Strengthening textile personalisation with Roland DG direct to film technology

Across Europe’s textile printing sector, a major shift is underway. Traditional methods for garment personalisation such as heat transfer vinyl and print and cut workflows – once the backbone of garment decoration, are being rapidly overtaken by faster, more efficient direct to film (DTF) technologies. As customer expectations rise and production demands intensify, companies throughout the industry are re‑evaluating how they operate, invest, and scale.

This is the environment in which Lotus has built its legacy. For more than 50 years, the company has been a trusted partner to fashion houses, sports teams, and workwear printers, evolving from its origins in Milan as a specialist heat press manufacturer into a cross‑European provider of advanced textile printing solutions.

But like many long established players, Lotus now finds itself navigating a period of profound transformation – one driven by changing customer behaviours, labour efficiency challenges, and the accelerating momentum of DTF technologies.

For many years, the company’s reputation was rooted in its expertly engineered heat presses, relied upon by thousands of textile decorators across Europe. As customer needs evolved, so did Lotus’s offering.

‘We built our business around helping textile printers work more efficiently,’ chief operating officer Bernhard Hermanns explained. ‘When our customers needed more than just heat presses, we expanded our portfolio, and that is what first opened the door to Roland DG.’

Its introduction to Roland DG began with CAD cut plotters, a natural extension of Lotus’s heat transfer vinyl business. These early machines helped customers expand into coloured transfers and more detailed textile graphics.

Lotus Berlin CEO Odette De Pasquali and COO Bernhard Hermanns.

From there, it broadened its line up to include print and cut systems and, most recently, a full suite of DTF technologies. Today the primary strategic machine is the TY-300 DTF printer, complemented by Roland DG UV printers (MO 180 and 240), along with popular print and cut models including the TrueVis SG3‑540, TrueVis VG series, VersaStudio BN2 Series (BN2-20 and BN2-30). 

In recent years, Lotus has witnessed a surge in demand for DTF systems as printers move away from traditional CAD cut and print and cut solutions. According to Bernhard, the shift is largely driven by efficiency and labour considerations.

‘DTF reduces manual steps, speeds up production, and allows a single operator to manage high volumes,’ he said. ‘It is changing how textile businesses think about their workflow.’

To support this shift, the company introduced two DTF offerings designed for different business sizes – the BY‑20 which is an accessible and compact DTF solution and the TY-300, a strategic, industrial grade machine capable of high volume output with minimal staffing.

As both Lotus and its long standing customers transition into DTF workflows, there is shared learning on all sides. ‘It is a transformation,’ Bernhard noted. ‘We are growing through it together – helping our customers adapt and adapting ourselves to what the market now demands.’

As the customer base has expanded, so has the need for fast, remote, and data led technical support. Roland DG Connect has become a critical component of Lotus’s service offering. Its technicians rely heavily on the platform, using it to monitor machine status, ink consumption, operational intensity, and potential performance issues.

‘DG Connect gives us visibility into what is happening with a machine in real time,’ Bernhard explained. ‘It helps us resolve issues faster – especially for smaller customers who need quick answers to keep production running.’

For customers, the benefits are equally valuable. They gain clarity on operating costs, ink use, and maintenance needs, enabling them to plan better and avoid unnecessary downtime. The platform also helps Roland DG itself, delivering insights that drive continuous improvement in hardware, software, and support.

Looking ahead, Bernhard sees several trends shaping both Lotus’s strategy and the wider textile printing industry. He anticipates ongoing consolidation, with many smaller businesses likely to exit the market due to retirement, rising costs, or increasing competitive pressure, creating space for stronger mid sized companies with complete solution portfolios to expand. At the same time, he predicts a clear shift toward ultra efficient production technologies, as CAD cut plotters and traditional print and cut systems gradually give way to more streamlined DTF and direct to garment workflows. 

Central to the company’s own future is the continued rise of DTF, which Bernhard views as the company’s strategic growth engine. ‘It is where the market is going, and we are committed to helping our customers make that transition successfully,’ he explained, highlighting Lotus’s determination to guide businesses through this new era of textile production.

Beyond textiles, it is showing increasing interest in Roland DG’s Dimense machines, known for their stunning interior design applications and surface effects. Thanks to the broad dealer network, Lotus can tap into these machines for customers exploring new verticals outside traditional textile printing. 

As it continues to guide textile printers through rapid change, its long standing partnership with Roland DG remains a central pillar.

‘Reliability, integration, and support are what matter most,’ Bernhard reflected. ‘With Roland DG, we have a partner that strengthens our offering and helps our customers succeed.’

From Milan to Berlin and across Europe, Lotus is redefining what modern textile production looks like, powered by decades of expertise, a forward looking strategy, and the transformative capabilities of Roland DG technology.