At Heimtextil Epson will demonstrate its most advanced range of digital textile printers developed to meet the professional textile market’s demand for flexible, cost-effective and sustainable production solutions. From entry-level, short-run digital printers to high-end, production-level systems, Epson delivers a choice of solutions that combine superb engineering, Epson Micro Piezo printheads and dedicated inks.
For the first time at Heimtextil, Epson will show the innovative Monna Lisa digital production printer. Over the last 10 years, the Monna Lisa has revolutionised the digital textile printing market by moving it from the pioneering phase of sampling to reliable full-scale production. Manufactured by Robustelli with Epson printheads, and using Genesta inks designed by Epson in cooperation with For.Tex, the Monna Lisa is a unique total solution for the professional textile market. Available in three print widths (180, 220 and 320 cm), it gives users the advantage of reduced production times, the ability to print customised designs on any fabric and low-cost sampling flexibility.
Today over three million square meters of fabrics are printed with Genesta pigment inks. At Heimtextil the 160cm Monna Lisa T16 model will be using eight-colour Genesta pigment inks to print onto natural fabrics for a variety of home textile applications. Visitors will see quality printed fabrics with high chromatic accuracy, reproducibility, resistance and colour fastness. In addition, because printing on the Monna Lisa with Genesta pigment inks requires no steaming or washing, it is a very eco-friendly process and meets the industry’s increasing focus on sustainable production techniques.
Epson will demonstrate the affordable and easy-to-use SureColor SC-F9200 64-inch model from its SureColor range of dye-sublimation printers. This highly flexible machine is ideal for producing small-to-medium volumes of high-quality textiles and for sublimating bespoke designs onto hard substrates such as splash backs, table tops, mugs, cutlery, vases and coasters. A four-colour printer, using UltraChrome DS ink with high density HDK Black, the SC-F9200 features dual Epson’s PrecisionCore TFP printheads to ensure consistent and reliable results with superb colour and clarity. Visitors to the stand will also see the desktop Epson SureColor SC-F2000 direct-to-fabric printer in action producing a variety of T-towels, aprons, cushions and tote bags on-demand and in minutes.
Epson works closely with textile designers and colleges around the world to explore the power of digital printing within the fashion and décor industries. For Heimtextil, the company has teamed up with four young European textile designers from its ‘Design for Living’ initiative to showcase the flexibility and potential of digital printing to create a variety of textile products. The stand will feature a customised design from one of these student designers implemented across multiple fabrics and homeware products to showcase the considerable freedom and opportunity that Epson and Robustelli technology gives to designers and manufacturers.
Giovanni Pizzamiglio, Head of Pro-Graphics Sales, Epson Europe, says: “Choice and customisation is what the home textile industry wants today and Epson’s highly versatile dye sublimation and direct-to- natural fabric printers are designed to meet this demand. The significant range of wool, linen, cotton, silk and polyester-based fabrics that can be printed, combined with the latest in Epson digital textile printing technology, means that it is now possible to reproduce high quality, vibrant and durable designs in any volume. Our aim is to give designers, manufacturers and retailers the ability to produce quality, bespoke textile products cost-effectively and quickly to meet fast-changing market trends.”