Suwanee, GA — Mimaki USA, a leading manufacturer of wide-format inkjet printers and cutters, announces the release of the Tiger600-1800TS. This new roll-to-roll sublimation transfer inkjet textile printer made its world debut at ITMA (Milan, Italy), held in June 2023, with sales to start in the fall of 2023. The introduction of the Tiger600-1800TS further promotes Mimaki’s mission to change the landscape of textile printing with this most productive sublimation transfer printer.

Currently, most of the world’s textile production is concentrated within a few countries, most of which use analog printing. Analog textile printing is a complicated and lengthy production process, requiring long lead times for overseas shipment to consumers. This requires apparel brands and retailers to keep inventory on hand to prevent the loss of sales due to shortages. This process also increases the probability of unsold products, disposal costs, and negative environmental impact. In addition, analog textile printing involves frequent exposure to chemicals for ink formulation and print plate cleaning, which poses a safety issue for machine operators.

This arduous process has spurred demands for the innovation of digital textile printing technologies. New digital textile printing technology allows companies to print only what is needed, keeping up with fluctuations in demand, thereby eliminating unwanted finished products. This process contributes to reducing negative environmental impact by preventing the emission of wastewater produced in the traditional analog textile printing process.

The newly announced Tiger 600-1800TS boasts a maximum printing speed of 550 m2/h (143% above the conventional model) due to the updated high-speed printhead and its proprietary image quality enhancement technologies. This improved print speed further contributes to promoting the digital transformation of textile printing.

In addition, steering away from the conventional model has a structure in which the transfer paper is mounted at the rear of the machine and is wound up at the front of the device after printing. The new model adopts the structure where the printed paper is re-diverted to the rear side of the machine, thereby succeeding in cutting down the depth of the printer by approximately one-half. This smaller footprint makes it easier for customers to consider placing multiple units in one space, further improving the responsiveness to the fluctuating demand and increasing the overall production capability.

The MLSb510 series of sublimation transfer ink utilized in the Tiger600-1800TS is currently undergoing bluesign® certification, with an anticipated approval in June 2023. This certification assures that this is the highest-level product in the world, with due consideration for the safety of consumers and workers and environmental conservation, all contributing to the sustainability of the textile industry.

Mimaki plans to officially launch the sale of the Tiger600-1800TS in the fall of 2023.

*bluesign: A certification for products from sustainable supply chains within the textile and apparel industry. The certification program is administered by bluesign technologies ag, situated in Switzerland.