Embellishing garments on their reverse sides is a trend that is growing in popularity and is ideal for a variety of market niches. For instance, consider presenting your local cheer squad with a new twist on their practice shirts — their mascot and team name applied on the inside of a sheer garment so the design shows through.
August 30, 2010
A laser bridge machine is the latest piece of equipment designed to do appliqué and etching on ready-to-wear apparel. It is called a bridge because it is built over a multihead embroidery machine. The laser head travels down a beam stopping over each embroidery head to cut, then move on the next hoop. It can cut almost any type of fabric or etch designs on the fabric’s surface.
August 16, 2010
Adding a Roland VersaCAMM printer/cutter unit to your shop can take you to a whole new level of decorating capabilities in terms of the types of jobs you can do, as well as the speed and efficiency with which you can do them. What’s more, despite the ample power the state-of-the-art machine can provide your shop, it’s not difficult to use — and if you follow these simple suggestions for troubleshooting your VersaCAMM, the road to decorating efficiency, versatility and profits will be even smoother.
June 21, 2010
If you’re an embroiderer, adding direct-to-garment decorating technology to your shop is probably one of the simplest things you can do from an operational standpoint. In fact, it’s akin to adding a singlehead embroidery machine — to put it rather simply, you’re just adding another machine that hooks up to a computer and produces fantastic-looking decorations.
June 18, 2010
The process of direct-to-garment digital printing is constructed of several crucial building blocks, and the pretreatment chemistry is truly the cornerstone of the process. This rather insipid-looking chemistry provides myriad functions that are essential in achieving a durable print.
June 07, 2010
Despite the challenges of the economy, the team sports arena remains a healthy market for savvy apparel decorators. But like the players you are outfitting, this niche is competitive and those shops with deep inventory offerings and innovative decorating capabilities are most likely to score big with local orders.
April 21, 2010
This year, ISS Long beach was again the showcase for the third-annual Impressions Awards Student Decorating Competition. An extension of the Impressions Awards contest for industry professionals, the student version is tailored for future screen printers and digital decorators, and consists of five categories created to celebrate these young people's achievements.
April 21, 2010
Headwear remains in high demand among a variety of markets, from Little League teams to staff uniforms to promotional giveaways. For today's savvy decorators, the sky is the limit to providing your customers cap offerings that can fit any niche or price point.
April 21, 2010
Which is easier: adding a new customer or servicing an existing one? The answer is quite obvious — servicing an existing one. Like it or not, it takes a lot of time, energy and effort to bring in new customers, yet most of us are always looking to continually build our roster rather than take full advantage of the customers we currently have.
April 16, 2010
More publicity. Less competition. These are great reasons to start a business during a recession. Whether you’re new to the industry or already established, here are a few promotional ideas to help give your business a boost.
March 12, 2010
Attending your first decorated apparel trade show is exhilarating. Even though the cost of travel is up, I don't think you can afford to miss the trade show closest to your home town. If you are new to the industry, prepare to be astounded by the number of new products and suppliers you will find. If you are an old hand in the industry, expect to find new products, ideas and processes to keep your business innovative and on the right track.
March 02, 2010
This time of year is the traditional off-season at apparel decorating shops — but it arguably should be the busiest time. An annual lull in production demand gives shop owners and manages the time to reevaluate processes, focus on quality improvement, streamline paperwork and test new workflow solutions. The post-holiday winter season gives decorators the time to prepare for a more profitable peak season.
February 01, 2010
As our industry continues to show resilience during these challenging economic times, it is evident that art remains at the core of apparel decoration. The 31st annual Impressions Awards competition, which was judged at last September’s Fort Worth Imprinted Sportswear Show, presented a collection of artistic and technical decorating expertise on all types of wearables and even in framed pieces.
January 11, 2010
As someone involved in repairing and refurbishing digital garment printing equipment, I can tell you that I see some machines in unbelievably dirty condition. In the same way that some screen printers neglect their presses, some digital decorators fail to clean and maintain their digital printers, causing themselves unnecessary headaches and expenses. That’s a shame when you consider how quick and easy it is to maintain your printer.
January 11, 2010
There’s a lot to see and do at the Long Beach Imprinted Sportswear Show (ISS), to be held Jan. 22-24, and a don’t-miss showcase is the 2010 winners of the Impressions Awards Student Decorating Competition.
January 04, 2010
As someone involved in repairing and refurbishing digital garment printing equipment, I can tell you that I see some machines in unbelievably dirty condition. In the same way that some screen printers neglect their presses, some digital decorators fail to clean and maintain their digital printers, causing themselves unnecessary headaches and expenses. That's a shame when you consider how quick and easy it is to maintain your digital printer. If you purchased a brand-new automobile, you wouldn't simply drive it endlessly without performing regular maintenance tasks like oil changes and tire pressure checks. Similarly, when you purchase a digital garment printer, you need to give the machine some occasional TLC. Doing so will go a long way in extending the mileage of your digital printer, ensuring that it has a trouble-free, efficient life. What's more, properly maintaining your digital printer can help you save ink, minimize the frequency of head cleanings and nozzle checks, avoid wasting garments, and avoid replacing print heads and other components.
