The pandemic inspired Angela Bernal, who works at Roland DGA, Roland DG’s U.S. sales and marketing subsidiary, to start a home-based business with the easy-to-use BT-12 desktop direct-to-garment (DTG) printer.

Located in Otemachi, Tokyo, Inspired.Lab serves as an open innovation hub that operates beyond traditional company confines to assist users in coming up with fresh new products and services. It consists of an open office area as well as a work area for bringing ideas to life. Roland DG’s UV printer and milling machine are set up in the work area.

Roland DG’s inkjet printers were featured in TV programs and YouTube videos where they were used to create merchandise for a girl band story franchise created by Victor Entertainment.

We recently had the opportunity to interview AIMARK, a fabrication company in Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture, Japan that began using a TrueVIS VG2-540 wide-format printer/cutter to produce nameplates and signs for various applications ranging from shipping to industrial equipment.

In autumn, Zou-no-hana Park in Yokohama Port, Japan, was illuminated by the Hikari no Mi (Shining Smile Fruit) light-based installation that featured trees adorned with smiling faces drawn by children. Visitors normally take part in person during the annual event to create drawings. Since this was difficult to achieve this year, however, the event took on a new online approach, where Roland DG's UV printers were utilized for the event.

Have you heard about shima-zouri sandals made in Okinawa in southern Japan? They are a type of beach sandal that is considered essential footwear by locals. We talked with a customer located in Okinawa that makes shima-zouri using Roland DG’s UV printer to produce a variety of sandal designs.