R A Smart Help Students To Beat The Pandemic With The Latest HP Stitch Dye Sublimation Printer At Northumbria University
R S Smart of Macclesfield have had a long and fruitful association with many UK Universities, where they continue to expand the horizons of the academic community with the latest in Digital Textile Print Technology.
They recently installed a HP Stitch S300 at their longstanding customer, Northumbria University, where the remote management capability of the HP Stitch S300 printer was critical during the pandemic as it allowed students to continue to engage with the practical element of their studies.
With the HP PrintOS students were able to electronically send work to be printed out and transferred onto fabric, the University would then send the finished article back to them and – in conjunction with half scale mannequins, allow the students to engage with the blended learning over lockdown – undergraduates were able to develop their garment shapes, silhouettes and print designs from the safety of their own homes.
R A Smart take great pride in supporting the next generation of textile enthusiasts & to know this new installation is making a big difference for the students is fantastic!
Kenny Macrae, Technical Manager for Fashion and Textiles at the Faculty of Art, Design and Social Science at Northumbria University, said ‘The printer is seen as something that will become integral not only to fashion students but as a resource for the whole of the design school. The speed, efficiency and simplicity of the printing process means that eventually anyone from the school should be able to utilise it. It allows students to be experimental and develop their samples and ideas with a minimum of waste and allows us to move from small samples to full sized garment prints easily.”
‘From interior design students wanting samples for soft furnishings, to fashion students looking to push the boundaries of print through fabrication, it will allow everyone to prove concepts and realise their ideas,’ Mr Macrae concluded. ‘It’s not a machine that has been brought in to replace traditional skills and practise that sits at the core of what we do, but instead a modern printer that will help enhance our output and allow our staff and students to push the boundaries of print design and research within their chosen discipline.’
About R A Smart
Based in the silk town of Macclesfield, R A Smart have a long and rich heritage in printed textiles not only as a supplier of specialist textile printing equipment for nearly 40 years but as a commission screen maker, printer and weaver going back to the 1970’s when R A Smart was established.
R A Smart (CAD & Machinery) was originally established as a bespoke manufacturer and supply of specialist short run textile printing equipment and auxiliary equipment, supplying commercial printers, design studios and educational establishments all over the world as well as throughout the UK.
They have been at the forefront of digital textile technology since the early pioneering days of the late 1990’s and can rightly claim to be experts in the supply and support of dedicated textile digital print solutions, partnering with the leading machine manufacturers they have a large and varied customer base throughout the UK.
Covering a vast array of applications including fashion/furnishing/sportswear/household textiles and soft signage they are in a unique position to advise and guide their customers through the various machine solutions, ink chemistries and processes required for any textile application.
