MARICOPA, Ariz. - eTradeWire -- Little 6 Industries, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) based in Maricopa, Arizona, has acquired the SuperGamut Kraken — a next-generation industrial direct-to-film (DTF) printing system — joining a small group of early adopters installing the full 13-color expanded gamut and fluorescent configuration.

The acquisition marks a significant investment in production capability for the growing veteran-owned business. Installation is planned for Little 6's commercial production facility in Casa Grande, Arizona.

INDUSTRIAL-CLASS CAPABILITY

The Kraken Color Beast is engineered for industrial production. The system features eight Epson i3200 printheads, a 32-inch film platform, magnetic drive precision motion, and dual-laser printhead strike protection — designed to prevent the printhead damage that is one of the leading causes of production downtime in DTF printing.

At Little 6 Industries, the Kraken will operate with all 13 available ink channels: standard CMYK plus White, the full expanded gamut (Red, Green, Blue, Orange), Super Blue for accurate deep royal and navy blue reproduction, Grey for photographic-quality gradients, and two fluorescent colors currently being selected through a Facebook community vote.

"For years, we've had to tell customers their brand blue or their specific orange would come out close but not exact," said Matt Harvey, owner and founder of Little 6 Industries. "With the Kraken, we can finally say yes to the colors that standard DTF has never gotten right. We're making this investment because our customers deserve the capability."

More on eTradeWire News

• The Dark Chocolate Nutcracker Marks 15 Years
• Resident Evil's Wesker Is Now Beavis's "Bold New Voice" on Mike Judge's Beavis & Butt-Head
• Resident Evil's Wesker, D.C. Douglas, Plays the Villain in Texas Horror-Noir WHAT DID YOU DO?
• Atlas Alcor Alliance Helps Palm Beach Community Turn Overwhelm into Action at Successful Event
• New Polling Signals Florida Hispanic Voters' Clear Priorities for 2028

WHY 13 COLORS MATTERS

Standard DTF printing uses four ink colors (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) plus White. This CMYK system handles most custom printing adequately but has well-known physical limitations. Royal blue often prints purple-tinged. Bright oranges appear muddy. Specific brand colors rarely match exactly.

The Kraken's 13-color configuration addresses these limitations by adding separate ink channels for colors that standard CMYK cannot accurately reproduce. The result is Pantone-grade brand color matching previously available only through screen printing or high-volume industrial operations.

The capability gap between standard systems and the full 13-color configuration is significant. Standard CMYK+White systems handle 5 inks. Expanded gamut systems typically add 4 additional colors for 9 total channels. Little 6's full Kraken configuration adds Super Blue, Grey, and two fluorescent colors — bringing total capability to 13 ink channels and unlocking color and effect categories that smaller systems cannot produce.

EARLY ADOPTER CAPABILITY

As one of the first shops to install the complete 13-color Kraken configuration, Little 6 Industries will offer Arizona businesses access to capabilities that remain uncommon in the regional custom printing market. The system's fluorescent capability, in particular, opens entertainment and event merchandise categories including concerts, festivals, nightlife, Halloween merchandise, and specialty blacklight-reactive applications.

COMMUNITY-SELECTED FLUORESCENT COLORS

In a move reflecting the company's community-first approach, two of the thirteen ink channels — the fluorescent colors — are being selected through a Facebook community vote. Customers, followers, and the local Maricopa business community are weighing in on which fluorescent colors will best serve their needs.

More on eTradeWire News

• Seniors Invited to Enjoy Wonderful Wednesdays at The National Museum of Transportation
• Hotels near LAX after the FAA ground stop: 4 South Bay hotels with free breakfast, kitchens and parking
• VINCE Lifestyle Magazine Introduces Giovanni James, Its New AI-Powered Lifestyle Insider
• Ken Pilates Opens Chelsea Flagship, Bringing Athletic Tower Pilates to Manhattan
• A suite spot for cartoons: Manchester artist Vinay Jalla checks in at Marriott's V&A

"Our customers know what they want to order better than any marketing department," Harvey said. "If we're bringing in this kind of capability, it makes sense for the people who'll actually use it to have a voice in how we configure it."

PART OF BROADER GROWTH

The Kraken acquisition is part of broader expansion at Little 6 Industries. The company recently moved production into a dedicated commercial facility in Casa Grande, grew its team to 11 employees, and launched its promotional products storefront.

The company operates three brands: Little 6 Industries (B2B custom printing), Transfers42 (DTF e-commerce via Shopify), and Promo with Grace (promotional products distribution).

"Standard DTF is becoming a commodity. That's just reality," Harvey said. "The shops that will matter five years from now are the ones investing in capabilities that customers actually can't get anywhere else. The Kraken is us making that investment for Arizona."

ABOUT LITTLE 6 INDUSTRIES

Founded in 2018 by Matt Harvey, a retired Army National Guard Major with 25 years of service as a Combat Engineer, Little 6 Industries is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) based in Maricopa, Arizona. The company holds UEI FVQ2JHZJGCG9 and CAGE Code 03D54 for federal contracting.

Learn more at https://www.little6llc.com or order custom DTF transfers at https://transfers42.com.