Visitor registration for Printwear & Promotion LIVE! has now opened. The annual event for the garment and product decoration industry will take place at the NEC in Birmingham from Sunday, January 21 to Tuesday, January 23. It is on target to be the biggest to date, with plenty of innovation and inspiration to be found for the thousands of visitors who will be in attendance.
And now, as we draw closer to P&P LIVE!, exhibitors are beginning to unveil the abundance of new and exciting products that they will be launching at the show.
Here we take a look at just a fraction of new garment decoration equipment that you will be able to see in January.
Embroidery
Several new products in the embroidery sector will be launched at P&P LIVE! These include new accessories and backings from Madeira (stand E62), new embroidery frames from ETC Supplies (stand P72), the new Brother PR series from GS UK (stand B55) and the new KS series from Your Embroidery Services Ltd (stand H20 & H30).
Jas Purba, managing director of ETC Supplies says that in 2018 the company will continue to build on its extensive product offering to the embroidery sector. Visitors to ETC’s stand will be able to see all new embroidery frames, new framing tables and other tools of the trade to help with their embroidery business.
Being launched at the show is the new EZ Framer PLUS. Jas explains that this product simplifies the hooping/ framing process for both the novice and the veteran embroiderer. The unit comes with two ‘C’ clamps and can accommodate hoops and frames from the smallest sizes up to 21cm round hoops.
The new KS series from SWF will get its first outing in the UK on the YES Ltd stand at P&P LIVE! With a sewing speed of 1200rpm, it features a wider screen to make it easier for the user to see and use, while accurate positioning and increased colour change speed is achievable due to advanced mechanisms. These machines also offer a reduction in noise, vibration and power consumption.
DTG printing
On the DTG front, visitors will not be disappointed with the number of new products that will be getting their debut at the show.
The new GTX DTG printer from Brother will be running on both the GS UK (stand B55) and the MHM Direct GB (stand H50) stands. This new DTG printer eliminates the need for regular maintenance, making life easier for garment decorators. For many this will be the first chance to see this innovative DTG printer in action.
While over on the Resolute DTG stand (B20), visitors will be able to get a glimpse of the new R-Jet5i. This new printer replaces the R-Jet5, which has sold over a thousand units across the UK and Europe. Dubbed the pocket rocket, Resolute’s MD Colin Marsh, says the only thing that is small about the R-Jet5i are its price and running costs.
The R-Jet5i uses the same tried and tested chassis as the R-Jet5, but benefits from a modern print engine with a full 17in print bar. It is capable of printing a 10x12in colour image on a dark shirt in three minutes with just 35 seconds curing time.
Transfer printing
Two new exhibitors will be leading the way this year with innovations in the transfer printing arena.
InnoPrinter Transfer Technology (stand K62) will be demonstrating the InnoPrinter. The InnoPrinter utilises an innovative technology that combines the simplicity of transfer application with the efficiency and low print cost of traditional screen printing.
While Ghost White Toner (stand B60) will be presenting its toner transfer solution. By replacing the black toner cartridge with the Ghost White Toner cartridge every laser printer can be turned into a white toner printer.
The new Print Wizard Ghost from YES Ltd, utilises the Ghost White Toner technology. This self-weeding transfer system prints onto dark textiles using a low processing temperature, onto light, pastel and dark garments, such as cotton, synthetics, nylon and wool, and hard surfaces such as plastic, wood and metal. This is a fast, reliable and cost-effective way of offering printed items and garments for business start-ups, particularly where the order is for a small quantity.
On the Grafityp UK stand (H40) visitors will be able to see the new OKI PRO8432WT white toner laser printer in A3, which Neil Stevenson, commercial director, says the team is looking forward to showing off on stand. The OKI PRO8432WT has removed the design barriers presented by traditional CMYK printing processes. Printing solid white onto a variety of media, it can be used in a combination with transfer media to create vibrant print on dark backgrounds, dark coloured garments and other hard surfaces. This, as well as the A4 version, is perfect for use with the Forever garment transfer papers, supplied by Grafityp as well.
Also on stand, Grafityp will be demonstrating the very latest in print and cut equipment from Roland DG in the TrueVIs range, as well as the latest in vinyl cutters from GCC and Roland DG.
Heat presses and dryers
There are also several new heat press and dryers being launched at the show, including the new Digicure from Adelco (stand J60), Panther dryers from Dave Roper (stand A72) and the Hobstar and Insta 256Plus from TheMagicTouch (stand G60).
The Digicure is a medium-sized hot air textile dryer that is aimed at providing a new great value model with excellent curing ability for all textile ink systems. Mark Smith, director, explains that the popularity of Adelco’s dryers for Kornit printing systems and conventional water-based inks is a direct result of their reputation for supplying the most efficient dryers in both curing ability and low running costs.
Dave Roper is the exclusive dealer in the UK for Panther dryers. These are UK made machines and the range includes both small and larger scale dryers. Each dryer can be customised to meet specific needs, with the opportunity for both single and three phase options. The tunnel dryers are fitted with digital controls, one on the 700 Texitunnel range and two on the 8000 Texitunnels to control the front and rear heating zones.
The new Hobstar heat press
And finally, on TheMagicTouch’s stand visitors will find the new Hobstar and Insta 256Plus heat presses.
The Insta 256Plus is more suited for those already involved with professional garment decoration. It is a manual swing-away heat press machine with a 16x20in platen and has been meticulously crafted to ensure even distribution of pressure throughout the entire platen.
The Hobstar is a new A4 heat transfer press and is ideal for those looking to gain entry-level status in the business, while at the same time keeping within a budget. It is compatible with all transfer papers from TheMagicTouch and is also suitable for most sublimation platen based print applications.
