EPIC Rio Textile Ink Color Mixing System

PolyOne Wilflex™ Screen Printing Inks are more than just textile inks. Wilflex focuses on total ink-room management, providing the most efficient, cost-effective environment possible to help you win in competitive marketplaces.

Textile Screen Printers Have a New Ally: EPIC™ Rio Non-Phthalate Ink Mixing System from Wilflex.

On July 11, 2016 PolyOne announced the launch of non-phthalate Wilflex™ EPIC™ Rio, a new color mixing system for textile inks.  Based on cutting-edge pigment technology and formulated for excellent color strength, these inks are PANTONE® approved and boast an extended color range of 18 finished ink mixing components. The end results are a perfect balance of color accuracy, vibrancy and opacity for peak press performance and color design.

As the most opaque color system in the Wilflex range, EPIC Rio maintains color precision and flexibility, and can help screen printers save ink and money by achieving color on press quicker, even with fine mesh-counts. The increased opacity of EPIC Rio also offers greater processing flexibility with regard to mesh screen selection, print strokes and direct print capability, all while maintaining accuracy to Pantone color standards.

Kevin Romine, Wilflex product manager, commented, “EPIC Rio’s color matches to Pantone color standards are spot on, and they strike a perfect balance between color vibrancy and opacity. These new inks will allow textile screen printers to improve opacity and really up their game on color design because the increased color accuracy and strength add a significant ‘wow’ factor.”

The inks are creamy and smooth right out of the bucket and remain that way throughout production runs.  Press-ready EPIC Rio inks also give consistent, exceptional results for large or small runs.

Designed for ease of printing on a manual press without tiring the press operator, EPIC Rio inks are also appropriate for larger production runs with an automatic press. They perform well over a wide range of mesh sizes and press parameters, so printability for either manual or automatic textile screen-printing is outstanding.

Their distribution footprint covers 55 countries across the globe supporting their wide range of Wilflex ink chemistries.

The Wilflex brand of inks emerged in the early 1960’s as screen printing on t-shirts gained popularity for self-expression allowing the Wilflex brand to gain global recognition. Wilflex continued to make history twenty years later, when it provided design freedom allowing hundreds of color options with the introduction of the first plastisol mixing system. Another first for the textile printing industry was the introduction of automated ink dispensing equipment in the early 1990’s. The Wilflex DispenseMaster™ continues to excel in the global market by providing efficiency driven and automated solutions in today’s leading print shops. Ink room solutions now also includes IMS3.0, a cloud based software providing formula and inventory management for the entire family of PANTONE® approved Wilflex color mixing systems.

Learn more about textile screen-printing and t-shirt printing in our apparel industry directory.

Thank you for taking the time to read our apparel industry manufacturing blog post. We hope that you have found this news to be informative. If you have comments or questions, please add your thoughts in the discussion area below.

Direct-to-Garment Printing Tutorials

Direct-to-garment equipment manufacturer BelQuette launches a new video series with the website BQ.Live.

BQLive with Jerid Hill and Eric Deem - Having problems with your Direct to Garment Printer or the printing process? Join us as we discuss how to troubleshoot DTG issues.

Don't try to click the images below, it won't take you any where.  This is just an example of some of the DTG printing tutorial titles.

You can also learn more about direct-to-garment printing here on Apparel Search in our fashion terms section.  We suggest you read the term, and then spending time learning more from the professionals by watching the tuturorial videos about DTG printing at BQ.Live

DuPont™ Cyrel® EASY Flexographic Printing Plates

Fashion is not only about the clothing & shoes.  The labeling and packaging that is used for some products being sold at retail is equally as important in regard to the presentation of product.

DuPont offers specialized, cost-effective solutions that help brand owners, converters, manufacturers, tradeshops, and printers meet branding, performance, and sustainability goals.

DuPont Advanced Printing (DuPont) announced that more than 100 customers globally are successfully using DuPont™ Cyrel® EASY flexographic printing plates.  Launched in 2015, Cyrel® EASY plates simplify the prepress process with flat top digital dots that are built directly into the plates, resulting in increased productivity and consistency.

“We are extremely pleased to have reached this significant milestone so quickly,” said Andy Kannurpatti, global marketing manager, DuPont Advanced Printing. “With Cyrel® EASY, customers are able to deliver improved print quality while at the same time simplifying their workflow.”

