Roland’s Art of the Tex

Roland DGA (Booth 601) offers a wide variety of print solutions, including eco-solvent and UV printers. This week, attendees can see the full array of these digital technologies in action, including new TrueVIS SG series wide-format printer/cutters, new CAMM-1 GR cutters, newly updated flatbed printers from the VersaUV LEF series and latest iteration of the InClix Creative Media Maker, a unique web-based design and workflow management tool designed specifically for sign professionals. Then there is the 64-inch hybrid UV flatbed/roll-to-roll VersaUV LEJ-640, popular inkjet printers from the SOLJET, VersaEXPRESS and VersaStudio families and more.

The big trend in the industry today is textiles, as even a cursory glance around the show floor will indicate. For textile printing, Roland is demonstrating its 64-inch Texart RT-640 transfer-based dye-sublimation printer (its brother, the Texart XT-640 is a high-production version). The Texart RT-640 offers simple production printing of soft signage and sublimated apparel, and the inkset includes CMYKLcLm plus Orange and Violet, as well as Fluorescent Pink (Fp) and Yellow (Fy). Common applications for which the Texart RT-640 is well-suited include fabric banners, sportswear, fine art, customized goods and more.

“Customization and short runs are two of the biggest trends we’re seeing in the textile arena,” said Lily Hunter, Product Manager, Textiles and Consumables, Roland DGA. “People want to incorporate their own individual styles and preferences into designs and prints. They want to be unique and stand out among the crowd. Satisfying these consumer demands means that most of the runs are shorter than mass production runs.”

As you may also gather from a trip around the show floor is that software is becoming a more important element of specialty printing applications, and thus one of the tools Roland is offering to help users succeed with dye-sublimation is the ErgoSoft Roland Edition software bundled with the Texart RT-640 and XT-640. The latest version of this RIP includes many features for improved color management and increased productivity. For example, the new Aurelon PDG print engine allows users to preview Adobe Illustrator files with fully-rendered effects that have been built into the graphic. For greater productivity, the new RIP offers variable-data printing capability as well as unlimited hot folders.

One of the biggest challenges the company has found with users — particularly newbies — moving into textile printing is the learning curve. To address those challenges, Roland will be conducting daily live dye-sublimation demonstrations. Attendees can stop by, pick up valuable pointers and watch Hunter sublimate designs onto different types of fabrics as well as a variety of rigid substrates. Additionally, Hunter will be participating in a Digital Textile Printing Expert Panel that will discuss the subject and answer attendee questions. This session will take place on Thursday, October 12, from 9 to 10:15 am, in Room 333. Beyond the show, Roland offers a series of webinars that provide information and useful tips and tricks to help guide users through the dye-sublimation process. Roland’s dealer partners are also a good resource for information and assistance.