By Pat Hayes, CPP The road to success is strewn with failed attempts at trying to mimic the hot trend with no strategic plan, attempting to capture market share on price alone. This strategy, although successful in a growing economy, may spell ruination in down times. A changing workforce, coupled with our current world economic [...]

New RoughRap digital media from MACtac, Stow, Ohio, is an aggressive adhesive designed for application on rough textured surfaces, with the added advantage of being completely removable. This media can create the look of painted graphics on a challenging surface, such as a brick wall. SOURCE MACtac

Condé Systems, Mobile, Ala., introduced the DyeTrans RJ-900, a professional inkjet sublimation printer that offers 42-inch wide output, fast print speeds, a bulk ink delivery system, optional media take-up reel and an economical price point. Textile applications include indoor and outdoor banners, POP displays, custom decorated bulk fabrics, team sports apparel, towels, tote bags and [...]

Pacific Coast Fabrics, Gardena, Calif., completed its latest Digital Print Fabrics swatch book. The book features technical data of the new ready-to-print textile line. Information can also be found on an updated web site www.pacificcoastfabrics.com. The site contains details on each fabric, including suggested usage and the average yardage per roll, and an interactive “search [...]

Ultraflex Systems Inc., Randolph, N.J., introduced new fabrics. SuperPrint Lite FL is a matte finish, gray-backed PVC media for optimal front-lit billboard applications. It has no PVC on the backside making it lightweight, easy to transport and install, and more easily recyclable. SuperPrint Plus FL is a front-lit media available in matte and gloss finishes [...]

Huntsman Textile Effects, Basel, Switzerland, and Genencor, Palo Alto, Calif., introduced Gentle Power Bleach. The solution bleaches textiles in a more environmentally friendly way and allows for low temperature bleaching of textiles at 65 degrees Celsius and at a neutral pH range so that savings in water and energy consumption of up to 40 percent [...]

EFI, Foster City, Calif., introduced two VUTEk wide format UV printers: a 3.2-meter hybrid VUTEk GS3200 for high image quality and speeds up to 2,400 square feet per hour; and a 5-meter, roll-to-roll VUTEk GS5000r, combining enhanced point-of-purchase quality capability with billboard production speeds up to 3,100 square feet per hour. SOURCE EFI

The Brother GT-541 is small enough to sit on a desktop, yet large enough to print up to 14-inch by 16-inch graphics. It prints lifelike, high resolution, full color graphics in less than one minute for most designs—directly from your computer. The GT-541 uses water-based pigment inks that withstand repeated washings, and is faster and [...]

Pacific Coast Fabrics, Gardena, Calif., now stocks Deko-Tex Lotos 7058FLBN, a water repellent polyester outdoor fabric. Digital printers have had difficulty with water repellent textiles because ink and dye were equally repelled from the fabric. With this new material, the repellent is activated by heat in the calendaring process, after the material has been printed. [...]

Practix Manufacturing USA, Acworth, Ga., introduced the OK-405RW-5M wide format rotary heat transfer printer. With a belt width of up to 220 inches, it can print fabric widths and grand format projects up to 16 feet wide. This efficient and eco-friendly printer will heat fix printed fabric or dye sublimation transfer onto super-wide media. SOURCE [...]