Developed specifically for flexible packaging such as tags and labels, Cyrel® EASY plates are based on a new polymer technology that produces higher ink transfer, color saturation and resolution. Significantly higher solid ink density has been demonstrated in customer testing, without compromising on highlights. The plates are available globally for FAST/thermal and solvent processing in engineered and smooth surfaces. Additional Cyrel® EASY flexographic printing products are currently in development for the corrugated, beverage and folding carton markets.

Close customer collaboration has been instrumental in ensuring the Cyrel® EASY system delivers the needed quality and processing benefits. “Thanks to high color-saturation and repeatability, Cyrel® EASY plates allow converters to produce jobs in flexography, which before was only possible with other printing systems. Our converters using both flexography and gravure have made the direct comparison and confirm new Cyrel® EASY plates offer a better handling process,” said Massimo Cipolla, owner of Zincopar in Parma, Italy.

“At Hub Labels, we take pride in the amount of technological advances we have adopted within the past few years. The new Cyrel® EASY plate technology is another one of those advances, and it will definitely help our customers make a visual impact in their marketplace,” said Josiah Storer, graphics supervisor at Hub Labels in Hagerstown, Maryland.  Hub labels can provide shipping labels for apparel warehouses.  Hub Labels also offers Hub Creative Services, combining design and creative concepts to provide customers with fresh, custom designed labels, direct marketing, and promotional products.

“The results are sensational – it is now possible for us to offer higher quality with improved productivity. Our customers are extremely satisfied with the benefits of Cyrel® EASY. It´s really a top product on the market,” said Fidel Fernandes, director at Fotograv in São Paulo, Brazil.

DuPont Advanced Printing brings together leading technologies and products for the printing and package industries.  DuPont™ Cyrel® is one of the world’s leading flexographic plate-making systems in digital and conventional formats, including the new Cyrel® EASY photopolymer plates and Cyrel® FAST plates and processing equipment.  Along with its printing technologies and products,

DuPont also offers DuPont™ Izon® anti-counterfeit solutions and document security systems to corporate and government entities and DuPont™ Artistri® high-quality inks for consumer, commercial, office inkjet and textile printing applications. 

Learn about apparel packaging manufactures.

Thank you for taking the time to read our apparel industry news blog post. We hope that you have found this news to be informative. If you have comments or questions, please add your thoughts in the discussion area below.

Get Your T-shirt Quantities Organized

We can’t tell you how often emerging designers contact Apparel Search asking for help with one aspect or another of the garment manufacturing process.  Although we do our best to assist, we often get a tad frustrated of having to ask for more details.  The reality is that in order to point someone in the proper direction, specific details are required.  One of many examples is in regard to the “quantity” of product required.

Here is a question we often receive, “Where can I find someone to print my t-shirts?”  That is a good question, but before it can be answered, we would need to know how many t-shirts you are planning on printing.  If you are looking for a small quantity of printed shirts for a local club, business, or sports team, we would have to give you a completely different answer than we would if you are purchasing 20,000 tees to sell to a mid-tier department store.  In fact, if you are interested in shipping printed t-shirts to a mass merchant such as Walmart, we might have to actually give you a third answer.

When asking about the manufacturing of clothing, it is important to communicate in regard to units required.  Small quantities and large quantities often times require different factories.  So, our advice is that when you contact an apparel factory, printer, or embroider, be certain to be clear with your requirements on your very first communication.  Try not to leave any surprises in regard to your requirements.  If you plan on marketing graphic t-shirts and you need a printer to assist you, let them know the quantity required right off the bat.  Clear and up front communication will reduce the headaches for later.

If you are looking for samples or very small production runs, you may want to research digital printers near your location (learn more about direct to garment printing in our fashion industry terms section).  For those of you looking for small to medium size quantities, you would want to find a local screen printer to assist with your project.  If the plan is to sell significant quantities, you would most likely want help from an actual garment printing factory.  Possibly in a different country depending on the costing.

In addition to quantity aspect of the project, it is important to be clear in regard to requirements such as fiber content, fabric construction, delivery dates, etc.

It may be helpful for you to review our product development article to see some of the topics to consider.

Learn more about t-shirt printing.

You may also want to visit our page that we created to help people looking for t-shirt printers. 

Thank you for taking the time to read our garment industry blog post. We hope that you have found this news to be informative.

