71 March / April 2024 - Issue 347 Director Mike Beese says in addition to delivering work on a range of materials, the new printer offers a more sustainable option that makes its services even more attractive to like-minded customers. “HP Latex technology is very much focused on sustainability and environmentally friendly inks,” Beese says, adding: “The machine prints on an industrial scale to the highest print quality standards. The operating software is also very simplistic and informative, allowing the operator to control quality and effective workflow.” Such has been the impact of the installation, Beese says DecTek has won work from new trade partners. This, he says, was possible due to the new product ranges that it can print on the HP Latex 2700W. Beese picks out the interior décor market and applications such as wallpaper and textile products, while also revealing that DecTek has grown its banners and signage portfolio on the back of the HP Latex 2700W investment. “We are able to support high volume requirements with both consistent quality and speed of manufacture,” Beese says. The Next Step Elsewhere, and another manufacturer, Kornit Digital, offers several examples, the first of which is Star Editions, an Ipswich-based licensed apparel producer and retailer, offering custom and personalised apparel featuring pop culture such as Doctor Who and Peppa Pig. The company installed its first production system from Kornit Digital in 2022 and followed up on this with another investment in 2022. It also runs the KornitX workflow solutions, which integrates with its online store. To support further growth at the business, Kornit introduced Star Editions to the third-party marketplace for “Speed of print, the reliability factor, and the cost per print were the three main factors for me,” Murphy says, adding: “Once we first saw our design roll off the Kornit, we said that’s it, we’re sorted here. This is brilliant. At present we have a lot of demand for crazy graphics, and the only way we can reproduce these is by using Kornit technology. With Kornit Storm HD6 it’s a beautiful smooth print, perfect colour every time, everyone’s a winner. “The print-on-demand market in Ireland was pretty much non-existent until we arrived on the scene. There’s a lot of new brand start-ups in Ireland and up until now they’ve been getting a lot of their T-shirts printed abroad. By having a print-on-demand system here using the Storm HD6, we’ve nicely captured that market.” While already busy markets, the evidence here suggests there is plenty of room for growth and success across the textile and garment print sectors. The key is to establish where the most realistic opportunities are, ensure you have sufficient demand and kit yourself out with the right tools for the job. www.printmonthly.co.uk leading retailer Next. “Having a digital supply chain means we can customise and personalise the pieces people want, down to the single unit, and deliver it quickly and profitably every time,” Star Editions chief executive, Will Marston says.” Phil Oakley, sales director at Kornit Digital, also comments: “Star Editions offers a perfect demonstration of how Kornit is moving beyond mere production excellence to create digital supply chains, link consumers and designers to the producers best equipped to fulfil their demand with precision, and usher in a new model that empowers retailers to adapt and grow while eliminating time, waste, and risk from the pixel-to-parcel experience. “With on-demand production, licensors like Star Editions can leverage the content people want and connect all the dots to tap into growing markets – entirely new online ecosystems, really – while empowering consumers to create with abandon, and offering a virtually unlimited range of product possibilities, because you’re only making what actually sells.” Also working with Kornit Digital is Hairy Baby, which, based in Cork, prints garments and apparel with Irish themes. Founded by Daragh Murphy, formerly a DJ, the company began with screen printing and vinyl transfer printing, but recently switched to Kornit Storm HD6, and in doing so became the first company in Ireland to adopt Kornit Digital technology for digital direct-to-garment production on demand. ▼ Kornit Digital offers hardware solutions and a workflow option in the form of KornitX The HP Stitch S1000 runs at a top speed of 220sq m/hr 220 TEXTILE AND GARMENT PRINT ▲ HP says its Latex printers can also be used for textile work. Pictured: work produced on the HP Latex S1000
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