As the doors close at the Birmingham NEC on another successful Print-wear and Promotion LIVE! exhibition, the members of the Roland team are happy to have ignited new dreams among the visitors to their stand.
This year, attendees were treated to a broad selection of Roland devices, old and new. While the more recent additions to their portfolio turned several heads, it was great to see that the old favourites still had some pulling power.
Compact and User-Friendly DTG
Following its recent global launch, Roland’s new BT-12 direct-to-garment printer was a popular attraction, and understandably so. For anyone looking to start out with t-shirt printing, this compact device ticks all the boxes. It’s small, it’s fast, it’s incredibly easy to use and the print detail is fine and crisp. Best of all, at only £2999, it significantly lowers the barriers to entry for any budding print professional.
Profit with Personalisation
Among the visitors to Roland’s stand, there was a noticeable trend for business diversification. As the market turns towards offering a more complete package than custom clothing alone, businesses are under pressure to add unique new products just to keep a competitive edge. Because of this, there was a great deal of interest in the new LD-80 laser foiling device. You could see visitors imagining where this small-but-powerful machine might fit in their business, whether it was creating foil-decorated gift boxes or adding the final flourishes to an existing product.
Print and Cut Classics
Away from these sensational new machines, the print-and-cut devices for which Roland is better known, held their own. The ever-popular BN-20 (a machine so beloved it has its own user group on Facebook) packed a powerful punch with its combination of high print quality and compact size. For those who wanted to plan ahead for greater growth in their business, the TrueVIS SG-300 gave an ex-ample of an entry-level wide-format printer. Alex Liggett of The Vinyl Guys was on hand to talk about the SG-300’s capabilities from a user’s perspective and visitors could probe him on the day-to-day practicalities of running a print business using this technology.
Large Format DTG Preview
Making its UK tradeshow debut, passers-by couldn’t help but notice the beast in the corner of stand G60. The XT-640S is a flatbed direct-to-garment printer which has ample bed area to print up to 12 t-shirts in a single print run. Its size was outshone only by the quality of the print – with the introduction of white pigment ink, the colours leapt out, even when printed on dark fabric. With release still pending in the UK, the market will have a short wait until the machine becomes available, but when it does, it’s sure to transform more than a few garment printing businesses.
Now that Printwear and Promotion LIVE! is over for another year, it’s exciting to think of the creativity it has inspired among the visitors. This time next year, they could be taking their businesses to new heights using devices they’d seen for the first time at Roland’s stand. For those that missed the exhibition, the great news is that they can still see these machines and much more by visiting Roland’s Creative Centre just outside Bristol. If that’s a little out of your way, just get in touch with Roland and they’ll gladly put you in contact with your nearest dealer.
