Transfers Offer Solution For Hard-To-Decorate Items
Sep/110
Almost everyone is familiar with the fact that transfers are a great decorating medium for just about any type of apparel that is made of cotton, polyester, or a cotton/poly blend.
What you may not realize is that Transfer Express offers two distinct types of transfers: screen printed and digital. Screen printed transfers are limited to the traditional cotton and polyester fabrics, but digital transfers such as CAD-PRINTZ™ Opaque will go on almost anything you can fit in a heat press and can be created in unlimited colors.
This opens the doors to a much wider range of apparel and promotional items including nylon team uniforms, umbrellas, swim suits, and leather goods.
When Illinois Glove Co., Northbrook, Ill., was looking for a solution to print full-color logos on gloves for its promotional product customers, CAD-PRINTZ™ turned into a great solution for the company.
Prior to using Transfer Express, the manufacturer was screen printing one-color logos onto gloves. “Screen printing was a mess,” notes Jay Shmikler, director of sales and marketing. “Because the glove was made of a knit fabric, the print would fall into the little mesh holes. We could do only one color with screen printing, and then we lost out on orders to other products that could offer multiple color logos.”
Today, the company uses Easy Prints for one-color orders and CAD PRINTZ for full-color logos. Another reason digital transfers have been such a great match is the wide range of materials that gloves are made of.
“We offer gloves for automotive, construction, farm, ranch, trucking companies, freezer gloves for people who are stocking shelves in the grocery stores, and safety awards; you name it, we have probably done it,” says Shmikler.
So when choosing a decorating process, it’s important to match the right method to the glove material.
“We have certain types of gloves that we use Easy Prints,” says the director. “If the glove stretches, we have to make sure we get Easy Prints because that stretches. If the logo has a lot of detail, we use CAD-PRINTZ. So when someone comes to us with an eight-color logo, CAD-PRINTZ looks amazing. You can get shading that you really can’t get in a screen printed transfer.”
As a steady customer for the past four years, Shmikler has been satisfied with the product and the customer service. “They are good at returning calls, they are professional and they’re easy to deal with.”
If you have a customer come in with a hard-to-decorate item, next time, don’t turn them away. Investigate if using a digital transfer may be the perfect solution!
Switching from direct screen printing to screen printed and digital transfers solved several embellishing challenges for Illinois Glove Co. faced when decorating gloves for promotional product clientele. Photo courtesy of Illinois Glove Co., Northbrook, Ill.
Decorator Converts Home Into Shop, Showroom & Tiki Bar
Jul/110
When most decorators want to entertain a client, they might take them out to a nice local restaurant. But Tim Hoffman, owner, Hoffman Embroidery, had a better idea. He built a tiki bar.
After paying big rent at the Annapolis Mall in Annapolis, Maryland, for years, Hoffman and his partner decided they’d had enough of that. So the embroiderer, who lives in a three-level house, gutted 1,000 feet on the first floor and built his shop, a showroom, and an outdoor tiki bar instead. It’s now home to his one singlehead, one four-head, and two two-head embroidery machines and two Stahls’ Hotronix heat transfer presses.
The tiki bar garnered media attention from a local newspaper The Capital, Annapolis, Md., November 13, 2010 issue and March/April 2011 issue of Stitches magazine where it was the cover story.
“It looks just like a tiki bar you’d see on the beach in the British Virgin Islands,” says Hoffman. “We have water in the back yard. It’s enclosed in the wintertime so we can use it year-round.”
Although Hoffman doesn’t sell drinks, it’s used for entertaining clients and friends for all kinds of occasions. “It looks like a real bar, and we have mixed drinks,” he notes. “We throw big neighborhood parties and watch all the big sporting events. It’s a perfect man cave.”
In addition to offering embroidery, Hoffman also is a regular customer of Transfer Express. When he gets multi-color print jobs, he has found transfers the best way to go. “When we get an eight-color job for a dark shirt, if you screen print it, that’s eight screens plus a white underbase. When it’s a left-chest size design for 100 shirts, the only cost-effective way to do it is using Transfer Express CAD-PRINTZ™.”
“We’ve used them for a multitude of orders, and they have always done a great job with outstanding service at a price that is affordable,” says Hoffman. “We also get quick turnaround. We’re glad to have them on our team.”
Owner Tim Hoffman and production manager Amy Lynn Hall sit on a stool in the outdoor tiki bar that is used to entertain clients throughout the year. Hoffman built it at the same time he transformed the first floor of his three-story house into his shop and showroom.
