French software expert Caldera has developed an OEM version of GrandRIP+ to drive Lüscher-Tschudi’s 3.2m-wide textile printer, the T-Rex320. 

This combination allows those entering this expanding market the opportunity to achieve high quality results across high-speed runs for soft signage and industrial textile applications.

“As the textile market unfolds over a year with key event FESPA 2017 rapidly approaching, Lüscher-Tschudi is aligned and prepared for its ongoing production needs,” commented Lüscher CEO Werner Tschudi.

“Our experience across the screen, digital and textile worlds has led us to their convergence in 2017. It’s thanks to forward-thinking partners like Caldera that we are able to deliver this precise, versatile machinery the business now needs.”

The T-Rex 320, which is aimed at the soft signage and textile printing sectors, uses Konica Minolta KM 1024i printheads and eco-friendly water-based textile inks. The machine is available in four to eight-colour set-ups, with four to 16 heads, depending on configuration.

In two-pass mode the machine can print at up to 230m²/hr with a 360x720dpi resolution, in three-pass (standard) mode it can print at up to 180m²/hr with a resolution of 360×1,080dpi and in four-pass (high-quality) mode it can print at up to 120m²/hr at 720dpi.

At FESPA Digital 2016, Lüscher-Tschudi marketing director Thomas Schweizer shared its other benefits. “This machine also has an automatic feeding system, so it’s not necessary to have three or four people to load the machine, which increases productivity.”

The T-Rex 320 works in tandem with the Quickfix Neo 320 multi-purpose roll-to-roll fixation unit, which offers fabric heat fixation up to 210°C and features a tension control and winding system for all kinds of fabric.

“Nobody buys this machine blind as it needs to be seen and tested with a company’s own substrates as seeing is believing, but Fespa Digital is a good lead-making opportunity for us,” said Schweizer.

Caldera’s GrandRIP+ allows users to extract the ultimate power and precision from this strong new challenger in the digital textile printing market. Native features within the company’s software include colour management functions crucial to top-quality image reproduction onto fabrics, as well as media and ink optimisation to help owners avoid consumables waste.

T-Rex 320 was shown for first time at FESPA Digital 2016

For true full industrial production of decorative and functional textiles, T-Rex 320 owners can upgrade to the newly launched Caldera TextilePro suite to benefit from RGB workflow and pattern options.

With its new product, Caldera is hoping to capitalise on the increasing trend for digitally-printed textiles, which allows designers to use a Photoshop plug-in for colorising patterns and swapping swatches quickly. TextilePro keeps all colours in RGB, even at ICC profiling level, meaning the final result is closer to the colour intended.

Vice-president marketing Sebastien Hanssens said at FESPA Digital 2016: “It’s stable, very reliable colour management. The client sees exact colour representation. The plan here is to keep it in RGB as long as possible when you print it out it’s the colour you’re used to. The software manages the colour gamut more accurately and then translates RGB to CMYK.”

Caldera is celebrating its many partnerships across print and further afield as part of its 25th anniversary in 2016.

“Our exploration of textile with partners such as Lüscher-Tschudi GmbH is helping us improve production times for fashion and economies of scale for local industry. By creating bridges between processes that have not before spoken the same language we are creating benefits for companies around the world.” 

“We look forward to celebrating both of them with our mutual customers through 2017 and beyond,” concluded Caldera CEO Joseph Mergui.

Both companies are renowned for their partner-based approach to developing solutions for soft signage and industrial textile and are committed to providing a new vision for the market.