Images_Digital_Edition_April_2019

PF DIGITAL PRINTING www.images-magazine.com 100 images APRIL 2019 Xpres: Roland, Epson and Sawgrass Dye Sublimation Printers The Epson F6200, the Sawgrass VJ628 and the Sawgrass SG800 sublimation printers are all recommended for use with the two new sublimation cushion covers from Xpres. Made from 100% polyester with varied finishes, the Linen Effect Cushion Cover (XP5206) is ideal for creating classy, rustic designs, whereas the Canvas Effect Cushion Cover (XP5207) is better suited to more contemporary designs. These, along with the Sawgrass Virtuoso SG400, are also great printers to use with the Vanilla sublimation clothing range, which has soared in popularity since its launch in January 2018, reports Xpres. “This fashion-forward collection has been recently extended to include four unisex kids styles, which are perfect for creating coordinating designs to add extra value to your sales.“ Xpres has also observed that roll- to-roll fabric printing is emerging as a rapidly growing market. Again, the Epson F6200 comes into its own here, as does the Roland RT640M Texart sublimation printer, both of which can be used with a calendar unit (rotary heat press) for continuous printing onto textiles. Xpres says it has been aware of this upward trend for a number of years and as such had begun selling a variety of calendar units as well as a wide range of polyester-based fabrics. “This combination of hardware and textiles enables roll-to- roll print production for a variety of applications such as cycle jerseys, scarves, cushions, curtains, blinds and upholstery,“ it explains. The product manager at Xpres, Grant Cooke, feels that printing for bespoke application is going to explode. Cooke suggests that “ChromaLuxe sheetstock empowers sublimation printers to develop niche markets that will literally give them a cutting edge“, and advises that the Epson F6200 and Sawgrass VJ628 can both be used with this product. www.xpres.co.uk Wilcom: Capture Virtual Decoration Bitmap Wilcom has developed a feature called Capture Virtual Decoration Bitmap that exports traditional embroidery files into a printable file which supports any direct- to-garment or printing machine. This feature creates a high-resolution .PNG of the embroidery stitching, with a transparent background to support printing on dark colours, and simulates real stitching using Wilcom’s TrueView technology. “Visually, the printed embroidery looks almost indistinguishable from real embroidery, but has the added advantage of being smooth to the touch,“ explains the company. This method of decorating is said to be ideal for sports and performancewear where large embroidery designs would make the garment bulky and thick. Once the design is digitised, it can be exported as a print-ready .PNG file at resolutions up to 600dpi resolution. Wilcom’s EmbroideryStudio e4.2 includes the Capture Virtual Decoration Bitmap feature as standard. www.wilcom.com This design was printed on a Ricoh Ri 6000 in approximately 30 seconds and the ink cost £0.03 The R oland RT640M Texart s ublimation printer ca n be used with a calendar unit for continuou s printing onto textiles