Solvent based ink print to substrate, solvent corrode the substrate, and meanwhile solvent volatilize, left pigment on substrate. As following pictures show.
What affects the outdoor durability life of solvent ink printing?
Good pigment quality which warranty for outdoor durability.
Good substrate quality, such as 3M material, warranty for outdoor durability.
Ink dot size and density, design picture’s ink coverage (the more pigments on the surface of the substrate, the longer time it can keep the color) .
The higher the content and quality of resin in the ink, the longer the weather resistance time. The resin provides adhesion and protection for the pigment.
Cover the printed surface with a film will increase outdoor color resistance.
ISA 2025, April 23-25, 2025 Las Vegas, NV, Booth NO.: 545
SUPERINKS will show our sublimation ink, DTF pigment ink, reactive ink, dye ink, UV ink, eco solvent ink, solvent ink, etc. for textile, corrugated box, office, advertisement, gift and home decoration, packing, label printing, etc. Address: Las Vegas, NV
This is not only an exhibition, but also an opportunity for in-depth dialogue. We sincerely invite colleagues, partners and media friends from all walks of life to visit and give guidance, discuss new trends in industry development, share successful cases and build a bridge of cooperation. SUPERINKS looks forward to working with you to expand the market, share opportunities and create brilliance together.
Welcome to visit SUPERINKS booth at 545
Please pay close attention to our official channels for the latest updates, don’t miss out! We look forward to meeting you at the exhibition and writing a wonderful chapter for SUPERINKS together.
Let’s meet at the ISA exhibition in the United States and explore the infinite possibilities of the world of color together.
SUPERINKS will show our sublimation ink, DTF pigment ink, reactive ink, dye ink, UV ink, eco solvent ink, solvent ink, etc. for textile, corrugated box, office, advertisement, gift and home decoration, packing, label printing, etc.
You can check this exhibition URL for more information: https://www.apppexpo.com/?lang=EN. Address: National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) No.333 Songze Avenue, Qingpu District, Shanghai, China.
From October 14 to October 18, 2024, SUPERINKS participated in the 2024 ITMA ASIA, held in Shanghai. This annual exhibition provided a vital platform for engaging with both existing and potential clients, fostering meaningful dialogue and connections within the industry.
2024 ITMA ASIA, renowned as a premier event in the textile and garment technology sector, attracted a diverse array of exhibitors and visitors from around the globe. For SUPERINKS, by participating in discussions and exchanging ideas, we were able to strengthen relationships with current customers while also identifying potential collaborations with new partners.
We also received many visits from new customers at this ITMA exhibition.
As we look towards the future, we remain dedicated to upholding the standards of quality and service that define SUPERINKS, ensuring continued success in our endeavors, and we look forward to seeing you again at the APPPEXPO 2025 next year.
We will participate in the ITMA ASIA 2024 on Oct. 14-18th. To display DTF pigment ink, sublimation ink, and DTG ink in NECC, Shanghai, China. Accept this invitation and get ready to join us!
You can check this exhibition URL for more information: https://www.itmaasia.com/shanghai2024/. Address: National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) No.333 Songze Avenue, Qingpu District, Shanghai, China.
Excited to connect with our esteemed partners at the Febratex Expo. The SUPERINKS team is looking forward to productive discussions and strengthening collaborative efforts.
The threat of static electricity is sometimes hidden in the process of inkjet printing, which not only affects the printing quality and output effect but also threatens the safety of the equipment itself. As one of the leading technologies of digital printing, the performance of inkjet printing is constantly improving and the scope of application is constantly expanding. However, a small amount of static electricity always brings big problems, such as Printing ink splash.
Printing ink splash
The Static Electricity
Print Heads Static electricity can cause dust and other minute impurities to accumulate inside the print head. These contaminants may lead to clogs, adversely affecting print quality, and, in severe cases, can damage the print head.
Ink Static electricity can disrupt the ink during the ejection process, causing droplets to miss their intended landing points. This results in issues like missing drops, spots, blurriness, and smudging, not only compromising print quality and accuracy but also risking contamination of the internal components of the equipment.
Printing Media Static can also cause the printing media (such as paper) to stick together during transit, leading to misalignment or paper jams.
Circuit Boards Sensitive electronic components can be damaged by static electricity, resulting in equipment malfunctions, operational halts, or diminished performance.
Finished Product Quality Static can attract dust and other particles, leaving the surface of printed materials unclean, such as Printing ink splash, which reduces product quality.
Black ink appears printing ink splash
Common printing ink splashes
Causes:
Generally, materials possess an equal number of positive and negative charges that neutralize each other, preventing any display of electric charge. When external electrons are added, a negative charge occurs; conversely, the loss of electrons results in a positive charge. Both scenarios generate static electricity.
Common causes pertinent to printing include:
Friction: Generated during the rapid movement of the printing media.
Flow: Static can build up as materials move past each other.
Separation: When materials are pulled apart, the charge can build up.
Electrostatic Effect
Factors contributing to static generation can stem from the printing equipment, the printing media, environmental conditions, and improper handling by personnel. For example:
Areas containing electrical circuits without adequate insulation can easily generate static.
High-speed friction between printing media can produce varying levels of static electricity.
Weather significantly influences static formation; dryer conditions, particularly in autumn and winter, exacerbate static issues. Conversely, during thunderstorms, increased ionization in humid southern climates can also result in heightened static.
Improper operator practices, such as neglecting circuit configurations or failing to monitor environmental humidity, contribute to static risks.
Solutions to threat of static electricity
Installing Static Elimination Devices Some advanced inkjet printing machines are equipped with static elimination devices, such as ionizing bars, which use high-voltage electrical fields to neutralize static charge on objects.
Static Elimination Brush, Can effectively prevent printing ink splash
Using Anti-Static Printing Media Selecting printing media that has been treated to be anti-static, like specialized anti-static paper, can greatly mitigate the influence of static on the printing process.
Controlling Environmental Humidity Maintaining optimal humidity levels (40%-60% relative humidity) can significantly reduce static generation; in such conditions, static charge levels can drop by up to 80%. This not only aids in achieving high-quality prints but also benefits the storage and handling of printing materials.
Regulating air humidity in factories
Grounding Methods Properly addressing grounding issues is crucial. A continuous, uninterrupted ground line should be established to prevent static accumulation, ensuring reliable contact with the machine.
Regular Cleaning and Maintenance Regularly cleaning the internal components of the inkjet printing equipment, with particular attention to the print heads, helps prevent the accumulation of dust and impurities that can exacerbate static issues.
These measures should be tailored and optimized according to the specific model of inkjet printing equipment and its operating environment.
In addition to technical solutions, it is imperative to enhance employee training. Workers should fully grasp the dangers of static electricity and the corresponding preventive measures, ensuring that correct operational practices are maintained to reduce static accumulation in daily workflow.
Brother printheads have always promoted the development of DTG printing ink technology
We know that in the application of DTG (Direct to garment) printing of T-shirts, the two mainstream printheads of EPSON and Kyocera occupy both small-scale and large-scale markets. In addition to this, Japan’s Brother Printer Company has always been committed to promoting the development of DTG printing ink technology and has gained a place in the field of T-shirt printing with its professional-grade printhead technology. It is worth noting that Brother has always maintained the exclusive right to use its printhead technology, which has been used only for Brother brand printers for many years, but in recent years, well-known manufacturers such as Mimaki have begun to adopt Brother printheads, which not only demonstrates the outstanding performance of Brother printheads in the field of DTG printer ink printing, but also heralds the trend of technical cooperation and innovation in the industry.
In the Chinese market, companies such as Atexco are actively exploring the potential of Brother printheads in the application of DTG textile ink printing. Although it is still in the testing stage, it will take some time for large-scale market promotion. According to an Atexco agent, more than 20 sets of Atexco printers equipped with Brother printheads have been sold to the market. In addition, other domestic printer brands are also conducting relevant tests in full swing, hoping to open up new horizons in the field of textile coating ink printing.
We know that in addition to DTG pigment ink printing, Brother’s product line also has popular office document printing equipment. Against this background, a phenomenon worthy of attention has emerged – some smaller Chinese printer brands have begun to acquire second-hand Brother office printers in order to obtain the print heads in them for their DTG ink printers. Although this practice is innovative, it also hides risks. Because the service life of second-hand printheads is unknown, the degree of wear is difficult to assess, and more importantly, these printheads are not designed for coating anti-printing printing solutions, so there may be compatibility and performance limitations.
