On the occasion of its presence at the FESPA international trade fair in Munich from 23 to 26 May 2023, ARMOR Industrial Inks (A2i) announces the launch of its new range of aqueous inks for direct film printing, which white stability and washability properties are unmatched by other textile applications.

New DTF ink range
A2i, the semi-industrial ink brand of ARMOR Print Solutions, an ARMOR GROUP company, announces the launch of its new range of aqueous inks dedicated to Direct To Film (DTF) printing. Dedicated to the textile market and more specifically to cotton applications, the range includes the five colours - cyan, magenta, yellow, black and white. These aqueous inks are compatible with several EPSON printheads. Finally, they are certified OEKO-TEX. The Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX is a globally uniform system of test methods, test criteria and limits for harmful substances, according to which the OEKO-TEX test institutes certify the health safety of textile products. Products, such as ARStyle inks, that meet the requirements may be labelled "Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX - Tested for harmful substances".

Tom Strähnz, Managing Director A2i Germany, comments "Our range of inks goes beyond functionality; they also cater to the creative needs of companies in the fashion wear industry. With a vibrant palette of colors and exceptional color retention properties, our inks add a touch of brilliance to the designs, making them visually captivating and eye-catching. Whether printing in on cotton, or synthetic cotton blend fabrics, our inks deliver outstanding results, ensuring that your fashion creations stand out from the crowd. "

Superior stability and washability
In addition to the four CMYK colours, A2i's R&D team has focused on white, advancing the technological progress through the use of advanced water-based polymers.

Giovanni Manca, Head of Ink Development says: "White is essential in textile applications. Applied as a background on the fabric, it plays an essential role in the brightness of the colors. That's why we paid special attention to it, as ARStyle's white is much more stable than average. This also allows for faster preparation for reprinting. The stability of the white ink ensures an optimised restart time after production breaks. Whether it is a short break or an extended pause, users can rely on the reliability of our white ink to maintain consistent performance and minimise disruption to workflow."

In addition, A2i has conducted in-house tests adapted from the ISO 6330 methodology - Textiles - Domestic washing and drying methods for textile testing. And the results show that colour loss after 10 washes at 40°C for a 150min cycle is minimal compared to five competitors.

Tom Strähnz, Managing Director A2i Germany, concludes: "The properties of our inks allow the colors to stay vibrant for much longer, which not only meets a quality and aesthetic challenge, but also has an impact on sustainability. The consumers will keep their garment much longer, which is essential in a world where the consumption of garments is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases."