The Durst P5 TEX iSUB industrial-grade roll-to-roll sublimation printer with inline fixation makes it easier to print directly to rolls of polyester textiles up to 3.4 meters wide. The printer can be used to print soft signage for events, trade shows, retail displays, and visual communications as well as fabrics for interior decor.
iSUB fixation technology eliminates the need to print first on transfer paper, then load both the printed paper and blank fabric onto a separate rotary heat calendar for fusing the inks to the fibers of the fabric.
The fixation technology includes a compact dryer with contactless IR (infrared) heating. The contactless fixing technology ensures excellent color consistency as well as extreme sharpness of detail in images and text. A smart exhaust system integrated into the dryer helps eliminate blurring or bleeding of color that can occur as the fluids that carried the dyes to the fabric evaporate.
Compared to the paper transfer method of inkjet sublimation, the in-line fixation technology reduces energy costs up to 60% and production time by 40%. The in-fixation enables unattended printing and requires only one operator.
It also produces the deep blacks and vibrant colors required for backlit soft signage.
For graphics shops that want the versatility to decorate a wider variety of surfaces, the Durst P5 TEX iSUB can also be used for transfer paper printing. And shops that already have an industrial-duty calendar can buy a Durst P5 TEX sublimation printer without the integrated fixation system.
Other features of the Durst P5 TEX printer iSUB printer include:
- The ability to load two rolls of materials up to 133.8 in. in upper and lower positions.
- Simultaneous dual-roll printing on 64-wide rolls
- A sewing station that allows the next roll to be printed to be attached to the roll that is currently loaded.
Durst Sublifix Ink
The Durst Sublifix inks have been optimized to provide sharp details for the direct-to-fabric printing process with inline fusing. The 8 ink channels can use two sets of CMYK inks or CMYK plus light cyan, light magenta, light black, and orange.
The light colors of cyan and magenta provide a high level of detail and ensure harmonious gradients. The orange and light black inks help expand the color space in a targeted manner.
The inks have Oeko-Tex® Eco Passport certification, which means the chemistries have been rigorously tested for cleaner, safer products and production.
What Users Say
One company using the Durst P5 TEX iSUB printer is Infinity Images, a Portland, Oregon-based design, print, and custom display fabrication company. When they learned about the Durst P5 TEX iSUB printer, they quickly recognized how it could help fulfill their goal to provide innovative visuals for exceptional brands.
“We had a long list of features we wanted in a new fabric press,” explained George Gross. CEO and Founder of Infinity Images. “We wanted excellent resolution, very dense solid color coverage, no pinholes, color fidelity, and the option to print directly to fabric or transfer paper.”
Because Infinity already used six other Durst printers, Gross knew the TEX iSUB printer would be able to endure heavy use without frequent maintenance: “Like other Durst products, the machine is robustly built, and has been incredibly reliable.”
“The six-color inkset matches all our other printing devices and produces superior highlight areas in our clients’ images,” adds Gross. “It has enhanced our production capabilities to fulfill larger and/or short-delivery-time projects. And, it has allowed us to reduce waste by sewing the next roll to the end of the current one. The P5 Tex iSub is helping us provide superior products, allowing us to increase market share.”
About The Durst Group
Durst Group AG is a leading manufacturer of professional digital imaging systems for large-format graphics and displays, labels and packaging, ceramics, and corrugated materials. The P5 iSUB printer is part of Durst’s P5 portfolio of printing and process automation products that allow unsupervised print production and eliminate bottlenecks in the entire chain of production.
The company operates manufacturing facilities in Brixen, Italy, and Lienz, Austria, and has major offices in North America, France, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, and Singapore. Durst’s reputation for quality, precision, innovation, sustainability, and reliability spans more than 80 years.