Krea launches first-ever hybrid textile at Fespa

Krea Technische Textilien has used Fespa to launch the Speedy Hybrid, its first textile substrate capable of undergoing both direct dye-sublimation and transfer printing.

The new 190 gsm polyester material is a reformulation of the German manufacturer’s Speedy Pro substrate, with a new coating applied to one side to support printing using UV, eco-solvent and latex inks. It is available to the global markets. Thanks to the reformulation, the uncoated outside layer is able to be printed both directly using dye-sublimation processes and via paper transfer.

“No other textile on the market can do this,” said Krea international sales and marketing manager Elizabeth Brenchley. “We wanted to come back into the market with a game-changer.

“This is a single textile for everything, allowing PSPs and big printing houses to stock one instead of three substrates. It is an easier process with fewer steps and, while it is very competitively priced, the end result still looks very good, a serious contender on the global market.”

Speedy Hybrid is 100 per cent recyclable, according to Brenchley, and aimed at the higher end of the market. Brenchley said purchase orders at Fespa have already come from US and Canadian customers, with requests from Australia and throughout Europe.