Direct-to-Textile printing at PacPrint was a hot topic and what better way to celebrate it than a Hot Pick for Mutoh’s new machine.
Sublimation textile printing onto and intermediary transfer paper is a great way to produce vibrant, durable textile prints but does involve that extra step and cost of reverse-printing the graphics and heat-pressing them into the fabric. Mutoh is successful in this process but has released for the first time a direct-to-textile printer that was producing stunning results at PacPrint.
Dubbed the ValueJet 1938TX, it takes textile rolls up to 75” (1910mm) wide and features a dual staggered printhead array that can be configured as either as double CMYK or CMYK+ Green, Orange and Blue and extra Black for eye-popping colours. Variable droplets from 3.3 to 45.3pl ensure smooth graphics and fine detail at up to 1440dpi.
Transport and tension are all-important for textile printing and Mutoh’s motorized unwind/rewind system with sensor control delivers perfect fabric tension. A variety of polyester, cottons, rayons, silks and some stretch fabrics with high polyester content can be printed for short run on-demand and local digital production of garments, upholstery, fashion, swimwear, interior deco fabrics, home textiles, flags, soft signs and so on. For garments, simple heat calendaring post-printing is needed but no pre-treatment is necessary.
Never one to blindly accept claimed specification, sales manager Scott Donkin did his own test runs of the show machine. “The VJ1938TX is rated at up to 40 square metres per hour. I measured this very machine at 41 square metres per hour,” he says delightedly.
Mutoh Australia managing director Yasuo Maeda graciously accepted the Print21 Hot Pick for this important new addition to his company’s product range.