During SGIA 2018, Epson (who was on hand as an exhibitor) unveiled its new direct-to-garment (DTG) pretreatment solution for polyester garments. The solution will work with its current DTG products – namely the SureColor F2000 and F2100. According to Epson, part of the appeal of this new pretreatment solution is its adaptability. Users will not have to change their standard DTG workflow to accommodate the product but will reap the rewards of an expanded range of garment lineup options – including activewear, imitation silk and leather, and sports apparel.
Senior product manager, Professional Imaging, Epson America, Inc., Timothy Chuck said this about Epson’s DTG announcement: “To date, the direct-to-garment industry has been limited to printing on 100 percent cotton or cotton-polyester blends. This new polyester pretreatment solution will open opportunities for direct-to-garment printing and customization for new industries, as well as open doors to on-site garment customization at sporting events – everything from neighborhood runs to national triathlons.”
The new polyester pretreatment has been designed for use with Epson UltraChrome DG inks to create compelling prints with wash-fastness on both light and dark colored polyester materials. According to Epson, this pretreatment solution is free of GHS health risks and has been certified by OEKO-TEX Eco Passport for end user product safety.
While SGIA 2018 marked an important opportunity for Epson to tell the world of its new pretreatment solution, printing on synthetic fiber garments has been slowly entering the DTG realm. We were fortunate enough to see examples of this new offer while at the Japan Sign Show, where the technology was unveiled.
However, while Epson is innovative, this DTG synthetic solution is not the first of its kind. Rather, this is more the latest in a developing trend that Keypoint Intelligence – InfoTrends (InfoTrends) has been following for some time. We have seen examples of synthetic garments being printed for several years now. However, the main challenges for effective printing on synthetic materials were finding a suitable pretreatment, being able to use white inks in dark garments, and a temperature setting for fixation that meets the sensitivity needs of synthetic fiber without singing it. Epson’s solution overcomes these challenges.
This new solution shows that DTG printing is continuing to see innovations that will yield growth for service providers. InfoTrends expects that other print hardware vendors will be following suit to provide their consumers with equipment that is versatile and can work with a variety of substrates.
The DTG sector is seeing radical changes with recent technology developments and shifting consumer preferences. To find out more about what happened at SGIA 2018, as well as the overall state of the DTG industry, be sure to subscribe to InfoTrends’ complete production portfolio.