EFI is unveiling its new new fabric soft signage printer with in-line sublimation, the EFI Vutek FabriVU 340i at this year’s Fespa Global Expo, which is taking place this week in Berlin.
EFI says the aqueous dispersed dye-sublimation printer features a new platen and extraction system that enables in-line heat press sublimation directly from the printer.
The company claims its customers will gain greater convenience and value with the new offering, as it is available at a price that is less than the cost of a comparable printer and heat press purchased separately. Additionally the combined printer/heat press system is said to use less floor space than would be required with separate printing and sublimation stations.
Ken Hanulec, vice president of marketing, EFI Inkjet says, “Our new in-line innovation for this product line creates direct-to-fabric prints that are immediately ready for finishing or shipping. By combining two major production steps into one continuous process our customers can drive greater throughput and take full advantage of the rapidly growing soft signage and fabric printing market.”
“EFI has just sold our first Vutek 340i printer, and it has taken us to a significant milestone, as it is the 100th Vutek FabriVU aqueous soft-signage printer sold worldwide.”
CoverUp was the first company to purchase the 340i model printer. It chose the 133-inch (340-cm) wide device to take its soft signage capabilities to the next level of quality and productivity.
Anthony Byrne, director of CoverUp Operations says, “We were looking to increase our soft signage printing capacity with a reliable printer with inline fixation. We flew to EFI Reggiani in Italy to see one of the very first Vutek FabriVU 340i demos, and found the printer to be a significant upgrade in terms of image quality, productivity and reliability compared to our existing fabric printers. The addition of this latest technology from EFI is going to give us a significant competitive advantage in our marketplace.”
The new printer is said to provide the quality of EFI Vutek FabriVU aqueous dispersed dye-sub printing with sublimation completed in-line at fast production speeds. Customers who occasionally need to print to transfer paper and then sublimate offline can utilize a special direct-to-paper mode on the 340i model for printing only.
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