Mimaki Engineering Co.,Ltd., a leading manufacturer of wide format inkjet printers, today introduced the world’s fastest sublimation inkjet printer along with a new ink, designed to enhance productivity for the textile apparel and soft signage markets. The Mimaki TS500-1800 printer and the new Sb300 sublimation ink are expected to be released in April 2012.

“We are excited to bring to market the world’s fastest dye sublimation printer, capable of printing at 150 square meters per hour on transfer paper,” said Sakae Sagane, Managing Director of Mimaki Europe. “This printer is ideal for production of textile apparel and soft signage, both of which are seeing growth in run lengths appropriate for digital printing. We believe the TS500-1800 will enable manufacturers of apparel and soft signage to capitalize on the growing demand for shorter runs and customized, or even personalized, products in these two burgeoning digital markets. Our new ink delivers brilliant colour, and using RasterLink 6, operators can easily convert special colours to specific Pantone colours to ensure colour integrity.”

The TS500-1800 features a number of new capabilities that set it apart in the marketplace, including:

* Unmatched printing speed for sublimation paper at 150m²/h in high-speed mode. The TS500-1800 uses newly developed printheads that achieve a maximum speed in four- or six-colour mode. The printer includes six printheads, with three staggered.

* Mist removal filter - The mist removal filter prevents problems caused by ink mists and enhances the stability of print operations by suctioning the mist inside the printer.

* Mimaki Degassing Module - The Mimaki degassing module (MDM-20) eliminates the gasses or bubbles that can occur in inks during the printing process, decreasing the likelihood of nozzle blockage and improving the accuracy of ink dot placement. In addition, this module enables the printer to use undegassed bottled inks instead of conventional degassed ink packs, thus reducing ink costs.

* New dye sublimation ink - Mimaki has developed a new ink, optimized for dye sublimation printing and for use with the TS500-1800. Sb300 ink offers an affordable price, dries quickly and produces brilliant colours. Sb300 ink is available in six colours (K,Bl,M,Y,Lbl,Lm).

* Auto Media Feeder (AMF) - Mimaki’s unique Auto Media Feeder provides stable feeding and take-up of print media, eliminating much of the need for operator intervention during printing

* Larger Roll Media Size - The TS500-1800 can accept rolls of media up to 60kg and 300mm in diameter, further improving operator productivity by eliminating the need for frequent media changes. Larger orders can be continuously printed without interruption, or batches of smaller orders using the same media can be easily handled.

TS500-1800 Specifications

More details about Mimaki products can be found at www.mimakieurope.com.

Specifications, design and dimensions stated in this release may be subject to change without prior notice (for technical improvements etc.).