In ITMA 2019, Zimmer (Austria) unveiled a digital printing machine that prints exclusively with pigment ink. This step forward for the application of digital printing is a result of Zimmer's years of experience in the field of digital printing, in tandem with Fuji StarFire printhead technology.

Existing customers are running this machine with pigment ink - as opposed to reactive ink - as pigment ink offers various advantages, such as:

High colour strength and brilliancy; 4 to 6 colours are enough to cover the full gamut of colours

•     Unsurpassed colour fastness properties

•     High drop size and flowability

•     Suitable for any textile substrate

•     No washing, only drying fixation required

•     Easy print process as no pre-coating is required in many cases

•     Minimal post print processing needed

•     Energy efficient and environment friendly

•     Simple process; low investment compared to reactive printing process

•     Easy for short run print jobs

Zimmer Colaris DX3 - standard features:

•     Ink tank with 10 litre capacity

•     Ink and printhead heating and cooling for constant temperature

•     Automatic printhead cleaning with water and vacuum

•     Printheads with 12, 30 or 80 picolitre droplet size

•     Sticky belt (permanent glue application device) for textiles and nonwoven products

Zimmer's Colaris DX3 pigment digital printing machine has high-performance Fuji StarFire Dimatix printheads, which have a number of salient features:

•     RediJet: Continuous ink recirculation system that prevents nozzle blockage due to high density pigment inks

•     Repairable

•     VersaDrop technology with binary and greyscale jetting modes

•     Coated metal nozzle plate to withstand abrasion and damage

Technical details

Typical applications for Zimmer Colaris DX3 digital pigment printing       

•     All types of home-textiles where best light fastness is needed, such as bed linen, upholstery, cushion, fashion, etc.

•     Work wear and uniforms

•     Custom-designed camouflage pattern on poly-cotton fabrics

•     Print on panels

In conventional printing, pigment printing holds a share of about 45%, or about 33 billion square metres of printed textiles. In digital printing, pigment printing had a share of a mere 1% of all printed textiles in 2017 - this underscores the vast potential for growth for digital pigment printing. With pigment ink development, latest printheads, and processes, Zimmer digital pigment printing is all set to lead the way in Europe as well as in India.