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.”