When printing on polyester fabrics (other than white fabrics), there is the possibility of “dye migration” or “bleeding” occurring.
February 01, 2012
In the garment embellishment business, anyone who has ever stood in front of a roomful of merchandisers and designers has heard the same question: “What’s new?” The pressure on their end is understandable. To convince large retail companies or licensed brands to use their services, they must show their abilities to design and execute sleek or cutting-edge printing techniques and embellishments. There’s a constant push for novelty and those who can stay ahead of the curve can be very profitable.
January 27, 2012
Many screen printers are schooled to print a certain way and to use specific inks for certain print effects. However, you should try to experiment and put together different types of inks and see what happens.
January 25, 2012
I often receive calls from irate customers telling me the ink they have been using for years is not working. For example, a customer printing a jacket using our nylon series inks recently informed me of a bleeding problem that he repeatedly experiences.
January 18, 2012
Do you have customers who need to have their logos matched to a certain Pantone (PMS) color? If so, don't despair. Most ink companies offer color matching systems and formulas (some even online) to easily mix and match custom colors.
January 11, 2012
Having a proper cure with the ink used in your screen printed designs is critical for creating a quality print. But there are many more considerations to proper curing than just laying a shirt on the dryer belt and letting the generated heat do all the work. There are even a few important factors that must be remembered before you start the printing process.
January 09, 2012
When printing on a 50/50 (polyester/cotton) blend or 100% polyester fabric, be sure to use a bleed-resistant (or low-bleed) white ink, especially if the fabric is brightly colored or dark.
January 04, 2012
This sounds like a pretty basic topic, but many screen printers may not know that different emulsions must be used for plastisol or water-based inks.
December 21, 2011
Tired of the same old flat print? Want to add some pizzazz to your shirts and designs, but don’t want to spend a lot of time on artwork? Here’s a great, simple alternative: Use a textured pallet!
December 14, 2011
Are you trying to print on heat-sensitive fabrics, such as 100% polyester athletic apparel or hard-to-print non-woven polypropylene bags? Low-cure additive may be just what you need to be successful.
December 07, 2011
Allover screen printing accomplishes fun and creative effects on garments and has become an increasingly popular printing method. Learn more about the process with the accompanying video tutorial and by trying the following basic steps.
December 02, 2011
There may be many instances where the viscosity of an ink may need to be lightened or its printability may need to be adjusted. For such occasions, curable reducer is ideal.
November 30, 2011
Suede additive is a great “tool” in a screen printer’s arsenal to add interest to a printed design. Create brushed leather-like patches or matte finishes simply and quickly.
November 23, 2011
Many accidents can happen in the workplace due to lack of cleanliness, organization, alertness or common sense. Following are five main categories that are considered of high importance when trying to prevent injuries in your screen printing shop.
October 31, 2011
Every screen printer should have a list of basics needed to accomplish any job, no matter how big or small. Following is a list of five essentials that screen printers should keep handy at their presses.
October 04, 2011
As a screen printer, your business’ success relies on properly prepared and imaged screens. If screens are not made or imaged well, the result can be inferior designs, additional staff downtime or both. Following are five things to keep in mind to effectively image a screen for maximum printing results.
September 02, 2011
Every decorated apparel business owner experiences the ups and downs of running a company that relies heavily on computers and equipment, vendor punctuality and — most importantly — its staff. While a shop may have an off day with a late T-shirt delivery or a key employee who is out sick, not many enjoy a full week — yes, five straight days — of pure frustration.
August 29, 2011
The two most popular T-shirt fabrics in the decorated apparel industry are 100% cotton and 50% cotton/50% polyester. As a commercial screen printer, you should know how to print on both.
August 15, 2011
Prepping a screen for screen printing involves a few different variables. You must make special considerations for factors like mesh count, diameter and more if you want your printing efforts to yield acceptable results. Following are five considerations that are very important to effectively prep a screen that will enable maximum results when you’re printing.
August 01, 2011
Less than five years ago, water-based prints were thought to only be applicable for the fashion retail niche. The soft hand and distressed look of water-based inks printed on cotton garments was trendy and not pertinent to the school or non-profit markets, among others (or so we thought). Most decorated apparel customers had grown accustomed to plastisol prints and weren’t seeking alternative screen printing inks — that is, until they saw an increasing selection of soft-hand printed T-shirts at Target, Macy’s and other big-box stores.
June 09, 2011
When it comes to time and money, efficiency is essential to running a profitable shop. You know that higher-grade products can be worth the extra money if they save you time in the long run. You also know that skilled workers often are more advantageous than “cheap labor.” But have you ever put a dollar amount on just how efficient your shop should be? Setting goals for your business and breaking down profits in an easy-to-understand model will help you determine where you’re losing money and how you can improve — ultimately increasing your profits.
June 09, 2011
Depending on the niches to which your shop caters, keeping up with constantly evolving artwork trends can make or break you. Certain markets, such as skateboard, surf, hip-hop/urban, mixed martial arts (MMA), streetwear and fashion boutiques all require that you provide fresh, cutting-edge artwork.
