Every day in industries, due to technical innovations on the Internet, there are revolutionary changes that completely knock the bottom out of an old concept. I learned that a textile company developed a new product for digital printing and decided quickly to fly to the Netherlands.
The printing industry is a typical example of an industry that has been influenced a lot by the rise of multimedia. Online shopping markets for printed matter are growing. The same business model is true for the folding carton industry and the corrugated industry.
Digital printing is suitable for small lot production and has no need for making printing plates. You can change data quickly, and the control of the process is easy. The big difference compared to analog printing is that other materials besides paper can be clearly printed.
For example, a unique canvas sheet (see the attached photo) that can be printed by digital offset printing press was introduced last year. The manufacturer of the canvas sheet is Van Heek Textiles. It is located in Losser, a small town in east Holland which is just 3 kilometers from the German border. It was established 150 years ago and looms in its factory built of bricks still weave and woof, just like the Tomioka Silk Mill Site in Japan which is on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.
The cloth will be dyed and converted to different products such as colorful vertical blinds and covers for luxurious books. Beginning with sifting the best yarns, thorough quality controls make sure there is no contamination, even thickness, and great compatibility for fine printing. This high quality canvas is also very suitable for digital printing that is less flexible in terms of printing substrates.
I do not know what images are printed on the canvas versus paper. However, I am indeed impressed by the new innovations of this long lasting company that I hope will create new values.
A unique canvas sheet printed by digital offset printing press
