The announcement highlights distinct ink families for different applications. It does not establish compatibility with every printer using the same head.
For print buyers
Before changing ink, confirm the precise head code, ink system, curing method and supplier instructions. For a new UV DTF application, test the film pair and adhesion on the actual object.
What was announced
Sun Chemical's FESPA 2026 announcement covered aqueous, eco-solvent, UV and textile ink families, including options for printers built around Epson I3200 printheads.
It is an announcement of ink families for different applications. It does not establish that any one of them is compatible with every printer that carries the same printhead.
Why the same printhead does not mean the same ink
A printhead sets the physical limits: droplet size, channel count, and the waveform it is driven with. The rest of the ink system decides what can actually be put through it — the tubing and damper materials, the capping station, the white-ink circulation, and the curing method.
Two printers can share an I3200 head and still require different ink chemistry, because one cures with heat and the other with UV light. Our own range uses Epson I3200 heads in DTF, UV DTF and other categories, but in different variants for different ink systems — which is exactly why the head family alone is not a buying specification.
How to change ink without wasting a machine
Change ink against a written confirmation, not a family name. Ask the ink supplier and the printer supplier to confirm the precise head code, the ink system, the curing method and the flushing procedure for your machine.
Then test on your own material before committing to a production run: print the profile, press or cure it, and check adhesion and hand-feel after washing where that matters.
For a new UV DTF application, test the film pair as a pair. The transfer film and the adhesive film are developed together, and mixing brands is a common cause of a transfer that looks right at first and fails later.
Source: Sun Chemical ·