If you have some extra time, you may want to read our digital textile printing possibilities article.

If you have comments or questions, please add your thoughts in the discussion area below.

Epson Digital Couture February 2016

Epson, a global leader in printing technology, announced that the company will host its second annual Epson Digital Couture event on Feb. 9, 2016 in advance of Fashion Week in New York City. Showcasing 11 designers’ collections from North and Latin America created using Epson’s state-of-the-art textile printing solutions, this runway experience is built around the theme “Harmony and Peace through Fashion.” The Epson Digital Couture event will showcase the design freedom, efficiencies and capabilities of Epson’s digital printing technologies for the fashion and textile industry.

“Digital technology has changed every industry it’s touched, and now it’s revolutionizing the fashion industry,” said Keith Kratzberg, executive vice president, Epson America. “The Epson Digital Couture event will showcase the amazing creative potential and stunning color reproduction that designers are able to achieve using Epson’s textile printing technology. Today this is a $7.5 billion market projected to grow more than 34 percent worldwide1, and a tremendous opportunity for Epson and its partners.”

You may also want to read our recent blog posts about Epson below:

Direct-to-Garment Printer by Epson: SureColor 

Garment Creator Software for Direct-to-garment (DTG) Printer

Epson dye-sublimation and direct-to-garment technologies enable limitless design possibilities across the textile and fashion industry. The end result is original prints of the highest quality unique to each designer on fabrics that can define and convey their signature style. The second annual Epson Digital Couture event will showcase the design capabilities through the featured collections of designers from North and Latin America:

• Chloe Trujillo from Los Angeles, Calif.
  
• Cristina Ruales from Brooklyn, N.Y.
  
• Fabrizzio Berrocal from Costa Rica
  
• GM by Gustavo Moscoso from Ecuador
  
• Kaleidoscopic by María de Lourdes Ramírez and Isabel Navarro Landa from Mexico
  
• LENERD by Felipe Santamaría Luque from Colombia
  
• Matías Hernán from Chile
  
• Ossira by Agostina Orlandi and Ludmila Osikovsky from Argentina
  
• Pionier by Janet Ríos and Carmen Artica from Peru
  
• Santika by Danny Santiago from Miami, Fla.
  
• Tigresse by Fabio Yukio from Brazil

“Epson’s Digital Couture event fuses technology, style and culture that represents the Epson brand,” said Lucie Milanes, Epson America’s director of marketing strategy and communications. “The designs showcased are magnificent examples of how digital textile printing is having a profound impact on today’s global fashion industry.”

Learn more about Epson and the 2nd Annual Epson Digital Couture event at their website.

Thank you for taking the time to read our digital printing fashion blog post. We hope that you have found this news to be informative.

Learn more about digital printing services here on Apparel Search.

If you have comments or questions, please add your thoughts in the discussion area below.

Garment Creator Software for Direct-to-garment (DTG) Printer

Epson today announced updates to its Garment Creator software for the award-winning SureColor® F2000 direct-to-garment (DTG) printer. The new enhanced software includes a “Use Garment Black” capability for reduced ink usage and an improved look and feel when printing on black garments.

“Our goal when Epson first entered the DTG market in 2013 was to deliver superior print quality, reliability and ease-of-use, providing additional revenue opportunities for print shops of all sizes. The customer feedback and success of the SureColor F2000 to date has been phenomenal,” said Larry Kaufman, product manager, Professional Imaging, Epson America, Inc. “Now with the addition of our updated Garment Creator software, we are fulfilling our highest priority requests and our customers will be able to achieve new levels of image quality, all the while cutting down on the ink costs associated with imaging in the very popular black garment segment.”

The latest version of Garment Creator software, available for OS X® and Windows®, automatically recognizes and knocks out black areas of an image file and leverages the black fabric of a garment. By simply selecting the new “Use Garment Black” preset, the complex task of trying to mask off these black areas of the image is now done automatically. The end result is reduced ink usage from the elimination of black ink over white ink imaging and a better looking and feeling garment.

Joto, a supplier of digital decorating solutions and supplies for the garment decoration industry, has been using the new Garment Creator software with impressive results. “We’ve been testing the updated Garment Creator software and it’s amazing – it saves ink and cuts down on design time – making it a worthwhile upgrade to the already efficient and high-performance SureColor F2000,” said Dickson Siu, Color Specialist, Joto.

