Epson Australia announces its new Monna Lisa ML-8000 direct-to-fabric textile printer at PacPrint 2022

For the first time in Australia at PacPrint 2022, Epson Australia will present applications and samples on its new Monna Lisa ML-8000 direct-to-fabric textile printer - the new standard in textile image quality. 

The ML-8000 is the new entry model in the Monna Lisa series with eight of the latest PrecisionCore printheads. The ML-8000 packs the power and performance of the latest world-class Epson inkjet printing and manufacturing technologies into a single package.

The Monna Lisa series combines performance and usability to meet the needs of the digital textile market for flexibility and sustainability. With its eight PrecisionCore printheads, the ML-8000 reaches typical print speeds of 155
square metres per hour (600x600 dpi – 2 passes).

The ML-8000 is a next-generation digital textile printer with high print quality,
productivity, stable operation with minimal downtime, and allows easy operation for an affordable price, making it the ideal printer for companies looking to move into local, onshore digital printing and production.

Digital printing has become increasingly popular with fashion and textile designers as they strive to meet the increased demands for short runs and fast fashion while under pressure from public criticism to ease environmental burdens. The ability to deliver digital designs for digital print-on-demand enables businesses to offer their customers a faster turnaround without having to rely on mass shipments of stock crossing continents, much of which results in higher waste streams due to analogue printing. 

The Monna Lisa ML-8000 is symbolic of the all-round quality of Epson’s digital print technology, blended with the uncompromising standards of fashion inspired by Epson’s print partner Robustelli and its rich history of textile design and manufacturing in Italy’s Como province.

The ML-8000’s superior image quality is enabled by Epson’s high quality printheads. Epson’s exclusive Microweave and lookup table (LUT) technologies reduce banding and graininess and advanced new Multi-Layer Halftone Technology (MLHT), which randomises the halftone dot pattern on each layer, reduces image degradation caused by dot misalignment. Dynamic Alignment Stabiliser (DAS) technology also ensures stable print quality by controlling waveforms on each printhead chip for higher dot placement accuracy and more uniform dot density on each pass. 

The ML-8000 also features symmetrical colour alignment for consistent colour overlap order during bidirectional low pass printing, and Accurate Belt Position Control (ABPC) technology automatically detects the belt feeding distance to ensure highly precise fabric feeding. The result is optimal quality and speed, with superb reproduction of colour gradations, fine details and complex geometric patterns.

Stable operation with unprecedented usability is realised with the advanced cleaning mechanisms and automated adjustment functions. A fluff blower system removes fluff from the fabric surface before it enters the printing area and an ink mist extraction system helps prevent ink mist from adhering to the nozzle surface. 

Nozzle verification technology (NVT) detects missing dots that indicate nozzle clogging and adjusts ink delivery to maintain image quality and reduce printing errors. An easy-to-replace fabric wiper roll continuously wipes the printhead nozzles clean automatically, reducing daily manual maintenance work. High accuracy of printhead alignment technology allows the user to replace the head quickly. 

Thanks to an automatic calibration function by an RGB camera, operators can carry out printhead replacement including adjustments in as little as 30 minutes. 

Epson’s Remote Monitoring System (24/7 monitoring) enables a quick response to potential problems, reducing downtime and service calls.

Ease of use is enhanced by a 9-inch LCD touch panel that displays current printer status, operating instructions, and regular maintenance procedures, and by hot-swappable, dual 10-litre or 3-litre high-capacity ink cartridges that allow
uninterrupted production.

Epson GENESTA inks are available in Acid, Reactive, Disperse, and Pigment
formulations in a degassed vacuum-pack. They are ECO PASSPORT certified to
meet globally recognised standards for environmentally friendly textile printing. In
addition, the Acid ink is bluesign® approved and the Reactive and Pigment inks are GOTS approved by ECOCERT.

ML-8000 Key Features:
- Printheads: eight Epson PrecisionCore printheads. The latest generation MicroTFP print chip combines quality, accuracy and speed.
- Productivity: typical print speed of 155 m2/hr (600x600 dpi – 2 pass*1)
- Maximum print speed: up to 250 m2/hr (300x600 dpi; 1 pass*2)
- Resolution: up to 1200 dpi.
- Width: 180 cm
- Ink colours: eight
- Ink types: Genesta Acid, Reactive, Disperse and Pigment. Genesta water-based inks allow precision and colour fastness in fabric prints. Genesta inks obtain the highest quality on any fabric type.
- Ink capacity: three or ten litres.