42 images OCTOBER 2026 www.images-magazine.com MARKET INTELLIGENCE Production boosters Other practical developments that decorators can already benefit from include Roland improving its DTF solutions “to facilitate the daily job of the operator, including automatic machine maintenance during downtime so that the printer is always ready for production”, says Encarna. Meanwhile, the switch from desktop machines to those with integrated powder shakers and ovens has been the biggest change in automation over the past 12 months for Jamie of 1ClickPrint. “Robot arms, auto cutters, auto pressers, and all that are available,” he adds, “but completely pointless for anyone doing less than many hundreds of shirts every day.” For Jim, the most significant development this year has been the introduction of the NeoStampa RIP software in alliance with the nine-colour ink options. “The difference in transfer quality is visibly obvious and satisfies even the most critical eye. The half-tone feature also creates a transfer feel and touch as never before.” Software is also flagged up by Folker of Brother as “one of the most significant developments over the past year. Intelligent nesting allows jobs to be automatically grouped together to optimise film consumption, whilst individual jobs and transfers can be labelled with QR codes or barcodes. This enables a job to be tracked throughout the entire production process – from file preparation through to printing, cutting, sorting and final application – thereby reducing errors and the need for manual searching.” Speciality effects There has been a growing interest in speciality consumables such as glitter films, fluorescent inks and puffereffect inks, says Sarah of InkTec. “These products allow decorators to create more distinctive applications and add value beyond standard DTF prints. While these developments are generating interest, they remain relatively niche and are not yet driving the wider direction of the market.” Consumables are also, understandably, a key focus of Diego of B-Flex, with his standout development being “the overall maturation of the consumables: films with more consistent release and better hand, powders with improved elasticity and wash resistance, and much more attention to chemical compliance and certifications. “The other big shift is that DTF has stopped being seen as a rival to HTV and has become its complement, while expanding into specialty applications such as patches and textured or special effect finishes.” At Resolute, Colin says advances in media and inks have been “the key to many larger companies taking on DTF and removing screen printing carousels”, while Dominic at David Sharp says: “Nine-colour DTF has come on leaps and bounds, with significant improvements to colour accuracy and photorealistic qualities. With our own consumables being used, customers are experiencing cleaner/easier peels straight off the press.” Environmental conditions There are, as ever, a few issues that need resolving – and the many heatwaves over the summer created a few challenges. “A number of customers we’ve spoken to have experienced variations in print performance during periods of very UV printing UV DTF has, as Sarah from InkTec says, elicited strong interest since its introduction “due to the ease of its application without the limitations of traditional direct-to-object printing. As users continue to experiment with the technology, new applications are constantly emerging across promotional products, personalised gifts, signage, packaging and retail decoration, which has helped encouraged more and more business to adopt it.” For Jamie at 1ClickPrint, this year has been the company’s best so far for UV DTF machine sales and trade print, and David Sharp has also seen its UV DTF trade service continue to grow. At Resolute, the company has had some standout launches in this sector this year, with Colin saying UV DTF “has come on in leaps and bounds”, with new 3D products including TPU patches and “the amazing-looking Crystal Patch” [see the DTF showcase starting on page 50 for more information]. Software that enables intelligent nesting and job tracking is one of the most significant developments in DTF, says Folker of Brother Resolute’s Crystal Patch transfers are created using UV DTF
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