About the SureColor F2000

Engineered by Epson from the ground up, the SureColor F2000 Series printers deliver industrial-level production, image quality and reliability. With the ability to print directly onto garments – t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, tote bags, and more – ranging from 100 percent cotton to 50/50 cotton/synthetic fiber blends, the SureColor F2000 Series offers additional revenue opportunities for garment print shops of any size.

Availability

The new Garment Creator software will be available in late-Jan. as a free download from www.epson.com/support/f2000.

About Epson

Epson is a global technology leader dedicated to driving innovations and exceeding customer expectations in printing, visual communications, quality of life and manufacturing. Epson’s lineup ranges from inkjet printers, printing systems and 3LCD projectors to industrial robots, smart glasses and sensing systems and is based on original compact, energy-saving, and high-precision technologies.

Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the Epson Group comprises nearly 72,000 employees in 93 companies around the world, and is proud of its contributions to the communities in which it operates and its ongoing efforts to reduce environmental burdens.

Epson America, Inc., based in Long Beach, Calif., is Epson’s regional headquarters for the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. To learn more about Epson, please visit: epson.com. You may also connect with Epson America on Facebook (facebook.com/Epson), Twitter (twitter.com/EpsonAmerica), YouTube (youtube.com/EpsonAmerica), and Instagram (instagram.com/EpsonAmerica).

Thank you for taking the time to read our apparel printing blog post. We hope that you have found this news to be informative.

Learn more about direct to garment printing.

If you have comments or questions, please add your thoughts in the discussion area below.

DuPont Artistri Brite White Digital Pigment Ink

DuPont Digital Printing (DuPont) last month introduced new DuPont™ Artistri® Brite White digital pigment ink for direct to garment (DTG) printing.  An expansion of its Artistri® Brite portfolio of products, the new ink is suitable for high-production print shops and personal promotional printers using the latest DTG digital print systems from leading manufacturers, including BelQuette, Inc. and M&R, who are featuring it at the 2015 SGIA Expo.

“DuPont designed Artistri ® Brite inks for exceptional quality, consistency and speed and they deliver,” said Ted Zhi, textile market segment leader, DuPont Digital Printing.  “Artistri® Brite White ink is unique in supporting all levels of DTG production with best in class specifications for heat press and tunnel applications.  We expect it will enable further and faster growth in the emerging industrial garment production market and extend our leadership position with personal promotional printers.”

DuPont™ Artistri® Brite White digital pigment ink simplifies production, bringing benefits to DTG print professionals by reducing labor needs to print and finish a garment and reducing fusing times by as much as two thirds while retaining the high wash-fastness that printers expect from Artistri® inks. For industrial, high volume, long run garment decorators, Artistri® Brite White ink is compatible with automated heat tunnel curing, removing time-consuming manual curing processes. For short run, custom personal promotional printers, Artistri® Brite White ink provides the ability to cure a final garment in as little as 30 seconds in a heat press.  This added functionality comes without compromise on quality or consistency. Artistri® Brite digital inks have already been shown to produce a 30 percent higher color spectrum than current products for image conscious t-shirt and garment decorators.

Artistri® Brite White ink removes the final barriers to adoption of full digital garment production.  The new ink exhibits best in class jetting performance and superior color results.  It also provides support for the widest number of print heads, printers and printer manufacturers.

Manufactured in a DuPont ISO 9001 certified facility in Ft. Madison, Iowa, DuPont produces and tests every batch of Artistri® Brite ink to an extremely tight tolerance, which helps ensure its exceptional color saturation is repeatable, day to day, month to month and year to year.

Leading DTG printer manufacturers BelQuette, Inc. (booth #4371) and M&R (booths #3445, 3745) will be featuring new printing systems running live with the new DuPont™ Artistri® Brite White digital pigment inks at the 2015 SGIA Expo, from Nov. 4 - 6 in Atlanta, Ga.

DuPont Digital Printing business is a leader in the home and office inkjet markets and in textile printing.  DuPont™ Artistri® and new Artistri® Brite digital textile inks combine DuPont proprietary pigment dispersion, polymer and ink formulation technology.  Because they are formulated with the same dyes and pigments used in conventional textile printing, Artistri® inks offer superior results for digital textile printing – brilliant colors, excellent fastness properties, and robust print reliability.  For more information, visit http://artistri.dupont.com.

