After acquiring and merging with Aleph, a developer of digital textile printers and software, the Durst Group is expanding into printed textile markets beyond soft signage. As the 2025 FESPA Global Print Expo, the Durst Group announced their new LF GT/GF series of printers. The printers in the series will use water-based inks to decorate rolls of fabrics used in making fashion apparel, sportswear, and home textiles, such as curtains, upholstery, bed linens, tablecloths, and towels.
The first wide-format digital textile printer to result from merging Aleph and Durst engineering expertise is the LF 430 GF printer which was demonstrated at FESPA. The printer uses Durst’s water-based Onda Pigment Fabrics ink to print directly to natural and synthetic fabrics and blended fabrics on rolls up to 133 in. wide.
Pigment-ink textile printing is more sustainable than traditional dyeing and printing processes that require steaming, washing, and special treatments. Pigment-ink direct-to-fabric printing can decorate a variety of fabric types while reducing water usage, energy consumption, and wastewater discharge. Plus, textile manufacturers can efficiently and quickly produce printed patterns and colors only in the quantities ordered.
Background
Before the acquisition of Aleph, Durst Group was already recognized as an innovator in dye-sublimation printing of soft signage on polyester fabrics.
Durst’s 5-meter P5 Tex iSUB uses a contactless in-line fixation technology that eliminates the need for a separate calendar (rotary heat press) to transfer graphics from the printed sublimation paper to the fabric surface. The streamlined process reduces production time by up to 40% and energy usage by up to 60%.
The P5 500 TEX iSUB can be used for faster, more sustainable production of higher volumes of soft signage fabrics or to make seamless super-wide backlit and frontlit signs for interior applications such as trade-show booths, museum exhibits, stage backdrops, and interior decor.
About the GT/GF Printers
The GT/GF printer models will enable Durst Group to sell printing systems to the wider range of businesses who print textiles for indoor and/or outdoor applications.
The printers in the GT/GF series use Kyocera printheads and one of Durst’s Onda water-based sublimation or pigment inks. Ink droplet sizes from 4 to 72 pl.
The three GT (Graphic Transfer) printers use Onda Sublitra inks that are specifically designed for high-performance transfer-paper printing.
The two GF (Graphic Fabric) models print direct to fabric. One GF printer uses Onda Sublifab sublimation ink for direct printing to polyester fabrics. The other uses Onda Pigment Fabrics inks for printing on fabrics such as cotton, linen, and fabric blends.
DURST LF GT SERIES
The three printers in GT Series have up to 6 color channels, a patented vacuum belt, and an LF dryer for paper. They output CMYK Sublitra inks onto specialty sublimation papers that transfer the images to polyester fabric when heat-pressed on a separate calendar machine. They differ in terms of maximum print width and print speeds.
LF 400 GT
Maximum print width: 70.8 in. (1800 mm)
Production speed: 5,651 sq ft/hr (525 sq m/h)
High speed: 7,534 sq ft/hr (700 sq m/h)
LF 420 GT
Maximum print width is 86.8 in. (2200 mm)
Production speed: 5,812 sq ft/h (540 sq m/h)
High speed: 7,534 sq ft/h (700 sq m/h)
LF 430 GT
Maximum print width: 126 in. (3200 mm)
Production speed: 7,405 sq ft/h (688 sq m/h)
High speed: 10,763 sq ft/h (1,000 sq m/h)
DURST LF GF SERIES
These two direct-to-fabric printers have maximum print widths of 133.8 in. (3400 mm). They use a sticky belt to hold stretchy fabrics in place during printing. The key differences between the two printers are the types of inks used and number of color channels.
LG 430 GF
This printer uses up to 8 color channels of Onda Sublifab ink to print vibrant colors and sharp details directly on polyester fabric.
Production Speed: 7,405 sq ft/h (688 sq m/h)
High Speed: 10,763 sq ft/h (1,000 sq m/h
Dryer: LF Dryer 3400 for Fabrics
LG 430 GF
This model uses up to 7 color channels of Onda Pigment Fabrics inks to print vibrant, durable colors directly on cotton, linen, and blended fabrics.
Production Speed: 2,422 sq ft/h (225 sq m/h)
High Speed: 3,229 sq ft/h (300 sq m/h)
Dryer: Unitech Rainbow 3400 for Fabrics.
The Strategic Acquisition
The GT/GF series is the result of Durst Group’s acquisition of Aleph, an Italian company founded in 2000 to develop textile-printing software and supplies. Based in Como (the heart of the Italian textile industry), Aleph expanded to become an independent manufacturer of digital printing systems that used water-based inks.
The acquisition combines Durst Group’s global presence and extensive procurement network with Aleph’s expertise in sustainable digital equipment and software solutions for textiles and decoration.
When the acquisition was announced in 2023, Christoph Gamper, CEO and co-owner of the Durst Group. noted that, “Their expertise in sustainable, water-based applications, their software for high-end textiles, and creative solutions for water-based poster printing align perfectly with our vision of pushing the boundaries of digital printing technology. Together we will strengthen our market position, expand our product portfolio and enhance value for our global customers.”
Durst Como
Before introducing the new printer series at FESPA 2025, Durst announced that the integration with Aleph should be fully completed by the end of this year. Aleph’s facility in Como has been renamed Durst Como and is expected to emerge as a new center of excellence for digital textile printing.
“Durst Como will be our innovation center for the textile future — a hub that unites technology, software and passion,” said Gamper. And Durst engineers have worked closely with Aleph textile-printing experts to produce a new series of Durst industrial printers that can print pigment inks directly on textiles.
Product management will be centralized under the leadership of Andrea Riccardi, Head of Product Management, Graphics and Textile, at the Durst Group. Roberto Frigerio will serve as Managing Director of Durst Como. Roberto Manes will lead research and development, and Alessandro Manes will oversee global sales activities for the textile printers.
For more information, visit: https://www.durst-group.com/