EPSON-4720
This situation is quite similar to the fate of Epson’s 4720 printhead before 2018. The 4720 printhead, originally used for office desktop printers, was modified for thermal sublimation and weak solvent printers, which affected the reputation of the Epson printhead in the industry. Because it could not be stopped, Epson finally launched the I3200 nozzle optimized for industrial applications, which is an optimized version of the 4720 nozzle. This process once again proves that market demand and technological iteration often inspire innovation and change in the industry.
For consumers who intend to invest in DTG printing ink equipment, it is crucial to understand the source and characteristics of the nozzle. When purchasing, be sure to carefully evaluate to ensure that the selected equipment can meet the needs of long-term stable operation.
What is the difference between ordinary sublimation ink and high light resistance sublimation ink?
Typically, if using regular sublimation ink, we might see a significant fading of cyan first, followed by black, magenta, and yellow within 30 days. In the last 10 years, our printing room has provided paper that has been printed with high light resistance sublimation ink, which the customer transfers to metal by himself, and it can last for 10 years outside. So, the sublimation ink lasts that long. If you print it on synthetic fabric, such as solution-dyed acrylic with high light resistance, the image can last for more than 10 years.
Sublimation ink for Epson i3200 suitable for which print heads?
For Epson i3200-a1, DX7, DX6, DX5, DX4, etc. print heads.
For Kyocera print heads
Sublimation ink is suitable for printer brands:
Atexco, Homer, Efi, Flora, etc.
Skycolor, Fedar, Xkeda, Grando, etc.
SUPERINKS can offer colors for sublimation ink as follows:
This sublimation ink for Epson has features as follows:
Good resistance to dry and wet rubbing and good light resistance. If the base material has good weather resistance, the outdoor weather resistance of the printed pattern can reach 10 years.
SUPERINKS sublimation ink’s black ink is ultra-high concentration without a color cast, CMY, and other colors bright and saturated.
No ink flying, no ink bleeding, sharpness, and no mutual penetration.
Stable formula, particles smaller than 0.3 μm, very smooth, friendly to the print head.
Smoke-free formula, high transfer rate, environmental protection, and economy.
Long shelf life, 12 months in a bottle, and longer in the bag.
According to the SGS report, the ink does not contain harmful materials and is environmentally friendly and harmless.
Outdoor metal advertising boards, outdoor metal display racks, etc.
Sofa, bed sheets, curtains, etc.
This sublimation ink printing condition:
Temperature: 20-30℃. If beyond the temperature range, please use a heater or air conditioner. Humidity: 40-60%.
Thermal transfer printing conditions:
Temperature: 225℃ or above.
Time: about 60s.
Pressure: around 0.3 – 0.8 mPa. The above values are for reference only and should be adjusted by users according to specific circumstances.
This sublimation ink package:
Drum/Bottle pack in 25 KG,
Drum/Bottle pack in 20 KG,
Drum/Bottle pack in 5 KG,
A customized package is available
Sublimation ink
SUPERINKS sublimation ink working process:
Method 1: Printing on heat transfer paper. Heat press to transfer the pattern from paper to polyester cloth.
Method 2: Sizing the polyester cloth. Dry the cloth. Direct printing on the cloth.
Ways to send samples by sublimation:
Send paper samples of printed pictures.
Or test ink samples.
Precautions for the use of sublimation ink:
Suitable for fabrics or metal materials with more than 80% chemical fiber.
Pay attention to the shelf life of the ink before use. The expired ink is likely to precipitate and block the print head.
Dye sublimation ink is colored by heating, and the color before heating is not bright.
The temperature, pressure, and duration of the use process, as well as the fabric, will affect the vividness and colorfastness of the color.
The ink colors of different manufacturers will be different. If the color requirements are strict, an ICC curve is required.
Instructions for use of digital printing inks:
Shake the ink well before putting it on the machine; It will be best if you can use it up within 1 week after opening.
Before using our products for the first time, please empty the ink cartridges, ink circuits, and dampers. If possible, please clean the ink circuit system and replace it with a new damper.
It’s very important to make an ICC profile to get brilliant colors if need makes an ICC profile, contact us, we will help.
Transport and storage conditions:
Avoid direct light, and storage temperature at 15-30℃; after opening the seal of the package, please avoid dust and other sundries going into ink composition.
The goods are identified as Non-dangerous goods in accordance with IMO, RID/ADR, IMDG, ICAO, IATA.
MSDS available.
ink sublimation transport lisence
Composition classification of fabrics and suitable digital printing solutions：
Sublimation ink is dye-based or pigment-based, this question may be confusing when somebody is starting about this market. The answer is: Sublimation ink is dye-based ink. Why? Below is the explanation from SUPERINKS.
The whole name of Sublimation ink is Water-based dye sublimation ink. From Chemical components, Sublimation ink is dye-based, When heated to more than 130℃, it turns to a molecular level and can be completely soluble in water— Acting as a dye-based ink performance.
Part two:
But why does somebody say Sublimation ink is pigment-based? There is a certain reason for this:
In Common:
The water-based dye sublimation ink, in normal temperatures (0-40℃), is granular in form, and slightly soluble in water. The normal pigment ink, in normal temperatures (0-40℃), is granular in form, and slightly soluble in water. So we will say that, sublimation ink and pigment ink with the same physical form at normal temperatures.
In difference:
Pigment ink particles are stones, When heated to 1000℃ or more, it will turn to ash. While sublimation ink, when it is heated to 130 ℃, it turns to a molecular level and can be completely soluble in water, just as dye-based ink.
Part three:
Sublimation ink works in a special function. When at normal temperature, it is granular. We print it on a transfer paper, then put the cloth and the paper printed with sublimation ink together, during the heat pressing process, sublimation ink will become molecular level and completely soluble in water. In the meantime, the polyester’s components: chemical fiber will loosen, like opening the door, letting molecular-level sublimation go in. During the heat pressing process, sublimation ink molecular has changed, the color of the ink on the cloth becomes brighter when heated at high temperature, and the water will evaporate at the same time. When the temperature cools down, “close the door” again, and then the sublimation printed process is finished, in this way, sublimation ink-printed polyester cloth gets good color resistance on the wash. While the normal dye-based ink is soluble in water, no wash color resistance.
From February 28 to March 2, 2024, SUPERINKS participated in the APPPEXPO, held in Shanghai. This annual exhibition provided a platform for us to engage with both existing and potential customers, fostering meaningful conversations and connections. The experience was enriching, and we enjoyed a productive and enjoyable time at the exhibition.
Building on the success of our participation in the previous year’s edition, APPPEXPO 2023, we were pleased to once again showcase our products and engage with industry professionals. The APPPEXPO 2024 exhibition served as a valuable opportunity to network, showcase our offerings, and further strengthen our relationships within the industry.
As we look towards the future, we remain dedicated to upholding the standards of quality and service that define SUPERINKS, ensuring continued success in our endeavours, and we look forward to seeing you again at the next APPPEXPO 2025.
Excited to connect with our esteemed partners at the DPES CHINA Expo. The SUPERINKS team is looking forward to productive discussions and strengthening collaborative efforts. 👏👏
SUPERINKS will attend the exhibition APPPEXPO on February 28-March 2, 2024 Shanghai, China.
You can check this exhibition URL for more information: https://www.apppexpo.com/?lang=EN. Address: National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) No.333 Songze Avenue, Qingpu District, Shanghai, China.
There are three relatively mature processes for printing on cotton: reactive ink printing, DTF ink heat transfer ink printing, and DTG paint direct printing. Reactive printing is often used for large-scale roll fabrics, while DTF ink heat transfer printing and DTG paint direct printing are often used for T-shirt garment printing.
Reactive ink has the best effect, with beautiful and bright colors and strong color fastness, without affecting the original feel of the fabric. Its disadvantage is that the process is extremely complex and the investment is large. It requires sizing-drying-printing-steaming-washing-drying, a series of complex processes, because sizing, steaming, and washing all require water, which pollutes the water a lot. The investment is also very large and is not suitable for small-format and small-scale printing. The best fabric printing effect currently on the market is the reactive ink process. But if you want to be cheap, easy to obtain, and effective enough, there is no complete solution yet. DTF ink heat transfer printing is a relatively cheap solution.
DTF ink heat transfer printing comes from the improvement of the DTG paint direct printing process. DTG has appeared in this industry for many years, but it has always had a shortcoming. The color fastness is not good and it is easy to be washed off. The ink cannot stick to the material and the color will appear dull. In order to improve the shortcomings of DTG since 2020, the industry has produced DTF ink, which is printed on a coated film, and then uses hot melt powder to combine the ink and the fabric. The essence of the hot melt powder is a glue, use hot melt powder to stick the ink layer on the film to the clothes, and the color will appear. The DTF process solves the problems of color fastness and vividness, but another problem arises, that is, the hot melt adhesive powder will form a thick film, which is not breathable and feels very thick. Moreover, this film is on the surface of the clothes and will crack and fall off after a long period of scrubbing. It is also these shortcomings that make the DTF printing process only applicable in the mid-to-low-end fabric printing market. Within 1-2 years, the DTF printing process has rapidly spread in the mid- to low-end T-shirt printing market and has been widely accepted.
