Mimaki USA, a leading manufacturer of wide-format inkjet printers and cutters, today introduced the TS300P-1800 production dye sublimation printer.
This 77-inch wide, roll-to-roll model is a dedicated transfer paper printer, offering new levels of quality and productivity for digital textile printing or applications requiring transfer to hard surfaces.
“Mimaki has a long history of developing products for the digital textile printing industry and is a recognized leader in this segment,” said Ken VanHorn, director, Marketing and Business Development for Mimaki USA. “The TS300P printer is a new high-production, feature-rich printer that leverages the years of expertise and industry learning in the dye sublimation process. It has been engineered specifically for the dye-sublimation industry delivering cost-effective and high-quality printing while significantly increasing productivity on thin transfer materials.”
Technological features that anticipate everyday reality
- High gap printhead. Thin transfer papers are gaining popularity because they can provide more square footage per roll, offering the ability for higher throughput and productivity at lower costs. However, they are susceptible to cockling, which can produce uneven results or cause a head strike. To prevent contact between the printhead and cockled media, a high head gap setting is required. In conventional digital printing, high gap conditions drastically reduce the accuracy of the ink droplet placement leading to severe reduction in image quality and line fidelity. To counter this, the TS300P printer employs a new printhead that ensures accurate ink droplet placement with a high head gap, enabling high quality printing on thin transfer paper.
- Media handling system. The printer uses a powerful vacuum feed platen that holds media taut, while larger media press plates minimize cockling by reducing media uplift immediately after printing. These systems work together to ensure a more consistent surface for uniformed printing. The Auto Media Feeder applies calibrated tension to the media, maintaining stable and precise media feed and take-up. This also reduces telescoping of the media during takeup and eliminates the potential for buckling or creasing during the calendar transfer process thereby accommodating long run, full roll transfers.
- Production print speeds. The TS300P printer delivers high productivity with print speeds of up to 1238 square feet (115 square meters) per hour in four-color mode. Print speeds of up to 700 square feet (65 square meters) per hour can be achieved in six-color mode.
- New Sb410 inks. Mimaki-developed and manufactured Sb410 sublimation inks offer enhanced resolvability, which improves the print production yield by ensuring more stable ink jetting. These inks produce deep blacks and near-fluorescent colors. Moreover, because the ink stability is improved, daily cleaning is easier and fewer regular cleanings are required, further contributing to cost reduction and higher throughput.
- Variable dot technology. Four print heads are included, with a total of 3200 nozzles. Up to three different drop sizes – automatically determined by ink type and print mode – deliver accurate dot placement even with high head gap printing.
- Mimaki Advanced Pass System 4 (MAPS4). This technology prints passes in a gradation-like method by dispensing ink drops between passes. This unique imaging technology reduces banding, uneven ink drying and bi-directional stripes, resulting in smoother images with no distinct bands.
- 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. Each TS300P printer includes the Mimaki Bulk Ink System 3 (MBIS3) that features two-liter ink packs. This system reduces ink costs when compared to ink cartridges used in competitive products, and enables unattended printing, freeing staff to work on other projects. In a four-color setup, empty ink pouches can be replaced without stopping the ongoing printer operation.
- Workflow enhancements with Ethernet and Remote Event Notification. The TS300P printer can be connected to a network via Ethernet (or USB 2.0) connection, for flexibility in setting up the workflow. Via the Remote Event Notification feature, it can relay status information such as start, finish or error messages to a mobile phone or computer. This frees the operator for other tasks while remotely monitoring the printer’s progress.
- TxLink3 RIP software for textiles available. Mimaki’s TxLink3 software delivers exceptional color management including color replacement, accurate profile creation and fast file processing. The printer and RIP can be in different locations to facilitate more efficient system management and operation. The status of multiple printers can be monitored remotely from desktop or mobile devices. The Tx3Link RIP also enables accurate calculation of ink costs and print finish time as well as automatic nesting.
“Mimaki Engineering has really outdone itself with the TS300P printer for the dye sublimation and textile industry,” said Tommy Martin, Manager, Textile and Apparel Business Development Group for Mimaki USA. “The TS300P printer includes several advanced features that are specific to the dye sublimation transfer process. This new model gives Mimaki customers a high-production, low cost-of-operation solution.”
Availability
Mimaki USA will be demonstrating the TS300P dye sublimation printer at various trade shows throughout the summer, and will feature it at the Specialty Graphic and Imaging Association’s annual convention, November 4-6, in Atlanta. It is available for order now, with first expected deliveries in the Americas starting in late summer
