The 1.8m-wide four-colour Blue K is being shown for the first time at Fespa Digital and, while commercial availability is yet to be confirmed, it is expected to cost around €5,000 more than the standard Blue, which was launched just over a year ago and costs around €50,000.
The Blue K is equipped with four Panasonic printheads and can print at 1,080dpi when operating at the production mode speed of 20-30m2/hr. A top speed of 55m2/hr is achievable at lower resolutions.
The machine is aimed at companies wishing to move further into fabric printing, such as those with a display background looking to expand their offering.
Mtex Technologies business support manager Rick Kwiecien said: “Normally with stretch you’re looking at belts, but we’ve adapted a system where we can use rollers to not overstretch it.
“I think the demand in digital fabric printing starts at display. Everyone gets into that and once they start to understand it more they realise that display, while massive, is still a very small sector of home furnishing, clothing and the like.
“That’s where the development and growth we’ve seen lies and that’s where I think people will evolve to.”
He added: “In the UK fabric and dye-sublimation is growing big time and the wheels are starting to move quickly. People are realising that textile is the next big thing.
“Businesses are starting to move into the more natural fibres in Europe and I think we’ll start to see that trend in the UK as well.
“We want to offer our customers the complete turnkey solution so they stay with Mtex, stay with the knowledge and reliability, and grow with us.”
