Oct 24, 2016 | Tips & Tricks
Black is a tried and true apparel option. Most everyone looks good in black, almost all imprint colors look great on it, and it appeals to a wide audience of users. On the other hand, it is also a color that can sometimes come across as too harsh, or boring.
An up-and-coming trend is replacing black with alternative dark shades. One such option is black heather. This colorway (shown above, middle) lightens up the black color, and provides additional contrast. This is a really popular option with colleges, restaurant retail, and athletic programs.
Another great substitute is classic navy blue. A rich apparel color can bring out the colors in your design, and can even feel refreshing.
Some additional colors that are currently popular are: charcoal, athletic heather and heather brown.
Oct 18, 2016 | Tips & Tricks
It is common knowledge in this industry that white ink requires two layers in order to be bright and vibrant, but why?
Light colored plastisol inks are in-between transparent and opaque when applied correctly to dark garments. In order for the ink to cure at the proper temperature, a base layer must be applied, flashed by a heating unit, and then printed one more time with the same layer.
Imagine you are painting a wall which is black. Any white paint is going to require you to put a base layer down, then wait for it to dry, and then apply your second coat. With the print flash print method for T-shirts, we are able to add that second coat in a quick and effective manner, to ensure our prints come out clean, crisp, and bright for the world to see.
Jul 22, 2016 | Tips & Tricks
Bet you didn’t know Paul Bunyan was a style icon way before his time. From oversized prints to tonal patterns, plaids are a fashion force.
The pattern is showing up in traditional places like shirts and blankets, but also on new items like caps, accessories, and bags. It connotes warmth, nostalgia and time-tested. Not only worn by hipsters and loggers, a plaid pattern can add a modern vibe to your corporate outfitting. It makes a promotion or event feel more chill; less serious. These aren’t grandpa’s plaids either.
Modern versions are trimmer, have extras like pockets and darts, and are meant to be worn out, not tucked in. Keep your branding simple. A back shoulder deco, a woven label on the front pocket, and sleeve imprint are all appropriate ways to use the plaid to great advantage. To find out what plaid can do for you, contact us today.
Jul 15, 2016 | Tips & Tricks
This quintessentially American fabric has been a perennial favorite but in recent years has been showing up in more ways, some casual and some we could even call “Corporate.”
The standby of denim jackets and chambray shirts are still around but with newer cuts, fresh washes, and over-dyes to give new life to this workhorse fabric. A fashion no-no of yesteryear, the current craze of denim on denim has had staying power, as long as the fabrics complement or contrast one another, but don’t match.
Lighter weight materials are available in both denim and chambray shirts with styles that flatter most figures. The boxy shapes of previous iterations have given way to a more trim silhouette with stitching details and fashion-forward pockets and epaulets. Explore new options in denim for your next event, especially if you have an American or Patriotic theme. For decoration choices, you can swing bold or subtle depending on the audience and age demographic. Our designers will interpret your brand for optimal application and show you choices that you may not have thought of before.
Get a little adventurous with this tried and true fabric.
Jul 8, 2016 | Tips & Tricks
How do get the look of embroidery for a fraction of the price? The answer is a screen print technique called Puff Stitch Printing. Rather than using thread to embroider a large design on a garment, which is very expensive, we use an ink system that replicates the look of embroidery. For this technique we use our automatic screen print presses and create screens for each color and a special formula of ink that puffs or rises when it is cured in our long chamber dryers.
The whole process starts in our art department where designers create the artwork that will be printed using this technique. There are some tricks they employ to achieve an embroidered look on fabric. Through layering, faux stitch placement and alteration of fonts, we can achieve a design that really does look like a more expensive applique or embroidered process. This process works for any garment that can be screen printed with standard cure inks, which means the garment can withstand being heated to 330 degrees for a minute, long enough to set the ink so it will not wash out.
Get more dimension in your next print project with a Puff technique. We have standard, suede finish and crackle puffs to achieve a variety of treatments. To find out more, please speak with your sales consultant who can explain the process, costs and garments best suited for this stellar print technique.