October 05, 2009
A third-generation garment decorator, Zackary Faraj got the idea for a line of customizable T-shirts, Custom T Couture, Fairview, N.J., after seeing the decline in domestic garment production.
October 02, 2009
It’s only appropriate that garments known for their durability and dependability should remain resilient during tough economic times. Wovens, a perennial favorite in the decorated apparel industry, are holding their own despite the fact that the recession has affected most businesses and the economic climate is conservative.
October 01, 2009
Digital Art Solutions has introduced The Smart Garment Printing System — a direct-to-garment (DTG) Digital Art's ASSET concept. That acronym stands for Artwork, Software, Support, Equipment, Training equals Success. Digital Art Solutions is an industry-leading producer of production-ready digital art and add-on graphics software.
September 28, 2009
A new video from Hirsch Intl. shows how to print oversize designs on the Mimaki inkjet garment printer the company distributes. To see the video, visit hirschinternational.com . Click on “Direct To Garment Printer” and search the right navigation bar for available videos.
September 28, 2009
Since its introduction to the decorated apparel industry several years ago, direct-to-garment printing has been heralded as a game-changer — a disruptive technology that would dramatically change the way shops conduct business. It would allow decorators to tackle small orders, suppliers said. It would let shops offer personalization and print photographs with amazing detail, they promised. And it would dramatically reduce set-up time, they’ve claimed.
September 01, 2009
Corel Corp., Ottawa, recently announced the winners of the CorelDRAW International Design Contest, which drew submissions from users in more than 60 countries. Junior Souza of Brazil won first place in the Fashion/Textile category. Impressions Senior Editor Terry Murphy was among the international panel of judges for the competition.
August 10, 2009
Learn how to turn stock art from ordinary to interesting using a few simple techniques to add dimension and details. Clip art is a handy tool that allows apparel decorators to minimize the cost of artwork while still offering high-quality, professional- looking work. It also enables a decorator who might not be a trained graphic artist to produce a quality design quickly when time is of the essence.
July 31, 2009
Equipment Zone, Fair Lawn, N.J., has introduced the Veloci-Jet, a new digital direct-to-garment printer. According to the company, it is one of the fastest inkjet-to-garment printers on the market, printing a full-size design on a light shirt in about one minute.
July 06, 2009
Following the trends in retail, custom apparel decorating shops can expand their product mixes and bottom lines by offering garments with allover embellishment and oversized designs in unorthodox placements. There are numerous production methods to achieve this end, from fitting your screen printing press with oversized pallets and screens, to mastering certain techniques of digital printing. The method with perhaps the lowest cost of entry and one that’s easy to manage is buying (or printing) oversized transfers.
July 01, 2009
Today’s kids are sporting some decidedly progressive, adult-driven apparel, including sun dresses with Affliction-style heraldry designs, diapers decorated with abstract sublimated designs, vintage-wash fabrics and organic cotton one-piece body suits. These fashion-forward offerings are part of a bumper crop of products from industry suppliers, who continue to unveil new twists for tots, even as classic kidswear items retain their perennial popularity.
July 01, 2009
Following the trends in retail, custom apparel decorating shops can expand their product mixes and bottom lines by offering garments with allover embellishment and oversized designs in unorthodox placements. There are numerous production methods to achieve this end, from fitting your screen printing press with oversized pallets and screens, to mastering certain techniques of digital printing. The method with perhaps the lowest cost of entry and one that’s easy to manage is buying (or printing) oversized transfers.
July 01, 2009
Whether you are buying a cappuccino or getting your oil changed, chances are the person assisting you is outfitted in custom workwear or servicewear of some type. It’s hard to say exactly when the first uniform was worn and by whom. Perhaps soldiers going into battle started the phenomenon. Or maybe it was railroad workers who wore bib overalls in the late 1800’s that popularized the trend. Either way, from traditional to non-traditional, workwear has become a staple of various sectors in our labor force.
June 22, 2009
Eric Withaar knew the look he wanted to offer customers — the hip, creative style that's so popular now at retail. "It's that look of cotton twill with frayed edges," he says. However, it simply wasn't cost-efficient for his shop to offer customers the highly sought-after look — until he purchased a laser bridge machine last year.
May 01, 2009
There are about as many ways to number athletic team uniforms as there are teams in the ever-expanding playoffs of professional sports — in other words, lots. But you have to know which decoration process works best in various situations. With that in mind, here's an in-depth look at the six main ways to number uniforms, as well as the pros and cons of each process.
April 01, 2009
Learn the Newest Digital Decorating Tips from Impressions
For the latest trends in transfer heat, heat press, DTG, heat transfers, t-shirt transfers, and the Coreldraw graphics suite visit us at Impressions Mag. The apparel decorating business is constantly evolving. Each year apparel manufacturers look for the most up-to-date digital techniques and methods for advancing their apparel decorating businesses. Subscribe to Impressions and get all the information you need about the latest innovative digital decorating process.
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