Dedicated transfer printer for extra-wide textile applications

Suwanee, GA – Mimaki USA, a leading manufacturer of wide-format inkjet printers and cutters, today announced availability of the TS500P-3200 super wide dye sublimation printer in North America. This 129-inch (3.2 meter) wide dedicated transfer printer enables production runs for producing extra-wide textile applications such as home furnishing and hospitality fabrics. It will be on display at various worldwide expositions including in the Mimaki USA booth 1770 at the upcoming International Sign Expo, April 21-23, in Orlando.

On-demand inkjet printing systems are increasingly being used for textile production instead of conventional analog systems because of their ability to quickly provide custom, low-volume printing. Typical home furnishing fabrics – curtains, upholstery, and bed linens – are extra wide, which makes the TS500P-3200 printer an ideal fit for these applications. Moreover, the demand for large indoor fabric signage and decorative point-of-purchase environments is increasing. Soft signage, attractive for retailers and brand managers, can be used to produce durable attention grabbing applications such as windsails, dancers, and backlit instore POP. The easy handling capabilities of dye sublimated fabrics mean they can be folded, stretched and cleaned without damaging the prints. The TS500P-3200 printer yields stunning, durable graphics that are economical to ship and makes shortened campaign cycles more affordable to marketing service providers and brand owners, since retail workers can easily install them.

Key features

• Super wide format. The TS500P-3200 printer accommodates media up to 129.9 (3.2 meters) wide, with a print width of 129.5 inches (3.29 meters). For comparison purposes, a Dual/Eastern King size bedspread is 120 inches by 120 inches.

• High-speed printing. Newly designed printheads – 12 arrayed in three staggered lines – contribute to high speeds of up to 1937 square feet (180 square meters) per hour.

• High gap printhead. The TS500P-3200 printer employs a new printhead that ensures accurate ink droplet placement with a high head gap, enabling high quality printing on thin transfer paper without concern for cockling, which can produce uneven results or cause a head strike.

• Media handling system. The Auto Media Feeder applies calibrated tension to the media, maintaining stable and precise media feed and take-up on rolls up to 286 lbs. (130 kg). This also reduces telescoping of the media during take-up and eliminates the potential for buckling or creasing during the calendar transfer process thereby accommodating long run, full roll transfers.

Mimaki technologies for assured production of high quality transfer prints

• Waveform control. Each ink color has its own specific gravity and viscosity. To achieve precise placement of the ink droplets onto the media, Mimaki designed an optimum waveform, enabling the printhead to jet each ink color at the appropriate jetting angle without losing precise ink droplet circularity.  This waveform control technology improves visible quality and dot gain even at lower resolutions.

• Variable dot printing. Variable ink droplet sizes – small, medium and large – are precisely placed. Smaller droplets create smoother gradients and quartertones, and large droplets produce uniform solids and are useful for high-speed printing.

• Mimaki Advanced Pass System 4 (MAPS4). This technology incorporates an advanced algorithm that reduces banding, uneven ink drying and bi-directional stripes, resulting in smoother images with no distinct bands even at higher speeds. 

• NCU (Nozzle Check Unit) and NRS (Nozzle Recovery System). These two functions work together to enable continuous or unattended printing, by ensuring any clogged nozzles do not reduce the print image quality. The NCU automatically checks for and cleans clogged nozzles before printing. The NRS enables mapping of unrecoverable nozzles, so that printing can continue.

• Bulk ink system standard. Large three-liter ink containers are installed in an external ink supply unit. Ink can be replenished while printing, without having to stop the printer. A degassing module is included to enable the use of economical, undegassed Mimaki original Sb310 dye sublimation inks.

• RasterLink6 RIP software standard. This bundled RIP software package offers ease-of-use combined with powerful tools for control over image quality, color and output. The latest version of the company’s trusted RIP software provides a workflow system designed for the most demanding wide format operator. Mimaki TxLink3 textile RIP software (Standard or Professional versions) packages are optionally available.