It’s not every day that you get the chance to take part in a hit reality series, so when the team from Amazon Prime’s Making The Cut reached out to ITNH for fabric printer support, we knew we couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Read on to take a behind-the-scenes look at how ITNH and Mimaki delivered fabric printing solutions that became a game changer for the competing designers in seasons two and three of Making The Cut.
Hosted by Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn, the premise of Making The Cut is this: fashion designers from around the world compete in several rounds of design challenges in hopes of claiming the $1 million prize. Each episode finds designers going toe-to-toe to see who can deliver the runway-ready garments that rise to the challenge. Tim provides the designers with feedback, coaching and encouragement with his famous “Tim Talks.” Heidi, along with other fashion icons like Jeremy Scott, watch the runway show and decide on a challenge winner as well as who doesn’t “make the cut.”
In order to meet those demands for each episode, we knew we needed a digital inkjet machine that could deliver fast and flawless fabric printing. In season two, we brought along the Mimaki TX300P-1800 MkII, and for season three, we added the Mimaki TS100.
Our team showed up at the start of season two not knowing exactly what to expect, but what we found was an exciting — albeit high-pressure — environment on set in Los Angeles. We were in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, so protective measures were in place to keep everyone involved safe and healthy. Although we were socially distanced from much of the cast and crew, we quickly became an integral part of the production.
The very beginning of season two’s production included a lot of time spent waiting around; however, once designers began submitting their files, we had to move quickly in order to meet the tight deadlines. It soon became apparent that there was no real “Plan B” in the event of some unforeseen printing mishap, so the pressure was on to bring the designer’s visions to life using the Mimaki TX300P-1800 MkII. We recommended this machine because of the flexibility it offers in one package. (The MkII is a hybrid printer that prints on fabric and paper, with two different types of ink.)
Our work typically began around dinner time and often ended after midnight. During these hours, we printed the designs as quickly as possible so that the materials could be delivered on time to the sewing team. With Murphy’s Law in the back of our minds, we anticipated that obstacles could arise, but the MkII machine worked flawlessly, delivering design assets quickly and easily. The process went so smoothly that the Making The Cut team asked us to return for season three.
While Mimaki printers really deserve a lot of credit for their ease of use, efficiency and reliability, they were not the sole reason for our success. A lot of our success came from the proper planning, communicating and setting of expectations with the designers and the producers. This foundation really set our direction for what was going to be possible as well as unrealistic for on-set printing support.
As reliable as the MkII printer was, and as well as it did in season two, we recognized that it’s always a good idea to have a backup plan in case issues arise. For season three, we brought a second printer — the Mimaki TS100 — for polyester printing. This allowed us to have one machine to focus on cotton and one to focus on polyester, making the printing process even faster and more efficient. Beyond cotton and polyester, designers also used these printers on specialty fabrics like white linen and silk.
Since the set was only about twenty minutes from Mimaki headquarters, ample backup support was available if needed. However, the machines came through with flying colors and got the job done without running into any problems.
Teaming up with Making The Cut provided a great opportunity to demonstrate these printers’ capabilities. The Mimaki machines were able to meet the needs of designers quickly and efficiently, transferring digital files to runway-ready garments in just a few hours. As a printer distributor, we tout the benefits for Mimaki fabric printers all the time in a sales environment. However, this mini-production project gave us the opportunity to experience it for ourselves! The practical sizes of the printers meant we didn’t have to bring too many large pieces of equipment onto the set and having tech support nearby took a lot of the pressure away.
Want to see what the Mimaki TX300P-1800 MkII and the Mimaki TS100 can do? Be sure to check out seasons two and three of Making The Cut, now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Are you interested in how these printers can work for you? Reach out to our team today to find the solutions you need to meet your printing needs.