xTool has launched its Apparel Printer on Kickstarter. The company says is compatible with “all apparel, all fabrics”, including cotton, polyester, denim, canvas, spandex, and leather.
The device essentially functions as an ink-jet printer for heat transfer “film” sheets, which can be heat-pressed onto clothing or fabrics. It leverages dual Epson i1600 print heads – one for color and one for white ink – to print a user-uploaded, HD-quality image.
After printing, users will cut the sheets, coat them with an adhesive powder, and bake them. All told, xTool says the print process takes less than 10 minutes, after which point you’ll have a heat press-ready design – one that is oh-so-conveniently compatible with xTool’s heat press.
Should you want to skirt much of the manual labor required, xTool offers combo packages that feature the Apparel Printer and a Shaker Oven, which takes care of everything but the heat press portion of post-processing automatically.
The printer itself also boasts an onboard AI camera for print head calibration and a system that automatically circulates white ink and cleans the print heads.
A Kickstarter campaign for the xTool Apparel Printer is now live, where early-bird pricing starts at $3,999 for the printer only – a substantial discount off the device’s $5,999 MSRP. Take things up a notch to the Shaker Oven combo, and you can currently grab one for $6,299 (down from $8,998).
Editor's Note – This article highlights a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign. Kickstarter is not a shop; campaigns are under no legal obligation to deliver on crowdfunding promises, nor offer refunds on unfulfilled campaign rewards. For more insight, read our article 8 Things to Watch for When Backing a 3D Printing Kickstarter.
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