Identity Printing is now the first UK (United Kingdom) entity to install the new DTF (direct-to-film) transfer printing setup for garments from Resolute DTG. Bought directly from Resolute, this R-Jet Pro DTF printer was installed at the site of the Manchester-based Identity Printing early in May this year.

The roll-fed setup fuses textile inks which are pigment based, with the 600mm-wide PET film as a result of a collaborative exercise between The Magic Touch and Resolute DTG. After printing in the Resolute R-Jet Pro DTF, the film will pass through a unit which ensures light coating with a hot melting adhesive powder. The resulting transfer will then be cured with the help of an inline Shake & Bake unit or any conventional dryer. The finished transfer may be applied immediately then to textiles or garments with the help of a heat press and without the requirement for any pre-treatment.

Print room manager at Identity Printing, Zahid Ali, stated that upon witnessing the machine, the team could not help but admire the handle, feel and quality along with the overall transfer look itself. The order was placed right away as a result. He added that the key plus points of the machine were the elimination of the requirement for pre-treatment and also the ability for printing on more substrates. If a garment does not have suitable quality or pre-treatment is not done in the right manner, of course, the machine will not ensure good quality printing.

The key reason for buying the machine, according to Ali, was to enable printing onto polyester garments seamlessly. There is an in-house fashion brand MisRep in the end-retail space. This is DTG with embroidery and hoodies usually sell for roughly £80-120 apiece while t-shirts retail for £50-60 apiece. This is a trendy and youthful market segment where the company has done well according to him. However, the polyester hoodie was an issue earlier since they cannot print with DTG machines onto polyester and even if it worked out, quality issues persisted. With this setup, the transfer is smooth and there is better quality, stretchability and clarity according to him while feeling nicer on polyester bodies too. Identity Printing has 5 staff members while operating three Ricoh DTG printers, two RI 1000s and one RI6000 along with four direct-to-substrate UV printers from Resolute and Midwest specialist embroidery kit. 90% of work done by Identity Printing is for MisRep while there are two newer brands being presently developed by the entity. The remainder of 10% caters to walk-in customers as well. The integrated R-Jet Pro DTF system, incorporating printer, RIP, Shake & Bake unit, powders, inks and films will cost £15,000 and VAT, inclusive of installation, warranty support and training.