In the process of large-scale sales of DTF ink, the supporting products of the entire industry have been improved, and the cost of ink and resin has become cheaper; the stability and adhesion of the resin have also been improved, so the quality of DTF ink has been improved grade. DTG and DTF inks are 80% similar. On this basis, it has also led to the improvement of the entire industrial support for DTG ink. In addition, the slurry technology of the direct printing process of paint has also been improved in recent years, which has improved the direct printing printing of paint effect.
If you ask industry foresights about their views on the fabric printing industry, most people will say: DTG coating direct-printing printing on roll fabric is the future direction. DTG process sequence: ① first apply pre-treatment coating on the fabric, ② dry the coating, ③ print, ④ heat to fix the color. This process is just pigmented DTG ink printed on cotton material. DTG’s current pre-treatment liquid coating has also been improved. If you coat light-colored or white fabrics and use DTG direct spray, the printing effect can basically be accepted by the current market and industry; dark fabrics use DTG technology, bright colors The strength and color fastness still need to be improved. The reason is that when processing dark fabrics, if the pre-treatment liquid is thick enough or heavy enough, the entire fabric will become very thick, affecting the breathability and feel. If you make it too light, the ink’s carrying capacity will not be enough. Especially if you need to apply a layer of white ink on the fabric and then print a color picture on top of the white ink, the adhesion between the ink layer and the cotton fabric will be very weak. This is an area that needs to be improved.
Another pain point of the DTG coating direct spray process is: sizing, drying, printing, and drying. This requires at least two sets of equipment and two transfers of materials. It requires a lot of equipment, takes a long time, and requires a lot of labor.
A new idea!
Can a series of processes including sizing, drying, printing, and drying be operated on one machine and formed in one go? Reduce equipment costs, improve work efficiency, reduce labor costs, and of course improve print quality.
Nowadays, the commonly used nozzles in the DTG paint direct-printing process are: Kyocera industrial heads, Epson i3200-a1 photo heads, etc. The nozzles of these nozzles are 1-5PL, small nozzles, suitable for high-precision printing. However, such a nozzle is not suitable for slurry printing. The slurry from direct spraying of DTG paint is viscous and needs to be thoroughly soaked into the entire fabric. The nozzle for printing slurry needs a large PL, such as XAAR 128 80PL, or Spectra Nova 128 80PL. At this time, control board technology has made it possible for a set of boards in a printer to control two types of nozzles at the same time. In this case, you can only apply sizing to the part of the fabric where the picture is printed, saving sizing and less affecting the original feel of the fabric.
Reactive ink printing
We saw HOMER(弘美数码), HPRT(汉印), HIINK(海印数码), etc. demonstrating this process at the ITMA Asia 2023 Shanghai exhibition. We look forward to receiving their samples and verifying the color fastness.
This idea is not only suitable for DTG printing, but also for dye-sublimation direct-printing, and even dtf-uv printing. In the future, one type of printing head will print coatings or glue, and another type of high-precision printing head will print ink. If such a printer model is mature enough, it will be a printing model that saves energy and materials while ensuring quality.
About Ultra vibrant colors in sublimation ink direct print flag fabric:
This topic is always the focus of attention in the industry. The hope is that the sublimation ink can be printed directly on chemical fiber fabrics, eliminating the need for a transfer process.
The current mature process requires sublimation ink to be printed to transfer paper, then transferred to the fabric through hot pressing. However the transfer paper is very costly, and after the transfer, it becomes waste material and is thrown away, which is not environmentally friendly. There are also more processes, each process needs to adjust parameters, which creates multiple variables and it is easy to cause problems and fail to achieve the desired results. In addition, the step of printing ink onto paper and then transferring it also easily causes problems, and the ink loss is large, and the transfer rate is not enough, resulting in waste and environmental problems.
The direct inkjet sublimation ink process solves these problems. However, this process requires the print on pure polyester fabrics（also known as chemical fiber fabrics, without any chemical components such as silicone oils or phosphors). After sizing and drying, the polyester fabric is printed directly with sublimation inks and then dried by a drying unit underneath the printer, which can get ultra-vibrant colors without heat pressing. This process is more in the way with future trends.
The technology actually appeared more than a decade ago, with initial tests targeting advertising banners as a product, but the colors printed on fabric were not vibrant enough. So people defined it as low-grade printing. The ink used in the tests for low-grade printing was not concentrated enough, resulting in poor color performance.
Sample of Sublimation Ink Direct Print Flag Fabric
Technological Improvement Points:
Progress in two key points improves the effect of the sublimation ink direct injection process: Firstly, sublimation inks must be used at high concentrations to achieve sufficiently vibrant results on fabric. Secondly, the coatings developed for sublimation inks have been greatly improved.
It is now possible to print very vibrant and beautiful results using high-concentration inks to produce high-quality outdoor advertising products.
Sublimation Ink Direct Print Application Status:
Can Sublimation Ink Direct Print technology be applied in the garment industry now?
In the current situation, the softness of the pre-treat solution still needs to be further improved to meet the softness requirements of the fabric after sizing. Therefore, at present, sublimation technology is mainly applied to the production of advertising banners, as it doesn’t require high softness, but only needs to ensure that the colors can be firmly adhered to the fabrics to achieve vibrant color performance.
Will sublimation technology be used in the garment industry in the future?
It is very possible that the sublimation technology will be applied to the garment sector in the future. The key is that the fabrics treated with the pre-treatment solution need to have qualified softness and be able to carry the direct inkjet process well, as well as having good color fade resistance.
Only in this case, sublimation technology can be further applied and developed in the garment sector.
The future direction of development:
The current process of Sublimation Ink Direct Print for advertising banners still has a fatal drawback: the color powder used in the ink has a short sunlight resistance time outdoors. Therefore, sublimation technology is not recommended for long-term outdoor advertising. However, for short-term advertising applications such as exhibitions or sports events, it’s a very good choice, because the sublimation ink direct inkjet process technology has excellent color performance and lower cost.
Sublimation Ink Direct Print Flag Fabric
Sublimation Ink Direct Print Flag Fabric
Overall, the emergence of the direct inkjet sublimation ink printing process has brought new development opportunities to the garment industry. Although there are still problems in improving the softness and sunlight resistance of the ink. With the continuous development and improvement of the technology, sublimation technology is expected to be more widely used in the garment and outdoor advertising fields in the future. This will bring more innovation and possibilities to the garment and advertising industries, as well as provide consumers with more choices and quality product experiences.
SUPERINKS will attend the exhibition ITMA Asia from November 19th to 23rd, 2023, in Shanghai, China. You can check this exhibition URL for more information: https://www.itmaasia.com/index.html. Address: The National Exhibition and Convention Centre in Shanghai ITMA Asia Contact Email: itmaasiacitme@ciec.com.cn
From September 4th to 6th, 2023, SUPERINKS attend SIGN CHINA in Shanghai. This edition of the exhibition ran for three days, featuring nearly 500 high-end manufacturers in the sign and digital industries across six exhibition areas.
SUPERINKS is in SIGN CHINA exhibition Area 2: W2 D58. The Exhibitors in this area include Digital Printers, Laser and Cutting machines, Inks, Printing materials, as well as LED advertising items.
At SIGN CHINA exhibition, SUPERINKS gathered some customers who had completed transactions and also received many customers from Russia, the Philippines, Thailand, India, South Africa, and other countries. Our main products, such as Solvent ink, Eco solvent ink, UV ink, DTF ink, and Sublimation ink, have received high praise and support from customers.
SUPERINKS is not just an ink supplier, we can help customers provide high-quality ink, share market trends, create more value for customers, and achieve long-term cooperation.
The 28th DPES Sign Expo CHINA 2023 Exhibition will be held on August 25, 2023, at the Guangzhou Poly World Trade Center Expo. The industry’s advanced technologies will also be displayed here.
Summary:
No printhead brand to exhibit; ( No new printhead)
The largest Chinese printer brands do not attend but their agents are at the exhibition (such as GZ, Docan, Xenons). It is a small exhibition.
Many companies are promoted RTR UV printers with Konica 1024 i/a printing heads, multi-printing heads up to 28, 3.2m/5m width, up to 450 m²/h — More UV ink used on signage banner printing instead of solvent ink.
The solvent ink machine, almost at the exhibition, withdrew from view.
