Unsurpassed fastness
:
⭐Capacity - 6000m per week
:
⭐Colours - Exceptionally bright and vivid colours
:
⭐ Superior Performance
:
For the highest light, wash, and colour fastness in digital vat
technology, contact Stead McAlpin today...
:
:
:
:
#digitalprint #digitaltextile #digitalfabric #digitalfabricprinting #digitalprinting #textileprint #fabricprinting #fashion #interiordesign #fashiondesign #interiors #printstudio #designstudio #textilestudio #textiledesign #surfacepattern #madeinengland #printedinengland #carlisle #ZimmerAustria #Colaris #steadmcalpin #ukmanufacturing
As well as our amazing new DIGITAL VAT PRINTER, we have 3 x Stork Rotary Print machines up to 24 colours and repeats 640 to 1018mm
We also have 1 x Stork Double Width Rotary Print Machine , with up to 20 colours
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Rotary is conventional way of printing using rolled nickel screens, and can allow up to 24 colours.
The advantages of rotary-screen printing machines includes faster production rates, greater ease of setting up .
As with all screen printing, some control of delivery can be obtained through variation in the mesh size, a large mesh being appropriate for fabrics made from coarser fibres or areas of solid color, whilst a finer mesh is better for producing fine detail or for fabrics made from fine fibres.
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#flatbedprinting #screenprinting #rotaryprinting #textileprinters #homefurnishings #apparel #digitalvat #digitalprinting
#Carlisle #ukmanufacturing #fabricprinting #textiles #fabric #textil #tisue #pattern #printedtextiles #furnishingfabrics #interiortrends #textiledesign #fabricprinters #textiledesign #textiledesigner
The kids are back to school!!!
How about a design from the #SteadMcAlpinArchive for a some Back to School inspo!
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#textilehistory #textilearchives #archivedesign #booklover #steadmcalpin #printfactory #textiles #textileprinters #textileprinting #printedinengland
It is with great sadness that we have to announce the death of our friend and colleague, Alan James
Alan passed away on the 4th March and will be sorely missed by everyone at Stead McAlpin.
Alan started working for Steads about 1962, retiring in 2000 as the Print Manager. After his retirement he continued to volunteer his time to the company as archivist, historian, and tour guide, and just for the pure love and loyalty to Stead McAlpin. He was highly respected by both clients and colleagues and will be missed immensely by all those who had the pleasure of knowing him.
On behalf of all of us at Stead McAlpin, we offer Alan's family and friends our most heartfelt condolences and sympathy at this difficult time.
The funeral will take place at 1pm on the 18th March at the crematorium .
Up to the 1970's
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Machines which printed using engraved copper rollers and wooden surface rollers were in use at the factory from 1835 until 1970. An image of an early engraved copper roller printing machine of the type installed by Thomas McAlpin on the opening of the print works.
Nobody is sure how they moved such large machines from Wigton, but it is assumed they were broken down and brought by horse and cart! Any ideas?!
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#textilearchive #textiledocuments #printworks #textilemill #archivaldocuments #textilehistory #carlilse #cumbria #textileprinters #uktextiles #textilemanufacturing #surfaceprint #surfaceprinting #carlislehistory #newtechnology #copperroller
DIGITAL VAT PRINTING in ENGLAND
See the results for yourself
DIGITAL PRINTING vs SCREEN PRINTING
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#lightfastness
#washfastness
#crockfastness
#chlorinefastness
#brilliancy
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Continuing to invest in the latest technology....
:
⭐Small Print Runs - 50m minimum
:
⭐Short Lead Time - Quick response from fully integrated UK mill
:
⭐Durability - Unsurpassed fastness
:
⭐Capacity - 6000m per week
:
⭐Colours - Exceptionally bright and vivid colours
:
⭐ Superior Performance
:
For the highest light, wash, and colour fastness in digital vat
technology, contact Stead McAlpin today...
:
:
:
:
#digitalprint #digitaltextile #digitalfabric #digitalfabricprinting #digitalprinting #textileprint #fabricprinting #fashion #interiordesign #fashiondesign #interiors #printstudio #designstudio #textilestudio #textiledesign #surfacepattern #madeinengland #printedinengland #carlisle #ZimmerAustria #Colaris #steadmcalpin
Using the latest in technology supported by decades of expertise, Stead McAlpin is able to offer an unparalleled fabric printing service from origination to greige cloth preparation, to final finishing of the cloth. As everything is done in-house at our factory in Carlisle we have full control of the process from start to finish ensuring a premium product with outstanding customer service and aftercare.
:
DIGITAL VAT PRINTING in ENGLAND
:
Continuing to invest in the latest technology....
:
⭐Small Print Runs - 50m minimum
:
⭐Short Lead Time - Quick response from fully integrated UK mill
:
⭐Durability - Unsurpassed fastness
:
⭐Capacity - 6000m per week
:
⭐Colours - Exceptionally bright and vivid colours
:
⭐ Superior Performance
:
For the highest light, wash, and colour fastness in digital vat
technology, contact Stead McAlpin today...
:
:
:
:
#digitalprint #digitaltextile #digitalfabric #digitalfabricprinting #digitalprinting #textileprint #fabricprinting #fashion #interiordesign #fashiondesign #interiors #printstudio #designstudio #textilestudio #textiledesign #surfacepattern #madeinengland #printedinengland #carlisle #ZimmerAustria #Colaris #steadmcalpin
We are here to help
Stead McAlpin
Cummersdale Print Works
Carlisle
CA2 6BT
United Kingdom
T: +44 (0) 1228 525224
E: enquiries@steadmcalpin.co.uk
Contact Us
Established in England
of Printing Experience
Royal Visits
