In-plant managers flocked to Chicago to see the latest inkjet printing, binding, mailing, software and other technologies at the largest U.S. print show of the year.

By Bob Neubauer

Direct to Garment Printing

One new opportunity in-plants were checking out at the show was direct-to-garment printing. John Sarantakos, administrator of the University of Oklahoma's in-plant, was looking at this equipment as a way to add a new service and increase his in-plant's value.

With its printers already in place in several in-plants, Anajet was showing off its new mPower mP10i direct-to-garment printer, with durable stainless steel print heads and improvements in ink delivery. The printer reproduces color digital images up to 1,200 dpi onto shirts, canvas bags and other products. It can print a 12x10˝ light shirt graphic in about 40 seconds.

"We have been watching this device over the past three years and waited for the technology to get better," remarked Cathy Skoglund, manager of operations at the Arizona State University Print & Imaging Lab. "I believe it is there now, and so it's time to get one."

A new entrant into garment printing was Epson, which was demonstrating its new SureColor F2000. Available in January, it uses Epson MicroPiezo TFP print heads with 360 nozzles per color, and Epson UltraChrome DG ink, with cartridges available in 250 and 600 ml sizes.

Trying to find an offset press at PRINT 13 was was like trying to find a pad of paper in an Apple store: possible, but unlikely.

With traditional offset exhibitors like Heidelberg giving the Chicago trade show a pass, the digital print vendors were the new kings. Xerox, Canon, Konica Minolta and Fujifilm led the pack in booth size, and each of them had new inkjet production presses to proclaim.

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Bob Neubauer Author's page

Bob has served as editor of In-plant Impressions since October of 1994. Prior to that he served for three years as managing editor of Printing Impressions, a commercial printing publication. Mr. Neubauer is very active in the U.S. in-plant industry. He attends all the major in-plant conferences and has visited more than 180 in-plant operations around the world. He has given presentations to numerous in-plant groups in the U.S., Canada and Australia, including the Association of College and University Printers and the In-plant Printing and Mailing Association. He also coordinates the annual In-Print contest, co-sponsored by IPMA and In-plant Impressions.

PRINT 13: Inkjet and a Whole Lot More