An apparel printing system for printing on regions of tubular fabrics with repeating patterns includes a textile printer having a print head and a tubular platen that includes features on the platen surface to retain and register the tubular fabric on the platen surface during printing.

An apparel printing system for printing on regions of tubular fabrics with repeating patterns includes a textile printer having a print head and a tubular platen that includes features on the platen surface to retain and register the tubular fabric on the platen surface during printing.

A platen is disclosed. In an example, the platen may include a shirtboard configured to receive a garment. A backing is coupled to the shirtboard by a hinge. The backing and the shirtboard are compressible to selectively compress the shirtboard against the backing during a printing operation. An example of printing on a garment includes threading a garment onto a board so that the board is wearing the garment, supporting the board against a backing during compression, and printing on the garment. In an example, a fabric of the garment is pretreated, heat-pressed, and printed on, all without removing the garment from the board.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a number printing machine is provided. The machine includes at least one pallet, and an input to input at least the height and width of, and spacing between, a plurality of numbers to be printed on a substrate. The machine also includes a controller responsive to the input to control movement of the at least one pallet to print the plurality of numbers on the substrate in registration. In another embodiment, a method for printing numbers in registration on a substrate is provided. The method includes the steps of inputting into an input the length, width, and spacing between numbers to be printed, and positioning the substrate in response to the input such that the numbers are printed in registration.

A method of screen printing positionally synchronizes a plurality of pallet assemblies on a first screen printing machine with a plurality of pallet assemblies on a second screen printing machine. A screen printed garment having a properly aligned first image received from the first screen printing machine is transferred on a portion of one of the pallet assemblies on the first screen printing machine to one of the plurality of pallet assemblies on the second printing machine. The properly aligned first image on the garment is in proper positional alignment with a screen printing head on the second screen printing machine such that a second image complimentary to the first image is printed on the garment in proper position on the garment relative to the first image without user intervention to positionally locate the first image relative to the screen printing head on the second machine.

An apparel printing system for printing on regions of tubular fabrics with repeating patterns includes a textile printer having a print head and a tubular platen that includes features on the platen surface to retain and register the tubular fabric on the platen surface during printing.

Provided are recording sections which record onto recording media which are supported on pallets, a first transport section which transports the recording media by moving the pallets in a first region which does not include recording positions according to the recording sections, and second transport section which transports the recording media with higher precision than the first transport section in a second region which includes the recording positions.

An article of apparel including a tubular knit textile region is provided, as well as an apparel printing system for printing on regions of the tubular knit textile region and related methods. The article of apparel can include a tubular knit textile region having an internal side and an opposite external side configured to be exposed during use, a plurality of yarns in an arrangement of interlocked loops forming parallel rows and channels therebetween, and a printed ink design on its external side. The printed ink design can be formed from ink applied to the parallel rows of loops and to the channels. An apparel printing system for printing on the article of apparel can include a textile printer having a print head and a tubular platen that includes features on the platen surface to retain and register the tubular knit textile on the platen surface during printing.

An endcap for a cylinder for use in a customization system for tubular articles. The endcap has a minimized geometry to maximize the surface area of the tubular article available for printing. The endcap may be limited in size so that the endcap is limited to an endface of the cylinder. The endcap may also have a shape that limits the amount of material in the endcap, such as an X-shape. The endcap may include a fast connection system such as a plurality of magnets for rapid loading and unloading of the articles on the cylinder.

A screen printing system includes a screen printing machine. The screen printing machines includes a screen printing unit with a screen. A platen arm assembly includes a platen configured to move in a telescoping direction from at least a first position where the platen is positioned under the screen to a second position that is different from the first position.