Lotus has strengthened its textile personalisation portfolio as demand grows across Europe for more efficient direct-to-film (DTF) production, marking a further shift away from traditional heat transfer vinyl and print-and-cut workflows.
The move reflects wider changes in the garment decoration market, where rising expectations around turnaround times, flexibility, and labour efficiency are prompting print service providers to reassess how they invest and scale. DTF has emerged as a key alternative, offering simplified workflows and the ability to produce short runs and one-off garments at speed.
Founded in Milan more than 50 years ago as a heat-press manufacturer, Lotus has evolved into a Europe-wide supplier of textile printing systems and workflow solutions. According to chief operating officer Bernhard Hermanns, that evolution has been driven by customer needs rather than technology alone.
“We built our business around helping textile printers work more efficiently,” he says. “When our customers needed more than just heat presses, we expanded our portfolio, and that’s what first opened the door to Roland DG.”
Lotus initially introduced Roland DG CAD-cut plotters to support heat transfer vinyl applications, before adding print-and-cut systems. More recently, the company has focused on DTF, with the Roland DG TY-300 now positioned as its primary strategic textile printer, alongside the Roland DG BY-20 for smaller operations. The company also supplies Roland DG UV printers and a range of print-and-cut devices.
“DTF reduces manual steps, speeds up production, and allows a single operator to manage high volumes,” Mr Hermanns says. “It’s changing how textile businesses think about their workflow.”
As its installed base has grown, Lotus has also expanded its support infrastructure. Roland DG Connect is now used by Lotus technicians to remotely monitor machine performance, ink usage, and operational data, helping to speed up fault resolution and reduce downtime.
“DG Connect gives us visibility into what’s happening with a machine in real time,” Mr Hermanns explains. “It helps us resolve issues faster – especially for smaller customers who need quick answers to keep production running.”
Looking ahead, Lotus expects further consolidation within the textile printing market, alongside a continued shift towards highly automated production models. “It’s where the market is going, and we’re committed to helping our customers make that transition successfully,” Mr Hermanns adds.
Beyond textiles, Lotus is also exploring opportunities around Roland DG’s Dimense technology, particularly for customers looking to diversify into interior décor and surface applications.