There are two methods to achieve bright backlit signage or transparent film printing for double-sided viewing. One is UV color+white+color printing, another is high density high temperature disperse ink printing.
High density high temperature disperse ink printing for backlit
UV color+white+color printing for backlit
UV color+white+color printing is matured enough to apply. But high temperatures disperse ink printing, need better durability ink, better priced ink to accept by market.
Event: Visiting DPES Sign Expo CHINA 2023 Add: Guangzhou Poly World Trade Center Expo Time: 2023.08.26
Ricoh Co., Ltd. released three types of inkjet print heads “RICOH MH5422”, “RICOH MH5442” and “RICOH MH5422Type A” in Tokyo on March 16, which is the core component of industrial digital printing systems. These 3 print head products will be available worldwide from now on.
Ricoh G6+ / G6 Plus is more suitable for Roll to Roll than Ricoh G6.
It is mainly used on roll to roll machines at present, and its print coverage is better than Ricoh G6.
Ricoh’s unique high-precision processing technology is utilized in the new printhead to achieve high-quality printing effects while ensuring high output. In addition, the new printhead has a wide range of ink compatibility, and its durability has been improved by strengthening the wear resistance of the nozzle surface. Besides, the system adaptability in the new print heads is also improved through the pluggable connection line and the high-precision plane calibration effect.
Ricoh G6+ / G6 Plus
As an upgraded product that inherits the latest technology of Ricoh’s sixth-generation print head “RICOH MH 5320/5340” (launched in 2019), it can meet various demands and provide customers with a wider range of print head choices. In addition, customers using “RICOH MH 5420/5440” (released in 2012) and “RICOH MH 5421/45441” (released in 2017) printheads will be able to upgrade to the new generation of printhead while maintaining the original ink droplet size.
Some machine factories have been developing machines with this printhead since May, but not many. From around April 2023, the Ricoh G6 price has risen wildly. And many factories don’t have Ricoh G6 in stock, the supply is tight.
When you use an ink (any type of ink) to print on a substrate for an application, please make sure it will work well before you put it into large-scale use. To avoid wasting and possibly compensate.
It does not mean that when you get a nice picture on the substrate, then it will work. Besides this, you have to test the following:
1). Is the adhesion good enough between ink and substrate? 2). Is the color bright and wide gamut enough? 3). Is it environmentally friendly enough for your application? 4). Is the light fastness, scratch resistance, and water resistance enough good? 5). Is the ink drying speed fast enough for your process?
If yes, then start large-scale production. If not sure, test to make sure. Or at least inquire SUPERINKS team to get their professional idea about it.
Why do I have this suggestion?
I have a story. One customer, use normal low-temperature sublimation ink print on the outdoor umbrella, and the color faded within 3 months’ time. But meanwhile, he already spread the umbrella to the whole city. His customer complained about it and request compensate. We don’t wish to see that.
We know that the low-temperature sublimation ink is water-based dye sublimation ink, and the color resistance is grade 3-4, it’s not good for outdoor printing.
SUPERINKS will attend the exhibition SIGN CHINA 2023 on September 4-6, in Shanghai, China.
You can check this exhibition URL for more information: https://www.signchinashow.com/en/. Address: Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Pudong District, Shanghai, China. 2023 SIGN CHINA Exhibition Tel: +86 20 3810 6261
ITMA 2023 Milan Italy, June 8-14th, released 3 main print heads. The release means it’s time for us to pay attention. Ricoh TH6130F; Epson D3000; Kyocera Forearth.
The exhibition ITMA started in 1951, was Sponsored by the European Council of Textile Machinery Manufacturers (CEMATEX), held every four years. Every time there are cutting-edge technologies and exhibits that represent the direction of technological development.
ITMA 2023
A new print head normally needs about 1-3 years to reach maturity. So, the release does not mean success. But still, the release means, it’s time for us to pay attention to it and wait for maturity.
As of today, there are three types of print heads, Ricoh TH6130F; Epson D3000; and Kyocera Forearth, and we will see them being used in the industry day by day.
DTG printer ink, also named direct to garment ink, which is a kind of water-based pigment ink for the digital textile printers, and direct print on finished T-shirts.
Mostly, DTG inks are works on cotton textiles. When it prints on light/white/blank cloth, the printer only use KCMY, etc. colors. If it prints on dark/black color cloth, we have to print a layer of white first, and then print color picture, the printer will includes a white color.
With the development of technology, the DTG ink will prints on other textile types, like polyester, or polyester and cotton mix fabric. And it will goes to a rolling machine, for industrial-scale printing, pre-coating the fabric by an industrial-scale factory.
This DTG printer ink is suitable for which print heads?
Ricoh G5
Ricoh G6
etc.
Which colors does this DTG printer ink have?
Black
Cyan
Magenta
Yellow
There is pre-coating liquid in 1:10, and in 1:20, or other customized proportions. And the clean liquid is available.
This DTG ink’s main features are:
Color resistance can reach 4.5 levels,
With our own pre-coating, the printed garment can offer a very bright color and soft and smooth texture, as good as reactive printing.
Very fluent printing,
high concentrate, delivers vivid colors and a wide color gamut.
Applicable materials for DTG printer ink.
Pure cotton,
Fabric with more than 70% cotton,
Linen.
DTG printing working processes are:
1). Pre-coating the cotton garment,
2). Dry the garment,
3). Put the garment on the flatbed of the printer, fix it, and print,
4). Dry the printed garment,
5). We get a printed garment.
How is the Chinese market’s DTG printers situation?
Application of DTG ink on roll to roll machine
More than 10 years ago, there was Epson water-based print head DTG printers, the suppliers modified for Epson desktop printers like R1390, T50, T60 4880 9880 etc. They just do small modifications, and suppliers’ technology is weak, the printing is not stable, and the printers’ performance experience is very bad.
In the second stage, in about the year 2010, while Chinese printer companies on the ability to make good quality printers. There are totally new made DTG printers, with stable quality. But the color resistance of DTG ink is weak, at about 3-4 levels. To strengthen the color resistance, they add complicated pre-coating and after the coating processes. While the non-programmed manual operation coating process, the quality of color resistance is still not stable.
In the third stage, after the year 2020, after the DTF boomed up. There is one raw material, which works both on DTF ink and DTG ink and brings better adhesion for DTG ink. In light / white / blank cotton garments, DTG ink delivers a softer texture than DTF. Then DTG works on high-level products, DTF goes on lower.
Shake the ink well before putting it on the machine; It will be best if you can use it up within 1 week after opening.
Before using our products for the first time, please empty the ink cartridges, ink circuits, and dampers. If possible, please clean the ink circuit system and replace it with a new damper.
It’s very important to make an ICC profile to get brilliant colors if need makes an ICC profile, contact us, we will help.
Transport and storage conditions for digital printing ink:
Avoid direct light, and storage temperature at 15-30℃; after opening the seal of the package, please avoid dust and other sundries going into ink composition.
The goods are identified as Non-dangerous goods in accordance with IMO, RID/ADR, IMDG, ICAO, and IATA.
To do DTG printing, you need other related products except for DTG inks as:
DTG printer,
Pre-coating machine (by spray or by scratch), if don’t have this machine, you can do by hand,
Cotton garment.
What kind of ink does DTG use?
DTG ink is a kind of water-based pigment ink, environmentally friendly and harmless to the body.
How much does DTG printer ink cost?
In the year 2022, DTG ink suppliers in the Chinese market, for wholesale quantity more than 1000 KGS, DTG color inks (KCMY LC LM, etc.) price about ￥180-250 / KG, white ink in ￥250-￥400 / KG. The price ranges according to time and technology updates.
Does DTG use sublimation ink?
DTG ink is not sublimation ink.
Mostly, sublimation ink is water-based dye heat transfer sublimation ink, it prints on a kind of coated heat transfer paper, and then transfers to polyester textiles. And there is a kind of direct print on coated polyester sublimation ink too.
DTG ink works on cotton, and direct print on the cotton garment, with no need for transfer.
How long do DTG prints last?
In the garment market, we use color resistance levels to measure it. DTG prints’ color resistance level is usually between 4-5 levels. Compare to 5-level sublimation, DTG’s color resistance level is lower.
Recently, our company discovered that there were unscrupulous persons illegally selling ink in the brand of SUPERINKS without our authorization in New Delhi India, which seriously violated the legitimate rights and interests of our company.
SUPERINKS solvent ink with high quality, stable and fluent printing for fast printers, which works excellently in Konica 13PL heads, sell at a reasonable good price. Customers like our ink very much. The unscrupulous persons know this information and make fake ones, the fake ones with bad quality, sell at an extremely cheap price.
