EXTRA GLOW WITH DTF PRINTS

When the direct-to-fabric (DTF) revolution began, many printers came out of China utilising CMYKW ink printings and the same dual Epson printhead configuration. This meant that differentiation from one supplier to another was largely down to the skillset of the printer.

Within a year, the DTF evolution saw vendors launching systems with three/four printheads. Most promoted this purely as a speed-enhancement benefit. However, the extra printheads also opened up a new opportunity to go beyond CMYKW printing, with vendors able to dedicate an entire head or certain channels to new ink colours. Some added light magenta or cyan to improve halftone fill quality. However, most went down the route of expanding the colour space with standard spot colours. Some went even further and introduced neon inks.

Within a year, the DTF evolution saw vendors launching systems with three/four printheads

Neon inks are luminescent. In technical terms, luminescence is the emission of visible, or near-visible, electromagnetic radiations. This is due to absorption of energy other than heat. In other words, it makes things glow.

There is the obvious difference – a glow in the dark garment created using neon inks will stand out in a nightclub or anywhere that black light (UV light) is being used. Neon inks do not just cater to places using UV light. The vibrant pink, orange, yellows, blues and green colours also make designs stand out in daylight.

To date, some interesting results have been seen on tested neon-capable devices. 

The first device KPI tested was the Ricoh Pro 10 (also available as the Azon Primo+ Neon X). The 60cm roll-fed printer has the standard CMYKW inks plus four neon inks – magenta, yellow, orange and green. The Pro 10 includes print modes that allow printing in just CMYKW mode or CMYKW + neon. In the latter, the neon magenta and yellow are incorporated into the standard ICC profile. These are used to a greater or lesser extent in the creation of every colour in the device gamut. All four neon ink colours can also be used in their pure form when spot colour layers are added to the design file.

Using the CMYKW + neon mode provided a larger colour gamut

As expected, using the CMYKW + neon mode provided a larger colour gamut. In fact, KPI measured a colour space 27% larger in HQ mode when printing on white t-shirts. This larger colour space, was reflected in the reproduction of more realistic metallics, healthier skin tones and brighter memory colours. It also resulted in superior colour matching, with Home Depot Orange (PANTONE 165C) dropping from a 7.24 DeltaE in CMYKW mode to an impressive 2.56 in CMYKW + neon. 

The second printer – with ‘glow-power’ – is the Pronto Neon from Croatian vendor Azon. This compact, desktop device comes with four colour channels, plus white ink, with the standard magenta and yellow inks being replaced by neon equivalents. 

There is a second model in the Pronto series that does use standard CMYK inks. Azon advises that the neon version makes up 70% of Pronto sales which is not surprising as the device offers something unique for small businesses. One of the user-friendly features KPI admired on the Pronto Neon, was the elimination of creating spot colour layers to get maximum neon impact. This benefit will be appreciated by small shops that may not have a graphic artist.

However, the switch from standard magenta and yellow inks does come with its limitations. The device is not suitable for some work involving realistic colours such as skin tones, foods or spot-colour matching brand work. 

Due to the more challenging chemical nature of photo-luminescent inks, KPI was interested to see how well they stood up to repeated wash/tumble-dry cycles. The company was pleasantly surprised to see that even after 20 cycles, the quality of the garments – printed on the Azon Pronto Neon – were still at a very high level with no fine detail degradation and excellent stretch resistance. The colour gamut had shrunk 
a little more than average and the luminescence under UV light was marginally less intense.

To date, some interesting results have been seen on tested neon-capable devices

Sweetnam ran a poll on LinkedIn to see where the market was in terms of embracing neon. Twenty-five per cent of responders indicated they either had or were looking to buy neon in the next 12 months. Interestingly, only 18% thought that neon ink could command a higher premium than CMYK alone. That is not to say that neon ink could not open up new doors or help close sales. A senior graphic designer, in conversation with Sweetnam on LinkedIn, was delighted when she realised the extra creative options that neon could add to her client offerings.

This senior graphic designer and E-commerce specialist asked, “Is there a glow in the dark version?” She added, “It would be great for evening event apparel.”

Sweetnam replied, “The neon inks for DTF are fluorescent so they emit light immediately when the light source is on. For example, under UV light in a nightclub, they will glow.” 

The designer concluded, “Very cool, I just assumed neon ink in the apparel world meant ‘brighter, unique colours’ – this adds an entirely new marketing plan on my end for certain clients. Thanks.” 

KPI looks forward to seeing how the neon ink market evolves and have more neon-capable devices lined up for testing in the near future. This includes Chinese vendor Keditec, with a device sporting an amazing 13 colours. Readers wanting their neon-capable devices tested, can contact Sweetnam on LinkedIn or using the contact details below.