Epson helps Liberty London and Topshop to launch true fast fashion

Liberty London and Topman Oxford Circus, in collaboration with all-over print specialists Yr Store (www.yrsto.re/), have opened pop-ups within their flagship stores offering customers the chance to create and print their own bespoke t-shirts using Epson SureColor dye-sub printers - while they wait.

Yr Store’s garment print installations feature interactive touch-pod design stations and live all-over printing. Customers can create one-off patterns in-store from an archive of designs and images which are then printed and applied to t-shirts on-site and ready-to-go within a matter of minutes.

The t-shirt designs are printed using Epson’s 44-inch SureColor SC-F6000 roll-fed dye-sublimation printers. Supplied to Yr Store by specialist Epson re-seller RA Smart (www.rasmart.co.uk), these printers produce high-quality, vibrant images on all leading transfer papers. With output speeds from 16 to 57m2/hr, depending upon application, the SC-F6000 is the ideal 'on-demand' print solution for the retail environment. The SureColor printers are easy to use and operate by just one person.

The SureColor SC-F printers use Epson UltraChrome DS ink, a specially-developed aqueous ink which produces outstanding images with vibrant colours, intense blacks, sharp contours and smooth gradations. Its excellent light- and wash-fastness, as well as resistance to abrasion and perspiration, makes it the ideal choice for t-shirt applications.

“Yr believes the future of fashion is in carefully curated live garment creation,” says Yr Store’s Tim Williams. “Working with Epson technology means we can provide the highest quality product in super-fast time, offering customers a great retail experience and their own unique garment.”

The Liberty concession is open till the end of December. Topman is a permanent installation and will be rolled out to other Top Shop stores throughout the country in 2014, with further printable garments being introduced such as sweatshirts, scarves and leggings.

Martin Johns, ProGraphics, Epson UK, says: “Not only does the SureColor SC-F6000 deliver on performance, cost, reliability and flexibility, it also opens up new revenue streams for customers. Yr Store’s live garment print installations in Liberty and Topman are a perfect example of how Epson technology is assisting users to develop their creative ideas to expand their businesses further.”