EFI BOLT printer offers high quality output at record speed

Electronics For Imaging (EFI) is leading the transformation from analog to digital imaging with scalable, digital, award-winning products. At ITMA in Barcelona, EFI showcased the advanced, leading-edge technologies that make EFI Reggiani, a textile innovator, including the game-changing EFI Reggiani BOLT single-pass inkjet printer – the first digital textile solution capable of high-quality output at record production speeds of up to 90 linear meters (295 linear feet) per minute.

On BOLT’s USPs, Adele Genoni Vice President and General Manager of EFI Reggiani, during ITJ’s interaction, said, “I would like to start with BOLT, which is a single pass digital printer. It has an incredible productivity – around 290 m/min. The most important feature of this machine is its higher reliability and lower maintenance. The customer today wants to use the machine 24×7. So what we are saying that they should not look at the total cost of a single machine, but the cost to run it. Less downtime means more production. Also the machine has hybrid, integrating analog cylinder, which gives special treatment during printing and pre-treatment. It is very compact and uses less space.”

She added, “It features high-end imaging in drop sizes from 5 to 30 picoliters, and also provides premium-quality 600 x 4,800 maximum-dpi resolution printing, allowing customers to address their full range of design needs.”

A robust, industrial platform designed for 24/7 operation, the Reggiani BOLT printer offers an innovative, low-maintenance, fast-startup recirculation printhead that delivers more-uniform, high-quality printing with superior uptime. Users can reduce the cost per meter of digitally printed textiles with the Reggiani BOLT while creating
a broader range of designs quickly and efficiently. The printer also has another remarkable advantage in its ability to include one or more analog printing stations
as an option, integrated into the digital printer for
special effects.

Genoni gave a detailed introduction of other innovations by EFI during ITMA. She said, “The other machine we have is the COLORS printer, which is a very unique machine. It has 12 colours in one row. It means one can use 12 channels. The quality of the printing is amazing. The machine offers unmatched printing quality and uniformity with an extended color gamut, superior color depth and increased penetration into fabric.”

“We also have a full range of inks for the textile industry – from reactive inks to pigment inks. EFI Reggiani binder technology delivers an environmental-friendly and short process. These binders are made from a new type of acid, which is our own formulation and is water based. So we can answer to all the customer needs,” she added.

A new EFI Fiery BT-1000 digital front end (DFE) streams jobs directly to the Reggiani BOLT printer at engine-rated speed for top-quality print results and increased profitability.

On EFI Fiery, she said, “EFI Fiery streams jobs directly to the Reggiani BOLT printer at engine-rated speed for top-quality print results and increased profitability. It prints directly on fabrics and not on paper. So you don’t need to waste the paper. Again the process is short. Less investment and less energy, water and waste.”

The Fiery BT-1000 DFE is a professional colour management and RIP solution that enables efficient job management and streams jobs directly to the Reggiani BOLT printer in real time. It is purpose-built to deliver fine detail, smooth gradations, clean solid colours, deep blacks, and high saturation. Superior screening and fine dithering algorithms provide high-quality print results.

Speaking further on the innovations, Genoni said,
“We also have EFI Optitex® 2D/3D textile CAD software, which offers streamlined Print & Cut workflow integration with Reggiani printers for up to 15 per cent greater efficiency in textile usage; with our software, our machine can print on shape.”

A new EFI Optitex Print & Cut feature enables complete garment printing on a single roll, creating significant savings in fabric roll inventory, with typically 15-40 per cent greater efficiency compared to traditional methods. Fashion and apparel manufacturers also benefit from an improved nesting algorithm in the software that increases fabric utilisation.

“The last innovation is EFI Mezzera indigo dyeing and finishing technology that reduces chemical usage by up to 40 per cent compared with other dyeing technologies and ensures deeper shades and superior fastness. Our process is completely environment friendly as compared to the industry standards. We have less water, less chemical, which is very important. This is a solution without compromising on printing performance. The results are good in terms of shapes,” added Genoni.

Speaking on the green process, she said, “We have a free green process, which we displayed at ITMA. The first one is the pigment with binder. Actually it is a short process, wherein we don’t need all the pigments like washing, stentering, etc. They are very compact and requires less investment. It also requires less energy and less water. It is very good for cotton and poly-cotton.”

How is the Indian market for your products? Genoni had this to say: “We are in India from decades. We have partners in territories supporting the customers. India for us is a very important market. We have a long-lasting customer buying regularly.” She added, “Certainly we can do more in India. We can promote the green process that will become more and more important in India. And also the digital transformation, which is taking place slowly. Not particularly in India, but also globally.”

On the ongoing trade regulation fiasco, she said, “Obviously we don’t want to support the trade regulations, which is currently going on. We want a free-trade regulation, and will try to support our customer in the best way possible. It is a challenge for everybody when we are limiting the trade in broader sense.”