Roq Debuts Hybrid Pro+ DTG-Screen Combo at Fespa Barcelona

Roq handed its new Hybrid Pro+ printer its European debut this week at Fespa Global Print Expo in Barcelona, introducing a machine that merges digital direct-to-garment printing with screen printing in a single production line. The Portuguese manufacturer designed the system for industrial garment decoration operations where throughput, mechanical stability, and process control determine profitability. The machine is available now, and early interest is coming from screen printers making their first moves into DTG.

Integrated Workflow Architecture for Industrial Garment Production

The Hybrid Pro+ integrates digital printing and screen printing into one continuous workflow, eliminating the need to move garments between separate machines or production cells. Roq displayed the H24C04 5045 model on its stand at Fira de Barcelona, a configuration that uses 24 piezoelectric Fujifilm StarFire SG600 1C printheads and prints CMYK on a maximum printing area of 500x450mm. The system achieves resolutions up to 635x2,400dpi, positioning it for detailed multi-color work on t-shirts and other garments when pallets are swapped.

Cristiana Peixoto, marketing manager at Roq, told Printweek that the machine has already started to gain attention from screen printers who are beginning to invest in direct-to-garment technology. "This machine is speedier than our other models and is normally used to produce t-shirts although you can use it to produce other garments if you change the pallet," she said. The hybrid architecture allows operators to combine the speed and cost efficiency of screen printing for large solid areas with the detail and color range of digital printing for complex graphics, all within the same production run.

Several models are available in the Hybrid Pro+ line, giving shops flexibility to match printhead count, print width, and configuration to their specific production volumes and garment mix. The system is designed for demanding production environments where uptime, repeatability, and operational control are critical to meeting delivery schedules and maintaining margin.

Fujifilm StarFire Printheads Drive Speed and Detail

The Hybrid Pro+ relies on Fujifilm's StarFire SG600 1C printheads, a piezoelectric drop-on-demand technology widely used in industrial textile and garment printing. The 24-head configuration on the model shown at Fespa allows the machine to lay down CMYK ink at high speed while maintaining the resolution needed for photographic images, gradients, and fine text. The 635x2,400dpi resolution specification indicates that the system is capable of retail-quality output, not just promotional or workwear-grade decoration.

Piezoelectric printheads offer advantages in industrial settings because they do not rely on heat to eject ink, reducing maintenance complexity and extending printhead life. The StarFire SG600 series is known for stable drop formation and consistent jetting performance across long production runs, which matters when a shop is running thousands of garments per shift. The 500x450mm print area covers the full front chest and back print zones on adult t-shirts, and the system can handle larger or smaller garments by changing pallets.

Roq's decision to integrate 24 printheads in the H24C04 5045 model suggests the machine is built for speed. More printheads mean more ink can be laid down per pass, reducing the number of passes required to achieve full color density and cutting overall print time per garment. For screen printers moving into DTG, this speed advantage is critical because it determines whether the digital side of the hybrid workflow can keep pace with the screen printing side.

Screen Printers Enter DTG Through Hybrid Systems

Peixoto's comment that the Hybrid Pro+ is gaining attention from screen printers beginning to invest in DTG reflects a broader shift in the decorated apparel industry. Screen printing remains the dominant production method for high-volume, single-color or spot-color work, but digital printing has become the preferred choice for short runs, complex designs, and personalized orders. Hybrid systems allow shops to serve both markets without maintaining separate production lines or splitting orders across different facilities.

For a screen printer, adding a standalone DTG printer often means learning a new workflow, training staff on digital file preparation, and managing a separate set of consumables, maintenance schedules, and quality control procedures. A hybrid system reduces that friction by integrating digital printing into the existing screen printing workflow. Operators can load garments once, print screen layers and digital layers in sequence, and unload finished pieces at the end of the line. This reduces handling time, minimizes registration errors, and simplifies production planning.

The Hybrid Pro+ also allows screen printers to take on orders that would otherwise be unprofitable or technically difficult. A job that requires a photographic image on top of a solid underbase, for example, can be handled by screen printing the underbase and digitally printing the image, all in one pass through the machine. This capability opens up new customer segments, including e-commerce brands, event merchandise, and corporate clients who need small batches with complex graphics.

Industry Outlook

Hybrid printing systems represent a practical response to the fragmentation of the decorated apparel market. Shops that once specialized in either screen printing or digital printing are now expected to handle both, often within the same order. The Hybrid Pro+ addresses this by consolidating two production methods into one machine, reducing floor space requirements, capital investment, and operational complexity. As more screen printers adopt digital printing, hybrid systems are likely to become a standard configuration in mid-to-large production facilities.

The use of Fujifilm StarFire printheads in the Hybrid Pro+ also signals that industrial garment printing is converging on a smaller set of proven printhead technologies. Fujifilm, Epson, and Ricoh dominate the DTG printhead market, and their technologies are increasingly interchangeable across different machine brands. This standardization reduces risk for buyers and simplifies service and consumables supply chains.

What This Means

For t-shirt printers and contract decorators in Coimbatore and across India, the Roq Hybrid Pro+ represents a pathway into digital printing that does not require abandoning screen printing infrastructure or expertise. The machine's ability to combine screen and digital printing in a single workflow makes it a practical choice for shops that need to serve both high-volume repeat orders and low-volume custom work. As customer expectations shift toward faster turnarounds and more complex designs, hybrid systems like the Hybrid Pro+ offer a way to meet those demands without doubling capital investment or floor space. The question for Indian shops is not whether to add digital printing, but how to integrate it without disrupting existing production.