From the Sector

Sustainable fashion brands YesAnd & Kornit Digital are teaming up with the global platform fostering innovation in the fashion industry, Fashinnovation. This month, the three like-minded companies will be unveiling a direct-to-garment printing collaboration.
 
YesAnd & Kornit Digital are (e)co-creating digital, on-demand printed certified organic blank merchandise, with graphic designs by artists, celebrities, influencers, musicians, fashion VIPs, NGO’s and more. Sharing core values of fashion & innovation & non-toxic, zero-waste production, and the fusion of technology to accelerate impact, this launch represents a cutting-edge and sustainable solution that’s accessible, traceable, customizable, and scalable. By joining forces, this collaboration will educate, engage, and activate both consumers and industry alike.
 
"We at Fashinnovation have a strong belief that the fashion industry must walk side-by-side with innovation, in order to ensure a sustainable future. We are thrilled for this collaboration with YesAnd and Kornit, as we hope to set an example when it comes to the power of unity. In our minds, it's not about a person's wins, but rather it's about our collective progress," said Jordana & Marcelo Guimaraes, Founders of Fashinnovation.
 
Debuting the first of their brand collaborations with farm-to-print organic merchandise, this collaboration will together minimize waste, water, chemical use, and energy, while celebrating climate action, manufacturing efficiencies, and sustainable innovation—representing a true and timely fashion statement. The brands will be debuting their select blank styles of digitally-printed designs from the initial capsule collection—including the YesAnd Frida Hoodie, Gloria Hoodie Tee, Dominique Tee, and the Samata Dress, with a graphic option aligning the missions of YesAnd, Fashinnovation and Kornit Digital, “Don’t Wear Clothes, Wear Change.”

Monforts will highlight its technologies for special technical textile applications at this year’s ITMA ASIA + CITME which takes place at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai, China, from November 20-24.

One of Monforts' developments is the Montex 8500 XXL stenter system for the production of technical fabrics in widths of up to 6.8 metres. Among the products made on this system are treated nonwovens for the geotextiles and filter media markets, tarpaulins, advertising banners, black-out curtains, membranes and many more.

On Montex©Coat coating lines, meanwhile, the possibilities range from the single-sided application of finishing agents for outdoor clothing and adding functionality to home textiles, to the creation of materials for sophisticated lightweight construction and automotive and aerospace components.

“Many more applications are possible, such as the overdyeing of denim, the creation of double-face coated materials, fabrics awnings, tents and medical drapes and the pre-treatment of substrates for digital printing”, explains Gunnar Meyer, Monforts area sales manager for China. “A range of different doctor blades and their combinations can be supplied to meet individual requirements, including air knife, roller knife, foam, screen and magnetic roller coating. The latter option is recommended for lines with working widths of over 2.4 metres.”

In addition, Monforts can provide the necessary explosion-proof ranges for solvent-based coatings and high temperature processes up to 320°C, such as the PTFE coating of nonwoven filter material. These lines are equipped with special burners, stenter chains, and insulation.

EFI™ Reggiani, the industrial textile printing business of printing technology company Electronics For Imaging, Inc. (EFI), has broken ground on a new textile campus to accommodate ongoing growth. The new 20,000-square-metre campus in Comun Nuovo, Bergamo, Italy, is expected to be completed midyear in 2023.

Sustainability and employee well-being at the centre
The new facility was designed with environmental sustainability and employee well-being in mind. That focus includes plans to install 400 kilowatts of solar panels supplying 60% of the facility’s total energy requirements. Moreover, the building will benefit from superior thermal insulation that will ensure a reduction in heating and cooling costs. Numerous skylights in the facility will provide better natural lighting and a reduction in artificial lighting usage.
 
Green space on the campus was a priority in the design process, covering an estimated 20% of the total area. For a more welcoming work environment, the campus will also feature a canteen and gymnasium for employee use.
 
A 3,000-square-metre demo centre in the new facility will be nearly twice as large as the current EFI Reggiani demo centre in Grassobbio, Italy, offering a high-end, high-tech showcase for state-of-the-art EFI Reggiani printers, as well as Mezzera pre- and post-treatment and Jaeggli yarn treatment products. The demo centre will also feature EFI Reggiani’s recently acquired portfolio of Inèdit raster image processing (RIP) and workflow software solutions.
 
