The digital textile printing market is growing
rapidly due to the rising trends in customization, smaller batch production,
faster product availability and higher ecological requirements. At ShanghaiTex
2019, several printer manufacturers introduced how
their innovations meet the latest market requirements.
EFI Reggiani featured
sustainable printing solutions for direct-to-textile production and denim
dyeing under the theme of Innovation in Green.
The company showcased the future in innovation with
the range of superior-quality EFI Reggiani scanning digital printers; the
company’s short and environmentally friendly direct sublimation process
offering; a new FUOCO acid ink range; and DENIM technology, a highly
sustainable, breakthrough continuous indigo rope and warp dyeing and denim
fabric finishing solution.

EFI Reggiani featured sustainable printing solutions under the theme of
Innovation in Green.

EFI Reggiani VOGUE is designed for direct-to-textile printing in fashion
and sportswear applications.
In an exclusive interview with CTA, EFI Reggiani
Senior Vice President and General Manager Adele Genoni said: “The
sustainability development in the textile industry has been very important. In
the past, being sustainable is just a slogan. But now, more and more consumers
are considering sustainable garments and the brands are launching green
products to fulfill market needs.”
“Textile solutions from EFI Reggiani are changing
the way textile and apparel products are designed and produced, bringing
environmental sustainability to the industry in a big way,” said Genoni. “For
example, the VOGUE printer is rewarding textile producers that not only deliver
high efficiency, but also sustainability and a lower environmental impact.”

EFI Reggiani team at the press conference. (First from the left) EFI Reggiani Senior Vice President and
General Manager Adele Genoni.
The EFI Reggiani VOGUE is an industrial textile
printer designed for direct-to-textile printing in fashion and sportswear
applications. The VOGUE printer is capable of using virtually any type of textile
ink. At the show, it was running with EFI Reggiani IRIS sublimation inks to
showcase direct-to-textile printing. The EFI Reggiani direct sublimation
process ensures superior colour brightness and penetration, as well as fast
turnaround time, while increasing sustainability by avoiding transfer paper
waste.
Genoni said: “The VOGUE printer boasts an
innovative recirculation system that saves ink and reduces maintenance during
machine operation and between stoppages. The recirculation system also reduces
the need for specific air conditioning and humidity controls, saving energy and
reducing overall usage costs.”
EFI Reggiani
develops and produces a whole range of water-based inks from reactive to direct
disperse and disperse sublimation, pigment and acid. New at ShanghaiTex is the
EFI Reggiani FUOCO range of water-based acid inks, which are specifically
designed to deliver superior-quality prints for highly demanding textile
applications with unmatched colour depth and vibrancy.
Ricoh
Company, Ltd., introduced Ricoh’s Digital Micro Factory (DMF),
Direct to Garment printer "Ricoh Ri 100" "Ricoh Ri 1000"
and a number of print heads at the show.
At the same time, during a press conference, the
company launched the RAMP-UP RICOH Apparel Manufacturer’s Partnership by
Universal Platform.


Ricoh introduced DMF workflow at the booth.
During the press conference, Koji Miyao, Chairman
and General Manager of Ricoh China Co., Ltd. said, by incorporating sustainable
development concept, Ricoh Group will continue to develop technologies in the
printing field to open more possibilities.

Koji Miyao, Chairman and General Manager of Ricoh China Co., Ltd.
Meanwhile, Tetsuya Morita, Corporate Vice President
of Ricoh Company, Ltd., and General Manager of Industrial Printing Business
Group, announced the concept of Digital Micro Factory (DMF) and officially
launched the consortium, committing to solve social problems on environment and
safety for apparel production eco-system.
As introduced, DMF provides a workflow to manage
all processes from textile design to shipment. DMF is an open system that can be
connected to other printers or machines of other vendors. The workflow is
traceable for printing textiles, cutting and sewing processes, while errors can
be prevented and production efficiency can be improved.
Morita also revealed that the company aims to
realize the sales of DMF workflow cloud solution and textile printer of JPY 10
billion by 2025.
Indian digital printing technology supplier ColorJet India Ltd. is eyeing to expand
its footprint in the Chinese Market, deriving volume growth in the world's
largest textile market.
According to an IDC report, the company has more
than 33% market share in the super wide format digital ink printers in India.
Kamal Kulshreshtha, Head of International Business
Development & Sales, ColorJet India Ltd. told CTA that the company has
already established a team in China and is gradually developing its business.
“The Chinese market has maintained a strong
momentum in the past few years, so we hope to successfully enter the Chinese
market in the next few years,” he explained.

Kamal Kulshreshtha, Head of International Business Development &
Sales, ColorJet India Ltd. and the high-performance printer Metro.
ColorJet ran live demonstrations of its most
preferred direct to fabric printer Vastrajet on pigment ink. The Metro, a
high-performance printer on reactive inks for fashion apparel producers, was
also on stage.
The Vastrajet is equipped with ColorJet's latest
technological innovation AiSTM (Adaptive Ink System), and was designed to print
directly onto various types of natural and synthetic fabrics such as cotton,
polyester and blends.
It is available in four and eight color variants,
and is built on industrial grade jetting assembly. For outstanding print
quality and registration, it uses an adhesive belt with built-in automatic
washing system.

The Vastrajet direct to fabric printer has a compact design.
Meanwhile, the Metro is a modular, versatile
industrial production printer with Kyocera print heads. It is equipped with
variable drop printing technology which enables higher resolution of
600x1800dpi. The productivity can reach up to 350sqm per hour.
“Order volumes this year have been exceptionally
strong, so we are looking forward to continuing the momentum by having live
systems running at ShanghaiTex. China is the biggest market and ColorJet will
be looking to make its presence felt in China,” concluded Kamal Kulshreshtha.