The new hybrid ink system on Mimaki’s entry level Tx300P-1800 and Tx300P-1800B printers will be commercially available through the manufacturer’s UK and Ireland exclusive distributor, Hybrid Services, from this summer.
The new models are expected to cost £27,995, the same price as the standard model, although this is yet to be confirmed.
The Tx300P-1800, designed for short runs and bespoke work, is suited to thick and woven, natural or man-made textiles, while the Tx300P-1800B's use of an automated conveyor makes it more suited to stretchable fabrics, such as those used in fashion, clothing and soft furnishings.
Ordinarily the standard Tx300 devices are designed to use just one of the five textile inks offered by the manufacturer at one time, including sublimation dye ink, dispersion dye ink, textile pigment ink, reactive dye ink or acid dye ink. The new capability will enable users to load both TP400 textile pigment ink for cotton and hemp materials as well as Sb420 sublimation dye ink for polyester material, the manufacturer’s two most popular ink types.
“This is a very exciting development for our textile print customers,” said Hybrid Services national sales manager for textile and apparel, Stephen Woodall.
“Mimaki has listened carefully to feedback from this sector and understood the need for greater print production flexibility and productivity whilst still providing an affordable package coupled with a compact footprint.
“We are finding that these printers are increasingly in demand from professional design and educational environments, which in turn is likely to create even more momentum and interest in on-demand digital printing of textiles.”
Mimaki's TP400 is a heat-set solvent-based ink designed for printing on interior fabrics and apparel, while the sP420 sublimation ink is designed for use with pre-treated polyesters.
The enhancement will, according to Mimaki, improve productivity and flexibility by allowing Tx300 users, such as designers, fabric workshops, and educational and research institutions to change fabrics quickly during production.
Additionally neither of the inks to be used on the hybrid device requires steaming or washing in post-treatment meaning no need for extra space for large water tanks and no special handling.
