LF Printing: Dye-Sublimation and Textiles


Hybrid Services give an insight into Mimaki’s printing pedigree


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ybrid Services has been Mimaki’s exclusive distributor in the UK and Ireland since 1996 and during this time has overseen significant development in wide format digital printing across its core sectors of sign and graphics, industrial, 3D and textiles. It was back in the late 1990s that Mimaki developed its first textile printer, capable of printing direct to fabrics like cotton and silk, and with it, revolutionised the traditional textile printing process.


Speaking with Duncan Jeffries, Head of Marketing and Business Development at Hybrid Services, he tells us, “Enabling companies to print direct to cloth completely changed their sampling process and opened short run printing without the need to commit to screens or tie up their production equipment. As technology evolved, speeds increased, and today, Mimaki includes a dye sublimation printer capable of hitting speeds of up to 550sq m/h, bringing true volume production to the industry.” The technology seen on the industrial spec Tiger600-1800TS cascades down through Mimaki’s line-up, ensuring that products like the competitively priced TS100-1600 dye sublimation model are both efficient and capable of outputting high end results with minimal user intervention.”


Elaborating about Mimiaki’s pedigree within the printing industry, Duncan says “With this long and rich heritage in textile printing, Mimaki is able to offer a diverse range of solutions to meet the needs of printers and sign makers looking to either take their first steps into a new market, or potentially expand their capabilities with the latest technology.”


Dye Sublimation printing Offering an ideal entry point for companies looking to add wide format


| 38 | May-June 2024


textile printing to their business, the dye sub process involves printing onto transfer paper before ‘sublimating’ (transferring via heat and pressure) the ink onto a polyester material via a heat press or calendar. This is ideal for producing lightboxes and other fabric point of sale materials, as well as offering numerous additional products such as apparel, mugs or printed signage – so long as the item is made from or coated with polyester. Duncan highlights the strengths of Dye Sublimation printing, “It is an effective way to produce high volumes of printed polyester fabric and our suggested product for this type of printing would be the Mimaki TS100-1600. It combines high quality, on-demand output with a low initial investment and cost-effective production.”


Direct to Textile Printing Direct to textile printing with reactive or pigment inks involves printing to a coated natural fabric, such as cotton. This is a popular route for fashion and furnishing applications and requires the fabric to be pre-prepared to enable the final print to be wash- and lightfast. Once printed, the fabric then needs to be finished with a process that, depending on the particular ink chemistry, could involve steam or direct heat. Perfect for printing to natural materials with a waterbased ink.


Direct to Film (DTF) Printing Expanding on Mimaki’s range of print options, Duncan tells us “Mimaki’s continual development drive has ensured the company continues to introduce new textile models that offer broad appeal. DTF printing is one area that is making the headlines and Mimaki’s two-strong range of machines has been a global hit, with high demand from customers looking for a reliable, productive and cost-effective solution.” Wanting to know more about DTF printing, we are told “A real buzzword


in print right now, DTF printing offers a simple and effective process for decorating garments with complex designs onto a broad range of fabric types. The design is printed onto special film or paper, adhesive powder is applied, before being cured and then heat-pressed into place. Ideal for printing onto dark coloured clothing, thanks to the opaque white ink that enables the coloured print to ‘pop’, this process has transformed garment decoration in the last few years.” “There are many strengths to DTF printing, but the highlights would be that it is simple, easy to produce photographic and complex images and designs. For entry level, the ideal machine would be the Mimaki TxF150-75


Product Highlights:


With the scope of printing solutions that Mimaki has to offer, Duncan gives a brief run-down on the options available within the market:


Mimaki TS100-1600


Mimaki’s TS100-1600 dye sublimation printer combines high quality, on-demand output with a low initial investment and cost-effective production. It’s the perfect solution if you’re starting up in digital sublimation printing, or when expanding production capacity.


With a print width of 1,600mm and speeds of up to 70sq m/hr the TS100- 1600 is an affordable, productive, and versatile solution for fashion, soft signage, home interiors, sportswear and sublimated products.


Mimaki TS100-1600 dye sublimation printer www.signupdate.co.uk


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