I strongly urge respected customers to buy carefully after recognizing the original SUPERINKS ink by testing the quality, identifying the sales channel, and identifying the appearance of the package. SUPERINKS Ink only sell to professional distributor, with a good company reputation, we will never direct sell to any end user or personal trader. And there is no SUPERINKS brand label ink selling in New Delhi India until now (July, 1. 2023). We sell our ink without a label but with the trademark embossed on the bottle.
If customer wants to buy original high quality SUPERINKS ink in the New Delhi area of India, please contact:
Company name: Raaj Sign Products
Address: 8805/8806. First floor ,Gali no-3 Multani dhanda Near bikaner sweets Pharganj New delhi-110055
June 18-21, 2023, SUPERINKS attend APPPEXPO 2023 in Shanghai. This is the first biggest worldwide sign exhibition in 3 years stop since COVID-19 in the year 2020. We met a lot of old customers and new customers, had a nice communication with them, and spend a happy time.
During this APPPEXPO 2023 exhibition, SUPERINKS is hot-sell products such as sublimation ink, DTF ink, reactive ink, disperse ink, solvent ink, eco-solvent ink, UV ink, corrugated board dye ink, etc.
The APPPEXPO 2023 exhibition was a complete success.
FESPA 2023 is an organizer of exhibitions and conferences for the screen, digital and textile printing industry. It’s objective is the promotion of screen printing and digital imaging through each of the 37 separate National Associations in Europe, Asia and the Americas.
Time:23-26 May 2023 Address: New International Expo Center, Munich, Germany
In the FESPA 2023, the most prominent one is DTF printer
Then, DTG (Epson, Muoth, Brother, Ricoh, Aeoon, D.gen), UV, Eco solvent, Sublimation, and Latex printers also shine in the exhibition. Let’s take a look at the machines shown at the FESPA 2023.
1. HP – the USA 1984
1.
Latex printer:
HP Stitch S1000 【126in for textile, heat sublimation, roll to roll】
2.
Latex printer:
HP Latex 2700w 【roll to roll for signage】
3.
Latex printer:
HP Latex 800w 【KCMY, LC, LM, 2*White for roll to roll for signage】
4.
Latex printer:
HP Latex R2000 【flatbed】
5.
Latex printer:
HP PWXL XL8200 【Pro, roll to roll for map print】
2. Durst — Italy 1936
1.
UV printer
P5 350-210 【hybrid printers】
2.
UV printer
P5 500 【5M roll to roll】
3.
UV printer
P5 350 HSR 【3.5M roll to roll】
4.
Dye sublimation and water-based printer
P5 TEX iSUB 【direct sublimation signage】
5.
Dye sublimation and water-based printer
P5 250 WT 【water based ink for corrugated board for packing】
6.
Automation support
P5 automat feeding and stacking system
7.
Automation support
P5 Robotics
3. Agfa — Belgium 1867
1.
Sublimation printer:
AVINCI CX3200 【UV& water based roll to roll printer for textile】
2.
UV Printer:
JETI TAURO H3300 UHS 【LED Flatbed】
3.
UV Printer:
Oberon RTR 【for signage】
4. EFI — the USA 1988
1.
UV printer:
EFI pro 30H 【flatbed wide format printer】
2.
UV printer:
EFI Vutek H5【super wide hybrid printer】
3.
UV printer:
EFI Nozomi 【single pass for signage】
5. aeoon — Austria 2011
1.
DTG Printer:
Kyo Hybrid 3.0【KTS Kyo-to-Screen, Three stations T-shirt printing】
2.
DTG Printer:
Compact DTG series【Duplex T-shirt printing】
3.
DTG Printer:
MAIKURO DTG system 【Duplex T-shirt printing】
6. D.gen — South Korea 1978
1.
Water-based printer:
Teleios grande H12 【3.25M 8 Color Ricoh G5i roll disperse / DTG pigment】
2.
Water-based printer:
Papyrus G5 【1.9M 6 color Ricoh G5i roll for signage sublimation / DTG pigment】
3.
Water-based printer:
Papyrus 【roll to roll DTG pigment ink】
7. Fujifilm –Japan 1934
1.
UV printer:
HS6000 【single pass, for signage auto feeding and stacking system】
2.
UV printer:
Acuity Prime L,【flatbed board】
3.
UV printer:
Acuity Ultra R2, 【roll to roll】
4.
UV printer:
Acuity Ultra【Hybrid 3.5PL printhead】
8. Epson — Japan 1942
1.
DTG printer
SureColor F3000/F2200/F500/F100/P6500DE
2.
DTG printer
SureLab D1000A/D500
3.
Sublimation printer
SureColor F10000H 【76-inch dye sublimation】
4.
UV printer
SureColor V7000 【flatbed large format printer】
5.
Resin printer
SureColor R5000L 【64 inch resin ink】
9. Mimaki — Japan 1975
1.
DTF printer
TXF150-75 【New launch, heat transfer pigment ink-PHT50(CMYKW)】
2.
UV printer
UJV 100-160 【wide format printer, two layer printing】
3.
UV printer
JFX 200-2513EX 【2.5*1.3m flatbed，8 colors, brown bottle pack】
HP is promoting its Latex as usual. Besides HP, Roland and brother are promoting latex printing too, and I think Epson’s resin printing is similar.
Durst and Fujifilm are promoting their feeding and stacking system for their printers, indicating the advent of the age of automation.
And the main stage are: UV for signage (roll to roll, hybrid, flatbed), sublimation for textile signage and apparel. DTG/DTF for garments.
You may ask, how about Chinese brands here? Yeah, I think 30% or more exhibitors are Chinese in the FESPA 2023, like Liyu, Flora, Handtop, Sunthinks, Oric, Kuendo, Yilijet, etc. Please come to China for APPPEXPO to see more.
Author: Kyna Zhou, Vivi Sun. Report by SUPERINKS, from company COBO CO., LTD. Report Time: 2023/6/9
ITCPE 2023 has always been aiming at the tenet of Innovative Development and Win-Win Cooperation for the past 14 years. It focuses on the trade fair of textile printing equipments and materials, devoted to building up the communication platform for the majority of manufacturers at home and abroad. Time: May 20-22, 2023 Address: Poly World Trade Center Exhibition Hall, Guangzhou, China.
Exhibition Highlights 1：
Epson i3200-a1 sublimation printers for textile printing.
The StarFire SG600 printhead is purpose-built for today’s demanding high-speed scanning and single-pass industrial system designs. It is an easy to integrate, high performance, drop-on-demand printhead for single-color operation at resolutions up to 600 dpi. A robust construction that is repairable from the cover to the collar. Its printhead has 1,536 independent channels arranged in 12 rows in a single nozzle plate for resolutions up to 600 dpi. All 1,536 nozzles can be fired simultaneously or individually. This printhead is compatible with aqueous inks, UV inks, solvent based ceramic inks, and maintenance fluids. The advantage is high precision, mainly used in ceramics, corrugated box printers, and UV printers.
FESPA 2023 will be held on May 23-26, 2023 at the Munich Exhibition Center in Germany. The SUPERINKS team will visit the FESPA 2023 exhibition and look forward to meeting you.
Until April 11, 2023, Atexco printer company released 4 types of sublimation ink for their Kyocera print heads. We use the Kyocera printhead Atexco printer and do these sublimation ink tests, see from the “dry speed”, “picture resolution”, “fluency”, and “color density”, etc to identify the difference.
4 inks test for Kyocera printhead Atexco printer:
The model CSK00011 (We say it 11) is produced by L ink factory, the features are: high resolution, and dry too fast. The customer tested about open printer without print for a half hour, he printed the nozzle check and find a lot of missing pins. We can see the video for the information:
The model CSK00012 is produced by L ink factory also, the features are: not in high resolution, but dry speed is good slow enough. Here to see the details:
The model CSK00015 is produced by T ink factory. Customer’s feedback is: The resolution is between “11” and “12”, still dry very fast, like 10 minutes. If dry speed too fast, the customer need clean print head too many times each day, which will reduce their feeling of performance experience.
The model CSK00080 is produced by Atexco’s own ink factory in TianJin City. When I first see this model, it was Mar 7, 2023, in a Chinese customer’s place. The features are: The resolution is middle, but cyan color shows “heavy and light lines, uneven colors on picture”. Please check the video:
SUPERINKS sublimation ink, can stay 1 hour without printing while printer turned on, the dry speed slower than CSK00011, while keeping the highest resolution for the pictures. One of our customers said: Ink dry slower, after one night, no need clean, ink density higher, friendly to print head. And if you have this SUPERINKS sublimation ink model at hand, you can compare the smell, the smell is much less than “11”.
