The Monna Lisa printer has made history in the Home Textile sector with more than three million square metres of pigment printed since 2005.
This digital textile printer has revolutionised the textile printing market. It is the result of years of collaboration between Epson, a pioneer in digital printing technology for fabrics, and For.Tex. and F.lli Robustelli, companies that are now part of the Group. These three companies will be at Heimtextil to show the Home Textile and furnishing market digital printing on fabrics using high-quality pigments with a low environmental impact.
The Monna Lisa is the result of more than a decade’s partnership between the three companies. It is a production digital printer with proven piezoelectric inkjet Epson technology. A Total Solution, the Monna Lisa is a fully-integrated system that handles the entire production run from pre-treatment to the final print.
The Monna Lisa’s success is due to several factors. Not only is its quality and reliability crucial, and the printheads, inks and mechanics unique, continuous research ensures its excellence. The recent opening of Innovation hubs in the high-quality printing district of Como demonstrate this commitment. Based on the number of Monna Lisa units installed worldwide, Epson estimates that in 2015 approximately 900,000 square metres of pigment printed fabric was created (a 40 per cent increase compared to 2014).
“Quality” and “reliability” are the watchwords for the Home Textile business segment. Giovanni Pizzamiglio, Epson Europe Head of Sales and member of the Fratelli Robustelli board, said, “Monna Lisa is a viable alternative for the textile market due to several key characteristics including reducing production time, ability to print on any type of fabric or using any design variant. It is possible to streamline sampling and prototyping production at a drastically reduced cost and with the best quality. Lower energy and water consumption make it a cutting-edge printer in the extraordinary evolution of printing technologies used in the textile industry.”
Since 2005, Monna Lisa has been available in the Home Textile market with a 320cm model using light pigments. Its key feature is its ability to carry out high-quality printing on fabrics, whether it is made of cellulosic fibres or those mixed with polyester. This is possible due to the use of Genesta pigment inks, designed by Epson in partnership with For.Tex. The fact it does not require steaming and washing processes makes the Monna Lisa, with Genesta pigment inks, an eco-friendly solution, with low environmental impact. Fabrics printed with Monna Lisa machines feature high colour rendering, durability and reproducibility. This is essential for pre-treated fabrics used in the Home Textile industry. Through the innovation and quality of the Monna Lisa printer, it is possible to create products for the home – from soft furnishing to household linen.
Monna Lisa, launched in 2003, is produced by the engineering textile company Fratelli Robustelli. This printer revolutionised the textile market by offering a digital tool that could shift from the sampling phase to reliable industrial production. Over the years, the Monna Lisa has evolved; from the first Monna Lisa Evo in 2011 to the latest model - the Monna Lisa EVO TRE. The latter marks a further step forward in the remarkable evolution of printing technologies for the textile sector.
