Polyester has been the cornerstone of the textile printing industry. Its compatibility with the dye sublimation process has driven exponential growth in polyester textile printing. However, the characteristics that make polyester well suited for sublimation printing, render this process unsuitable for other materials, such as cotton and some blended fibres, leaving a significant gap in the market. This gap was, until recently, partially filled by DTG printing. And MIMAKI TRAPIS could be the bridge! In response to this demand, and previewed at FESPA in March, MIMAKI spent six years developing a breakthrough technology, TRAPIS – a simple two-step textile MIMAKI Trapis examples transfer printing solution, consisting of only an inkjet printer and a high-pressure calendar.
Let’s know the process! The design of choice is printed by the inkjet printer onto the company’s Texcol pigment ink transfer paper. This is then transferred to the material via the calendar. Removing the treatment stages entirely, means that printing on non-polyester materials could go from an expensive and time-consuming task to one that is simple, cost-efficient and more sustainable. Ideal for home textiles and soft signage, which often require vibrant colours but varied materials, this technology gives printers the ability to print on a wide variety of materials, including natural fibres like cotton and silk without losing stretchability or colourfastness. All this can be done with just one type of ink, making the process flexible and adaptable to customer demands. MIAMKI TRAPIS system is based around its TS330-1600 1.6m sublimation printer, with eight colours and capable of up to 135sqm/hr output.