Epson reveals micro-production technology at Fespa 2024

Epson's theme for FESPA is personalisation through micro-production as the company reveals a storefront of beautifully designed, colourful, printed, bespoke items. 

"Fespa this year is all about demonstrating how Epson's micro-production digital printing technology can support businesses producing beautiful, bespoke products that enhance our lives," says Chris Davies from Epson Europe's commercial and industrial printing division. "The variety of printing techniques on display demonstrates the many advanced flexible applications of Epson's digital printer range, including the latest dye sublimation, Direct-to-Garment (DTG) and Ultra-Violet (UV) signage printers."

On the stand in Amsterdam, Epson will demonstrate, for the first time, its new SureColor-V1000 A4 flatbed UV printer and its entry-level SureColor-F1000 DTG printer. 

Epson's SureColor-V1000 A4 UV flatbed printer has been designed to serve the needs of businesses in the promotional goods industry. Highly compact and affordable, the SC-V1000 prints on a wide range of substrates with thicknesses up to 70mm, including acrylics, polycarbonates, PVC, aluminium, metal, polyester, foamboard, styrene, wood and stone, making it ideal for creating promotional and personalised items. The SC-V1000 new UV flatbed printer will interest many businesses, from photo retailers and small goods manufacturers to e-commerce printers and visitor attractions, such as theme parks.

Epson's SureColor-F1000 DTG printer is the first entry-level DTG printer that can print directly onto dark and light fabrics. Completing Epson's industry-leading range of hybrid DTG and DTF (Direct-to-Film) printers, the SC-F1000 will be of particular interest to hobbyists, retailers and businesses that require a cost-effective solution with the flexibility to print on a wide range of fabric types. 

The SC-F1000 is the only printer in its category to include white ink, enabling it to print directly onto dark garments and on film. This allows producers to print on many items such as t-shirts, hoodies, bags, sweatshirts, and cushions, and it is ideal for companies providing in-store printing in a quick time.

Alongside the SureColor-F1000 will be Epson's recently launched DTG hybrid SureColor F2200, designed for start-up companies or medium-volume businesses requiring high flexibility, accuracy and rapid turnaround. 

Designed to produce complex designs on a variety of garments, the SureColor F2200 uses Epson's advanced PrecisionCore MicroTFP printhead technology to provide faster printing and data processing speeds, resulting in a productivity increase of up to 25% over its predecessor while maintaining extremely high print quality. 

Also showing at Fespa this year will be Epson's recently launched 17-inch photo and fine-art production printer. The new SureColor-P5300 combines the advanced technology of the Epson SC-P700/P900 with the flexibility and production capability of the Epson SC-P5000. It is designed to serve the needs of professional photographers, fine art users, design agencies and photo retail stores. 

The SC-P5300 offers exceptional image quality thanks to the consistency and accuracy of Epson's Micro Piezo printhead technology, coupled with an optimised colour gamut and UltraChrome Pro10 ink with violet as standard. The printer also offers black enhanced overcoat (BEO) and a carbon black mode for delivering the highest black density, improved contrast, better tonality and reduced bronzing in dark areas on glossy media.

Additional production printers on stand this year include:

• Epson's compact SC-F100 A4 dye sublimation printer is designed to expand business opportunities with high-quality printing on gifts and promotional goods. The quality and consistency levels are achieved through Epson's PrecisionCore MicroTFP printhead, a look-up table (LUT) designed for promotional goods and gifts, and rigid substrates.
• Epson's first 24-inch dye sublimation printer - SC-F500 - was developed to help promotional houses, photo labs, clothing producers and copy shops increase customer choice through flexible, high-quality printing.
• The recently launched SC-F6400H 44-inch, 6-colour dye-sublimation printer allows businesses to expand into new markets, as the extended ink sets can achieve a wider colour gamut with Orange and Violet, reduce graininess with Light Cyan and Magenta or print true fluorescents with Fluorescent Pink and Yellow.

"Many small and medium-sized businesses are using Epson's digital printing technology to produce and retail uniquely designed, highly desirable and personalised items, so we will be showing many fine examples of these items on our stand this year. The stand will be presented as a storefront with many colourful examples of personalised and promotional items ranging from custom-designed t-shirts, photos and canvas applications to bespoke notebooks, phone cases, magnets, coasters and water bottles,” concludes Davies.