The new £6,000 device was installed in March and now runs alongside an OKI C711WT white toner printer and a Ricoh Ri 100 direct-to-garment machine at the firm’s Southampton base.

Printing onto transfer vinyl substrates, it will enable Thread Studio to make use of a wider gamut of colour options to more closely match the branding of its corporate clients, as well as allowing for gradient effects.

Founder Clare Wright said: “All the reviews online indicated that the Roland would be the best for what we wanted. It is not the fastest machine, but we are not about doing metres and metres – this is for smaller-scale stuff and it is brilliant for that.

“We run anything from a couple of hundred transfers to one-off applications. It’s a big learning curve and we’re in an experimental phase trying to find the right media but we can already match our clients’ colours far better than on regular transfer vinyls.

“August last year was our worst month in six years, but since then we are now growing month on month and have more enquiries than ever. We are even doing trade work for other companies that are just as busy, so we fully intend to grow as the sector does.”

Supplied to Thread Studio by Derby-based reseller Xpres, Roland DG’s VersaStudio BN-20 desktop inkjet system prints media from 150-515mm wide at a maximum resolution of 1,440dpi. It boasts cutting capabilities up to 150mm/s.

In line with her intent to grow the business, Wright is looking to hire an extra member of staff to her team to help with ordering. Thread Studio currently comprises two full-time members of staff and another working part-time, with a client base including local sailing crews, corporate entities and the Royal Navy.