This Kyocera head Atexco printer, uses best in room temperature of 20-28 ℃ and humidity of 50-80%. And we test SUPERINKS ink at 35 celsuis and 45% humidity extreme environment, printing for 2 hours, still working fluently, as the video here: https://youtu.be/e2ARSkMrX5U
And we suggest to our customers, if you want the printing to be stable, and smooth for days and nights working, you can install a humidifier in your printing room, like this:
If you have more questions about Atexco Kyocera print head printers to discuss, welcome to communicate with us.
There are three traditional sublimation heat transfer printing techniques: silk screen heat transfer printing, gravure printing (copper plate, electric engraving) heat transfer printing, and offset printing heat transfer printing. Traditional sublimation heat transfer printing is characterized by plate printing.
Digital heat transfer technology is a new technology that combines traditional heat transfer technology and digital printing technology to print color images and patterns without plate making. It is characterized by the application of digital printing technology to print color patterns and images without plate making, which saves the process and cost of plate making, so it is suitable for the production and printing of personalized products. The technical feature of digital heat transfer printing is that digital printing equipment uses special heat transfer color printing ink and heat transfer printing paper. The original texture of the material will not be changed after the sublimation pattern is transferred, and the hand feeling and appearance are good. The earliest countries to apply this technology include the United States, South Korea, Italy, Switzerland, China and others countries.
Application of Sublimation Ink
Sublimation inks are mostly formulated from textile disperse dyes, other chemical additives and water. Due to its saturated color and good weather resistance, disperse dyes are widely used in textile printing and dyeing, and are still one of the main raw materials in the printing and dyeing industry so far. The traditional textile printing and dyeing industry has serious environmental pollution problems in the process of dyeing with dispersed pigments, and it is not suitable for small batch production. The emergence of sublimation inks has made up for this defect.
The world famous brands of digital sublimation inks are: Epson, JTeck USA, Sawgrass, InkTec, DuPont, MIMAKI, Sensient Inks, JETCOLOUR, Hilord, and Nazdar.
Active markets are: Asia (China, Japan, India, Korea), North America (USA, Canada, Mexico), Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Northern Europe, Spain, Belgium, Poland, Russia, Turkey), South America and the Middle East and Africa.
How to distinguish whether a sublimation ink is good or not? We can confirm it from the following four dimensions.
The fineness of the printed pattern. The print nozzles below 5PL are suitable for high-precision requirements. The high precision of the printer is very important, and the ink will also affect it.
Color consistency, is related to the print head, ink, RIP software and machine brand.
Continuous production, which is related to the fluency of ink and machine.
The physical and chemical testing indicators of fabrics, such as sun exposure, dry/wet rubbing fastness, perspiration fastness, and azo and heavy metal content, are related to the coating of ink and paper.
Dye-sublimation ink printing is used for polyester fabrics, not only for clothing, but also for interior decorative fabrics, and outdoor advertisements (banner advertisements, backlit box advertisements, etc.) and due to the environmental protection of dye-sublimation printing, it will replace Traditional printing, instead of more and more advertising printing. In the Chinese market, dye-sublimation inks have matured around 2014, can reach a storage time of more than 8 months, and can withstand the high and low temperatures of sea transportation. From 2018 to 2022, China’s sublimation ink will begin to show explosive growth. Starting in 2023, the cost and price of sublimation ink will drop, and it will continue to occupy a larger market. There will also be more and more Chinese sublimation ink factories going international and establishing branches in different countries.
In DTF printing, for the problem of fast printing 4 heads, uneven color of printed pictures, like a “cloud”—especially magenta and cyan color.
1). Key problem is the mainboard control system makes ink droplets not jet in the right place.
Hosonsoft is currently the best motherboard for the Epson i3200 DTF printer, but it cannot avoid this problem, uneven color of printed pictures. So we need whole market technology to improve, we have to wait.
2). Now we have some methods to improve:
A). Use better DTF pigment ink, more fluent, higher density. B). Use better film, thicker, better absorb. And the coating layer is more uniform, each ink drop absorbed well. C). Lower the speed. D). Use more “feather” settings, 40%, 80%, and 90%.
After 3 years of covid-19 lock, SUPERINKS flew to Indonesia from Mar 10-14,2023 and had a happy time with Binterjet company.
Our flight arrive Jakarta at Mar 10, and flight from Jakarta to Solo at Mar 11. Solo is a very beautiful place, located in Central Java, Indonesia, there are lots of green forest and farmland.
We visited Binterjet’s office and warehouse, SUPERINKS sent more support, and discussed deeper cooperation in 2023.
We visited representative Binterjet customers to provide support and advice.
After work, we drove to the top of the mountain with Hadi’s family, enjoying the beautiful scenery, eating natural food from the mountain, and had a great weekend.
Mar 13, we flight back Jakarta with Hadi, and visited their Jakarta office. Jakarta is a busy modern city, prosperous and full of energy.
The SUPERINKS team happily ended their trip to Indonesia.
HP from the USA always leads the digital printing technology area, especially on AD signs, from hard solvent ink to UV-led ink printing, and then to latex ink printing. There are big steps between every step. The small step from solvent to eco solvent. Leads by Japan Market.
Each step of the printing technology develops with more environmental, wider applications.
Digital printing technology develop
On the other hand, sublimation printing for AD signs also has more application for its lighter, more eco, cheaper, better adhesion.
Epson T3200 and Ricoh G6 have started fierce competition in the market, but how do we look at the advantages and disadvantages objectively.
Epson T3200 supports 4 colors, 2 colors, can be spliced, 4.8-5PL. Compared with Rioch G6, it can be configured with fewer printheads under the condition of colors and white high-speed printing.
T3200 price is good, the price is about RMB 13000 (USD 1890 ), currently, there are only about 7-10 printer factories (Flora, Docan, GZ, JHF, Liyu, Kingt, etc) authorized by Epson T3200.
Epson T3200’s jetting power is not as strong as Ricoh G5/6, so the printing accuracy is relatively low.
Compared with Ricoh G6, the color of the picture printed by T3200 is lighter, so need more pass. One head with 4 colors needs 6 pass, and 1 head with 2 colors needs 8 pass. One head with 4 colors (1 printhead), 6pass printing speed is about 16 square meters/h, 1 head with 2 colors (2 printheads) print speed is about 24 square meters/h.
T3200 prints solid color and 100% C, M, Y, and K is flawed, and there is some gap compared with G6 now.
The Epson T3200 motherboard has some BUG current, but I think as the T3200 more and more popular, there will be a better matching motherboard.
Epson T3200 has high requirements for UV ink, and it is not easy to match ink.
EPSON T3200 launched in 2021 with 4.8-5PL. Printer brands JHF, Docan, Flora, GZ, etc. have begun promoting flatbed UV equipped with the EPSON T3200.
The EPSON T3200 single-head production capacity is about 15-20 square meters per hour, and it supports 4 colors in one head, which is faster than Ricoh G6. But our technical department said that according to their experience, Epson print heads are easy to fly ink, especially when the temperature is low or the printing height is high. And Epson heads have less jet pressure than industrial heads.
DPES 2023 Guangzhou Textile Printing Exhibition – the first textile printing exhibition in the opening year, showing the participation of nearly a hundred mainstream digital textile printing equipment manufacturers in China and the cutting-edge application of digital inkjet technology in the field of textile printing, digital direct injection, digital heat Sublimation, white ink heat press and supporting consumables are a one-stop platform for learning, communication and business in the global textile printing industry.
Kyocera Dye Sublimation Printer For Fabric Printing: -Atexco -Homer Etc.
Atexco
Homer
In short, in solvent printers, mainly Konica 512i/ 1024i, Starfire 1024 25PL, and Seiko 1024 HG.
In Eco solvent printers, all printers are equipped with Epson i3200, and some factories are promoting EPSON i3200 S1HD, and 8 colors or 6 colors eco solvent printer.
In UV field, mainly Ricoh G5/6, Konica 1024i/1024A, Epson T3200 U3/i3200 U1 and Kyocela.
In the sublimation printers, mainly Epson i3200 (8-16 heads), Epson S3200 and Kyocera.
In the DTF pigment printers, mainly Epson i3200/ 4720 (2- 4 heads), Like Fader, Xenons, Audly, Jade etc.
On February 23-25, 2023, we participated in the DPES exhibition held in Guangzhou Pazhou Poly World Trade Expo Hall.
At the exhibition, SUPERINKS met with a number of customers who have already made deals and also received many customers from Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Turkey, Mexico and other countries. Our ink has also received praise and support from customers.
SUPERINKS is not just an ink supplier, we can help customers make more correct choices, reduce the cost of mistakes, and create more value for customers.
