Monna Lisa ML-16000/HY can Print All Kinds of Special Effects on Fabric

One of the textile printing technology pioneer Epson announced the revolutionary Monna Lisa ML-16000/HY that can uniquely digitally create any type of special effect on fabric at ITMA 2023.

The hybrid printer has been developed to reproduce the most sophisticated effects for modern printed fabrics with gold, silver, and glossy tints.

The continuously evolving textile market requires increasingly sustainable and efficient solutions in order to deliver unique results and low-impact productivity. The Monna Lisa ML-16000/Hy is the ideal printer for companies that need to optimise the production of complex prints and offer the market more creativity.

With the latest portfolio addition, the Monna Lisa series – already known for its print quality, ink optimisation, extreme flexibility, and sustainability – can reproduce special effects on any fabric without requiring any subsequent steps. These range from glossy lacquer through to gold and silver metal and opaque white.

The combination of the Monna Lisa ML-16000/HY’s 8 colour inkset, 16 PrecisionCore printheads and 64 nozzles, finally enables the digital printing of special effects, previously the exclusive preserve of conventional screen or cylinder printing.

Guarantees Color Accuracy and Resistance

Its Genesta water-based inks guarantee colour accuracy and resistance in fabric prints, while pastes developed and produced by Epson Como Printing Technologies create the special effects.

PrecisionCore printhead technology guarantees the exceptional quality for which Epson is renowned while delivering the high speeds necessary for commercial and industrial printing. At the heart of this technology is the MicroTFP next-generation printing chip.  PrecisionCore technology perfectly embodies Epson’s goal of delivering unrivalled levels of value and performance to the widest possible customer base.

The Monna Lisa ML-16000/HY is proof of how Epson’s research and development team always has its eyes on the future. With the latest evolution of the Monna Lisa series, and the ability to produce 100% of printing effects with digital technology, the needs of several markets – from fashion to home textiles, swimwear to sportswear – can be met at the same time.

“At Epson, we know how crucial it is to respond quickly to a market in perpetual motion”, comments Paolo Crespi, commercial director of Epson Como Printing Technologies. “Today, with the Monna Lisa ML-16000/HY, we have reached a new milestone and completed a journey that began 20 years ago with the birth of the Monna Lisa project: the coverage of 100% of printing requirements with digital technology.”

Petit Bateau Prefers Monna Lisa

Thanks to Epson’s support, Petit Bateau was able to put its new strategic focus on digital technology into motion, setting itself three important goals: print pattern quality, more efficient CSR and improved responsiveness to market demands.

Petit Bateau prints 2.5 million linear metres per year with various textile printers and, prior to its partnership with Epson, printing was the only outsourced production step, with dyeing, knitting, cutting and finishing managed in-house. The reasons that prompted Petit Bateau to also insource the printing phase can be traced to the need, accelerated by Covid, to better control the value chain and the company’s desire to refocus on its original values of sustainability and respect for the planet.

“After dealing with the pandemic crisis, which brought so many issues into question, we decided to pursue a path more closely focused on sustainability, respect for the planet and our mission of bringing children into contact with nature”, explains Jean-Marc Guillemet, Director of Operations at Petit Bateau.  “We then asked ourselves lots of different questions: how can we streamline production? How can we react more quickly to changes in demand? How can we combine our commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility with profitability? The answer to all of these questions was to go digital”.

With the transition to digital, Petit Bateau’s most pressing requirement was continuing to guarantee the same quality and ink management as with screen printing. With the Monna Lisa model and its 8 colours (CMYK, grey, orange, green, red), the level of quality not only meets all of the company’s requirements but can even take its designs to the next level, with excellent results even after 25 washes.

Petit Bateau responds quickly to market demands with Monna Lisa

Moreover, with digital printing the ability to respond to market demand has increased. Using its traditional value chain, Petit Bateau used to take as much as ten weeks to restart a production line during the same season. Today, with Epson Monna Lisa, it takes just ten days: five days to print, five days to cut and finish.  As such, the company is now able to react very quickly to market trends and adopt a print-on-demand model, limiting unsold items and losses and reducing its risk to zero.

Printing on demand thus fulfils a threefold mission: to produce only that which will be sold, to improve company profitability and to reduce environmental impact. It is therefore easy to see how on-demand production can become an important engine for growth.

Uses 50% less electricity and 30% less water

“The Epson Monna Lisa is involved in the production of collections that are subject to a more measured approach”, continues Jean-Marc Guillemet. “It also allows our teams to collaborate on an innovative strategic project on the market and to reinforce our values. The Monna Lisa model therefore makes it possible to transform our activities and this is a real source of motivation for the Petit Bateau teams. And if we look at purely environmental aspects, digital printing on fabric has a very interesting impact on energy and water consumption: 50% less electricity and 30% less water than traditional printing processes.”