If there was ever any doubt direct-to-film (DTF) is becoming an increasingly viable means of fulfilling higher-volume T-shirt orders, a la screen printing, those doubts should be put to rest by ROQ’s new fully automatic IMPRESS system—in essence a heat-press version of the renowned screen-printing autos the company has long produced. Built to press multiple types of heat transfers including DTF, Supacolor, screen print, vinyl and a wide range of specialty transfers, the IMPRESS is available in one of two configurations: six stations with two heat presses capable of decorating up to 300 pieces per hour; and six stations with three heat presses capable of decorating at up to 500 pieces per hour. In addition to its minimal air and power needs, the IMPRESS includes a sophisticated operating system, allowing operators to specify a variety of different settings and save multiple custom “recipes” in order to more easily handle repeat customers. In recent months ROQ has also introduced a trio of complementary systems: the FEED, PEEL and PULL, which pretty much do what their names say, i.e., automatically place each transfer; remove the backing material when heat-pressing is complete; and then remove the fully decorated shirt. Voilà! Nothing left for an operator to do other than thread the garment onto a platen. For more information, go to roq.us/roq-impress.
To see the complete list of 2025 Impressions Industry Impact Awards Winners, click here. Photo courtesy of ROQ.US