Starting from April 2023, EPSON release new printheads that support solvent inks: the new I3200(8)-S1HD and S800-S1, two printheads that are used in industrial Compatible with various inks applied. In addition to UV-curable, eco-solvent, and water-based inks, they also support solvent, oil-based and other types of inks for digital printing applications in production printing.
The I3200(8)-S1HD can handle up to eight colors of ink and provide resolutions up to 1200 dpi, enabling high-resolution images to be rendered in a variety of situations for more realistic images.
The S800-S1 is equipped with only one chip. Its compact design helps increase productivity in space-constrained printing environments.
New printheads parameters and market availability
EPSON I3200(8)-S1HD e a S800-S1 parameters form Epson website.
Features of EPSON new printheads
【EPSON I3200(8)-S1HD】Solvent Compatible = Suitable for various printing requirements such as displays and solar cells by using suitable solvents with high solubility. Easy to install up to 8-color printing, high-quality printing = Up to 8 different ink colors can be used, not only CMYK color inks can be ejected, but also different types of liquids can be ejected, which can flexibly respond to industrial printing applications. In addition, while realizing high-definition image quality of 1200dpi, it is not only suitable for multi-path printing, but also suitable for single-path high-speed printing.
【EPSON S800-S1】Small design＝For ink suitability, it has the same performance as “I3200(8)-S1HD”, however, it is also possible to print on substrates close to the 3D surface in a limited space by using only one chip design.
SUPERINKS will attend the DPES 2023 Digital Textile Printing Technology Expo exhibition from Feb 23-25, 2023 Guangzhou, China.
You can check this DPES 2023 exhibition URL for more information: https://www.chinasignexpo.com/Itex/en/. Address: Poly World Trade Center Expo, Pazhou, No.1000, Xingangdonglu, Haizhu District, Guangzhou, China Exhibition Tel: +86 20 8908 9736
Poly World Trade Center Expo
Welcome to visit the SUPERINKS booth at Hall 2, B49.
Welcome to visit the DPES 2023. SUPERINKS booth at Hall 2, B44.
SUPERINKS will attend the exhibition APPPEXPO 2023 June 18-21, Shanghai, China.
You can check this exhibition URL for more information: http://www.apppexpo.com/lang/en. Address: National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) No.333 Songze Avenue, Qingpu District, Shanghai, China. Exhibition Tel: 86-21-34080380
We all know that for years, APPPEXPO has always been held in March. In the year 2021, it changed to Sep because of COVID-19. In the year 2022, it will not be held because of COVID-19. Now in the year 2023, it will be held in June.
Why not March?
In Dec. 2022, when APPPEXPO decides the exhibition time, they think probably in March 2023, the Chinese Covid policy about foreigner visits to China not open yet (the Chinese stopped Covid isolation in Dec. 2022), and probably the peak of Chinese people’s infection with the covid has not passed yet. So they changed the time from March to June in the middle of Dec. 2022.
SUPERINKS will attend the exhibition APPPEXPO 2023 June 18-21, 2023 Shanghai, China. SUPERINKS booth at Hall 5.2, B1200.
Welcome to visit the SUPERINKS booth at Hall 5.2, B1200.
DTG ink, also named direct to garment ink, which is a kind of water-based pigment ink for the digital textile printers, and direct print on finished T-shirts. As long as the finished T-shirts printing area is small, the DTG printers are usually small size, A3 or A4 flatbed, with Epson i3200-a1 or 4720 or DX5 heads.
Mostly, DTG inks are works on cotton textiles. When it prints on light/white/blank cloth, the printer only use KCMY, etc. colors. If it prints on dark/black color cloth, we have to print a layer of white first, and then print color picture, the printer will includes a white color.
With the development of technology, the DTG ink will prints on other textile types, like polyester, or polyester and cotton mix fabric. And it will goes to a rolling machine, for industrial-scale printing, pre-coating the fabric by an industrial-scale factory.
This DTG ink is suitable for which print heads?
Epson i3200-a1,
Epson 4720,
Epson DX5,
etc.
Which colors does this DTG ink have?
Black
Cyan
Magenta
Yellow
There is pre-coating liquid in 1:10, and in 1:20, or other customized proportions. And the clean liquid is available.
This DTG ink’s main features are:
Color resistance can reach 4.5 levels,
With our own pre-coating, the printed garment can offer a very bright color and soft and smooth texture, as good as reactive printing.
Very fluent printing,
high concentrate, delivers vivid colors and a wide color gamut.
Applicable materials for DTG ink.
Pure cotton,
Fabric with more than 70% cotton,
Linen.
DTG printing working processes are:
1). Pre-coating the cotton garment,
2). Dry the garment,
3). Put the garment on the flatbed of the printer, fix it, and print,
4). Dry the printed garment,
5). We get a printed garment.
How is the Chinese market’s DTG printers situation?
DTG printer with 2 flatbed
More than 10 years ago, there was Epson water-based print head DTG printers, the suppliers modified for Epson desktop printers like R1390, T50, T60 4880 9880 etc. They just do small modifications, and suppliers’ technology is weak, the printing is not stable, and the printers’ performance experience is very bad.
In the second stage, in about the year 2010, while Chinese printer companies on the ability to make good quality printers. There are totally new made DTG printers, with stable quality. But the color resistance of DTG ink is weak, at about 3-4 levels. To strengthen the color resistance, they add complicated pre-coating and after the coating processes. While the non-programmed manual operation coating process, the quality of color resistance is still not stable.
In the third stage, after the year 2020, after the DTF boomed up. There is one raw material, which works both on DTF ink and DTG ink and brings better adhesion for DTG ink. In light / white / blank cotton garments, DTG ink delivers a softer texture than DTF. Then DTG works on high-level products, DTF goes on lower.
Available package:
1 KG bottle,
5 KG bottle,
20 KG drum.
DTG ink is a kind of direct-to-garment ink, a professional good method to print designs on finished T-shirts. And next, it’s going to print on roll textile on an industrial scale.
Shake the ink well before putting it on the machine; It will be best if you can use it up within 1 week after opening.
Before using our products for the first time, please empty the ink cartridges, ink circuits, and dampers. If possible, please clean the ink circuit system and replace it with a new damper.
It’s very important to make an ICC profile to get brilliant colors if need makes an ICC profile, contact us, we will help.
Transport and storage conditions for digital printing ink:
Avoid direct light, and storage temperature at 15-30℃; after opening the seal of the package, please avoid dust and other sundries going into ink composition.
The goods are identified as Non-dangerous goods in accordance with IMO, RID/ADR, IMDG, ICAO, and IATA.
To do DTG printing, you need other related products except for DTG inks as:
DTG printer,
Pre-coating machine (by spray or by scratch), if don’t have this machine, you can do by hand,
Cotton garment.
What kind of ink does DTG use?
DTG ink is a kind of water-based pigment ink, environmentally friendly and harmless to the body.
How much does DTG ink cost?
In the year 2022, DTG ink suppliers in the Chinese market, for wholesale quantity more than 1000 KGS, DTG color inks (CMYK LC LM, etc.) price about ￥180-250 / KG, white ink in ￥250-￥400 / KG. The price ranges according to time and technology updates.
Does DTG use sublimation ink?
DTG ink is not sublimation ink.
Mostly, sublimation ink is water-based dye heat transfer sublimation ink, it prints on a kind of coated heat transfer paper, and then transfers to polyester textiles. And there is a kind of direct print on coated polyester sublimation ink too.
DTG ink works on cotton, and direct print on the cotton garment, with no need for transfer.
How long do DTG prints last?
In the garment market, we use color resistance levels to measure it. DTG prints’ color resistance level is usually between 4-5 levels. Compare to 5-level sublimation, DTG’s color resistance level is lower.
For sublimation printing, as our information from the market, Epson i3200-a1, 2-3-4-6 heads sublimation printers are old model to market, and 8 heads ones are hot selling in the year 2021. Then how about more heads?
Report time: Aug 22, 2022 Author: Mrs. Kyna Zhou
ITCPE 2022 (17th) Guangzhou International Textile Clothing and Printing Industry Expo Time: Aug 18-20, 2022 Address: Poly World Trade Center Exhibition Hall, Guangzhou, China.
Which printer brands are promoting more than 10 heads i3200-a1 sublimation printers?
Oric / Grando / Keundo, 15 / 16 heads,
Fedar, 12 / 15 head,
Xkeda, 12 / 15 heads,
Gongzheng / Gongsheng, 12 heads,
Coltex / Xenons, 15 / 16 / 30 heads,
Refretonic, 15 heads,
Grando-GD-2215TX
FEDAR-FD61915E
Xkeda-S1915-i
GZ-CS1916T
Coltex-S8000
Refretonic-TX2815A
All the above brands showed 8 heads printers as a basic printer.
