Page 24 - Print21 July-Aug 2018 Magazine

Fabric printing
DTG packs a punch in Padstow
When boxing promoter and fashion designer Hannah Nasari decided to launch her own kids' clothing line, she needed a direct-to-garment (DTG) printer that could translate her ideas into reality – and Epson's latest machine proved just the thing.
to arrive in Australia. “I’m looking forward to using the new machine. It can print within a timeframe of just three to five minutes, so the productivity is amazing,” she says. “I had to print out some shirts for a gala and market day last weekend, and I was able to produce at least 25 to 30 T-shirts within the hour. It was fantastic, and the quality was wonderful. I’m happy to have the machine behind my brand.”
Nasari had never used a DTG machine before and was blown
away by how simple the F2160 is to operate. “It’s very easy. Very simple instructions, and if you stick by them you end up with a beautiful print.”
She also gave Epson’s Garment Creator software her seal of approval for utility and ease of use. “I can design my print in Illustrator and transfer it into the software,
and it gives me an
accurate estimate of
cost,” she says. “It’s
very helpful and very
useful.”
Overall, Nasari
rates Epson as a fantastic supplier. “Epson is number
one in my book. Very happy to deal with, and I’m looking forward to a long relationship with them,” she says.
A successor to success
The second-generation SureColor F2160 is a follow-up to Epson’s previous model, the F2000,
which according to Ryan Warby, business development manager for professional print solutions at Epson, was a very successful machine. “It changed the industry quite a bit
with its low maintenance and its reliability,” he says. “We’re improving on that with the F2160, adding a cleaning cartridge, adjusting speeds and resolutions, and putting in variable-dot printing. It’s a good step up from the F2000.”
“It’s very easy. Very simple instructions, and if you stick by them you end up with a beautiful print.”
The addition of variable-dot printing is a significant improvement from the F2000’s single dot size. “We can print small, medium and large dots, which gives us better gradients and higher resolution without sacrificing speed – in fact, it speeds it up for us,” says Warby. “It also allows us to be more economical with the printing, as it uses less ink.”
Warby is very happy to work with Nasari’s Bowlilly and looks forward to continuing to explore the fabric printing market. “Hannah’s doing some great work, and the quality that comes out is fantastic,” he says. “It’s been exciting for us being in this textile space. The textile market has been analogue for a very long time and is now moving towards digital. We’re seeing that not only in DTG, but in the dye sublimation side of the business as well.” 21
If you had to choose the two jobs most unlike one another, “boxing promoter” and “fashion designer” would have to be near the top of the list. Yet Hannah
Nasari, based in Padstow in Sydney’s southwest, is determined to change that. A promoter for local boxing clubs, Nasari has her heart set on embracing what she calls her soul passion: the fashion industry. “I’ve been in the industry for so many years, and for me to step out and design my own collection was my destiny,” she says.
Nasari is set to launch her label, Bowlilly, at the end of the year, with kids’ sizes from three to seven. “The whole brand is a beautiful bohemian luxe range,” she says. “I’ve got a line coming up of kids’ T-shirts, and hopefully some mummy-and-kid shirts as well.”
To support her new business, Nasari purchased Epson’s latest direct- to-garment printer: the SureColor F2160, one of the first of this model
Above: "I'm happy to have the machine behind my brand." Hannah Nasari, Bowlilly (left) with Ryan Warby, Epson, and the new SureColor F2160 DTG printer.
Right: A shirt printed
on Epson's SureColor F2160.
24 Print21 JULY/AUGUST 2018