VISUAL IMPACT: KORNIT

Now represented by Ball & Doggett, and with Phillip Rennell as national manager, DTG developer Kornit was at Visual Impact with a Kornit Avalanche HD on the stand.

Rennell said, “The benefit of this is a one step process, it eliminates extra work, it’s basically print the shirt, straight in the dryer, and it's ready.

“The other key feature to this is really the way the shirt feels, a lot of people with direct to garment systems are saying it's a little bit plasticky on the shirt, but Kornit DTG is retail quality.”

Kornit DTG systems are high speed, and part of the business driver is the on-shoring of work that previously went offshore, because of the speed of turnaround. Rennell said, “For example the big runs, say Taylor Swift merchandise may have been printed overseas, but top up runs where demand is exceeding expectations can all be done onshore thanks to Kornit, so it can complement traditional production.”

Kornit also fits into the modern imperative for sustainability, Rennell said, "Kornit, when it launched, was built around sustainability. Everything was about reducing the amount of consumption, consumption of water, consumption of chemicals, consumption of energy. So it's a pigment ink water-based. Everything is recirculated, so it's a very low consumption and low waste machine.”

Avalanche HD comes with six colours, either CMYKRG + White or in four colours, CMYK + White.  It will print on multiple fabric types, including light and dark garments, and there is no need for pretreatment fluids and heat press. The Eco-friendly process complies with strict industry standards, and its dual-bridge architecture ensures maximum efficiency.