Transforming the textile industry through innovation in green
Since the launch of its first analogue printer, to its newest digital solutions, EFI Reggiani has at its core a heritage and expertise that have contributed to the transformation of the textile industry worldwide. With its total commitment to providing “Innovation in Green,” EFI Reggiani’s leadership is the result of extensive research targeted at improving productivity, quality and sustainability in its customers’ operations. The company is focused on optimising the textile manufacturing process – and reducing energy use, water consumption and overall environmental impact – to ensure customers’ business growth and profitability.
 
Over the years, EFI Reggiani’s product portfolio has continued to expand, ranging from rotary and flatbed printing machines, to scanning/multi-pass digital printers, to fast digital textile printers.

• Printing Expo Online is expanding again by doubling the size of Zone 2 with new exhibitors and feature zones making it one of the largest virtual trade shows in the world.

Visitors will be able to visit the new Zaikio underground catacombs that are accessible from several portals around the show. Click on a New York taxi, a London Phone Box or a funky Hot Dog Van and you will be transported into the Zaikio cavern environment where visitors will be able to watch application videos, arrange demos and sign up to this amazing new cloud-based platform.

Another addition to Zone 2 is the new Software Technology Centre (STC). This feature area will grow over time to show a wide range of software solutions that are available on the market.

Joining Printing Expo Online in the STC for the launch is EFI Fiery, who are showing their full portfolio of software solutions.

Design’N’Buy are also a new exhibitor in the STC with their all-In-One Web2Print software solution that helps users leverage technology, people and processes for the multi-fold growth of your printing business.

Also moving into the STC will be PrintIQ who offer the modern print shop a solution for businesses that need to be able to grow and scale as needed without slowing down or sacrificing quality.

Another new addition to the show is the introduction of the Global Print Trade Club. This initiate is free to all Print Service providers around the world and offers the opportunity to network on a global scale.

New to the exhibition is Kornit Digital with their multi storey showroom which will shortly be opening its doors where visitors will be able to view Direct to Garment and Direct to Fabric printing equipment, technical data, case studies, clothing designs and applications as well as visit the Kornit dedicated auditorium where live streaming content will be shown of Kornit Digital’s Fashion weeks as they happen throughout the year.

Another addition is the new application journey added to the Xeikon Innovation Centre at Printing Expo Online. Visitors will now be able to experience a virtual tour of a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and garage where Xeikon will show applications for commercial, label and Wall Deco products that can be produced on their digital print engines.

Printing Expo Online is open 24/7 365 days a year and has now welcomed over 60,000 visitors from all over the world and continues to grow not only its footprint and total visitor numbers, but also its relevance as an important resource tool for Print Service Providers from around the world that, for whatever reason, are unable to attend live events.

Electronics For Imaging, Inc. announced that it has acquired Inèdit Software S.L., a developer of raster image processors (RIPs) and related software for digital industrial textile printing. The acquisition extends EFI’s strategy to accelerate digital transformation in industrial print through investments that advance the company’s presence and capabilities in Packaging & Corrugated, Display Graphics, Textile, and Building Materials/Décor applications. Inèdit will be integrated into the Reggiani textile business.

Similar to EFI’s Fiery® digital front end and RIP technologies for the digital commercial and industrial printing markets, Inèdit’s neoStampa product is a recognized benchmark solution for RIPs in digital textile printing. The Inèdit product portfolio features advanced workflow solutions for textile profiling, calibration, design integration and much more. Inèdit’s RIP technology is employed across the worldwide textile industry and is one of the leading RIPs used to drive EFI Reggiani digital printers and other digital industrial textile printer brands. As part of EFI Reggiani, Inèdit will continue to support products for a broad range of digital printers.

Baldwin Technology Company Inc., an innovator of advanced color-management solutions and inspection technology for the printing industry, will present its “Complete Solution” for printing and inspection at the Tax Stamp and Traceability Forum, held May 16 to 18 in Malta.

