Focus on Dye Sublimation
Opening our feature on all of the latest dye sublimation printers and accessories is Phil McMullin, Pro Graphics head of sales, Epson (UK). In this Q&A he outlines the advantages of dye sublimation printing and how you can capitalise.
Epson (UK) SureColor SC-F100
quality, turnaround times, cost, and profi tability. The simplicity of the DTG print process makes it ideal to integrate into web-to-print platforms, essentially allowing anyone to start an online T shirt business while printing what has already been sold eliminates the reliance on mass production, shipping, and storage. It also results in very little waste going to landfi ll or being sent abroad for disposal.
Q. What are the core advantages of sublimation printing? A. By adding sublimation printing businesses can look beyond their core offering to provide existing and new customers with more options. With relatively little training, a digital dye sublimation printer, paired with an appropriate heat press device can quite easily add a solution to their operation and very quickly start offering short run, on-demand printing.
With so much today being outsourced, in bulk, this will help set them apart from their competition and position themselves more as a ‘one-stop shop’. Thanks to the relatively low-cost of the systems, return on investment can be achieved in a short time period, and if successful, the business can easily expand to meet demand.
Q. What opportunities are there for sublimation printing in textile print? A. Customisation is a big opportunity. According to Smithers’ The Future of Digital Textile Printing to 2026 survey more than a third of consumers are interested in personalised textile products and will pay a premium for them. It predicted digital textile printed volume will increase 13.9% CAGR from 2021 to 2026, to reach 5.531 million square meters annually. Throughout the same period digital textile printed value
| 50 | January 2023
will increase by 12.7% CAGR to 6.951 billion annually.
During the pandemic, digitally printed textiles performed better than the overall textile market. Home furnishings grew as consumers spent time redecorating their homes while sales also increased thanks to greater interest in outdoor water sports. Smithers went on to predict rapid growth from 2021 to 2026 as the overall printed textile industry recovers from the global pandemic.
As well as responding to demands for increased short run or customised orders, sublimation printing also addresses other industry shaping drivers including: • Sustainability – on-demand printing produces a low carbon footprint in comparison to traditional production. For textiles it can reduce water and electricity consumption and offer creatives the fl exibility to customise designs and produce exact quantities on demand, with very little waste.
• Reshoring – many companies are considering how reshoring can change their practices for the better. They are considering how local production can reduce transportation as part of an increased focus on sustainable practices. They are also reviewing supply chains to deliver the right quantities at the right time.
• On demand – an on-demand business model delivers greater control of production in terms of
Q. Can you tell us about Epson’s latest and most popular machines in this sector? A. An easy-to-use digital dye sublimation printer, paired with an appropriate heat press device, can easily integrate into a print production environment to quickly start offering high quality short run, on-demand printing. With systems such as Epson’s fi rst A4 dye sublimation printer, the SureColor SC-F100, operations can add an array of new applications with a relatively low capital expenditure and achieve a quick return on investment.
With the footprint of an A4 desktop printer, the plug-in-and-play system is perfect for producing promotional goods and personalised gifts such as mugs, key fobs, phone covers and other small merchandise items. It also meets the needs of textile producers who want to create bespoke products such as small bags, aprons, lanyards and cushions.
www.epson.co.uk
Key features of the SC-F100 • A complete end-to-end printing solution including inks, driver and paper, all Epson Cloud Solution PORT platform to monitor print job costs and track usage over time.
• Quality output with Epson’s PrecisionCore MicroTFP printhead.
• Front-feeding, easy to change paper functionality (150 sheets).
• Look up table (LUT) for promotional goods, gifts, and rigid substrates.
• Ease of use, fast turnaround times and a low total cost of ownership (TCO).
• 600x1200dpi. • Highly intuitive tilting 2.4in screen. • WiFi connectivity.
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
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