Who said size doesn't matter?

I am sure there are many areas in life where size does not matter, but I find it difficult to name them. Think about it—your coffee in the morning, a piece of cake, a comfy seat, your shoes... Size does matter, and sometimes it is not down to choice, but necessity. Take flying on a certain low-cost airline for example to my native Ireland; you will need to have a suitcase of a certain size to avoid baggage costs, although you might have to give it a bit of a shove to make it fit.

The logic extends to our own industry, as if you only have certain space left in your production area, you simply cannot buy a massive printer. So, the MTEX 1800 could be the answer if you want to move into soft signage and display, where footprint size matters but without compromising on quality.

But is small really just as beautiful? I looked at the MTEX 1800 first hand to compare it to the MTEX 5032 that I had seen at FESPA earlier this year. I paid a visit to the new MTEX Technologies UK facility in Leicestershire, just before the official opening on October 14th, to see it for myself.

All base, no treble

The MTEX 1800 is a direct-to-fabric sublimation printing solution with integrated fixation.

O 48sq m/h: Top Print Speed O

At a total size of 3.5m wide com-pared to the 6.2m width of the MTEX 5032 and with one footprint (having the print and fixation in one machine)—the MTEX 1800 is a lot easier to squeeze into a tighter space.

At its size and cost point, it is billed as an ‘ideal and affordable solution for sign-makers and graphic display professionals’.

In reality, it is aimed at any medium sized display graphic and home textile companies that want a machine that will print dedicated polyester based textiles with punchy colours.

The technology and components are all high-quality engineered, including the tried and tested Epson ink heads and the units themselves are manufactured in Portugal in the centre of textiles—Santa Thirso near Porto. I have been to the plant there myself and can vouch for the absolute precision engineering that goes into building these machines. There is a real love and attention to detail for textile printing there that is rarely seen in our world.

Quality and consistency?

With fabric printing you need to consider varying tensions and the impact they will have on colour—particularly if you are using a brand specific colour or printing a range across different media.

MTEX reckons it has built in a number of mechanisms to ensure consistency as well as top notch quality on printers across their range, to achieve uniform, brilliant and vivid colors in full width.

O 1440dpi: Top Graphics Resolution O

The electro-pneumatic device sys-tem prevents deformations and stepping problems that can some-
times occur on digital textile printing equipment. And the synchronised roll feeding system offers perfect step-on material advance, achieving consistent material stability, without oscillations.

Uniquely, the MTEX printers using direct disperse inks have in-line high-resistance infrared heat fixation with probe sensors for temperature control, which only kicks in when you are printing. There is also no need to keep it hot like traditional calendars, using up energy and money even if it is not in use.

With the in-line fixation there is virtually no waste dye-sub or protec-tion paper needed and the potential for spoilage or damage is virtually nil as you can proof the output after only a metre is revealed. MTEX also uses 2l vacuum ink bags that can be used right to the end without any waste.

A cleaner atmosphere

The patented filter extraction unit comes with carbon air filters and hepa filters for fume extraction, looking after the working environment in your production house. The extraction unit is well built and inoffensive, and does not take up much space, sitting neatly beside the printer.

O 1.8m: Printing WidthO

I did not have much experience of hands on direct-to-textile digital printing until I used the MTEX 5032, and I was pleased to see that the 1800 also has the easy-to-use control touch screen and user-friendly workflow and interface for RIP control as well as network connection.

Space saver

So, just like that little suitcase you can squeeze into an overhead locker, this integrated one-footprint unit should fit easily into most print production rooms with little difficulty—and offers ex-actly the same quality, if not quite the same speed, as its bigger brother the 5032. Though if you are comparing speeds to dye-sub paper and then separate fixation calendar work, this is markedly faster, as it is a one-step, one-footprint operation.

MTEX is keen to stress this feature in no way limits its abilities, and combined with the 1.8m print width can still be used for the majority of soft signage and home textile work—from banners and flags to window blinds and light-boxes. Seeing it whirring away in place at MTEX Technologies UK, the overall impression is that this piece of kit is for anyone who is serious about dye-sub but just cannot justify expansion into bigger premises. Size does matter, but small can be beautiful.