Baldwin’s Complete Solution can be any combination of feeders (roll or sheet), vacuum tables, inspection systems, inkjet printers, UV ink-curing systems, reject gates and bins, sheet stackers, and real-time monitoring and reporting tools. Alongside Baldwin’s technologies, optional solution components can be joined together through partnerships with suppliers to create a world-class solution.

For advanced defect detection, Baldwin’s Guardian PQV 100% Print Inspection camera systems can be mounted on one or both sides of the product to perform 100% print-quality inspection, verify variable data and inspect the most challenging security print features. The system offers lighting options for all materials and substrates, as well as for special applications, including holograms, covert serialization, covert security features and more. The Guardian PQV can also be retrofitted to existing presses, machines and transports.
 
As part of a data-connected defect-management workflow, the Guardian PQV is a feature-rich inline defect-detection system that enables printers to find and remove defects quickly—and monitor their processes to prevent defects from occurring again or repeatedly. This technology provides complete print-quality verification from prepress through production, reporting and archiving for perfect runs.

Baldwin recently realigned its sales teams to optimize service and simplify access to its process-improvement and consumables technologies for printing and packaging customers in more than 100 countries. Two new sales professionals have since joined the team, covering smaller regional geographies and providing customers with a single point of contact for all of Baldwin’s product lines.

Mimaki Europe will be showcasing its latest innovative technologies and connecting with customers at FESPA 2022 Global Printing Expo (May 31st – June 3rd Berlin). Following the success of FESPA 2021, Mimaki will return as a gold sponsor for this landmark industry event. With a host of new solutions released this year, FESPA 2022 will be the first opportunity for Mimaki to demonstrate these printers and cutters at an international event and further explain the many benefits they offer sign and textile printing companies.

In the Spotlight
Standout technology on show includes the new 330 series, consisting of the JV330-160, the CJV330-160 and the TS330-1600. Launched during the company’s Global Innovation Days event, the 330 Series leverages Mimaki’s cross-platform strategy, to offer a high-end yet cost effective printing solution across several sectors. The eco-solvent inkjet printers, the JV330-160 and CJV330-160, boast innovative features such as the new media changer that allows three rolls of media to be loaded simultaneously, and the XY slitter, which provides in-line X-axis and Y-axis sheet-fed cutting. The TS330-1600, which will make its international tradeshow debut at FESPA, is a sublimation printer with an improved take-up system and optional add-ons to further increase efficiency, including a 10kg ink tank supply unit and a mini jumbo roll unit.

Additionally, FESPA visitors will see Mimaki’s all new CG-AR cutting plotter.

Urbanising FESPA 2022
In line with FESPA 2022’s tagline, ‘Experience print in motion’, Mimaki’s stand will bring a vibrancy to the show, by demonstrating real-world applications alongside the machines that created them. This year will see Mimaki’s stand convey the streets of Berlin in its design, and urban inspired works by designers, including Nicky Nahafahik and Xavier Protano, all printed using various Mimaki’s printing technologies and displayed on the stand - allowing visitors experience Berlin from inside the Messe Berlin halls. Mimaki will also join forces with Dutch designer Tessa Koops to create a selection of unique fashion items, after their successful collaborations in 2019.

Celebrating Customer Success
As a centrepiece of Mimaki’s stand, the customer gallery will return to FESPA 2022, showcasing and celebrating customer samples and testimonials. There will also be live demonstrations of Mimaki’s latest technologies in dedicated sign, UV and textile application areas. The latest UV printers on display include the UJV100, and the JFX and UJF series. The acclaimed 3D printer, the 3DUJ-2207, will also return to FESPA this year to showcase the many high-quality, full-colour models, including figurines, scale models and prototypes, achievable with this cost-efficient, entry-level printer.

To answer questions about the applications and Mimaki technologies, hospitality and meeting areas will provide space for one-to-one conversations with Mimaki experts.

