Exile Technologies has launched the newest addition to its Spyder computer-to-screen systems, the Spyder III, in the UK and the rest of Europe.
It prints at double the resolution of its predecessor, the Spyder II, providing sharper detail, finer halftones and smoother gradients. Despite the higher quality, it prints at an even higher speed.
Incorporating the latest phase-change print-head technology, the Spyder III’s industrial print-head has over three times the number of jets than older models, with improved throughput and quality.
The dots produced by the new Xerox print-head are one-third the size of the previous Spyder systems, allowing it to print smaller print sizes, better reverses and more detailed vector and bitmap graphics.
The resulting 1200×1200 dpi image quality makes it the first inkjet computer-to-screen solution suitable for industrial screen print applications.
Like the Spyder II DTS 30, the maximum media size is 76cm by 101cm. The frames lock in precisely using a three-point registration system, providing extremely accurate placement of the image.
The new Spyder III was presented by Exile Technologies at Fespa Global Print Expo in Berlin last week. The European launch, originally due to take place in 2020, was delayed due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Mark Evans, managing director of Exile Technologies, said: “If you are a textile printer who really wants the best of the best, you would buy the Spyder III.”
He added that it was best suited for printing on hard materials such as ceramics, plastic and glass, where high-definition graphics are possible, so the Spyder II is expected to remain the main machine for textiles.
The Spyder system generates high-resolution stencil images directly onto coated screens without the use of traditional film and with no need for the vacuum hold-down or glass on the exposure unit.
It uses heated wax ink with a robust, phase-change inkjet head technology, to place a high-density image directly onto a coated screen. The Spyder II can output a typical T-shirt-size screen image in less than a minute.
Exile Technologies, based in Luton in Bedfordshire, also presented its new FreeStyler 2 which was launched at Printwear & Promotion Live in April. This replaced the original FreeStyler DTS system and features a range of improvements and upgrades.
Pictured: Mark Evans, managing director of Exile Technologies, with the Spyder III at Fespa Global Print Expo 2022 in Berlin
