R A Smart Open House Event: Heritage Meets Innovation
To celebrate the launch of one of the most revolutionary developments for dye sublimation technology in recent years, R A Smart teamed up with HP to showcase the Stitch technology during an exclusive Open House Event.
Held at R A Smart’s Macclesfield headquarters, the two-day affair saw visitors from up and down the UK flock to the historic silk town to learn more about the revolutionary machines, as well as R A Smart’s very own textile operation.
Once the largest producer of finished silk in the world, Macclesfield lends itself beautifully to play host to textile enthusiasts from far and wide. In years gone by, the town had been home to over 70 silk mills. Nowadays, R A Smart is actively committed to keeping the ancient art of weaving silk alive in the town, along with promoting Macclesfield’s rich silk producing history around the world.
Visitors to the Open House were given an ‘All Access’ tour of the company’s vast textile setup, including screen print, digital print, weave and even sewing. R A Smart’s unique setup means they were able to demonstrate and explain every step of the printing process from weaving a silk print base on a jacquard loom; then coating the fabric to prepare it for print; even the post printing processes of steaming, washing or heat fixation were on show for guests to understand.
After the tour was over, visitors were shown the company’s brand-new demo suite, dedicated to the HP Stitch machines. The full range of printers were on show (S300, S500 & S1000) along with a plethora of print examples including soft signage, dresses, sportswear, household textiles & upholstery. Attendees were able to gather valuable information about how the HP Stitch could satisfy their business’s needs and ask any questions they may have to the highly experienced sales & demonstration team.
Both days were extremely well attended and the feedback from those who visited has been overwhelmingly positive. For visitors, it was an insight into the textile printing world and a great opportunity to find out more about the latest equipment. For R A Smart, it was a chance to inspire people to get involved with the fastest growing sector of digital printing (textiles) and demonstrate why R A Smart is the right partner to support them with their very own textile printing solution.
