Threadster takes three Epson printers as its work expands globally

British textile manufacturer Threadster has added two additional Epson dye sublimation printers and a DTG machine to increase production capacity by 30%.

Two years ago, Threadster’s turnover topped the £1m mark and much of its sales success is down to its e-commerce model than enables it to offer B2B and B2C services worldwide.

Andy Evans, founder and managing director of Threadster, said: “Our success with international sales has come mostly from offering part-subsidised delivery options to customers with incredibly quick transit times in order to compete with local competition. For example, we currently ship to the US overnight with a delivery before 10.30am the very next day. We have huge plans to grow this even further as we begin to launch localised websites, local currency billing and some overseas fulfilment.”

The decision to purchase the two SC-F9200s and SC-F2000 through reseller Xpres was not a difficult one to take.

Mr Evans continues: “Epson has always been a brand we can trust and our decision to take these three printers was straightforward. We were happy with the quality of print tests.

“The increased print speed of the SC-F9200s had great appeal, helping us to increase our capacity but also enabling us to keep and exceed our turnaround deadlines. As you can imagine when you’re printing fabric to order and then making products from it in a single day, despatching the order between 2pm and 4pm, we have a lot to get through as early as possible in the morning to ensure there’s enough time for our machinists to make everything. The faster printing has made a noticeable difference to our morning routine.

“We had seen the results of printing with the latest HDK Black ink and wanted to take advantage of this. It has also provided cost savings because of the reduced ink usage.”

The addition of Epson’s DTG printer, the SureColor SC-F2000 expands Threadster’s cotton-based production. Already it is using it to produce cotton-based items, including homeware and accessories like clutch bags. DTG will expand its made-to-order, same day dispatch services to natural fibre items and will also create new opportunities for garment decoration and print fulfilment. Threadster has already launched a brand printing T shirt design and cotton apparel and accessories. Now it is looking to use DTG for one off and small batch CMT items, including printing sewing patterns on to cotton based cloth.

Mr Evans concludes: “Xpres has been amazing and gone above and beyond to ensure we made the right decision. It has ensured the printers and new ink set sit well within our workflow and that every print, RIP and output unknown was tried and tested. It is incredibly open when it comes to sharing their digital printing knowledge and techniques.”