Focus on Digital Printing What is digital printing?
After 25 years supplying the print industry Dean Sanger, MD of Sabur Digital, provides a brief outline of digital printing and what it is. In simple layman’s terms digital printing is using a printer to apply a digital image on to a surface of some kind (substrate) using a printer with liquid inks. That said there are many kinds of digital printers using liquid inks to apply images on to substrates ranging from a typical manmade sign vinyl to textiles including manmade polyesters and natural cottons. The printers required to print the various substrates come from a variety of manufacturers (OEM) and come in various sizes and confi gurations using an ink type typically required to adhere to the required substrate. Textile printers are used in the manufacture and decoration of garments and in most cases have replaced screen printing over the last 20 years.
Sublimation is a method of dying a white polyester fabric to create a garment such as a sport or leisure shirt via a transfer using specialist coated paper. The printer prints the image onto the paper and is placed over the white polyester and using a heat press transfers the image onto the fabric. If you’re new to sublimation on the fi rst glance it seems like magic when you peel back the paper. In other industries outside garment manufacturing sublimation can be printed directly to the fabric using specialist pre coated fabrics P4P (prepared for print) for the manufacturing of fl ags etc. In both cases the fabric is dyed and holds onto its original soft feel. Natural fabrics can be printed using a pigment printer on to natural fabrics (P4P) such as cottons and are used in the manufacture of bright vibrant textiles for the fashion industry and home textiles such as curtains, tea towels and cushions. Once printed the textile has to be post treated by heat to cure the inks again by using a heat press.
Typically used to replace the original time consuming and specialist sign writing, print and also print and cut printers, can print directly on to a substrate using an eco solvent, solvent and UV ink that dries as it prints. A vibrant full colour design or image can be printed directly to a vinyl and quickly applied to a variety of products including signs and vehicle livery and wraps.
Garment decorators using specialist vinyl can also produce small full colour transfers quickly and easily in small numbers not commercially viable by conventional screen print. The image
Sabur Digital A smart DTF solution The DTF solution from R A Smart
For a long time, direct to garment (DTG) has been the go-to solution for those looking to print onto a wide variety of garment types and colours, but now there’s a viable alternative. Utilising white ink technology, without the need for pretreatment, DTF offers users the capability to print onto almost any fabric type or colour with ease. Furthermore, the durable ink technology means that there’s no cracking, even on stretch materials, with high wash and rub resistance. All of that in an affordable package with ultra-low running costs.
R A Smart (CAD & Machinery)’s reputation as a supplier of premium quality textile printing solutions is supported by its selection of industry leading equipment. The team takes its product selection very seriously and only partners with the best manufacturers that produce high-quality machines and its DTF solution is no different.
Following extensive in-house testing R A Smart has partnered with a pioneering producer of the entire DTF package, with patented ink and application technology developed over the past fi ve years. The team is excited to bring this revolutionary solution into the market!
R A Smart | 46 | October 2022
www.rasmartmachinery.co.uk www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
would be printed and cut and applied via a heat press using an application tape.
Sabur Group of Companies is a family company established in 1998 as a specialist supplier to the screen textile industry. At the turn of the century, it became apparent that digital was the way forward and now the company’s 3,000sq ft showroom boasts printers and fi nishing equipment from world leading manufacturers including DGI, Mimaki, Roland, Diferro, Klieverik and iEcho.
Customers are actively invited to visit Sabur’s showroom and use the machines before they commit, using their artwork, medias and personnel to ensure that they buy the correct machine for the required application. Over the last 25 years Sabur has helped numerous customers enter into the world of digital printing and only last month Sabur’s fi rst-ever screen customer took delivery of their 20th machine supplied by Sabur.
www.sublimationinks.com Sabur’s showroom
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