Courtesy: Ricoh
Ricoh has launched two new direct-to-garment (DTG) printers during FESPA 2017
Ricoh entered into the DTG space when it acquired direct-to-garment printer manufacturer AnaJet in early 2016. The new machines are manufactured at AnaJet’s California headquarters.
The two new machines, the Ricoh Ri 3000 and Ri 6000, are based on the Anajet mPower series with modifications and are equipped with better enhancements.
The printers take garment printing to the next level by enabling direct printing on shirts, socks, on materials ranging from 100% cotton and 100% light polyester to mixed garments up to 50/50 blends.
Designs can be easily previewed and modified based on the colour of fabric they are being printed to, so designs look the same on the screen as they will on the garment. This minimises the need for costly test prints and in-depth technical experimentation for repairing.
AnaJet international technical support specialist Marica Mody highlighted a variety of improvements on the previous AnaJet series, including an upgraded ink circulation system for white channels to improve ink flow and increase performance.
Mody said: “Screen printing, sublimation, transfer papers are huge markets that are successful, but none of them can do what DTG can do.”
The two new machines both have a printable area of 350x450mm but the Ri 3000 uses three Ricoh MH 2420 inkjet heads and the Ri 6000 uses six. In terms of speed, at 600dpi the Ri 6000 can print a 300x250mm area on a light garment in around 27 seconds, while the Ri 3000 takes 51 seconds. Both machines use AnaJet’s AnaRip software.
The machines also use AnaJet’s DTG water-based pigment inks, running CMYK plus double white.
