Kornit adds HD capability to Storm

Kornit’s brand new Storm HD6 direct-to-garment printer is being shown for the first time at Fespa Berlin.

The firm has added the HD technology to the mid-range Storm device following its successful launch on the higher-throughput Avalanche, for which Kornit has already secured some $5m-worth (£3.7m) of orders.

The first Avalanche HD6 in Europe was installed at Inkthreadable in Blackburn in February. It is also on show at Fespa.

“We have brought our HD technology to Storm. The smaller drop size saves ink and gives a better hand feel,” explained Kornit EMEA marketing director Oliver Luedtke. “The ink saving compared to the Storm Hexa is around 30%”.

Luedtke said the Storm HD6 would increase the opportunities for digital printers to compete with screen printing. It uses Kornit’s NeoPigment Rapid ink and the ink cost, including depreciation, is €1.25 (£1.10) per print.

The new Storm HD6 is priced at around €265,000 and will be available in Q4. There is also an “attractive” upgrade option for anyone buying a Storm Hexa in the meantime.

Also on Kornit’s booth (1.1-A20) is an Allegro roll-to-roll fabric printer showcasing Kornit’s new neon inks in a ‘micro-factory’ setup featuring Assyst Vidya 3D CAD software and an on-stand seamstress creating items live on the booth. “The neon ink is a USP for Kornit right now,” Luedtke added.

In addition, the firm has teamed up with hugely successful online print-on-demand textile marketplace Spoonflower, which is a Kornit customer, to run daily seminars on the booth at 11am discussing digital workflows.