Print Low Cost Custom T-shirts by Adding Name drops to Patriotic Prints
Jun/110
The new stock patriotic screen printed designs, Transfer Extreme™, have a lot of color and are a great new look. Did you know you can order name drops to customize these stock designs at a minimum cost?
Here you see two examples of how you can combine a Transfer Extreme patriotic design with a name drop ordered on gang sheets.
Layout USA-5 with a name drop added
Layout USA-11 with a name drop added
1.) First choose a design from the Transfer Extreme collection.
2.) Decide what text you would like to add, the color and the typestyle (We have over 100 typestyles to choose from, and a distress effect can be added).
3.) Create a gang sheet and order the number of name drops (Sanford Family Reunion was 3.5” tall x 8.5” wide and we could fit 3 prints per sheet. Allegheny 4th of July Parade was 3.5” tall x 8” wide with 3 prints per sheet).
4.) Position both transfers on the page and apply with one application.
How To Outfit An All Star Uniform
Jun/112
Baseball All Star teams are forming and these teams will need uniforms. Start with the front of the uniform and dress them like pros! An entire layout category is dedicated to these players in our Easy Prints® collection. Many of these teams will want two or more colors on the print and our online design tool, Easy View™ can show your customers what the print will look like in two colors on their shirt. All Star teams frequently also add a number to the front of the uniform under the logo, especially script with tails layouts. If doing teen uniforms, our 4” numbers are perfect. For smaller youth, use 2.5” or 3” numbers ordered through our Express Names program. If using 2.5” numbers you can fit 10 digits in one strip, and for 3” numbers you can fit 8.
The All Stars will want to be recognized so be sure so to be sure to add an Express Name above the number on the back. The 2.5” size is best for teen uniforms and the 2” size is perfect for younger teams. The number under the name can be ordered in two colors to match the uniform front, and with Easy Prints® numbers it is one application in just 4 seconds. For teen uniforms, an 8” number can be used and for smaller sizes use a 6” number.
If your team has a sponsor this can be added to the sleeve. Add this as well as a cap size print for your team caps to the front logo and create a gang sheet – all three logos are printed on one sheet for a great cost savings.
Add an American flag to the other sleeve and your All Star is ready to play!
All Stars layout QAS-2 with front number
Win the Bid with our Bid Sample Kit!
Mar/110
We have created a sample product to help you win every bid! Our new bid sample kit is printed with our full color Cad-Printz™ opaque so you can use the samples on any color, and almost any product—including tshirts, caps, golf shirts, nylon bags, neoprene ad specialty items, and umbrellas. With just a heat press, and the bid kit, you can show your customers a wide array of items they will be able to order from you, custom printed in full color.
The Bid Sample Kit includes:
- 2 – 4×4” prints
- 2 – 3×3” prints
- 4 – 2×2” prints
- 6 – 1×1” prints
- All for just $25! Or split the sample kit into two logos for just $35.
Our new Bid Kit will be featured as part of the webinar in April titled Winning Your Customer’s T-Shirt Printing Business. Don’t miss out!
Get Bids for Jobs using our Bid Kit from your design
4 Colors in 4 Seconds—see it in Atlantic City
Mar/111
Visit us at the Atlantic City Imprinted Sportswear Show this weekend and not only will you be able to see 4 colors printed in 4 seconds, you will be able to do it yourself and wear your free t-shirt you just printed!
Also, watch or participate in our hourly number race. Two contestants will number 10 shirts in less than 4 minutes (if they are as fast as others who have tried!) The winner of each race wins $100 in free Transfer Express product, and everyone that participates gets an Easy Prints® number Express Pack!
We will also have samples of all of our new products—stickers, banners, wall graphics, Pearl Prints, our new full color Cad-Printz™ products and the Cad-Printz bid kit.
The show is March 11-13 at the Atlantic City Convention Center. Show hours are 10-5 Friday and Saturday and 10-3 on Sunday. See you there!
Press a t-shirt in 4 seconds with a Heat Press!
T Shirt Transfer with Tie Dye Questions Answered
Nov/100
A common way to energize a customer’s otherwise run-of-the-mill order is to use tie-dye shirts. The splashes of bright color bring designs to life whether it’s for sports, clubs, or family reunions. Because this style is becoming trendy again, it’s been the topic of several frequently asked questions to Transfer Express’ Dealer Services department. Many garment decorators have had questions concerning heat transfer adhesion, color choice, and general tips where tie-dye is concerned.
To better address these frequently asked questions we’ve done some tie-dying of our own. Our results have allowed us to come up with some tips to better help you in your quest for colorful, interesting custom heat printed garments.
