California Apparel News

Memjet, a San Diego–headquartered print-technology company, announced that it is getting into the textile game. It recently announced a partnership with Austria-based MHM, a provider of textile-printing equipment. They produced a demonstration of their collaboration project at the Impressions Expo, which took place in Long Beach, Calif., Jan. 17–19. The partnership represents the first time Memjet’s technology has been used to create a garment-printing solution, according to a company statement.

MHM will use Memjet’s DuraFlex technology in its iQ textile-printing press. The DuraFlex will make digital printing more user friendly, said Thomas Fröhlich, MHM’s chief executive officer.

“Printer uptime is critical to the success of our customers,” Fröhlich said. “But many of our customers have limited technical knowledge or operate in regions with limited technical resources. That’s why we chose DuraFlex. Its long printhead life combined with easy maintenance ensures our customers have the resources needed to produce high-quality output and succeed in this fast-paced market consistently.”

The DuraFlex also will offer enhanced durability, said Russell Boa, a Memjet senior vice president in charge of the company’s short-run digital business.

“Combining the speed, simplicity and affordability of DuraFlex with the extensive capabilities of the iQ Oval creates a hybrid printing solution with the quality and flexibility needed to meet the demands of direct-to-garment printing today and in the years ahead,” Boa said. Memjet creates a design alternative by offering complete printing systems, according to a company statement. The San Diego company has designed and developed modular printing technologies that combine printheads, inks, data paths and modules.

Direct-to-garment printing has increasingly become an important focus at the Impressions Show. Leading printer companies such as Epson, Kornit, Roland and Brother all come to the trade show to introduce new digital-printing machines.