DTF printing was all the rage at this year’s Impressions Expo in Long Beach, California, from January 19-21. Manufacturers, suppliers, and attendees couldn’t stop talking about the new printing technology. Many print shops used the opportunity to gain a high level of direct-to-film knowledge and plan to purchase equipment at the upcoming upcoming DTF Expo. Click through the slideshow to see what you missed at the three-day tradeshow.
Image Armor debuted its North American DTF inks for Epson printheads that power DTF printers. Key features of Image Armor’s DTF inks, according to the company, include proven performance, tailored formulations for optimal printing results, and support of local industries. Read more about Image Armor DTF Inks here.
Mark Vasilantone of Vastex and Kim Johnson of Paisley Jo Designs discuss Vastex’s latest DTF Powder-to-Film system, which uniformly coats DTF films with adhesive powder, improving DTF printing performance and operator safety, according to Mark. Read more about the new product here.
The Roq Impress is an automated heat transfer press built to press multiple types of heat transfers including DTF, screen print, digital/screen hybrid, vinyl, and specialty transfers. At Impressions Expo, Supacolor hosted the machine with its DTF heat transfers. Read more about the ROQ Impress here.
Jay Busselle of Equipment Zone and DTF Printing Editor-in-Chief Adrienne Palmer hang at the EZ booth. Click the next slide to see the gang sheet printed via Equipment Zone’s EZ-Jet Pro 24 direct-to-film printer.
Gang sheets allow you to get the most out of your DTF transfers. These vibrant designs were printed via Equipment Zone’s EZ-Jet Pro 24 direct-to-film printer. Read more about the DTF printer here.
Brother showcased its standalone GTXpro DTF R2R solution. All of the GTXpro series printers can be converted to DTF via the roll-to-roll attachment.
A Stahls’ team member gives a demonstration of the Hotronix ProPlace IQ. This system features a patented projection alignment system and projects designs directly onto the platen.
Milissa Gibson of Lane Seven and High Voltage Studios joins a panel of business leaders in the Women in Print Panel hosted by Pam Ikegami of Shop Talk. Stay tuned for an episode of the DTF Printing Podcast with Milissa and her partner Tim Gibson of Supacolor and High Voltage Studios.
Bella + Canvas broke its typical mold of live screen printing at its booth and instead heat pressed T-shirts for attendees. Graphics were provided by Santa Barbara Artist DJ Javier.
The TxF300-75 direct-to-film printer was on display at Mimaki’s booth. The two-head TxF300-75 DTF printer caters to a diverse set of printing demands, caters to a wider range of fabric such as cotton, mixed fabric, polyester, and dark coloured fabrics, and is designed for large companies requiring high-quality outputs with high productivity. Read more about the DTF printer here.
Axiom America provides DTF printing solutions, including the Arcus DTF Printer 14-inch Complete System Package. The Arcus features dual Epson I-3200-A1 printheads, four-, six-, and eight-pass print resolution, and prints graphics up to 1440 dpi.
S&S Activewear showcased its myriad of blank apparel for the DTF printing space. S&S Activewear is providing the blank T-shirts for the exclusive DTF Expo show shirt. Don’t miss out on getting yours. Register for DTF Expo today.
SPSI’s Velox DTF System features three printheads, dual CMYK, four channels of white, and an Epson i3200 printhead.
ColorVibe DTF transfers from Howard Custom Transfers offer full-color capabilities and variable data options, and are ideal for low-quantity customization needs, as well as high-volume production.
DTF Superstore printed custom Impressions Expo Long Beach show shirts via its Mimaki TxF300-75 direct-to-film printer.
Famous flatstock printer Andy MacDougall live printed posters designed by Alyx Spurrier for Ink Kitchen’s Impressions Expo Long Beach fundraiser. More than $20,000 worth of donations were given to Care Closet. Care Closet is a non-profit that works directly with the unhoused and those challenged with reforming themselves to become members of society. DTF Printing is a proud sponsor.
The 24-inch M&R Quatro is a high-resolution industrial inkjet printer designed for direct-to-film printing. The CMYK+W inks used in the process enables the reproduction of complex designs with gradients, shadows, and a wide gamut of colors. Read more about the M&R Quatro DTF printer here.
The OmniDTF Curing Oven takes the film directly from the OmniDTF printer to create an integrated print-to-cure process.
STS Inks offers an array of DTF printers. At Impressions Expo Long Beach, Keypoint Intelligence presented the company with a Buyers Lab 2024 Pick Award for the STS XPJ-1682D (Outstanding High-Volume Roll-to-Roll DTF Printer 60cm and Over).
The 24-inch Cobraflex Powder Printer Space Saver Shaker CFP features rear heating, an emergency stop switch, air shock, a dual-power take-up system, and more.
Roland DGA premiered its BY-20 desktop direct-to-film water-based printer at Impressions Expo Long Beach. Roland DGA offers a complete DTF solution, including inks, transfer film, and powder (each sold separately).
Long Beach-themed designs flooded the booths at Impressions Expo Long Beach. Here you can see an example from Roland DGA via its new BY-20 desktop direct-to-film water-based printer.
Epson premiered its SureColor F1070 DTF and DTG hybrid printer on the show floor. The SureColor F1070 will be available for pre-orders in February and will begin shipping to customers in May 2024 through Epson Authorized Professional Imaging Resellers. Read more about the hybrid printer here.
U.N.I.T.E. Together U.N.I.T.E. Together hosted a 5k Run/Walk on Saturday, January 20th, before the Impressions Expo at Alamitos Beach. Donations to U.N.I.T.E. Together sponsor student trips to SkillsUSA state and national-level competitions. Read more about the fundraiser here.
Ryan Moor of MADE Lab, Ryonet, and Allmade, and Justin Lawrence of Oklahoma Shirt Company, took the stage at ROQFest, a free event with music, food, and drinks for Impressions Long Beach attendees and vendors.
Headliner Everclear rocked ROQFest with throwbacks from the ‘90s.