Exhibition Highlights 2： Epson S3200 sublimation printers for fabric printing.
Which printer brands are promoting S3200 sublimation printers?
Flora 8 heads S3200, has sold more than 200 sets in the year 2021, 16 heads new release,
Coltex / Xenons, 30 heads.
YuanYin, 4-8 Epson S3200,
Flora-TX2000EP: 4-8 heads S3200 printer.
Flora-X3: 16 heads S3200 printer.
Exhibition Highlights 3: 1.2M width DTF printer for garment printing.
Xroland
Sangong
SanGongShuMa
Exhibition Highlights 4： DTG (Direct to Garment) for roll textile printer.
Which brand printers?
NKT, 16-32 heads Kyocera or Epson S3200,
Coltex, 8 heads i3200-a1,
Bihong.
NKT, 16-32 heads Kyocera or Epson S3200
Coltex, 8 heads i3200-a1
Bihong
Infinity Kyocera 8 heads reactive printer.
Exhibition Highlights 5: DTG for garment T-shirt flatbed printer for garment printing.
DTG to garment T-shirt, not only small A4 printer with 1 or 2 or 3 flatbeds, but also big ones combine with silk screen elliptical machine. There is supplier said, he research out a kind of paste, it is more environmentally friendly, better color fastness, will not penetrate the other side of the ink.
Digital DTG printer brands as:
Flora, 8-12 Ricoh G5 or 8-10 Starfire 1024 heads,
Huijie, 2 flatbeds,
M100.
Huijie, 2 flatbeds
M100 Exhibition booth
“Printpretty” said they can print on wet textile (Which we said Kornit can, but other Chinese printers can’t). It uses Starfire 1024 heads. We need to see whether it will be or not.
Check out the video of using DTF ink to give you a preliminary understanding of it.
DTF ink working process video.
DTF ink working process:
1. Prepare a printing film. Make sure the printing side up.
There is a layer of coating on the surface of the film. The function of the coating is to absorb ink and hold the ink, making the picture sharp. Meanwhile, the coating is a kind of flexible layer, when you stretch it, it will not break.
Step 1 – Preparing the Printing Film
2. Printing colourful pictures, and then printing white colour to cover the picture.
Because of the working step 1‘s film, in the working step 2, you can get a sharp picture. meanwhile, the white colour ink will be covered the surface of the colourful picture. White colour is very important in this technology. It will be the background of the picture on the black/dark T-shirts, to make the colours shinny. White ink also is flexible to bear stretch. And the “wet/not dry” white ink has the function of loading “hot melt powder” in the next step.
Step 2 – Film Printing DTF Ink
3. Spray hot melt adhesive powder on the wet white ink surface.
Hot melt powder is the biggest new part of this technology. Previously, we use hot melt powder in the silk screen’s white. The function of hot melt powder is “glue”, sticking the layer of the picture to the textile. When you heat this kind of powder, it will turn to liquid, and turn sticky. But in a normal environment temperature, it is a solid powder.
Step 3 – Sprinkle with Hot Melt Powder
4. Bake the hot melt adhesive to a melted state, at about 80-150 °C, 3-25 Min.
So, after step 4, you get a beautiful picture, with a layer of white background, and then a layer of “glue” background. And more importantly, the “glue” is not sticky at a normal environment temperature. You can roll it up to send to customers, to store there.
Step 4 – Melt and Dry the Hot Melt Powder
5. Heat press at about 150-170 °C, 8-15 seconds.
In step 5, you can cut down the film, without caring about the shape of the picture edge, put it on the surface of cotton textile, press and heat. And then you can peel down the layer of film (without coating), and leave the picture on the textile.
Step 5 – Heat Press the Patterned Film
6. Peel down the substrate.
Step 6 – Peel off the film after cooling
7. You will get a finished product.
Step 7 – Get the Finished Product
(Two). Compare with DTG, DTF technology has two big improvements:
The picture on the surface of the textile is very shiny and bright. Even on black textile.
It is designed for cotton textile, but not only works on. Theoretically, it can work on all kinds of textiles, such as cotton T-shirts, jeans, sweaters… You can try more and more different material textiles.
DTF ink is for cotton T-shirts, with flexible pictures, can do big-scale industrial use.
Our DTF process has reached the maturity stage after many tests
(Three). If you have more questions, you can message us.
DTF UV printing is for hard substrates, like gift pictures.
DTF UV Printing Product Show
(One). What is DTF UV ink?
There are 2 methods For DTF UV ink printing.
Old method: AB film printing. The process is as follows:
Take out A film, which with glue on the surface, and usually it is A4 or A3 size, can not in a roll.
Peel down the surface of A film, expose the glue surface, and then layout the glue surface on the flatbed printer, firm the four corners to the printer flatbed.
Print white colour, and then CMYK colourful pictures.
Cover B film and laminate.
Use cutter equipment (or cut with scissors by hand) along the edge of the picture.
Take out a picture from A film, stick the product surface, and peel down B film.
New method: improved method, print glue direct from the print head.
Take out A film which with a layer of coating to absorb ink, without glue on.
Print glue, and then white, and then CMYK for pictures, and then glossy. So, one printer with at least 4 heads.
Roll up the printed film. Send to the customer, anytime he wants to use it, peel one picture from the film, and stick it on the surface of a product.
This glue direct printing DTF UV can do industrial printing, and the printer is very cheap. We can have good wishes for this. But the glue printing by head is still a big challenge and difficult to improve. DTF UV printing only works on hard product surfaces. It is for small logo printing. Does not require any plate making, can do small quantity printing. Very fast printing, customer send job, wait half hour, then he can take the finished product away. This kind of printing job with very high-profit margin.
(Two). What’s the main difference if using DTF UV printing
The printer should have at least 4 heads, one for glue, one for white, one for CMYK, and one for varnish.
The film is used for DTF UV printing.
The glue is special, should have good adhesion, and be friendly enough to printer head. Usually, glue is not friendly enough for the print head.
CMYK and varnish are normal UV ink.
(Three). If you have more questions, you can message us.
(One). What is a DTF ink? Is it a normal pigment ink?
Product introduction of DTF ink
DTF (direct to film) printing ink is a kind of special pigment ink. If you use normal pigment ink on DTF printing, it will not work well. This kind of DTF ink has very good adhesion with cotton textile, and it has special components to make good flexibility. DTF ink has very wide compatibility with different textile types. It has a very big market in the clothes market.
The use process of DTF ink
(Two). What is needed for a DTF printing? What do you need for DTF printing?
A water-based printer with good function in printing on film.
A shake powder and baker equipment,
DTF ink,
PET film,
Hot melt powder.
Tools and materials needed for DTF printing
(Three). How to evaluate a DTF ink?
The fluency of white ink. We can print 10 square meters, in 100% ink droplets, to get less than 5 pin breaks.
The fluency of CMYK and other colours. We can print 10 square meters, in 100% ink droplets, to get less than 5 pin breaks.
When the printer is holding from working, how long can it do, to keep the ink printing out the all nozzle hole without cleaning? Need more than 0.5 hours.
How is white ink coverage in 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 100%. White ink is good with strong covering power, and not good with weak covering power.
Will white ink appears a little blue or yellow? It should be pure white.
How flexible is white ink on stretch? The more flexible the ink, the better.7.
Is the white grainy? It’s not good to have a grainy feel, but it’s good to be flat.
White wrinkled, peeling is not good, fine and smooth is very good.
The compatibility of white ink and film: It is good when white ink can adapt to more kinds of films; it is not good if it can only adapt to a few kinds of PET films.
Surface effect of hot melt powder after hot melting
The compatibility of CMYK colours ink and film.
If white ink flow ink or water on the film, which is not good white ink, or not good compatible on white and other colours.
Printing environment temperature and humidity range. The larger, the better. Normal operating temperature: 20-30℃, Operating humidity:40-60%.
What is the colour of the pictures? Is it bright? Are the colours a wide gamut? Are the colours true colours?
Can the colour block of each colour be pure and clean and true? If there is any ripple. Mean ink is not compatible with the film. Or printer waveform does not match the ink.
If the printed picture gets oiled surface after several days? It means ink with more oil, or the inside of the ink layer is not totally dried. Can adjust the baker equipment to avoid this.
What is the colourfastness to dry rub, wet rub and high-temperature washing? Normally, 4-5 grade is good for clothes standard.
DTF inkprint the test effect picture
DTF ink Printing effect display
(Four). If you want to know how to evaluate PET film, hot melt powder, shake and baker machine, and printers for DTF printing, you can message us.
