Allover Printing: It’s All Over America

AmericaShirtARTICLE_rdax_524x524By Christopher Bernat, Contributing Writer, Impressions Magazine

Allover print sublimation (AOPS) is, well, all over the place. Of course it is a trendy application on T-shirts and V-necks seen in the wholesale decorated apparel marketplace. But from burnout garments, poly-performance tops and mixed martial arts (MMA) gear to hoodies and dresses, the popularity of AOPS is rising. If you have not seen it as a new source of potential revenue, you may want to look one more time.

It’s not just enjoying success in the imprintables market. Walk into Macy’s, Belk, H&M or just about any other major clothing retailer and you will see some apparel decorated with sublimation in the store. There are multiple brands offering different types of garments for this process. The topic has been well covered in Impressions and at the Imprinted Sportswear Shows (ISS), but it has grown and changed in the past couple of seasons.

Garment decorators are getting more and more requests for allover sublimation, and declining the opportunity could have long-term ramifications. Many people are predicting it will only increase in popularity from here on out.

No matter what type of AOPS you plan to do, there are several things you will need. At a bare minimum, you will need sublimation paper, an industrial (a.k.a. large) heat press and the right garments for your target customer.

You also will need the know-how to do it properly. So let’s get started and cover a couple of important areas. Continue reading “Allover Printing: It’s All Over America”

Smiles

Everyone loves a smile! Be it from a loved one, a friend, a co-worker or a stranger on the street. A smile goes a long way to improve your mood and your day. I think my dog even smiles when … Continue reading

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Keyboard-Smiles3Everyone loves a smile! Be it from a loved one, a friend, a co-worker or a stranger on the street. A smile goes a long way to improve your mood and your day. I think my dog even smiles when she is playing with her favorite toy or when she gets a nice belly rub (her favorite thing).

A smile is an expression denoting pleasure, sociability, happiness, or amusement. Smiling is something that is understood by everyone despite culture, race, or religion; it is internationally known. Cross-cultural studies have shown that smiling is a means of communication throughout the world. So what on earth could be wrong about a smile?

In the sublimation overall garment decoration world when the fabric folds and the image is not transferred within that folded area is also known as a “smile”.  Those “smiles” on the pre-sewn garments are usually under the sleeves and around the shoulders, in the seams, and anywhere the shirt cannot be completely flattened out. Some people think this is a defect in the process (frowning). Others think it is part of the charm of the garment (and they smile at the results).photo6

What can be done to alleviate the dreaded “smiles” on your overall garment transfer without driving yourself too crazy?

– You can flatten the garment the best you can and then pre press and flatten it again but you it is difficult to completely eliminate all the creases. Do the best you can but know that it is very difficult to remove them all.

– You can try a sleeveless shirt or tank top but the seams may still have some white areas

– You can use a design that will camouflage the “smiles”, so be creative with your designs.

– You can use “cut and sew” method where you transfer the flat patterns then sew the shirt. This is how sports jerseys are made but may not be practical for all decorators.

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The sublimation process using a large printer and heat press is the only way to completely cover a pre-sewn garment with images you create. The large sublimation printer and large heat press costs about the same as a quality direct to garment printer. Your image costs for paper and ink is about $5.00 per shirt for full front and full back images. Fully decorated shirts can sell for $20.00 to $60.00 depending on the market.

The results are bright and colorful and the impact of the final garment is incomparable with any other decoration method. Have fun with it; show your customers what you can do with the images on to the garments. You will bring a smile to their face and you will smile on the way to the bank with the extra profits you get with full garment decoration.

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