Mimaki Germany has loaned one of its TS300P-1800 textile printers to the Fogra Research Institute to assist with government-funded research aimed at improving colour standardisation in digital textile printing.
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| Hisashi Takeuchi, MD at Mimaki Deutschland, hands over textile printer on loan to Fogra Institute director Dr Eduard Neufeld |
“The colour communication workflow in digital textile production is facing major challenges,” Fogra said. “This starts with the selection of a suitable RGB exchange colour space. The creation of the designs from typical Adobe programs results in digital assets, which are usually created in sRGB or AdobeRGB colour space. They are much too large compared to typical textile sample fans or common digital printing colour gamuts. This leads to time and cost-intensive, mostly iterative colour adjustments for the predominantly small and medium-sized print service providers.”
Fogra started its two-year TextileRGB research project in 2020, funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. The project aims to develop a suitable RGB exchange colour space for digital textile printing and to design a standardisation concept that will result in a new ISO standard.
Mimaki Deutschland GmbH has now partnered with Fogra by lending its state of the art TS300P-1800 textile printer. The model was specially designed for the textile industry and delivers dye sub prints quickly and cost-effectively.
“The first focus is a systematic and metrological recording of the colour appearance, i.e. the colour as well as the surface or fibre structure of typical print samples,” Fogra said. “The determined appearance properties are to be examined with regard to their compatibility with established 3-channel workflows. A spectral workflow based on the new iccMAX specification including the possible spectral characterization will be developed, implemented and tested.
“The second focus is the development of a RGB working colour space for digital textile printing. The third focus of this project is the production of proofs for paper and textile proofs. In summary, a standardization concept is to be designed, which will lead to a new ISO standard (ISO 15311-4) and a separate chapter in the freely available ProcessStandard Digital (PSD).
Targeted project results
“A suitable RGB working colour space for digital textile printing is to be developed; a continuous spectral workflow based on the new iccMAX standard is to be developed, implemented and tested.
“In summary, a standardization concept is to be designed, which on the one hand leads to a new ISO standard and on the other hand to a separate chapter in the ProcessStandard Digital (PSD). Among other things, it is to include the specifications for the production of proofs for paper proofs and textile proofs. This makes the printer ideal for the production of fashion and (sports) clothing, home textiles as well as POS materials.”
Hisashi Takeuchi, managing director at Mimaki Deutschland GmbH, visited Fogra in Aschheim near Munich to mark the official handover of the press. Institute Director Dr Eduard Neufeld showed him around the laboratories and the printing room, where the textile printer will provide valuable assistance in the practical implementation of the next project steps.
“We have already worked closely with Mimaki in past projects and have always been convinced of the quality of the print products,” said Dr Andreas Kraushaar, project manager and head of the Fogra prepress technology department. “We are pleased that our cooperation is now being continued in the current digital textile printing project.”
Fogra, a not-for-profit association with 900 members in over 50 countries, conducts scientific research in the field of printing and media technology.
For further information on the research project, go to: TEXTILERGB