June 08, 2011
Building a culture of safety at your shop is the one thing that you can do to proactively prevent a huge money drain from your bottom line. Read on to learn how to identify areas of opportunity for
improvement.
June 08, 2011
Many successful shop owners start in this industry with literally no information on how to screen print. Because this apparel-decorating technique has so many variables, it takes a certain level of commitment, trial and error, as well as patience to produce high-quality prints. Some screen printers are satisfied with good-enough designs, while others strive every day to improve and fine tune, all in the constant search to create the ultimate print.
June 07, 2011
In no other demographic is trying to follow what’s hot a faster-moving target than with teens. Heavily influenced by popular culture such as TV, movies, music, social networks and their peers, fads for this demographic may not even last a season. As young people make their journey from children to adults, they actively are seeking to establish who they are, which usually is expressed in how they look. Unfortunately, they change their minds a lot.
June 07, 2011
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every piece of artwork a screen printing shop received was ready to be printed? Unfortunately, as any experienced shop owner knows, this rarely happens.
May 02, 2011
Editor’s Note: The information in this article is geared mainly toward color order for spot-color jobs, which allow the operator to swap color order on press as needed. But when a job calls for simulated-process color work, a pre-determined color order may need to be followed. There are some color separations (such as stock art designs separated for doing simulated-process work) that do need to stick with a preset color order to make the design print properly. You can tweak the ink colors, but typically not the color order. (However, for the simulated process parrot design used in this article, we did print the yellow last and it made the design look much better. Screen printing is all about exceptions to the rules!)
May 02, 2011
Our shop decided to specialize in printing water-based discharge inks because it creates the softest possible hand, especially on dark shirts. The market demands soft prints and by mastering the best techniques for discharge printing, we’ve found it has dramatically increased our business.
April 15, 2011
In some ways, purchasing equipment at an auction is like buying a used car vs. a new one. Although a $100,000 automatic screen printing press that has been used for any length of time has lost considerable value, that’s not to say it’s not worth buying. As long as you understand the equipment you’re buying and inspect it carefully, you can get a great bargain at an auction.
February 25, 2011
This year’s Impressions Awards winners all share two common traits that are necessary for not only creating dynamic and innovative apparel designs, but also for ensuring that your customer base remains invigorated and excited about what you can offer as a decorator: attention to detail and envelope-pushing techniques.
January 25, 2011
No matter what industry you are in, every business has seasonality. One of the biggest challenges of seasonality — especially in a tough economy — is justifying staff retention and avoiding layoffs.
January 21, 2011
Perhaps one of the most daunting, time-consuming tasks for every business owner — and perhaps even more so for decorators — is finding good employees. It would be wonderful if there were an abundance of qualified job candidates who could perform their duties well and be a good fit in your shop’s culture, but that’s just not the case.
January 12, 2011
Garments woven from a blend of polyester and cotton can look and feel so much like 100% cotton that many screen printers are tempted to run blends on the same press and dryer setup that they just used to print all-cotton shirts.
January 12, 2011
In today’s world of personalization, many customers want something that nobody else has. Our shop has discovered a couple of techniques for treating shirts — dipping and spraying — that help us create one-of-a-kind looks. These two relatively simple techniques work on practically any type of garment fabric and can produce an enormous range of styles and looks, making them appealing options for your shop to add to its lineup of decorating techniques.
December 20, 2010
Though all business owners would love to discover a quick and easy secret to profitability, real success comes through hard work and by following basic business principles.
November 22, 2010
Decorated apparel is an entirely different animal today than a decade ago for a variety of reasons. In addition to fashion and function, numerous factors have enhanced — and changed — the way the industry operates.
November 05, 2010
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.
October 22, 2010
If you are considering making the transition from a manual screen printing shop to one that runs an automatic press, there are several things to consider before jumping into the investment.
October 11, 2010
When we get an order at our shop, it’s not uncommon to hear an employee exclaim, “Foiled again!” That’s because as many as 15% of our orders involve some kind of foil printing, making the process somewhat of a specialty for our shop — Forward Printing, Oakland, Calif.
August 30, 2010
When there’s a one-time problem in a particular area of your shop, you probably don’t need to worry about it too much. For instance, if a customer service representative forgets once to get a customer’s written approval on artwork, chalk it up to a memory slip.
August 02, 2010
Consistent with trends of the recent past, today's kids are sporting apparel styles and fashions that are more seemingly progressive and mature than their collective ages.
July 19, 2010
A challenge for every screen printer is keeping clients excited about their products and services. If you can keep customers thrilled with your designs, it is much easier to retain their business and the odds are good that they will refer others to your shop as well.
July 06, 2010
In Parts I and 2 of this series, we look at some of the issues, challenges and benefits of having a good showroom at your place of business, tagging your samples to help your customers buy “up,” at store fixtures, the use of mannequins and how to effectively display decorated and undecorated samples.
June 07, 2010
Have you ever wondered what it takes to achieve the high-end special effects apparel decorating looks that you see at retail? From discharge and dips to sprays and foil, adding just a little bit of creativity can take your shop’s decorating capabilities to the next level.
