Eastman Kodak Company has launched a new ink system for direct-to-film (DTF) printing for garment decoration.
Kodak’s Film-to-Fabric (FTF) system is made up of Kodacolor powder, Kodacolor film and ink which is specially designed for use for creating prints that can be applied to fabric.
Customers with existing direct-to-garment (DTG) printers have the option to use Kodacolor DTG inks with Kodacolor film and powder to add Kodak’s FTF system to their offerings.
Kodak has entered the DTF arena because it enables decorators to print onto a wide variety of fabrics such as natural fibres, polyester, nylon, rayon, blends and cotton but “with less investment in hardware for start-up and more flexibility to accept customer printing projects”.
The company added that DTF was ideal for print companies that wanted high-quality fabric prints without the expense of a full-fledged DTG fabric printing system or wanted to offer additional print projects on fabrics other than cotton to their customers.
Kodak has identified DTF, DTG and wide-format print as a “significant business opportunity” after seeing how “customisation of fabrics for garments, accessories, upholstery and soft signage is growing”.
Grant French, Kodak’s DTG and FTF product manager, said: “We are pleased to announce the entry of Kodak into this market, giving more customers access to a high-quality, lower-cost business option to create amazing, printed fabric projects.”
Kodak has been producing and selling digital inks for thermal piezo and continuous inkjet systems since the 1990s. It manufactures its Kodacolor products in Rochester in New York state.
