Kiian Digital’s Digistar HI-PRO series recently passed Nike’s Restricted Substance Lists (RSL) testing. Marco Girola, Marketing Specialist, Kiian Digital, shares his thoughts on what this achievement means for Kiian Digital, its customers and how this reflects a current trend for the textile industry to be more environmentally conscious.
What does it mean to have passed Nike’s RSL testing for Kiian Digital? What particular substances needed to be restricted to be awarded RSL?
As the world’s largest manufacturer of athletic footwear and apparel, producing over 900,000 products a year, Nike aims to eliminate hazardous chemicals throughout its production chain. Its RSL requires that every Nike-branded product, adheres to its sustainability commitment. This demands that its suppliers evaluate their chemical impact and incorporate less polluted manufacturing processes that comply with a comprehensive list of chemical standards. In terms of sublimation inks, these are subject to annual tests to ascertain the absence of a number of chemicals including, organotins, PVC and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).
For us, having passed the Nike RSL testing with Digistar HI-PRO series is a great commendation to our continued commitment to a sustainable business approach, not only for us as an ink manufacturer, but also in providing solutions that allow our customers to offer more environmentally acceptable products. With our advanced portfolio, which comprises of water-based inks that allow for increased productivity while reducing waste, and our expansive chain of regional dealers; we embrace a business model of printing locally thereby, potentially eliminating the need for global shipping and further reducing our carbon footprint.
We also ensure that all of our ranges exclude or reduce hazardous chemicals. As demonstrated by this recent success in Nike’s RSL compliance testing, our approach not only provides a fantastic range of benefits to the printing companies and the end user; it also gives us the opportunity to promote the use of our eco-friendly inks within Nike’s extensive supply chain through its existing print suppliers.
Are Nike’s RSL test requirements typical of brands in the textile industry? Does this process reflect a current trend to be more environmentally conscious?
Yes, brands today are very conscious of the impact their supply chains have on the environment. This increased sense of responsibility comes directly from the companies but also from consumer pressure, as the public has become much more aware of the way the products they buy are made and sourced.
Manufacturers’ also have a responsibility to offer sustainable solutions. This has been our policy for many years as a brand that cares about its own carbon footprint, as well as having a product range that can provide added benefits to its customers.
What are the features of the Digistar HI-PRO series that made it suitable to put forward for this RSL testing?
The product series we put forward for the Nike RSL testing needed to meet all of their environmental criteria. Thanks to its vast gamut of 14 striking colour, the Digistar HI-PRO series is a great sublimation solution in the production of supreme-quality high-fashion apparel, endurance sportswear, equipment, producing. In terms of textile applications, the Digistar HI-PRO range offers supreme image quality and is quick-drying, perfect in the production of final applications, including sportswear.
Following our recent Nike RSL test success, the Digistar HI-PRO series provides customers with the ability to perfect designs early, as these approved products do not require additional testing. This not only directly decreasing their developmental cost, it also significantly accelerates the products’ time-to-market and allows more goods to be produced in a shorter turnaround time.
Sold in around 90 countries worldwide, the Digistar HI-PRO range is our bestselling product offering a host of benefits to printing companies and end-users including its complete compatibility with the full portfolio of Epson printheads – the most widely used on the market.
Specifically designed for synthetic fabrics and uncoated and coated rigid substrates, the Digistar HI-PRO series provides high colour concentration particularly on coated and uncoated paper. Customers printing on uncoated paper, can enjoy long-lasting vivid brightness of the inks while print manufacturers of coated paper can utilise reduced ink consumption compared to competing inks. This allows the cartridge to span a higher number of print runs resulting in greater workflow and cost efficiencies. Available in 1, 2.5 and 5 litre bottles, we supply inks for small to large jobs.
Offering rapid system set-up, less downtime and increased quality, our inks provide our customers with lower production costs and increased margins. This generates sustainable value for businesses that are looking to invest in digital production.
What opportunities does this testing success provide to your customers?
Once an ink has passed these tests, this product can be used in the production of Nike-branded products. Regarding the applications that can be produced using the Digistar HI-PRO range this is limited only by the designer’s imagination be it a t-shirt or a pair of trainers as long as the material consists of a minimum of 70% polyester.
This opens up some fantastic new business opportunities for our customers. It should also give them a further USP when talking to other brands and end-users about the inks they use and how they meet the stringent environmental criteria for one of the world’s most high-profile Brands.
Why should existing Nike suppliers purchase the Digistar HI-PRO range?
With our advanced R&D, we are continually working with our customers to find the best printing solution that meets their requirements or adapting our inks to comply with certain accreditations.
Existing Nike suppliers can have the confidence that our Digistar HI-PRO range fully complies with Nike’s rigorous criteria of the RSL and as such, we can be confident that the ink conforms with the company’s RSL requirements and will not require additional testing further-down the production line. This ensures that Nike printing suppliers can enjoy greater cost efficiencies and increased turnaround times.
What’s next for Kiian Digital? Do you plan to test any additional inks to comply with Nike’s RSL?
As one of the leading digital ink’s manufacturers, our vast portfolio has a host of accreditations. The Digistar HI-PRO series and many of our other ink series have been tested to comply with many industry standards including: Adidas A-01, OEKO-TEX® Standard 100, Clear to Wear and Safe to Wear authorisations.
Our commitment to sustainability means that we are continually looking to improve our inks and ensure they meet key criteria, as well as the wider market demands. As such, if we believe the market has a demand for a particular ink series we will of course conduct testing to ensure that the relevant standards are met.