Digital textile printing is taking hold as an efficient and sustainable technology, and markets leaders such as Kornit Digital and Epson are taking steps to promote and advance its benefits
Epson
As production print shops continue to look for innovative solutions for digital textile printing, Epson announced its first direct-to-fabric printer available in North America.
Epson described the Monna Lisa 8000 as the culmination of over 20 years of research, development and customer feedback, combining precision engineering with advanced design to deliver the ability to print on a range of fabric types.
“Epson Monna Lisa printers have long maintained a strong reputation and market position in Italy, where they have been used to digitally print fabrics for some of the world’s largest international high fashion brands,” said Mark Krzywicki, product manager for professional imaging at Epson America Inc. “The Monna Lisa 8000 has been developed to provide that same high quality in a more attainable, easy to use package, enabling North American companies to print on a wide variety of fabrics locally for both short runs and larger volume orders.”
The ML-8000 features eight, new 4.7-inch PrecisionCore printheads to deliver crisp, professional quality textiles at industrial level print speeds. Leveraging Epson’s most advanced imaging technologies, the ML-8000 accurately reproduces complex patterns, color gradations and photographic-like detail to meet evolving trends and designer needs, the company said.
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The ML-8000 is available for install with either Epson Genesta Pigment, Reactive, Acid or Disperse ink to best suit each customer’s need and application and provide performance printing on an array of textile options, including cotton, viscose, polyester, nylon, silk, wool and blended fabrics. The machine features a hot-swappable ink system that holds up to 20 liters of ink per color and automatically switches from an empty ink pack to a new ink pack mid-print for uninterrupted printing.
Designed for productivity and reliability, Epson said the printer minimizes downtime and simplifies maintenance with an array of user-friendly features. The ML-8000 is also available for install with new Epson Edge Print Textile workflow software for powerful color management and seamless workflow integration and is compatible with Epson’s new production-management Cloud Solution Port, providing an operational dashboard view of a production line with cloud-based printer fleet reporting.
Kornit
Kornit Digital just completed Kornit Fashion Week London, highlighting digital production’s ability to transform an industry transitioning from the challenges of waste and overproduction to sustainable, efficient garment creation.
Kornit Fashion Week London kicked off on Sunday with an opening gala featuring designs by Manish Arora produced on demand and sustainably with Kornit technology. This was followed by two days of runway shows created using Kornit’s on-demand production. In addition, Preen by Thornton Bregazzi debuted its “Breakfast in Bed” collection of home décor applications, also created using Kornit on-demand capabilities.
“Kornit is enabling the connection between the virtual world and brilliant, finished apparel, unleashing creativity in new and fascinating ways,” said Ronen Samuel, Kornit Digital CEO. “According to a new report by McKinsey & Co., the new face of this industry is digital and on-demand, with investments in technology expected to double by 2030. Kornit embraces this potential with our leadership–from inspiration to the consumer’s door, powered by technology.”