April 29, 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
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
A great way to keep designs on hand for repeat orders without having the expense and space requirements for stocking inventory of finished garments is to print your own plastisol heat transfers. These are fairly simple to make using your existing screen printing equipment and a few inexpensive supplies.
April 12, 2010
Tom Siniscalchi's mission is simple: He provides jobs for people that most employers consider unemployable. Possibili-Tees, the not-for-profit Staten Island, N.Y., screen printing shop he founded in 2007, and now directs, is staffed almost completely by people with autism and other developmental disorders.
March 11, 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
In the post-press phase of screen printing, as throughout the production cycle, efficiency is your primary goal -- and having set procedures in place is the key to achieving it. By laying out the steps that must be taken, you’ll speed up the process and help ensure that everything is done properly.
February 16, 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
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
Screen printing on fleece fabric is difficult because the material is more loosely knit and thicker than a T-shirt, so it requires laying more ink on top of the garment to make the print sharp. Use these seven tips for easing the learning curve of this printing challenge.
December 07, 2009
A couple of times a year, the employees at Forward Printing, Oakland, Calif., print 250 to 400 shirts for promotional purposes. According to Dan Holzer, owner and CFO, these promo runs are usually printed on a variety of different garment styles and include a spin on the company logo in some way.
November 18, 2009
One of the most popular looks in team and spiritwear decorating is to have names and numbers printed with two or three outlined colors. For example, the image used in this article has gray text with a black outline, then a white outline, then a red outline and finally a black drop shadow. This uses the team colors and creates interest in the design.
November 16, 2009
The time for performance apparel is now. Oh wait a minute — I meant to say that the time has been here for a while now. Hopefully, you’ve spent the last couple of years reading through the pages of Impressions, learning about the latest in performance fabrics and constructions. You should be familiar now with terms such as moisture wicking, anti-static, anti-microbial, loose fit and compression.
November 16, 2009
It was my first screen printing job at a local shop that would forever change my stance on environmental production practices. I was taken under the wing of the owner, Paul Archetko, who was an ex-hippie and had been in the industry for years. Paul was heavily involved in local environmental causes, such as The Grandparents for Peace organization, which put on an annual Earth Day Celebration.
October 02, 2009
Business partners Jeff Henderson and Adam Walterscheid — who met several years ago playing football for Southern Methodist University — have made a name for their six-year-old company, Pony Xpress Printing (PXP), in specialty screen printing.
October 02, 2009
Ten years doesn’t seem like such a long time ago, but, in a way, it was. In 1998, “being green” wasn’t a consideration for the typical screen printer — whether small volume or larger. For some, it still isn’t.
October 02, 2009
How green can you be if you are a top-volume screen printer with some 150 employees filling orders for clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to big-time PPDs and nonprofits alike?
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
Editor’s note: In the following pages, the authors take you step-by-step through the process of adding foil to your T-shirt artwork. First, they detail how to incorporate foil into the workflow of an automatic press. The process differs significantly for printers using a manual press, so the authors also detail how to apply foil when printing with a manual screen printing press.
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
I’m the first to admit that I am one of those people who tears out the sewn-in neck label as soon as I buy a T-shirt. And I’m obviously not the only one who does so, because T-shirt manufacturers have heard the message loud and clear. Many garments from vendors big and small have gone tagless. The information normally on a tag is still right there inside the neck of the shirts — it’s just either screen printed or a heat-applied transfer.
July 31, 2009
Even in a down economy, fleece buyers will find lighter weights among basics and a healthy dose of fashion and color. As consumers tighten their belts, fleece remains popular and decorators should look to vendor lines with lighter weight fabrics making value-added changes to basics, as well as and some fashion-forward styles and sizzling colors.
July 31, 2009
If you’re ever wondering how to tap in to the teen and tween (pre-teen) market, the evidence is all around you. The apparel worn on TV, in magazines and on the Internet by rock stars, actors, models and other celebrities is going to give you the greatest clues about what teens want in decorated apparel.
July 31, 2009
As America’s collective business community continues to struggle with the longest recession since the Great Depression (though not near the same magnitude), stories of resilient companies — such as Impressions’ 2009 Top-Volume Shops — offer a beacon of light during this overcast time.
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
The unconventional is definitely at the heart of the urban Chii Clothing Culture collection, produced by Culture Studio Screen Printing & Embroidery. The Chicago-based decoration house specializes in allover and discharge printing, and processes including foil and texture inks. In January 2005, Rich Santo, president of Culture Studio, launched the Chii Clothing Culture line, which showcases all of Culture Studio’s specialties and is designed especially for fashion-forward young adults.
July 01, 2009
While the ongoing recession may have prompted suppliers to narrow their product offerings a bit, that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of stylish, new options this year in ladieswear. See-through sheers, eco-friendly cottons, red-hot layered looks, deep V-necks, bright colors like apricot orange and lime green, and standby styles like baby ribs are giving decorators plenty of alluring choices. Eye-catching looks inspired by retail are in abundance.
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
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