CMYUK installs an Epson SureColor SC-F9400H at its demonstration and training facility in Shrewsbury
CMYUK has a new addition to its suite of Epson SureColor printers at its demonstration and training facility in Shrewsbury with the arrival of the Epson SureColor SC-F9400H.
The new SC-F9400H is a fast, high-volume, six-colour 64-inch dye sublimation suitable for sports apparel, soft signage and other textile applications. What sets this printer apart is the option to print with two spot fluorescent inks – pink and yellow – bringing eye-catching colour to sportswear, apparel and any other textile applications where intense hues are required.
Rob Weissenberger, Large Format Print Account Manager, Epson UK, responsible for overseeing the installation at CMYUK said, “This is one of our flagship models, a 1.6m wide dual head production device that is refined for textiles such as upholstery, sportwear and apparel which is a very strong market area for us.
“Sportswear is a high growth area which is why fluorescent spot colours are so important. We’re seeing more reshoring happening, where textiles are being digitally printed in the UK rather than overseas and the Pandemic has further accelerated this trend. Quality control is much better and you only print what you need,” he added.
Inks used in SC-F9400H are pigment and water-based. Designs are printed to paper, transferred onto fabric by a calender press where heat and pressure transforms the ink into a gas. This fuses and bonds with the fibres within the textile, creating highly durable, wash-and rub-fast prints.
The SC-F9400H has a maximum print speed of 108.6m2/h for fast turnarounds. Settings deliver a lower tension and accurate registration, improving take-up and reducing the total cost of ownership (TCO) by using lower-weight sublimation papers.
Epson invests $1.2m into R&D per day across its business of which its large-format printing division gets a share. All Epson printers are developed in-house alongside printheads, inks and papers ensuring quality optimisation and total compatibility. It is this continuity of Epson-grown equipment, parts and consumables that Rob believes gives the company its unique competitive edge.
Says Rob, “Part of Epson’s strategy is to focus on making products accessible to more people. This could be home start-ups producing gifting and small textiles or businesses that want to add additional branding options in-house for their existing clients producing small promotional items or corporate gifts. The roadmap we have for textile printers for the next 2-5 years looks very exciting.”