Fabric Textile Printing Service By R A Smart
Digital printing ink runs through the Heart of R A Smart!
Cutting Edge Fabric Textile Printing Service!
Here at R A Smart we employ the very latest fabric textile printing technology to provide a personal fabric textile printing service for our clients`needs irrespective of short or long-run orders.
As pioneers in the transition to digital fabric textile printing, we were the first to install a volume digital textile printer – the Monna Lisa – which prints at the highest quality at up to 150 metres per hour, significantly increasing production opportunities.
Digital fabric textile printing presents no limitations on colour and through our specialist software we are able to colour match from monitor to printed fabric, a large selection of which we hold in stock. Our extensive digitally prepared fabric range includes silks, cottons, polyesters, viscose, velvet, linen and Organic fabrics.
Our background in textiles has proven to be invaluable in the digital revolution. We have dedicated machines set to run the different types of dyestuffs – acids, reactives, disperse, sublimation and pigments – to ensure the correct chemistry and ink application to the different base cloths.
Our experience and expertise is always freely available to ensure you achieve the best possible results. Our knowledge and state of the art facilities are at your disposal.
Fabric Textile Printing Enquiry
Fabric Printing
We currently have a total of 11 digital fabric printing machines in use at our Macclesfield textile printing facilities.
- 3 x Monna Lisa
- 7 x Mimaki Systems
Digital Fabric Textile Printing Production
We are capable of producing in excess of 20,000 metres of fabric each week, employing both 3 Monna Lisa and 7 Mimaki systems.
The flexibility afforded by the digital fabric textile printing process is such that we are able to produce a single metre of 40 designs in a 40 metre print-run for example, which can then be easily split, as opposed to a 40 metre run of the same design. This freedom, coupled with the fact that bright colours can be used at a fraction of the cost compared to screen methods, is encouraging innovative use of colour and intricate design at all levels, which can only be good for the fashion and soft-furnishing industries. Minimum quantities and colours are a thing of the past and the idea of printing designs using in excess of 30 colours is breathing freedom into the creative process.
From one-offs to volume production, we can cater for almost every requirement in-house. With over 20+ years of digital printing experience and an unrivalled understanding of the textile market, our manufacturing facility is geared to your needs to ensure you receive your material on time and to the highest quality. Whatever your requirements; we’re here to help you make it in the UK.
Textile Designers
R A Smart takes pride in working closely with designers to select materials, ink and method of application to realise their design in print.
We are committed to supporting the next generation of designers and actively involved with all UK and Irish design colleges, including The Royal College of Art, London College of Fashion and Central St Martins as well as a little further afield with the likes of The Philadelphia College of Science and Technology, Academy of Arts San Francisco and the Danish Design School in Copenhagen.
Digital Fabric Textile Printing Technology
We have been at the forefront of digital fabric textile printing technology since the early pioneering days of the late 1990’s and can rightly claim to be experts in digital textile printing services.
R A Smart is recognised for its work in pioneering the industry’s transition to using digital fabric textile printing technology. With it, came a new world where the use of colour had no limitations, minimum orders were a thing of the past and there was no ceiling on repeat sizes.
ECO Friendlier Fabric Textile Printing Methods
Digital Printing is certainly one of today’s ECO Friendlier methods of fabric printing used within today’s UK textile industry and is growing more in popularity amongst designers.
Whilst manufacturing processes all impact the environment in some way, The digital processes do create less waste.
- There are no screens to manufacture.
- Printing direct to fabric means less wasted surplus ink (unlike dyeing)
- The inks we use are certificated as Azo dye free, OEKO-TEX certified and are to European REACH standards.
- There is less use of chemicals and water than traditional methods. Use of water is unavoidable however, we have reduced our water consumption to the minimum required to achieve production. The disposal of waste water is treated through approved channels as effluent friendly.
- We ensure that any surplus inks/waste products are disposed of by specialists