Images Magazine Digital Edition February 2019

INDUSTRY NEWS www.images-magazine.com 20 images FEBRUARY 2019 Roq launches new hybrid web-to-print press Roq unveiled its latest printer, the RoqPrint Now, in January at the ISS Long Beach show in the US [see Marshall Atkinson‘s review on page 40]. According to the Portuguese manufacturer, the hybrid web-to- print machine has been designed to “facilitate the re-emergence of custom-made printed design by making quick turnaround times and smaller print runs a viable and cost- effective option for the web-to- print market“. Billed as a 100% digital press that requires no screens, it is actually a versatile hybrid as screen printing stations can easily be incorporated into the layout; while the standard RoqPrint Now has 20 stations, Roq prides itself on making a bespoke machine for each customer. The core concept of the RoqPrint Now is that a digital white station is combined with a digital CMYK station. “So now, no matter what colour garment you choose, it can be printed digitally,“ explains the company. “With the RoqPrint Now, printers can print completely different jobs in sequence without the downtime of screen and ink changes. Printers will be able to print an unlimited number of shirts, each getting its own unique design one after the other with no downtime in between.“ The press features a complete inline process – the garment is taken from pre-treatment to the finish in one touch – and different stations can be added in depending on what you need, whether it’s incorporating a discharge base, including a poly- blocker screen when printing on polyester fabrics, or perhaps a flocking or foiling station. Roq reports that it is possible to print 300 pieces an hour with an A4-size print at 600 x 1,200dpi. The company notes that its proprietary software can be integrated with the print shop’s production management software. “An operator needs only to pick up a garment and scan its barcode to call up the assigned artwork and load it on the press – the RoqPrint Now does the rest,“ says Roq. “It is an excellent tool in automating workflow, minimising human touches per garment, reducing the risk of human error and improving profitability.“ “With RoqPrint Now, short runs become easy and profitable,“ adds I-Sub, Roq‘s UK distributor. “This is the next step for the UK to complete the cross-over from screen to DTG.“ www.i-sub.co.uk YKK unveils personalised printed zipper Japanese fastening solutions company YKK has launched the YKK Prifa, a zipper that is inkjet printed on the tape and/ or elements of the zipper. The company notes that it “can be personalised by using logos, patterns and gradations, to ensure that even the smallest detail of a garment reflects the brand’s vision”. Customers can create their own individual designs using any design software, explains YKK, and the zipper can be incorporated into a range of items – from sportswear to shoes. www.ykkeurope.com The newYKK Prifa zipper can be personalised The new RoqPrint Now 100% digital press also offers hybrid digital/screen printing potential