Flatbed, Textile and Garment Printing for Your In-plant

Here's a snapshot of some of the latest direct-to-garment, textile and flatbed printers and cutters on the market, to whet your appetite for the SGIA Expo in Las Vegas.

Direct-to-Garment Printer

Epson SureColor F2100

The Epson SureColor F2100 direct-to-garment printer, equipped with an Epson PrecisionCore TFP printhead, uses Epson UltraChrome DG garment ink technology to deliver durable, vibrant prints at production speeds. The SureColor F2100 prints directly onto garments ranging from 100% cotton to 50/50 fabric blends – t-shirts, hoodies, jackets, tote bags and more. It uses four-color ink technology, plus white ink, to deliver improved image quality, speed and efficiency. New Highlight White mode achieves bright white ink output by applying a second coat of white ink, while simultaneously printing color ink for improved print speeds. An integrated in-line self-cleaning system reduces maintenance time. A new garment grip pad lets users quickly load and unload garments on the printer platen to help reduce traditional hoop platen load times. 

Digital Textile Printer

The new Mimaki USA Tiger-1800B digital textile printer comes in two models: the direct-to-textile model and the transfer sublimation model. Both boast a maximum print speed of 4,144 sq. ft./hour An additional 1,200-dpi print mode is available for enhanced print quality.

Mimaki USA Tiger-1800B

The Mimaki Advance Pass System (MAPS) incorporates an advanced algorithm to reduce visible banding and uneven color printing with blurred boundaries similar to gradation printing. Mimaki’s Nozzle Check Unit (NCU) and Nozzle Recovery System (NRS) are also incorporated. The NCU monitors nozzle outages and immediately activates a series of recovery functions, while the NRS automatically assigns operational nozzles when an outage is detected. 

LED Flatbed Printer

The EFI Pro 24f LED is a 4x8-foot flatbed printer with LED inkjet imaging and variable drop grayscale head technology. Its true flatbed design features a moving gantry and multi-zoned vacuum table. It provides precision imaging and outstanding image quality at production speeds, along with a broad color gamut and optimized ink usage. It prints in four colors plus white ink standard for applications up to 2˝ thick. Efficient hold-down with a multi-zone vacuum system eliminates masking while ensuring accurate registration for multiple over-prints or panels. 

Prints on Rigid Media

HP Latex R2000

The HP Latex R2000 printer is a hybrid solution for rigid and flexible sign and display printing. It uses water-based HP Latex inks to achieve a vibrant color gamut on rigid media while preserving media gloss and feel. Ink offers high adhesion and scratch resistance using HP Latex Overcoat. HP Latex White Ink allows printing on transparent and colored media. The R2000 prints up to 947 sq. ft. per hour with continuous loading. Lower temperatures allow a wide media versatility. 

Mid-Level Flatbed Cutter

The VersaTech2 entry-level system from MCT Digital is a new mid-level flatbed cutter. The VersaTech2 comes either in 1.6m, 2.5m, or 3.2m flatbed or full conveying versions, including full cutting lengths up to 6.4m. The system can also be fitted with an extended conveyor to improve offloading capabilities. Running at a speed of up to 78˝ per second and 1.25g acceleration. By eliminating the need for a chiller and a festoon to handle the liquid cooling needs of the larger routers, MCT can make a significant reduction in costs. The patent-pending dual laser and traditional cutting belt technology allows the system to be utilized for laser cutting and etching of rigid materials, and laser cutting and sealing of fabric/textiles plus all of the routing and cutting features normally found on such cutters. Changeover takes just minutes.