EPSON has announced the launch of SureColor F370, a 13-inch ‘desktop’ dye-sub printer designed for makers and small businesses looking to get into the personalized product market without a major up-front investment. With the new printer, EPSON expanded its line of dye-sublimation printers to help makers and small businesses take advantage of what the company sees as growth in demand for personalized products. EPSON found that consumers increasingly prefer customized and one-of-a-kind to mass-produced products, and personalized apparel, gifts, and décor continue to be major growth areas. At the same time, advances in digital decoration technologies have brought about greater product variety. There has also been increased interest beyond traditional polyester-based products, such as cotton, and other fabrics as well as other kinds of surfaces.
SureColor F370 is a 13-in. “desktop” dye-sub device that fills a gap in Epson’s dye-sub portfolio, serving makers, small businesses, schools, and a growing class of “customization shops” that want to produce larger dye-sub products without needing to invest in a large, elaborate 24-in. rollfed system. As a result, the SureColor F370 fits between the entry-level F170 (8.5 in.) and F570 (24 in.).