Ottimo Digital has invested in a 3.2-metre-wide Klieverik GTC 101 3500-calender press, supplied by UK distributor CMYUK.

A highly versatile piece of equipment for the widest range of applications within digital textile production, it handles both the dye-sublimation transfer printing (paper to textile) and the dye fixation of direct printed dispersed dyes or pigments.

The pandemic has created a watershed moment where we’ll see new inventive ways of physically bringing people together in innovative spaces

“Installing the Klieverik was the next logical step for us,” said Nick Lindwall, co-director of Newport, UK-based, Ottimo. “It takes us to the next level of fabric production. Using a separate calender gives us greater versatility and expands our applications reach. The purchase is an excellent opportunity for us to perfect our fabric offering.”

This new piece of equipment sits alongside the company’s recently-acquired EFI VUTEk FabriVU 340i dye sublimation printer, also supplied by CMYUK.  

Immediate

“We were pushed towards the FabriVU 340i by a handful of clients who said that if we started to offer dye-sublimation they would not only give us all their fabric work, but everything else as well,” said Lindwall. “It prints direct to fabric with inline fixation for graphics that are immediately ready for finishing and packing.”

The Klieverik is Ottimo’s fourth piece of equipment purchased from Shrewsbury-based CMYUK, which in addition to the FabriVU 340i include an EFI VUTEk LX3 UV LED 3.2m hybrid printer, EFI Quantum 5m UV LED roll-to-roll printer and Kongsberg digital cutting technology.

“CMYUK is our go-to supplier, and we trust that if it’s selling the Klieverik then it’s a very good piece of equipment,” saif co-director Lee Crew.

Ottimo Digital has been in business for a decade, servicing the events and exhibitions markets – two sectors that have been badly impacted by the pandemic.

“The last 12 months been very interesting,” Crew said. “Like many other businesses we were closed during the first lockdown for five weeks with literally no work at all. Then we were fortunate enough to come back with a vengeance in the summer because there was so much social distancing and Covid 19 safety signage needed. We produced huge volumes of floor graphics that saw us through the summer and put some wool on our back.

The company has continued to tick over during this current lockdown and is seeing signs of markets beginning to stir. It recently produced work for the event production show in Farnborough, which went ahead in early June.

Moving forward

“I took a trip there, and it was really nice to see an actual physical exhibition,” said Lindwall. “Things are slowly starting to pick up although it’s nothing like the level it should be, but there’s a sense of moving forward. Speaking to many of our customers, there’s an expectation that September will be extremely busy, presuming that things proceed in the way they’ve been mapped out.”

Thanks to its new capabilities, Ottimo can now also offer digitally printed stretch fabrics. This takes it into the realms of textile architecture where for example, it can produce specialist applications including hanging 3D structures, pods, pop-ups, rooms within rooms, walled zones and ambitious corporate fit-outs.

The company already uses a range of recyclable Pongs materials from CMYUK, and has created its own eco-materials portfolio for clients that includes UFabrik ECO materials, made of yarn derived from recycled single use plastic waste, and the PVC-free Kavalan banner range.

“The pairing of the FabriVU 340i with the Klieverik GTC calender press has propelled Ottimo onto the A List when it comes to digital printed fabric production,” said Brett Platt, textile business manager at CMYUK.  “The company has invested in this equipment at the right time as many brands have used lockdown to assess their business goals. Textiles – in particular eco materials and fabrics – are on an upward trajectory, paving the way for exciting new applications and revenue streams,”

“The exhibition space is in an interesting place right now,” Lindwall said in conclusion. “We’re seeing a number of start-ups and new players presenting potential opportunities. The pandemic has created a watershed moment where we’ll see new inventive ways of physically bringing people together in innovative spaces. We’re ready for the challenge and look forward to working with our clients as we all adjust to the new world order.”

www.cmyuk.com