TSC: Spurring creativity in digital printing

At the Textile Solution Center, Como facility in Italy, developed for the promotion of digital printing on Epson tissue and Fortex, young promising designers from all over Europe can test first hand the most advanced printing technologies in the sector and boost their creativity.

FOR.TEX, Epson group company specialised in inks and products for the pre- and post-treatment in the textile field, is a technological partner of comON project, born from the passion of a group of Larian entrepreneurs who, with the support of Unindustria Como, aims to rally in Como the best talent from the most prestigious design schools in Europe and stimulate the mingling of ideas between young students and the different companies of the territory.

The company has made available to this innovative initiative of the Textile Solution Center (TSC), a centre of excellence created in Como for the worldwide promotion of digital textile printing. With the aim of guiding the evolution and growth of the sector, has for some years that the company is committed to the promotion and development of digital printing on fabric.

This commitment also involves the training of young design talent.

The TSC was, in fact, recently the scene of an important training session for young designers from different European countries who have been given the opportunity to know and understand all the secrets of digital printing. Printers, high technology and industrial machinery for the pre and post-treatment were made available to children in a day full of important training with professionals specialising in digital printing.

The selected young designers have thus been able to watch the entire digital printing industrial process, knowing the quality of the inks dedicated to printing on fabric and see how digital printing technologies, the inkjet that has revolutionised industrial printing on fabric Mona Lisa Epson printers sublimation, have determined the most recent evolution of printing technology for the textile sector.

The boys were able to print their own work in the laboratories of the centre using both the Mona Lisa—direct printing on silk fabric with acid inks—both the EPSON SureColor SC F-9200 , sublimation printer for high-speed transfer on fabric, using the polyester. Before leaving Como and return to their countries, at the beginning of December the designers will return to the TSC for a debriefing session and to discuss their works made with digital printing.

Three of the young talented international designers in internships at different companies have commented involvement in the initiative:

Esther Rigg, United Kingdom, (silky texture Theseus): “The training session at the Textile Solution Centre was an extraordinary opportunity for me, which gave me the opportunity to increase my knowledge in the field of digital printing and to study in depth the processes that lie behind a perfect digital printing.

Here I witnessed different printing processes, from sublimation printing to the ink jet. I was able to compare the two techniques and seeing the results of printing on different types of fabric. Certainly an experience that will be an important point of reference for my future projects.”

Anna Philippa Maaswinkel, Germany, (weaving Canepa): “The visit to the Textile Solution Centre on 21 October was particularly interesting and educational for me. I had already heard about the ability to print directly on fabric, but I had never been able to use this technique before. the brilliance of the colors on the fabric and the sharpness of the picture produced by Epson printers is absolutely amazing. a photograph, like the one I printed on fabric to TSC, it could not have been so vivid when printed with the traditional silkscreen technique. And for that, I am sure that I will use again the technique of digital printing in the future.”

Jacob Andrew Monk, UK, (Clerici weaving fabric): “From Weaver, I found the day at the Textile Solution Centre in highly formative Como. Here I was able to discover many technical aspects of digital printing.

See the work machines and assist the various processes which the tissue can be subjected – from pre- treatment to the press and to the after-treatment – is truly a unique opportunity.”

Born in 2008, the comON project targets young designers who attend community colleges and University of Fashion and Design. They are selected each year 45 young talents among students enrolled in the fourth period of 10 high schools in the provinces of Como, Lecco and Varese, and young designers from all over the world. The first is given the opportunity to exhibit the work done under the project during the Creativity Week, while the latter has offered an internship of about two months at several leading companies in the Como textile district including FOR.TEX, leaders supplier of dyes, thickeners and products for pre / post-processing of fabrics, now part of the Epson group.

With the aim of developing a “hub of European creativity” to help disseminate creative ideas, the project aims to bring the best talent to companies in the industrial district of Como, and promote interaction between different businesses, universities, training schools , young students, professionals, testimonial and authorities in a training workshop and permanent contamination. An interdisciplinary platform of alternating events, exhibitions, exhibition and international importance contest.

Epson is a global leader in innovation with solutions designed to connect people, things and information with proprietary technologies that ensure efficiency, reliability and accuracy. With a range of products including inkjet printers, digital printing systems, 3LCD projectors, as well as industrial robots, sensors and vision, Epson has the primary objective to promote innovation and exceed customer expectations in areas such as inkjet printing, communication visual, wearable technology and robotics. With parent company Seiko Epson Corporation, which is headquartered in Japan, the Epson Group comprises over 73,000 employees in 91 companies worldwide and is proud to contribute to the preservation of the global environment and natural to support local communities in which it operates.

Epson Europe BV, based in Amsterdam, is the regional headquarters of the Group for Europe, Middle East, Russia and Africa. With a workforce of 1,700 employees, sales of Epson Europe, for the fiscal year 2015 reached 1.577 billion euro. Epson Italy, national sales company for the 2015 fiscal year recorded a turnover of over 215 million and employs about 175 people. FOR.TEX, based in Fino Mornasco (Como), is a subsidiary 100 per cent owned by Epson Italy.

Established itself in the Italian market as a trusted supplier for dyes, thickeners and specialty printing, following established and consolidated its expansion even to overseas markets with a particular focus on the Asian market with which it has established over the years a fruitful collaboration in particular with the most qualified manufacturers Japanese companies of dyes, for printing and specialty items to the finishing of high innovative content. FOR.TEX in 2000 was chosen by SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION, as an official partner on the development of inks, for the MONA project Lisa® and GENESTA® inks.