KETTERING, UK - Leicester-based Rialto Designs has installed a Reggiani ReNOIR digital dye-sublimation printer from exclusive UK supplier i-Sub, which it says will provide a much greater degree of control and confidence for its fashion clothing clients. The purchase follows an announcement that international printing brand EFI has acquired Reggiani.

Rialto Designs has a long history of supplying printed garments and fabric for well-known high street fashion brands, previously working with screen-printing equipment and outsourcing digital printing to third-party print businesses.

"The installation of the digital Reggiani ReNOIR represents a whole new direction for Rialto Designs and is a very, very important aspect of our business plan," explains Riyaz Omarji, Owner, Rialto Designs. 

"Bringing fabric printing in house provides a new level of control over our output and, importantly, security for our clients. We work with almost all of the fashion brands on the high street and they don't want anyone to see their new pieces until they are available in store. By cutting out a third party it helps us to keep those designs confidential." 

The Reggiani ReNOIR is running seven days a week to produce between 200sqm and 500sqm of print on polyester-based fabric per hour.

The 1.8m-wide machine is an eco-friendly choice thanks to its water-based inks, low energy consumption and future-proofing flexibility. It also features an in-line dryer and Kevlar blanket to enhance productivity and reliability. It, together with a 3.4m-wide option, is part of a wide range of textile equipment available from Kettering-based textile printing specialist i-Sub.

Riyaz Omarji explains that Rialto Designs has built up a relationship with i-Sub over the last four years, and has invested in small-format digital printers and heat presses. 

He comments: "i-Sub has always delivered for us in the past, so naturally we went to Nick Davies and his team again for advice on expanding with large-format digital dye-sublimation equipment. 

"While we did initially consider other printers, Reggiani's reputation teamed with the dedicated service from i-Sub took us to Italy to see the ReNOIR in action, where we were very pleased with the set-up, quality and speed. In fact we started looking at buying a second unit before we'd even switched on our first ReNOIR."

Nick Davies, Sales Director, i-Sub, says: "The Reggiani ReNOIR will make a significant difference to Rialto Designs's production in terms of massively increased speed, control over run lengths, patterns and colours, and peace of mind for customers who need to know their designs are kept under wraps.

"We've been the exclusive UK supplier of top-quality Reggiani textile printing machines for many years and welcome EFI's acquisition of the brand to form EFI Reggiani. We believe it will strengthen development of digital textile technology to bring even greater quality and speeds. It will also bring the name to a wider market which, of course, we are delighted to work with across the UK."