Push the Design Envelope with Multimedia

April 04, 2011
By Cara Cherry, Contributing Writer

This hoodie features CAD-CUT Fashion-FILM, CAD-CUT Flock, felt and embroidery.

Multimedia decorating isn’t a new phenomenon or ground-breaking technique. You’ve seen it on clothing from popular brands, and perhaps even on corporate apparel. But are you offering it to your customers? If not, have you been unsure about finding the right combinations or are you unsure of how to get started?

A good multimedia design can offer several benefits. It allows you to create a truly one-of-a-kind garment, or it can refresh artwork or a logo. In some cases, it even will allow you to add more elements to a design. However, a couple of factors must be considered when creating a multimedia design.

Fabric Considerations
T-shirts are a very popular option for multimedia decorating. However, heavy appliqué or embroidery is not always the best choice for a basic cotton T-shirt. When it comes to selecting the fabric, go back to basics. If you wouldn’t apply the decorating method on the fabric in a single application, then it probably isn’t a good choice for a multimedia design.

Consider sweat shirts, jackets, aprons — and even hats and pants — for heavier designs. Foils, sequins and rhinestones can be combined with heat transfer vinyl or screen printing. These techniques can be applied to lightweight shirts, such as burnouts and sheer garments. T-shirts that have been dipped also offer additional dimension and texture.

Mixology
Mix it up! There are no limits here. Rhinestones and screen printing, embroidery and sequins, heat printed material and appliqué — the list goes on and on. You can even combine more than two methods. Try taking your basic graphics and add your own flair and creativity to a design. Experiment with different techniques and different ideas to find what works.

“We are seeing a lot of requests and orders from customers for foils,” says Jason Murphy, sales representative, GroupeSTAHL. “They work with both screen printed inks and transfer papers. All you need is a heat press to add that extra shimmer to take a flat design to a fabulous design in seconds.”

Additional techniques that can be used to create multimedia designs include: laser etching, digital printing, chenille, sublimation, puffy and glow inks, as well as reflective materials. Take a cue from the runway: If it looks good on the catwalk, mimic it and create a ready-to-wear design that your customers will love.

Market
Multimedia designs have gained in popularity and their demand has definitely increased during the last few years. Female customers especially gravitate toward designs that feature more hip, creative styles. The dance and cheer markets are a natural fit for multimedia designs; in most cases, more sparkle is better. Consider adding rhinestones to transfers, embroidering around a screen printed image or adding funky heat transfer vinyl to enhance appliqué, all to ensure distinctive designs.

Other markets to consider include casual wear, clubs and corporate wear. Small business owners and those in the service industry want their employees to look good and stand out. Fashion-forward styles and popular decoration trends can enhance a company’s image and encourage a second look. Even large companies that are typically seen as very conservative are combining full-color digital transfers with embroidery to bring a little extra attention to their logos.

Sports teams, specifically recreation leagues, also can benefit from multimedia designs. Combining screen printing and digital printing with embroidery is an easy — and relatively cost-efficient — technique that helps a logo or mascot stand out on jerseys, hats and bags.

Pay attention to market trends, increase your knowledge of new decorating techniques, and if you can’t do something in-house, consider trading services with someone who can. Multimedia decorating can build your business and increase your customer appeal in many ways. Be creative and don’t be afraid to push the design envelope!

Cara Cherry is a Public Relations Enthusiast for St. Clair Shores, Mich.-based Stahls’ ID Direct, a manufacturer and distributor of equipment and materials for heat-applied technologies. For more information, e-mail Cara at Cara.Cherry@StahlsID.com or follow her on Twitter @PRGirl704.



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