McRae Imaging's use of the direct-to-fabric :Jeti 3324 AquaJet from Agfa Graphics helps it dominate the fabric printing market from its headquarters in Ontario, Canada.

McRae Imaging is one of the world's leading graphics and custom structures company. McRae's 20,000-square-foot facility in Mississauga offers the latest in digital dye-sub and inkjet printing equipment, an in-house finishing department and a state-of-the-art metal fabrication shop.

The :Jeti 3324 AquaJet inkjet printing system is essential for McRae to print banners, flags, table drapes, fabric murals and more. Fabric offers a versatility that other media do not and is being used more frequently in trade show work to keep shipping costs in check. The growth trend may be due to fabric's lightweight, portable, durable and stretchable qualities.

"Digital fabric printing has come a long way since the late 90s, when traditional photofinishing was being overtaken by digital technology, and continues towards even sharper photographic image quality today. It has forever changed the tradeshow exhibit landscape," said Bob Murray, owner, McRae Imaging. "Fabric structures are now grand splashes of color on the show floor and they're known for allowing the designer's imagination to expand more than ever before."

Agfa Graphics' booth at Sign Expo 2012 is a great example of the capability of the :Jeti 3324 AquaJet. The large eye-catching overhead graphics and the Application Zone structures were produced by McRae on the Aquajet.

The six-color :Jeti 3324 AquaJet is an aqueous-based textile printer and features the latest generation disperse inks to produce output onto any polyester-based fabric. The inline infra-red fixation system ensures vibrant, brilliant and durable results which are fade- and wash-resistant. The 10' 6" engine has throughput speeds of up to 650 ft2/hr and a true resolution of 400 dpi. Included are a rewind/take up unit, a roll lifter, in-line slitters and a vapor extraction filtration system. Its beveled media rollers are designed to provide accurate registration for all materials.

The :Jeti 3324 AquaJet has given McRae the ability to do multiple, larger jobs. It can meet heavy production demands at a lower cost while producing high quality images at greater speeds. McRae saves time and money, as the :Jeti 3324 AquaJet prints direct to fabric, eliminating the more traditional transfer process of other fabric printing systems.

"The growing level of interest we have seen in fabric graphics over the past few years has shown that more and more output providers are considering fabric printing as a product they can offer their clients," said Deborah Hutcheson, director of Marketing, Agfa Graphics, North America. "Many exhibit and retail designers are now using fabric as a key component of their display portfolio. There are endless possibilities for print service providers to differentiate themselves and, in many cases, offer their clients a unique product."

Several inkjet technologies and systems from Agfa Graphics will be on display and available for demonstrations at Sign Expo 2012 (booth #1036). Visitors can see actual trade show fabric applications produced on the :Jeti 3324 AquaJet along with many other high-quality direct-to-fabric and inkjet printing examples at the Agfa booth.