During the Innovate Textile & Apparel
virtual trade show, latest digital printing solutions were presented for boosting efficiency, sustainability and flexibility of textile printing.
Greener and faster processes from EFI Reggiani
EFI Reggiani, a leading developer and
manufacturer of cutting-edge technologies and sustainable solutions for the
textile industry, demonstrated its textile solutions included a complete range
of digital and analogue printers and pre and post-treatment lines.
The event’s display of EFI Reggiani
technologies also featured one of the industry’s broadest line-ups of high-end,
superior-quality textile inks, together with short, sustainable processes –
such as pigment and direct sublimation printing.
EFI Reggiani TERRA was one of the solutions
featured at Innovate Textile & Apparel, which brought the advantages of
pigment to digital printing. It featured four different printer models and
eliminated the need for steaming or washing on direct-to-textile applications
using a greener, more-efficient polymerization process that takes place as
printed fabric goes through the printer’s on-board dryer.
EFI Reggiani TERRA allowed users to achieve good results – including wet and dry fastness, intense colors and fine detail
reproduction – while using less time, water and energy.
The pigments also provided good printing
definition and color intensity with an eight-color configuration that included
red, blue, orange and green inks in addition to the standard CMYK.

Another solution showed at the event, the
EFI Reggiani BOLT printer, offered boosted uptime, reliability, high
performance throughout and printing uniformity and accuracy.
The 1.9 meter-wide
printer which received a 2020 InterTech Technology Award from the leading US
printing association, Printing United Alliance, was a digital textile printer
capable of reaching speeds up to 90 meters per minute on fabric.
For polyester printing, EFI Reggiani
featured a direct-to-fabric sublimation solution that ensured color brightness
and penetration. The core of the process was EFI Reggiani IRIS sublimation ink
– a dual-use ink suitable for both transfer paper and direct-to-fabric printing
– combined with the wide range of highly productive and reliable EFI Reggiani
digital printers.
Efficient hybrid inkjet solution showcased by Mimaki
Mimaki exhibited the latest digital
dye-sublimation printing technology with better efficient, cost-effectiveness
and flexibility. The company’s flagship TS55-1800 dye-sublimation printer and
the new hybrid TX300P-1800 MkII machine took center stage on Mimaki’s
interactive virtual booth.
The TS55-1800 offers industrial-scale
production and incorporates Mimaki’s NCU (Nozzle Check System) and NRS (Nozzle
Recovery System) nozzle control and restoration systems that ensure automatic
detection and replacement of clogged nozzles without interrupting production.

Additionally, MAPS (Mimaki Advanced Pass
system) - a system created to prevent banding - uses a special algorithm at
each print pass and calculates the most effective way to jet the ink droplets
according to color, coverage and speed.
Available with the Mini Jumbo Roll option,
which could help save up to 25% on paper costs, and a 10L bulk ink system,
Mimaki claimed the TS55-1800 offered very low running cost in the market and
was an ideal production model for small- to medium-sized companies.
On the other hand, the Tx300P-1800 MkII
machine could print onto both textiles and paper. It managed to switch swiftly
between direct-to-textile and transfer printing via an interchangeable platen,
also allowed users to select from three different ink combinations to load on
the machine: textile pigment and direct sublimation, textile pigment and sublimation
transfer, or direct sublimation and sublimation transfer.
Mimaki
said, “Both affordable and versatile, the TX300P-1800 MkII appeals to both
small print service providers and large-volume production houses by delivering
fast turnaround speeds and offering more cost-effective short runs and textile
sampling.”