• Konica Minolta First to Launch Presses with EFI Fiery FS500 Pro Software and New Hardware  
• Five new Fiery servers reduce job prep time while helping to ensure colour accuracy and higher overall throughput  

Electronics For Imaging, Inc. and Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe GmbH (Konica Minolta) have announced a continuation of their long-term partnership with the release of five new EFI™ Fiery® digital front ends (DFEs) based on the newest Fiery platform, Fiery FS500 Pro.
 
The new solutions EFI and Konica Minolta are announcing include:
·        EFI Fiery IC-319 and IC-318 v2 DFEs that will drive the Konica Minolta AccurioPress C14000/C12000 colour production presses for the high-end production printing market
·        EFI Fiery IC-319 and IC-318L v2 DFEs that will drive the Konica Minolta AccurioPress C7100/C7090 light-production colour presses
·        EFI Fiery IC-317 and IC-419 v2 DFEs that will drive the Konica Minolta AccurioPress C4080/C4070 and AccurioPrint C4065 printers.
 
“With these new EFI Fiery DFEs, we continue to extend the range of what AccurioPress users can achieve,” said Olaf Lorenz, General Manager DX Branding Division Konica Minolta, Inc. “We are pleased to be the first to bring these powerful new DFE solutions into our portfolio as they bring more competitive capabilities to Konica Minolta’s digital printing portfolio.”
 
EFI Fiery FS500 Pro servers offer a higher value proposition
 
“The Fiery FS500 Pro new platform offers advanced speed, higher automation and more capability than other digital front ends,” said John Henze, vice president of sales and marketing, EFI Fiery. “Intelligent automation solutions in these new EFI Fiery DFEs also save customers labour cost and time by minimising the need for manual inspection of print jobs, improving automated u management, and eliminating the need to print a test file to determine where to place finishing lines.
 
“All this decreases cycle time and increases customers’ profit opportunities, while ensuring that they can delight their clients with printing that gets completed accurately and quickly. Reducing the time prepress and press operators must spend on these repetitive tasks also helps print business owners make staff more efficient, offsetting the difficulties they have hiring and retaining talent in today’s labour-constrained economy.”

• Dye Sublimation Papers that bring colour to life

At the upcoming FESPA Global Print Expo 2022 (31 May to 3 June) in Berlin, leading specialty papers manufacturer Sappi will be showcasing its extensive portfolio of coated and uncoated dye sublimation papers, containerboard and silicone base papers. At Europe’s most significant trade fair for screen and digital printing, large-format printing and textile printing, visitors to stand 4.2-D20 will have an opportunity to see for themselves the many qualities and diverse applications of Sappi’s papers:

• Experience the comprehensive portfolio of sublimation papers
• Learn about Sappi’s plans to support further market growth
• See the benchmark products for corrugated board production
• Explore the full range of silicone base papers

Investment in increasing production capacities for sublimation papers
Sappi’s theme for this year’s FESPA Global Print Expo is “Seed. Thrive. Earn.” Sappi, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of speciality papers, has indeed planted a seed by recognising the rapidly growing importance of sublimation papers for digital transfer printing. The company recently announced that it will be investing a sum in the low double-digit million euros over the next two years in the expansion of its “Centre of Excellence” for speciality papers at its Carmignano site in northern Italy. The investment aims to increase production capacity to support further growth of the dye sublimation paper business. It will also further improve the company’s first-class service, while shortening delivery times.

Comprehensive product portfolio of sublimation papers for a multitude of applications
Thanks to previous investments, Sappi is ideally positioned to offer an extensive portfolio of dye sublimation papers for digital transfer printing. These are constantly being improved and adapted to the latest market requirements and ongoing developments in sustainability. Sublimation papers are used in the fashion, home textile, sportswear and sports equipment sectors as well as in the soft signage and hard substrates industries.

This year, all papers will be displayed with new designs and materials to give visitors the best possible overview and insight into the numerous application possibilities adapted to a variety of machine types and speeds. In addition to Sappi Basejet, an uncoated sublimation paper, the complete Transjet brand product family will be presented.

