The VersaStudio BT-12 can be ordered now and will start shipping from April. The A4 device can print full-colour graphics including photos, logos and text directly onto a raft of different cotton-based items.

“The VersaStudio BT-12 is focused around garments and textiles so it would largely be used for t-shirts, but you could also use it for things like tote bags or towels,” said Roland DG head of sales for UK and Ireland Rob Goleniowski.

“Provided the fabric of the material will work with the ink – and for that it really needs to be cotton-based – then there are lots of uses for this machine.”

The manufacturer said the kit’s compact size (399x760mm) and affordable price (£2,999) enables businesses to offer personalisation services with a low initial investment and in locations where space is limited, including shopping malls, kiosks, hotel gift shops and tourist destinations, as well as at events.

“I think there will be plenty of low- to medium-sized garment producers that want to invest in this machine, whether that be people that work from business premises or from home,” said Goleniowski.

“But because of its simplicity, it lends itself very nicely to in-store personalisation, so it could be that we end up with chains of retailers having them in their shops and enabling people to create their own t-shirts rather than buying them off the shelf.”

He added: “It’s not just for people that want to supply and sell the output though. You could be a car company, for example, that wants the ability to provide giveaways or goods for your customers. I think the price point means that there are plenty of big companies that could use it for their own internal promotional work, as well as using it for paid output.”

The device uses water-based pigment inks and is capable of producing a fully-finished custom printed product in a few minutes. Cassettes hold the items for printing and finishing to ensure the safety of operators and customers.

The BT-12 will be bundled with Roland Design Software, which the manufacturer said enables users to create unique designs with minimal training.

The optional HB-12 finishing unit is designed to stack with the printer and “dramatically reduces the installation space that is typically required for a traditional direct-to-garment printer”, according to Roland DG.