US print specialist Eastman Kodak Company has launched a new ink system for film-to-fabric (FTF) use. The technology is said to be compatible with most modified inkjet printers but is deemed best suited for customers with direct-to-garment (DTG) digital printing solutions.
It uses powder, film and ink, and can print on a wide range of substrates including both natural and synthetic fibres. This, the company says, offers greater flexibility for users.
“We are pleased to announce the entry of Kodak into this market, giving more customers access to a high-quality, lower cost business option to create amazing, printed fabric projects,” said Grant French, Kodak’s DTG and FTF Product Manager.
The Kodak brand has produced and sold digital inks for thermal piezo and continuous inkjet systems for more than two decades, and this latest system is indicative of the wealth of innovation in the textile printing space.
A report by Smithers Pira in 2017 estimated that the sector had risen from $321 mn to more than $1 bn in five years. It went on the predict that the sector would be valued at more than $2 bn by 2022.
Kodak insists it’s keen to capitalise on the industry’s huge growth potential and will offer solutions across apparel, accessories, upholstery and soft signage.
