Heat-Applied Graphics Offer Custom Fashion Opportunities

JULY 16, 2007 -- Decorated apparel trends ebb and flow to the rhythm of the fashion world, and the current season is no exception. Moreover, with their expertise in apparel personalization and customization, garment decorators have a unique opportunity to capitalize on this trend.

"Whether you are talking about casual wear or sportswear, more and more people — especially tweens and teenagers — are interested in creating custom designs for their clothing in the hottest colors and styles fresh off the runway," says Cara Cherry, a spokesperson for Stahls' ID Direct, St. Claire Shores, Mich.

According to Cherry, neon colors are big in the fashion industry right now, but instead of brightly colored garments, decorators are using heat-applied materials and inks. "Most of the new materials that Stahls' ID Direct has introduced in the past year have been geared toward female consumers," she says. "Customer demand had led the company to introduce new shades of pink, lime green, lilac, and seven new colors of glitter materials."

In addition to developing new materials and products that feature bright colors, Cherry says Stahls' has introduced thinner materials for heat application. Applying graphics, letters and numbers in non-traditional places also has become very popular, she adds.

"Placement across seams, underneath arms, across the shoulders, along the back of pants and vertically down the sides of garments has created a need for different types of heat-applied numbers and lettering in a variety of sizes and font styles," Cherry says.

While today's advanced heat transfer materials open the door to new markets using the traditional heat press found in most decorated apparel shops, a heat press also is a key component of the burgeoning new field of digital direct-to-garment inkjet printing. And for that application, heat press buyers should look for features that can facilitate the precise curing the new technology requires, such as digital time, temperature and pressure readouts, says Cherry.

Stahls' ID Direct will be among the companies showing the latest advances in heat-applied graphics equipment and transfer products at the fall Imprinted Sportswear Shows (ISS) and at ISS New England on July 19-21. In addition, the ISS New England conference offers instruction relevant to decorators interested in learning new heat-applied graphics techniques and how to make money with their heat press, including speaker Michael Kaminsky's popular "Today's Transfer Technology: Ramp Up Your Profit Potential." The show also offers new machine-specific clinics for people wanting to learn how to operate and maintain a heat press, vinyl cutter or sublimation equipment.

Via : www.impressionsmag.com