VISUAL IMPACT: VELFLEX
Velflex launched no less than four new products for garment printing at Visual Impact, with CEO Ben Carroll saying there is a lot of growth in heat transfer at the moment.
The company released the Hotronix Pro Place IQ, which projects the image to be printed on the screen, down onto the platen. The company says it makes it easier to place your heat transfer, faster and more accurately than ever before. Carroll said, “All you have to do is load your garment, match the transfer to the light, and heat press.” The dual system means you can be loading one item while the other is being pressed. Carroll said, “It is perfect placement every time.”
Velflex also Kodak ink, Carroll said, “Because printing DTF transfers, it's all about the quality of the technology in the ink, and consistency is the big thing, reliability from supplier, consistency in what they do. We're releasing the Kodak ink for those printers who pour ink into their machines, they can buy a reputable brand and that they know should have that consistency to save the printheads, with less maintenance and better quality prints long term.”
He said, “Kodak is a chemical company and it's been in the ink industry for many years doing DTG inks, and they formulated a brilliant DTF ink, it is one of the best in the world in the world. And Kodak is that reputable brand of products so we're wanting to give that quality of product.”
Velflex also released Screen Print Pro at the show, which is described as pure screen printed transfer. Carroll sad, “It gives a true screen print results that somebody would normally have to send off to a screen printer to so, so anybody with a heat press has that ability to do a true screen printed transfer that feels looks in touch and just like.”
The glue allows it to stick to poly mixed fabrics, not just cottons and traditional fabrics, but synthetics and blends.” Carroll said, “We've taken a traditional concept and brought it right into today's market of DTF printers, but giving the cost efficiency of screen. It's the most cost effective transfer we can produce. And so for consumers doing the one or the two colour jobs where they normally send it to a screen printer, now they can keep the control in house using their heat press but give a screen print result that the customer would never know it wasn't direct.”
Finally, and so may the biggest news from Velflex was its release of the Siser heat transfer vinyl (HTV) range. Carroll said, “It is the most innovative in the heat transfer space. Siser just released its QR HTV which is a 100 per cent compostable bond you can take used film to your garden, and within 180 days it is guaranteed to have broken down, it is completely compostable and has broken down into your soil and left the soil better off than when it was before. Siser is the first company to look at a compostable vinyl product.”