Roland DG Corporation, a leading manufacturer of wide-format inkjet printers and printer/cutters worldwide, today announced that ErgoSoft Roland Edition 2 RIP software will be available for its Texart dye-sublimation transfer printers from March 2017.

ErgoSoft Roland Edition 2 is the latest RIP software developed by ErgoSoft, one of the premier RIP providers in the textile printing industry. It has been developed specifically for the Texart XT-640 and RT-640 to support high-fidelity digital textile printing of sports and fashion apparel, soft signs such as polyester banners and flags, curtains and other interior décor as well as promotional goods and personalised gifts. Current XT-640 and RT-640 customers who activated the previous ErgoSoft Roland Edition RIP on or after 8th March 2016 will have access to a complimentary software upgrade*. Customers seeking an upgrade should contact their local Roland DG dealer for further details.

ErgoSoft Roland Edition 2 is designed to boost users’ productivity and provides over 40 new features and innovative enhancements. A new dithering method increases rasterization speed and improves dot placement accuracy resulting in 40% faster RIP times and smoother gradients. A new PDF engine displays dynamic, colour-accurate previews of PDF files and improves overall performance and colour management. ErgoSoft Roland Edition 2 also includes up to eight simultaneous RIP Servers to drastically reduce processing time when working with high-capacity data or multiple print jobs at the same time. The new Printer Pool feature provides job management flexibility, allowing the same file to be sent easily to multiple devices. Also included, the Hot Folder feature makes batch printing of images with the same specific print settings easier to further enhance printing efficiency.

Image Add-Ons functions support several new effects such as barcodes, rulers and drill holes. Multiple effects can also be applied to a single set of data. Specific editing functions support file formats that are commonly used for textile printing. The Step & Repeat feature to create flawless repeating textile patterns from a single image is now available for PDF and EPS file formats. The Color Replacement feature for creating multiple colour variations is also now available for TIFF and PSD file formats. Variable Data Printing for the efficient production of personalised goods and apparel such as uniforms is now included as standard.

Hirotoshi Naruse, product manager of Roland DG’s digital printing business said, “With the diversification of individual lifestyles and shortening of fashion cycles, there has been increasing demand for digital printers that can accommodate efficient high-mix, low-volume production, personalisation, and design prototyping for fashion/sports apparel and interior décor. In response, we launched the Texart brand in 2014 exclusively for use in digital textile printing with a firm commitment to deliver exceptional value to this market now and in the future.”

Roland DG currently offers two Texart 64 inch (1625mm) models. For fast, high-volume printing with dual-staggered print heads to maximise productivity, the XT-640 is built for continuous and effortless production on long print runs. The RT-640 is designed to provide superb quality, productivity and value with ease of operation that will please both experienced operators and beginners. Both dye-sublimation printers boast the Roland Ink Switching System, a choice of 4-colour high-speed or 8-colour wide-gamut printing, Fluorescent Pink and Yellow inks for creating hundreds of eye-catching colours, and state-of-the-art print control technology.