Clevedon – Roland DG Corporation, a leading manufacturer of wide-format inkjet printers and 3D devices worldwide, today announced availability in the EMEA region of the VersaSTUDIO BT-12, Roland’s first direct-to-garment desktop printer for printing directly onto cotton-based* products.

The easy-to-use, compact BT-12 is ideal for businesses and individuals seeking innovative new revenue opportunities, printing full colour graphics, photos, logos and text onto a wide variety of products, such as t-shirts, tote bags and textile interior décor items, to produce high-value customised items on demand. The BT-12 integrates seamlessly into retail environments to provide an engaging in-store customer experience and it is the perfect solution for small garment businesses looking to diversify.

Paul Willems, Head of Business Development and Product Management Roland DG EMEA comments: ‘The BT-12 is generating a huge buzz each time we preview it at shows across the region. Users are really excited by the incredible profit-making potential and excellent ROI the solution offers, as it’s so affordably priced and economic to run. They're also impressed by how easy the BT-12 is to operate- as simple as using an office printer- yet the output is incredibly high quality. It’s the ideal out-of-the-box solution for anyone wanting to start an on-demand custom graphics business from scratch, or for businesses looking to diversify their portfolio with quick-printed, high-revenue customised products.’

Capable of producing a product from start to finish in just a few minutes, the ultra-compact design and safe, enclosed operation of the BT-12 (and optional stackable HB-12 finishing unit) make it ideal for businesses to offer customer-facing personalisation services in locations where space is limited, including shopping malls, kiosks, apparel stores, hotel gift shops and tourist destinations. The BT-12 is also the ideal solution for home-based start-ups and established businesses looking for profitable new ways to cross-sell to their existing customer bases and to target new markets.

When combined with cotodesign, Roland’s latest design and print management software, the BT-12 becomes a complete design-order-print solution for the in-store customisation of apparel and gift items using customers’ data, such as photos or artwork, from their smartphone.

Plus, users have the peace of mind in knowing that the BT-12 is backed by Roland’s industry-renowned reliability, service and support.

Visitors to FESPA, Munich (14th-17th May), will get the chance to try the BT-12 for themselves on the Roland DG booth (Hall A5 Booth H10). The BT-12 will be part of the on-booth Coto Bar – an interactive space to explore the exciting opportunities offered by Roland’s wider range of popular digital on-demand customisation print solutions, to experiment with cotodesign software and to create their own personalised mementos to take home.

Paul Willems concludes: ‘I think everyone who sees the BT-12 in action recognises it’s a great little device which packs a money-making punch well above its size and price-point- that’s why this launch is so highly anticipated. We’re really excited to bring the BT-12 to market and we look forward to seeing the exciting ways in which it helps users transform their businesses.’

* fabric must be 50 – 100% cotton