DuPont (NYSE: DD) has been bringing world-class science and engineering to the global marketplace in the form of innovative products, materials, and services since 1802. The company believes that by collaborating with customers, governments, NGOs, and thought leaders we can help find solutions to such global challenges as providing enough healthy food for people everywhere, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels, and protecting life and the environment. For additional information about DuPont and its commitment to inclusive innovation, please visit www.dupont.com.


The DuPont Oval Logo, DuPont™ and Artistri® are registered trademarks or trademarks of DuPont or its affiliates.

Learn more about digital printing fabrics and clothing here on Apparel Search.

Direct-to-Garment Printer by Epson: SureColor

Today, Epson America enters the direct-to-garment (DTG) printing market with the introduction of two all new, purpose-built direct-to-garment inkjet printers poised to become the new benchmark in high-performance garment imaging – the SureColor^® F2000 Standard Edition and the SureColor F2000 White Edition.

Engineered by Epson from the ground up, the new SureColor F2000 Series printers deliver industrial-level production, image quality, and reliability. With the ability to print directly onto garments – t-shirts, hoodies, jackets, tote bags, and more – ranging from 100 percent cotton to 50/50 fabric blends, the SureColor F2000 Series offers additional revenue opportunities for garment print shops of any size.

The SureColor F2000 Series printers leverage Epson UltraChrome^® DG ink technology – an all new, garment ink formulation developed specifically for the Epson MicroPiezo^® TFP^® print head delivering precise and repeatable performance, image quality, and high reliability. The Epson SureColor F2000 Standard Edition is a high-speed CMYK-only model and the Epson SureColor F2000 White Edition offers the added benefit of white ink for printing on dark or color fabrics.

“For more than three years, Epson dedicated a team of mechanical, chemical, and software engineers to create an all-new imaging technology designed for printing directly to garments,” said Larry Kaufman, product manager, Professional Imaging, Epson America, Inc. “Delivering superior print quality and reliability to generate more revenue, these DTG printers offer versatility and customization for high-profit, short-run jobs.”

More about the SureColor F2000 Series

Engineered from the ground up for industrial-level production, the Epson SureColor F2000 Series offers advanced features for the direct-to-garment industry, including:

-       Epson MicroPiezo TFP Print Head: Purpose-built, one-inch wide, high performance print head with 360 nozzles per color ensures efficient, precise and repeatable performance and excellent image quality; low vibration meniscus control for highly accurate dot shape and placement; ink repelling coating technology for reduced nozzle clogging; and optimized specifically for Epson’s specialized direct-to-garment inks significantly improving the print head life

-       Epson UltraChrome DG Ink: Epson-exclusive water-based pigment CMYK and CMYK+White ink technology delivers precise and repeatable performance and superior image quality; ink cartridges are available in 250 and 600 ml sizes

-       All-new Print Engine: Purpose-built specifically for direct-to-garment print applications, for high reliability and everyday ease-of-use

-       Garment Platen: 14” x 16” medium standard platen is included with unit; additional platens are available for small 10” x 12”, large 16” x 20”, and sleeve sizes

-       Garment Creator Software: Included Mac and Windows application gives users flexibility with their print workflow, control to review job history, and the ability to estimate costs in managing and producing prints

Support & Availability

The SureColor F2000 Series printers offer a standard Epson Preferred^SM Limited Warranty, a one-year program that includes toll-free advanced telephone access Monday through Friday and usually next business-day on-site service in the unlikely event of any hardware failure.

The Epson SureColor F2000 Series printers will be available in the U.S. in January 2014 through Epson DTG Authorized Professional Imaging Resellers.  For more information, visit proimaging.epson.com. 

About Epson

Epson is a global innovation leader whose product lineup ranges from inkjet printers and printing systems, 3LCD projectors and industrial robots to sensors and other microdevices. Dedicated to exceeding the vision of its customers worldwide, Epson delivers customer value based on compact, energy-saving, and high-precision technologies in markets spanning enterprise and the home to commerce and industry.

Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the Epson Group comprises more than 68,000 employees in 96 companies around the world, and is proud of its ongoing contributions to the global environment and the communities in which it operates. Epson America, Inc. based in Long Beach, Calif. is Epson’s regional headquarters for the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. To learn more about Epson, please visit: www.Epson.com.

Learn more about printing on clothing and fabrics in the textile printing directory section here on Apparel Search.