Odense municipality

When Kulturmaskinen (the Culture Machine) in Odense wanted to find a new and flexible direct-to-garment printing solution, Epson's SureColor SC-F2000 textile printer proved to be the obvious choice.

"Our citizens' workshop is open to everyone – young and old. We're there as advisors only; our customers are free to do as they wish . This means that the equipment must provide a certain level of user-friendliness," says Ann Larsen, who runs the workshop.

At Kulturmaskinen it's important that local people feel able to experiment with graphic design and be proud of the products they're working on – be it birthday invitations, T-shirts or bedding.

Outdated technology

Kulturmaskinen has been operating for five years. It used to be based in Badstuen, but has now moved to the Brandt area of Odense. During the move, the decision was made to upgrade the workshop's technology.

"We previously had an outdated printing solution that required you to print out a graphic design first and then transfer it to the fabric. It presented a lot of challenges in terms of user-friendliness and durability," explains Ann.

The old technology meant that the final product didn't have the quality Kulturmaskinen wanted its customers to enjoy.

"After you'd washed your new T-shirt a number of times, the colours faded and the graphic prints disappeared. The machine was also difficult to use because you had to go through a number of different procedures and heat transfer the print to your garment," continues Ann.

Having a printer that prints directly onto fabric and textiles gives the business a clear advantage.

New flexible solution

Epson's SureColor SC-F2000 textile printer was the obvious choice. The F2000 prints directly onto garments, and can print a T-shirt in 27 seconds.

It's the first time Kulturmaskinen has had a flexible solution that both saves time and offers users the best quality.

"You no longer need to print on paper , you can print directly onto the materials, and you can print on almost any kind of textile: people come in with cushions and duvet covers – their imagination is the only limit ," says Ann.

Prints using the business' old technology lasted for only 4 or 5 washes before they faded and peeled off, whereas prints using the new technology from Epson last 40-45 washes before the graphic fades even slightly.

Happy citizens

The most important thing for Kulturmaskinen is that citizens are happy and pleased with what they can create get and that they enjoy trying something new .

" I'd say that the ages of our customers range from 12-90 years old, so it's a fairly representative cross-section of local people taking advantage of what we have to offer," says Ann .

Products must be user-friendly

"The machines must be easy to use for a wide range of ages and customer demands,but we're there to help if needed.

Lots of our customers don't know anything about graphic design. It's a fun hobby to try – and here at Kulturmaskinen we now have the right equipment and advisors to make it easy for anyone to have a go," concludes Ann Larsen.