HP launched into the digital textile market at Fespa with the introduction of its HP Stitch S1000, a super wide dye sub production printer designed for high productivity and simplified operation.
The company says it is aimed at the nascent digital interior décor and soft signage markets. Both are predicted to show significant growth over the coming years.
The HP Stitch S1000 is a 3.2m dye sub printer with fully automatic maintenance for optimal image quality without user intervention, while saving time with easy media loading and unloading by a single operator.
The printer is making its worldwide debut at the HP stand. The company says the new HP Stitch portfolio, including the 1.62 m (64 inch) HP Stitch S300 and S500 printers, removes complexity from dye sub printing.
“HP’s expansion into the textiles industry solidifies our commitment to making digital printing accessible to all. The new super wide HP Stitch S1000 removes major complexities from dye sub printing, with industry leading technology and high-quality prints at unrivalled speed,” says Santi Morera, head of graphics solutions at HP. “The S1000 unlocks the power of colour for production environments through smart technology.”
The HP Stitch portfolio introduces dye sublimation ink into HP’s Thermal Inkjet printing technology to meet rising demand for polyester-based textiles for sportswear, fast fashion, home décor, and soft signage. HP Stitch S1000 is for medium and large print service providers to boost production of textile applications in the soft signage market, including backlits, frontlits, and interior décor such as curtains, upholstery, and sofas.
The HP Stitch S1000 for high-volume production offers maximum production speed up to 220sqm an hour and backlit speed up to 130sqm an hour. HP says it has sharp prints even on high density jobs printing direct to fabric using HP Drop & Dry print zone dryer. It has unattended printing capability with 10 litre-capacity supplies and up to 300 kg rolls.