Take a gander at some of the newest offerings from decorating equipment suppliers – including a channel devoted to video tutorials, special effects vinyl to puff up profits and new additions to tried-and-true printer lines.

Epson Expands Educational Content

The F6470 dye-sublimation printer from Epson is ideal for customizing promotional products, apparel, soft signage and other applications.

Epson has expanded its Print Academy YouTube channel, including content for promotional products distributors and apparel decorators. Originally, the channel was meant for professional photographers, but Epson has expanded its scope to include education videos for promotional goods, signage and point of purchase, print production and commercial labs, T-shirts and garments and CAD and technical.

“The content is intended to assist and provide inspiration to our customers and channel partners showcasing a variety of applications overviews, step-by-step tutorials and success stories with Epson Professional Imaging solutions,” said Dan Steinhardt, marketing manager for Epson America Inc.

Epson also announced recently that its new 44-inch four-color SureColor F6470 and six-color SureColor F6470H dye-sublimation printers are now available through authorized resellers. The printers are designed to maximize productivity by quickly and efficiently producing high-quality images ideal for promotional products, apparel, home décor and soft signage, according to the company.

“The increased awareness of dye sublimation and its benefits for designers has been a driving force in the demand for expanded color gamut options,” said Tim Check, senior product manager. “We’ve focused efforts on offering a wider range of color options while maintaining the reliability and quality for which Epson is known.”

Puff Up Profits With Stahls’

Stahls’ offers Puff, a special effect heat transfer vinyl that gives a dimensional look to imprints.

Stahls’ (asi/88984) recently released CAD-CUT Puff, a special effect heat transfer vinyl that adds dimension to simple designs for apparel decorators.

The puff material starts out flat and smooth for easy cutting with a vinyl cutter, according to Stahls’, and a unique puff effect occurs as the material expands during heat application. The result is a dimensional, textured matte look that appeals to a variety of markets, including fashion, spirit wear and athleisure.

This specialty material is available to order by the yard in more than 15 color options, including neon. Puff is Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA)-certified and applies to cotton or polyester at a low temperature, making it a safe choice for children’s clothing or any heat-sensitive item, according to the supplier.

Stahls’ also recently announced that its 2023 product catalog is available. The catalog includes tools like quick-reference charts, application and cutting instructions, material colors, product descriptions and pricing, equipment information and custom transfer services and details.

Roland Adds New TrueVIS Printers, DTF System

Roland DGA’s VersaSTUDIO BN-20D is a complete direct-to-film decorating system.

Roland DGA Corp. has expanded its best-selling TrueVIS line, adding six new inkjet printers to the family. Roland’s printers can be used for a variety of applications such as creating stickers and decals, decorating T-shirts and other apparel, creating vehicle wraps and other custom graphics.

The newly launched models include the AP-640 resin printer, the LG-640/540/300 high-productivity UV printer/cutters and the MG-640/300 UV printer/cutters. The new additions complement Roland’s four TrueVIS eco-solvent models – the VG3 and SG3 series printer/cutters – which were introduced last year.

“The launch of Roland DG’s first TrueVIS in 2016 ushered in a new era of image quality, productivity, dependability and ease of use,” said Amado Lara, president of Roland DGA. He added that Roland has expanded the product line “to accommodate ever-changing consumer demand and the diversifying roles of print professionals.”

The TrueVIS AP-640 resin printer features the quick-drying and environmentally friendly qualities of resin ink as well as high image quality and color. It’s ideal for applications that include wall décor, indoor sings, retail displays, stickers and decals, banners and posters and vehicle wraps.

The LG and MG series UV inkjets are built on the TrueVIS printer/cutter platform and allow for white and gloss specialty inks to enable dimensional and textural effects. The printer/cutters accommodate a variety of media and are “capable of producing everything from labels, signage and wall graphics to window coverings, interior décor and POP displays,” according to Jay Roberts, UV product manager.

Roland also recently introduced the VersaSTUDIO BN-20D direct-to-film system, designed to help smaller home- or office-based print providers build their businesses. The system is a complete apparel decoration solution that consists of specially formulated S-PG inks in CMYK and white, S-F164 direct transfer film and S-POWDER direct transfer powder (each sold separately). Users can create custom T-shirts, tote bags, aprons and other products in four steps, with no weeding or masking required.

With direct-to-film (DTF) transfers, users print illustrations, photos and other graphics on a special film, then apply powder to it, and the powder is thermally melted. The process allows for extremely detailed images and fine lines that would be difficult to achieve using traditional heat transfer vinyl, says Daniel Valade, product manager of digital print. “Knocking out the backgrounds in the design and using the garment color as the background allows for a transfer with a soft, natural hand,” he added.

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