Screen Printed Heat Transfer Applied to Homemade Tie-Dye T shirt
Q: Do your heat transfers adhere to shirts that have been tie-dyed?
A: Yes! Whether you purchase t shirts that have already been tie-dyed or you dye them at home, our transfers will adhere following the standard instructions.
Q: I bought a tie-dye kit from a craft store and it says to soak my shirts in soda ash water. Will this affect the transfer’s ability to stick?
A: No. The soda ash allows your t shirts to absorb the dye more thoroughly. It will not effect the screen printed or digital transfer’s adhesion
Q: What color should I apply to my tie-dyed shirts?
A: When choosing your screen print ink color, be sure to keep two things in mind. First, the shirt is still white under all that dye. Over time your tie-dye can fade and the white shirt will be revealed. Putting a white transfer on the tie-dyed shirt may look great at first, but could make the transfer hard to see over time. Secondly, take note of all the colors in your tie-dyed shirt and choose an ink color that has enough contrast to your tie-dye. If your dye colors are bright then black tends to be a good choice for contrasting ink.
Q: I am tie-dying my own shirts. Should I press the heat transfer on the white shirts first? Or should I dye the shirts first and then press the transfers?
A: Our suggestion is to dye your shirts first – then press your transfers. Your shirts will be easier to fold, twirl, scrunch and put rubber bands on if there are no transfers on them. This will allow you to make any cool, colorful design you want without obstruction.
Q: Should my tie-dye shirts be laundered any differently after I’ve applied transfers to them?
A: No. Your customers can follow standard washing instructions for tie-dye shirts. This will not harm the transfers.
Q: Do I have to wash the tie-dyed shirt before applying the transfer?
A: If you have purchased your shirts already dyed from a supplier (like Broder Brothers), then no. The shirts have been prepared and are ready for immediate decoration. If you choose to tie-dye your own shirts then most processes and instructions suggest that you launder the tie-dyed shirt before using it or wearing it. While this doesn’t appear to affect adhesion, it does wash out the excess dye in your shirt.
Prepared T shirts with Tie Dye Inks
Do you have a question that we didn’t cover here? Please ask us! Our Dealer Services department is happy to answer any questions you have! They are available from 8:00am to 7:00pm Monday thru Friday.
SGIA is Printing it Faster with Screen Printed Numbers
Oct/100
The SGIA Expo has come and gone and our staff at the show talked to a lot of shop owners who are just tired of screen printing numbers on jerseys. Luckily we have a solution with Easy Prints® Numbers that these customers were extremely impressed with. Then there were a few customers who didn’t believe that screen printed transfer numbers could improve their work flow. They were skeptical that you could print 15 jerseys in 5 minutes and still get the exact quality and durability as direct screen printing. So we challenged them. We set them up with a Hotronix® Fusion and a Hotronix® Auto Clam 16×20 to see who would take home the prize of an Easy Prints® Number Express Pack.
Watch this video to see a shop owner and his employee racing to finish number 15 jerseys. Who was able to do it faster?
Today’s fashion trends – Placement of heat transfers
Oct/100
Location, location, location….
Have you seen what the trendy retail stores are selling? They are selling tshirts and sweatshirts with unique print placements on the apparel. This is easy to do with custom screen printed and digital transfers. Try putting a print down the left side, or on the left hip for a totally different look. There are no boundaries to the places a print can be placed with your custom transfer and a heat press. Just put your shirt on your press’ platen and press wherever you think the print will look good. Pressing is even easier with these locations because centering and keeping a print straight is less of a concern. Go ahead and add the hottest fashion trend to your product line and try a new print location.
Click to enlarge
Layout :QAL-411
Decorating shorts sleeves with custom heat transfers
Sep/100
The easiest way to apply a heat transfer to a sleeve is using a cap press. The cap press allows the seam to hang under the platen making for a quick, simple application. Simply place the layer you are pressing on your platen, position the transfer (be sure it is no taller or wider than the cap platen) and press.
Watch a video showing how to apply a screen printed breast cancer ribbon transfer with a cap heat press below.
If you do not have a cap press, the application is just one added step on your t-shirt press. Put the sleeve on the platen, but to deal with the underlying seam you will need to use a print perfect pad sold through Stahls’ ID Direct (http://www.stahls.com/) or a mouse pad. Cut the pad to fit in the sleeve, large enough to be a base for your print. Press.
Watch a video showing how to apply a screen printed breast cancer ribbon transfer with a t-shirt heat press below.
Sleeves are a great add-on, use ribbons, flags or even numbers!