High-quality containerboard products for corrugated board applications
For applications such as promotion displays, high-quality packaging or e-commerce cartons, Sappi offers a portfolio of coated and uncoated liner qualities. These guarantee brilliant colour reproduction as well as excellent contrast and improved readability. The 100 per cent virgin fibre Fusion range liners are today’s premium solutions for displays, consumer packaging, shelf-ready packaging and trays. With their homogeneous surface and high whiteness, the virgin fibre liners fulfil all the requirements for strong brand impact at POS.

A full spectrum of silicone base papers
Silicone base paper products complement Sappi’s portfolio at this year’s FESPA. Developed as release liners for self-adhesive applications such as automotive foiling, outdoor advertising and office materials, they offer exceptional siliconization properties as well as easy and efficient processing.

• Hundreds of designers, brands, creators, e-com platforms, manufacturers, and virtual fashion pioneers expected to attend VIP events at Kornit’s headquarters, R&D and production centers, and in major venues of Tel Aviv     
• Kornit will unveil future technologies and solutions, including the revolutionary Kornit Apollo fully-digital mass production direct-to-garment (DTG) platform – considered a future game-changer for the mainstream mass production of fashion and apparel, a multi-billion-dollar market opportunity – constrained today by antiquated, analog, and polluting methods of production
• Mass production of textile, traditionally off-shored, is going through an accelerated shift to near-shore production, significantly shorter production runs, lean-to-no inventory risk, and unlimited creativity and flexibility for designers and creators – all possible with Kornit’s new solution for mass production
• Kornit will also unveil its Kornit Atlas MAX Poly – predicted to transform the multi-billion-dollar professional and recreational sports apparel and teamwear markets, suffering today from major limitations with mass customization of polyester

Kornit Digital Ltd. (NASDAQ: KRNT) (“Kornit”), a worldwide market leader in sustainable, on-demand digital fashionx and textile production, announced today the Company will present the convergence of design, technology, and sustainable fashion at Kornit Fashion Week Tel Aviv 2022, April 3rd – 6th. Rewriting the rules for fashion and textiles, the transformative event will unveil vibrant runway collections together with game-changing industry-first product and technology introductions that bring digital production to the mainstream.

The four-day event is attended by some of the top designers, retailers, brands, fulfillers, and ecommerce players, in addition to global investors and press – and will include exclusive VIP experiences demonstrating the confluence of the design, technology, and fashion worlds. Together, these three elements are central to Kornit’s 4.0 strategy, bringing sustainable, on-demand fashion to the mainstream with end-to-end workflow solutions.

Kornit Fashion Week Tel Aviv 2022

Kornit Fashion Week features an immersive runway showcase produced by worldwide fashion icon, producer, director, and entrepreneur Motty Reif. The week follows successful Kornit events in 2021 across Los Angeles, New York, Milan, and Tel Aviv – displaying the creative freedom associated with sustainable, on-demand fashion fulfillment. Attendees will experience runway events showcasing designer creativity across a broad array of collections. These fascinating collections were created in just a few weeks, unlike typical fashion and textile production processes that take over six months.

Industry-First Introductions

Looking behind the scenes at Kornit Fashion Week, attendees will witness Kornit’s disruptive mass production technology in action. Unveiled for the first time, the Kornit Apollo direct-to-garment (DTG) system addresses accelerated post-pandemic market trends for streamlined supply chains and production nearshoring. Demonstrated at an exclusive VIP event, Kornit Apollo features the Company’s proven MAX technology offering the highest retail quality combined with full automation control and integrated smart curing processes, utilizing functionality from Lichtenau, Germany-based Tesoma (Kornit’s recently announced acquisition). The solution is the most comprehensive digital, single-step end-to-end system for nearshore short-and-medium-runs mass production and offers optimal TCO and highest output per operator. The result far surpasses performance of screen printing and analog techniques. With early customer engagements in the second half of 2022, the system will be available mid-2023.

Physical and Virtual Worlds

Kornit enables customers to exchange supply chain headaches and materials waste for unsurpassed creativity and a frictionless pixel-to-parcel-to-doorstep production experience. Supported by the KornitX workflow solution, customers have access to a scalable and modular ecosystem for on-demand decorated apparel and textiles. Supporting diverse supply chain models, the infrastructure-agnostic system enables on-demand, automated production, end-to-end from initial order to package delivery.