Roland DG Corporation, a leading manufacturer of wide-format inkjet printers and printer/cutters worldwide, is pleased to announce the new TY-300 Direct-to-Film (DTF) production transfer printer, which is attracting a great deal of attention in the decorated apparel market. Sales are beginning in Japan before expanding worldwide.
The DTF transfer method is a new solution to create custom T-shirts and sportswear. After printing on a special film, hot-melt powder is applied and thermally melted, and then the film is simply layered on fabric and heat-pressed. This method is becoming very popular because it can accommodate complex designs and can transfer to a wide range of materials, including cotton, polyester, cotton polyester, denim, nylon, and rayon, as well as dark and light pigmented materials.
“The TY-300 raises the standard for DTF transfer printing,” said Tony Miller, President, Global Sales and Marketing Division. “It combines high image quality, high productivity, and exceptional cost performance with the rich colors and excellent detailed expression required in the apparel business.”
Newly developed print heads allow for the precise expression of fine lines, small letters, and detailed designs, as well as photographs. The printer is also equipped with the True Rich Color 3 print setting that creates beautiful output that achieves a unique combination of vividness and natural appearance in a single graphic. Two profiles with different white densities are also available for optimal printing according to the color of the fabric.
The staggered layout of the two large print heads enables printing white, essential for apparel printing, with high productivity of 10.9 m2/h in Production mode. A recommended DTF shaker oven is also available to maximize the high performance of the TY-300.
The newly developed S-PG2 ink enables high-quality output with low ink consumption and reduces the amount of waste during cleaning by reducing ink coagulation in the print head, which is characteristic of the DTF method.
Maintenance functions are enhanced to ensure stable use at all times. To prevent print head nozzle loss, the print head is automatically cleaned according to the customer’s frequency of use. During manual cleaning, a new print head nozzle refresher tool cleans the print head surface effectively. To minimize downtime, customers can now easily replace caps, wipers, wiper cleaners, and the flushing sponge around the print heads that previously required replacement by service personnel.
TY-300’s inks and powder are certified under OEKO-TEX🄬 ECO PASSPORT, an international standard for textile products. This guarantees that they do not contain toxic substances in concentrations harmful to the human body and certifies the highest level of safety in the world.
“Within just a few years of its introduction, DTF technology has revolutionized the process of apparel goods production, and has been implemented in apparel businesses around the world,” Miller said. “Meanwhile, customer requirements and expectations for this solution are rapidly increasing. We are confident that the TY-300, with its superior image quality, productivity, and cost performance, will bring high added value and competitiveness to customers engaged in screen printing, printing bureaus, and online sales of original apparel. We will continue to support people’s creativity by providing innovative digital devices,” Miller added.
