Philadelphia, PA- Digital printing was introduced to the apparel industry 10 years ago but has struggled to supplant traditional silk screening due to the high cost, low speed, and narrow fabric options. Ampro was a beta site for one of the largest digital printing technology firms 10 years ago, and has been following the technological improvements every year. With the knowledge that digital printing is likely to continue to become more popular, Ampro has been looking for digital printing equipment that can operate fast enough to compete with their high-end screen printing presses.
“The Digital Squeegee is the first device entering the marketplace with the speed and quality we have been looking for. We’re extremely passionate about screenprinting as an art, but we recognize that digital printing is the future. Up until now, all the digital printing equipment was limited by speed, quality or reliability. They also were limited to printing on cotton only- no blended fabrics like CVC’s or triblends. As a hybrid printing technology, we are capturing the best of both worlds. We can utilize our superior, breathable, highly opaque screenprinting inks underneath the digital inks, so we can print on any fabric and guarantee the longevity of the print. The print should outlast the garment! This technology is extremely new; we will be one of only 9 printers in the nation with this equipment. We plan to put Philly on the map as a Hybrid printing hub,” said Steph Shea, CEO of Ampro. “The Digital Squeegee is the fastest digital printer in the field, capable of printing over 1,000 t-shirts a day which is approaching the speed of our other commercial presses which can run upward of 4,000 t-shirts per day.”
Ampro is going to spend the months of January and February developing and refining their printing techniques on the Digital Squeegee before making it available to their clients. By Spring, they expect to be printing t-shirts and hoodies on new technology before rolling it out to additional items. Steph Shea notes, “We want to take some time to get comfortable with the new press- this technology is emergent and requires a fair amount of development. We’ll develop our own recipes for use before we run any production for customers. Our employees will receive all kinds of exciting new Ampro gear for wash and wear testing! If the print can survive the wash and use of a commercial print shop, it can survive anything.”
Check www.amprogo.com out for updates on pricing and availability.
