Durst P5 TEX iSUB: Printing Direct-to-Fabric

There is quite often an issue when printing directly to fabric due to the fact that a secondary process is needed to set or fix the dye into the fabric. Clearly, this can be an issue with regard to the handling of what can be large and heavy rolls of materials which is not easy.

Durst has overcome this problem by designing into the P5 TEX a unique IR (infrared) inline fixation device specifically used for direct-to-fabric printing. The device is called iSUB by Durst and the full moniker for the new machine is the P5 TEX iSUB. The size of the P5 TEX iSUB is very impressive with a maximum width of 3370mm (132 inches) which can also be configured as either a full-width, multi-roll or dual-roll formats.

The width and ability of the machine to print direct-to-fabric and fix the dye-sublimation inks in one pass makes it very efficient to produce a wide range of products.

According to Durst, various applications such as sports and fashion items, interior décor, events and trade show banners and backlit signs and a full gamut of visual communication materials are easily achieved on this printer.

Breaking the key features down into four areas, the aforementioned iSUB inline fixation technology has to be the USP for Durst. As said, this device allows the fixing of the ink into the directly printed fabric in the same pass.

Durst says the iSUB technology eliminates the need for post-production calendering and gives excellent colour consistency and avoids colour bleeding into each other giving very sharp and crisp edges to the colour boundaries. It is also very useful to be able to print difficult materials such as onto black fabrics and tricky materials used for backlit promotional products. As the iSUB is contactless, if you were printing on more tactile substrates, they retain these properties once printed.

Roll after Roll

The P5 TEX iSUB can be used with a combination of roll sizes from the full-width version to both dual-roll and multi-roll options.

The dual-roll option allows two rolls of up to 1.6 metres in width and 600mm in diameter on the machine at the same time and queue then deploy different jobs on each roll. This has an obvious advantage of making the full width of the machine available for production, ensuring the uptime of the P5 TEX iSUB is maximised.

The purpose of the multi-roll option is to further ensure the effective use of the P5 TEX iSUB and maintain productivity at the highest levels. The multi-roll option allows two rolls to be mounted to the machine at the same time and at the end of one roll, the second can be simultaneously spliced to the first.   

Flexibility in Paper

Whilst the P5 TEX iSUB has the unique ability to print onto fabric and fix the colour in one go, there are times when the need to print onto transfer papers is required. Durst has taken this into consideration and has a facility in the printer to be able to print onto a transfer sheet.

There are a series of plates that can be quickly and easily added to the machine which act as a vacuum table pulling the paper down tight onto them so the ink can be laid down precisely and accurately.

This is an important feature as any discrepancies when printing onto the transfer paper will directly affect the quality of the final product. So whether it is directly printing to the fabric or onto a transfer paper to allow for post-print application, Durst has a solution in the P5 TEX iSUB.  

So what of the inks themselves? Well, as you would expect, they come with the OEKO-TEX®100 standard meaning you can assure there are no harmful substances or chemicals that would affect you in contact with any of the printed materials.

The ink known as P5 Sublifix has been specially developed to work with the direct inline fixation system but aside from this, it gains a high level of resistance to washing, light and rubbing. The ink comes in a number of colours as is standard on these large machines. Colours include the process set (CMYK) along with light magenta, cyan, and black as well as orange.

Depending on the mode of the printer, these inks are dropped onto the substrate in one of three droplet sizes, seven, fourteen, or twenty-one pico litres. All the inks used in the Sublifix range are fast drying, have excellent vibrancy, and do not lack sharpness even when printed directly to fabrics.

The P5 TEX iSUB has some smart technology when it comes to handling the ink too. Durst has designed a Safe Ink Refill system that prevents incorrect inks being used, there is a date expiration system to avoid using inks which are out of date; and for added protection, there is a mechanical lock and light alert system on the inking reservoirs.

As the inks all have the OEKO-TEX® hallmark on them, this has not been taken for granted by Durst and to ensure this machine is as user friendly as possible, it comes with technology called Smart Exhaust System (SES).

This is an efficient integrated exhaust system which avoids ink misting and colour set by engaging an active airflow system within the machine. Following the application of the ink the evaporation that takes place is all handled by SES and thus stopping unpleasant odours making the machine uncomfortable to use.

A Stitch in Time

Not missing a single trick on the machine, Durst has even gone to the extent of adding a sewing unit to the P5 TEX iSUB which has the benefit of stitching a new roll directly on the machine, reducing waste and saving time.

Durst claims that this machine is a game changer, a claim often banded about when a new machine is on the market. But on close inspection, the P5 TEX iSUB with the inline fixation technology allowing direct-to-fabric printing, could well be worthy of the claim.

Brian Sims Principal Consultant, Metis Print Consultancy, www.metis-uk.eu