Epson has unveiled the SureColor SC-F2100, its latest direct-to-garment (DTG) printer, as an answer to calls for greater printing speed on colour t-shirts.
An advancing of technology debuted in the manufacturer’s SC-F2000, the new model boasts greater speed and reliability, with lower targeted total cost of ownership and installed Garment Creator design software.
With prices yet to be confirmed, the machine is expected to cost under £13,000, according to Epson sales manager Phil McMullin. It will be available in March this year.
“Our new machine will be great for ‘Mom and Pop’ shops or larger organisations who have screen printing and want to add some digital tech,” said McMullin.
“Its predecessor was created as a response to pent-up demand for this in the market. Previously, there were only high-end solutions and a few smaller manufacturers answering customers’ desires. “Making the SC-F2100 gave us a lot of challenges, but we have overcome them to present this offering to customers. We have now cut the time for printing onto colour t-shirts down from an average of 190 seconds to 120 seconds.”
According to Epson, the press, which runs five colours (CMYK and white) speeds up the process of printing on darker garments that require a layer of white ink to be printed first, while white t-shirts can be completed in as little as 28 seconds.
It can print onto fabric up to 25mm thick using a PrecisionCore TFP printhead and UltraChrome DG inks in 600ml cartridges.
The SC-F2100 made its European debut over the weekend at the Printwear and Promotion expo at the Birmingham NEC, which runs from 21-23 January.
While no specific plans have been revealed yet, McMullin said Epson would focus on “improving quality and productivity for our customers, getting the same or better quality at higher speeds”. The manufacturer’s research and development department in Japan spends $2m (£1.44m) each day working on new tech, according to McMullin.