The Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA) held its annual expo Oct. 18 to 20 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. More than 24,000 people attended the show, and more than 612 companies exhibited their latest innovations.

“The Expo has always been about advancing the industry, showcasing new technologies and providing education that helps printers succeed in an ever-changing climate,” says Ford Bowers, president and CEO of SGIA. Next year, the show – renamed as PRINTING United – will be held Oct. 23 to 25 in Dallas.

Here is a roundup of some of the news out of the 2018 SGIA Expo:

• AnaJet, a Ricoh company, unveiled its newest direct-to-garment printer, the RICOH Ri 1000. The Ri 1000 prints full-color graphics at 1,200 by 1,200 dpi onto an array of garment colors, styles and materials. It features quick-change magnetic platens in multiple sizes and styles. It boasts durable steel construction, including a high-performance print engine and print heads. The specialized carriage and table design help deliver high-accuracy images, even while printing at speeds up to 28 seconds for a full-color 10-inch-by-8-inch graphic, according to the company. “We’re proud of its speed, versatility, ease of use and ability to deliver vibrant, high-resolution graphics,” says Karl Tipre, AnaJet’s CEO.
• Epson announced a new direct-to-garment pretreatment solution for polyester garments is available for its SureColor F2000 and F2100 DTG printers. “To date, the direct-to-garment industry has been limited to printing on 100% cotton or cotton-polyester blends,” says Timothy Check, senior product manager. “This new polyester pretreatment solution will open opportunities for direct-to-garment printing and customization for new industries, as well as open doors to on-site garment customization at sporting events – everything from neighborhood runs to national triathlons.”
• Roland DGA won two awards from Buyers Lab, an independent provider of testing and analysis for the document imaging industry. The company’s TrueVIS VG series of wide-format printer/cutters were lauded for outstanding enhanced CMYK solvent and outstanding high-production CMYK eco-solvent. A presentation ceremony took place at Roland’s booth during the SGIA Expo. Roland also took home two SGIA Product of the Year awards: the VersaUV LEC-540 won the Roll-to-Roll UV Printer category, and the company’s ECO-UV ink won the Digital Inks – UV category.
• Sawgrass debuted its new Ultra-HD FLEX eight-color sublimation ink set for the Virtuoso HD product decorating system, featuring VJ 628 printers. According to Darcy Mauro, Sawgrass president, the sublimation ink “eliminates the long-standing tradeoff between the need for vivid color and tremendous detail.” The ink was named one of SGIA’s products of the year, winning the Digital Inks – Textile in the under 24-inch category.
• Hotronix won a Product of the Year award for the Fusion IQ, which topped the Heat Press (Table-Top) category. Designed to streamline operation, maintenance and production, the Fusion IQ includes an array of features for easier setup, use, tracking, trouble-shooting and management. An updated controller with a larger-sharper LCD screen provides enhanced user-interface.