Digital printers in particular, who have made a name for themselves in the large format sector and want to expand their business activities, are interested in printing on all types of textiles. At Fespa, both interests can be researched together and new impulses can be gathered. Print & Publishing took a look at the textile printing solutions offered there and will present some of the developments. By Sabine Slaughter
Anyone who came to Munich to see digital textile printing solutions was right here. Almost all companies that offer solutions in this area showed new or further developments that help to boost digital printing on fabrics.
Especially in the personalised and individual sector, digitally printed textiles are much more cost-effective and efficient than conventional productions, which have to be ordered in thousands of linear metres. Fast job changes, the production of small or even one run, sample collections, and so on and so forth ... are classic examples of the advantages of digital printing. This, coupled with the innovation and application diversity that large format printers have proven over the years, means that the textile digital printing sector can expect a huge growth spurt. In addition, brand owners are increasingly relying on short runs, different colour and graphic versions, etc. for industrial production. value. This can be achieved much more efficiently and sustainably with digital printing. In addition, digital printing can certainly compete with traditional analogue technologies in terms of quality, colour reproduction and precision.
New market participant HP
Until now, the American company had no real shares or printers in the textile printing sector. This has changed since Fespa. HP introduced the new Stitch series of sublimation printers, available in three sizes, produced with water-based inks. HP's entry into the textile industry for sportswear, fashion, soft signage and interiors ranges from 1.62 to 3.2 meters wide. The production printers continuously deliver high-quality prints on paper and fabric, reduce waste and redundancy, and simplify operation while maintaining high productivity. Fully automatic maintenance ensures optimum image quality without user intervention while saving time by simply loading and unloading media by a single operator.
"HP's expansion into the textile industry underscores our commitment to making digital printing accessible to all. The new super-wide HP Stitch S1000 removes major complexities from dye sublimation printing with industry-leading technology and high-quality printing at unrivalled speed," said Santi Morera, Head of Graphics Solutions Business at HP. "The S1000 truly harnesses the power of color for production environments through intelligent technology."
The HP Stitch portfolio introduces dye sublimation ink into HP's thermal inkjet printing technology to meet the growing demand for polyester-based textiles for sportswear, fast fashion, home décor and soft signage. HP Stitch S1000 is ideal for medium and large print service providers to increase production of textile applications with up to 1200 native drops per inch (dpi) in the soft signage market, including backlits, frontlits and interior decors such as curtains, cushions and sofas.
LaForte series by Aleph
At the company's stand, visitors could see two new models of the flagship LaForte series: LaForte 400, a highly productive printing system equipped with pigment inks for blue-back paper, and LaForte 100, an entry-level dye sublimation printer. "With the aim of strengthening its presence in these strategic areas of the printing business, the two LaForte models at the heart of the show are designed to meet the current needs of large format printers in the visual communications industry," explains Alessandro Manes, CEO of Aleph. The LaForte 400 Paper is an inkjet printing solution that enables the efficient and cost-effective production of high volume visual communications. It works with water-based pigment inks and is equipped with 8 to 16 print heads - the number of print heads depends on production volume and demand. The LaForte 400 is equipped with variable drop technology (with drop sizes from 4 to 72 picoliters) and prints at a resolution of 1200 dots per inch (dpi). The LaForte 100 is a water-based entry-level dye sublimation solution with a production speed of up to 160 square meters per hour.
Cheetah prints on cotton and polyester
The American company Omniprint has already received an award at SGIA for its new Cheetah DtG (Direct-to-Garment) printer. The European premiere at Fespa made a big impression on many visitors. The compact Cheetah is equipped with eight Ricoh Gen5 printheads for water-based inks and prints at resolutions of up to 1,200 x 2,400 dots per inch (dpi). A white T-shirt can be printed in less than 10 seconds - color printing on a black T-shirt takes about 35 seconds, says Victor Peña, President of Omniprint. The production printer with OnePass technology is equipped with two pallets that can work independently. The printer comes with Color iOS, an ink consumption optimization software that, according to the company, saves 28 percent on ink costs. Also offered is the comprehensive web-based production management solution Wurk, which enables full automation of the DtG process, including sending an order.
Industrial production system Kornit Atlas
The Kornit Atlas is a heavy-duty system developed for industrial clothing companies. An annual production capacity of up to 350,000 prints was targeted during development, which, according to the company, optimizes production efficiency and operating costs. The Kornit Atlas is aimed at highly productive apparel decorators, medium and large screen printers and innovative companies who want to combine the latest technology with the lowest operating costs, making it easier than ever to meet the needs of leading medium and digital brand manufacturers of the new generation. The Kornit Atlas uses water-based Kornit NeoPigment Eco-Rapid inks that are environmentally friendly, GOTS and Oekotex certified, which is an important factor in retail quality printing.
Omer Kulka, Kornit's Vice President of Marketing and Product Strategy, comments: "Fespa continues to be an important platform for Kornit to showcase our innovative technologies and products in the digital printing industry. The systems on display have the potential to break through entire market segments. Kornit's mission is to provide apparel decorators, textile manufacturers and web-to-print suppliers with the innovation they need in today's demanding markets.
Printing examples of the new Kornit Presto, Avalance PolyPro and other Kornit digital presses were also shown at Fespa.
Fast production with the FabriVU 340i
The EFI VUTEk FabriVU 340i, a water-based soft signage printer that combines high image quality with efficient inline fixation for fast, all-in-one soft signage production, was brought to Munich by EFI. All EFI inkjet printers at FESPA ran the latest versions of EFI's Fiery proServer DFEs and the updated Fiery Command WorkStation® software.
DTG printer Ricoh Ri 1000
The Ri1000, launched by Ricoh in the spring, enables fast and flexible production with outstanding image quality. The new direct textile printer is the company's response to the growing demand for user-friendly, efficient and economical textile printing solutions. It also provides print service providers with the opportunity to expand their service offerings to create new and profitable business opportunities. The system complements Ricoh's fast-growing portfolio of DTG printers, which includes the Ri 100 and Ri 6000, and replaces the Ri 3000, which is equipped with five colours (CMYK plus white) and can print at resolutions up to 1,200 x 1,200 dots per inch (dpi). A new liquid has also been developed to pre-treat light, 100% polyester and blended fabric. This opens up more application possibilities for garments and textiles in various markets, for example in the sports sector.
"With its wide range of features and flexible and versatile production, the Ri 1000 is ideal for personalised textile printing and print-on-demand services," says Graham Kennedy, Head of Commercial Ink Jet Business, Commercial and Industrial Printing Group, Ricoh Europe. "The Ri 1000 is the perfect combination of intelligent technology, high print speed and high output quality, enabling creative print service providers to open up new business and growth opportunities. The four Ricoh printheads, rugged construction, precise ink supply monitoring and sophisticated features such as temperature and humidity sensors ensure consistently reliable and high quality print results".
New Transfer Papers
Neenah Coldenhove presented the new DHS sublimation paper with 120 grams per square meter. It has a special surface coating that keeps the ink on the surface of the paper, the company says. For hard substrates, for which this paper was developed, ink savings of up to 40 percent are expected.
Washable laser print transfers on fabrics such as cotton, blended fabrics, cotton polyester and polyester can be realized with the new Image ClipOne digital transfer paper.
