The printer's dye sublimation technology has allowed students to use of modern man-made and recycled fabrics difficult to print onto, while the device is also playing a wider role in the education of students on new MA courses, specifically for performance/sportswear and sustainable and ethical fashion.
In addition, Kenny Macrae, technical manager for Fashion and Textiles at the Faculty of Art, Design and Social Science at the university, says the remote management capability of the printer was critical during the pandemic as it allowed students to continue to engage with the practical element of their studies.
“Thanks to HP PrintOS our students were able to electronically send us work to be printed out and transferred onto fabric,” Macrae says.
The printer is seen as something that will become integral not only to fashion students but as a resource for the whole of the design school”
“We would send the finished article back to them and - in conjunction with half scale mannequins we provided the students with to allow them to engage with the blended learning over lockdown - undergraduates were able to develop their garment shapes, silhouettes and print designs from the safety of their own homes.
“The printer is seen as something that will become integral not only to fashion students but as a resource for the whole of the design school.
“The speed, efficiency and simplicity of the printing process means that eventually anyone from the school should be able to utilise it.
“It allows students to be experimental and develop their samples and ideas with a minimum of waste and allows us to move from small samples to full sized garment prints easily.”