Mimaki and the Future of Digital Textile Printing

Shorter runs, faster cycle times, more customized textile-based products for home and fast fashion – the textile market poses enormous requirements to its players, demanding big-scale printing solutions. With its newly launched Tiger-1800B direct-to-textile printer, printer-and-ink-company Mimaki reacts to these and foresees a bright future for digital textile printing.

Digital Textile Printing Goes Mainstream

“There is a big change happening in textile printing,” says Mike Horsten, general manager marketing at Mimaki EMEA. While the demands of clients in quality and quantity are rising steadily, digital textile printers and inks are constantly improving, including the provision of greener ways of printing – a combination which, as to Mimaki, will pave the way for the mainstream use of digital textile printing. And the company doesn’t leave nothing to chance. The newest addition to Mimaki’s range of printers – the Tiger-1800B – serves industrial needs while, as to Horsten, working highly productive and at the highest standards of quality.

The Tiger-1800B

Most unique to this printer is probably its ability to print for high volume digital productions and at the same time work cost-effectively. Furthermore, the Tiger-1800B features a strong frame, stable media transportation mechanism and a dedicated print head maintenance system. It has a maximum print speed of 385 sq/m hour, 600 dpi print resolution, a maximum print width of 1850 mm and can be expanded by optional units such as feeding units for jumbo rolls or folded fabrics, heating units and a folding arm unit for storing fabric in the box after printing. Horsten describes the printer as the ideal solution for the production of tapestries, flags, sports apparel, interior fabrics or fast fashion.

Mimaki’s Product Range as a Picture of the Status Quo

A look at Mimaki’s product range reveals the scale of digital printing in textile. From the Tx300P-1800B, which allows printing on thick fabrics, woven patterns or raised fiber surfaces to the TS300P-1800 with which, for instance, sportswear can be printed, it becomes hard to imagine a world without digital textile printing – even though this technique might not be mainstream yet. But with innovations like Mimaki’s constantly shaking up the market, it surely will only be a matter of time.

What do you think: How will the future of digital textile printing look like and which companies will be major players within this industry?