When is doing it yourself right for Promotional Products Distributors? I had the opportunity to chime in on this topic that was featured in the September edition of Promowear Magazine. Here is a link to the edition. The article that I am referencing begins on page 24 and is written by Heather Fried.
My full question and answer session with her is posted below for anyone interested.
What’s the number one most important thing a PPD (Promotional Products Distributor) should know before delving into heat-applied decorating?
A: Not all heat applied technologies are created equal. Each technology/process needs to be evaluated independently of one another. Some processes (that historically have given heat applied decorating a bad name) crack and fade in the wash and are not ideal for corporate clients, while other technologies will outlast the fabric it’s applied to. Other differences include look, feel and performance aspects.
What are the bare-bones minimum necessities to get into this decoration discipline?
A: A Heat Press would be the minimum required. Purchase a heat press that can accommodate different shapes and thicknesses of items and establish contact with a few good heat transfer suppliers for the different processes available and you are in the game.
What machines/combo of technologies do you recommend PPDs get started with?
A: Option #1 would be just a heat press and a good relationship with a transfer supplier. Be sure to find a supplier or suppliers that can offer you spot color and/or four color process transfers or digital transfers to service different design needs. Also find a supplier that can offer you a transfer to stick to different types of fabric. You will eventually want to press not just cotton and poly, but also nylon, spandex, polypropylene, leather etc.
Option #2 would be to purchase a heat press and add a graphics output device, such as a printer, vinyl cutter or a combination unit. I think the most versatile technology for a PPDs needs is a Cad-Print System that includes a Roland Versacamm (which prints and cuts), a heat press and special print/cut materials that offer solutions for heat pressing to all fabrics.
How does this technology fit into a distributor’s business? (in other words, how can they balance it out with their current decorator as well as find time to complete the work?)
A: Bringing technology like this in house will allow the distributor to take on programs that their manufacturer can’t and won’t service. Position yourself to fill in the gaps with what your manufacturer is offering – especially custom programs that focus on one-off decoration. Having these capabilities in house also offers benefits such as quality control, quicker turn times, more flexibility and additional profits.
Any surprising or new markets to target with heat transfers?
A: The markets to target with heat transfers are vast and the addition of this technology doesn’t necessarily change the client you’re selling to, but allows you to gain additional business with current clients by offering customization programs where name drops, logo drops or photo drops are possible.
However, if I had to identify future opportunities, I would say that having the ability to decorate synthetic fabrics and new blends of fabrics will be huge. As performance fabrics and eco-textiles grow in popularity we will begin to see new blends and constructions of fabric never seen before. I believe the understanding of new fabrics coupled with the ability to embellish them at all quantities will provide competitive differentiation for any shop. So investing in the right system(s) and knowing the market is more important than ever. I think successful shops will find the means to embellish all styles of jackets, performance apparel, bags, gloves, shoes and more. The good news is that with the right style of heat press and the right heat applied graphics technology this is all possible. Providing logos, photos or text on fabrics that are blended, coated, dyed and treated in different ways will be key for the remainder of 2008 and beyond.
What advice can you offer newbies for sorting through the heat-transfer puzzle with the number of existing heat-applied materials, presses, custom and pre-made transfers, etc. out there? What should they be looking for? What’s universal that they can ignore? (make your own versus premade? in-house artwork versus sub it out? digital versus analog? inkjet versus laser?)
A: There are literally hundreds of factors to consider. I would recommend identifying a core service (meaning product and design options) that you want to offer and approaching several suppliers to obtain recommendations and partnership opportunities. In this venture, if you do not have the expertise within your current staff, you’ll find an even greater need to build a relationship with a supplier who you can trust for advice and direction. Make sure that you find a supplier that is experienced and can offer complete solutions for the items that you want to decorate. An added bonus is when they know the market enough to offer advice on additional options and recommend other experts within different areas of the industry.
Now having said that – here are a couple things to look for or know before you start:
- Anyone that tells you that all heat presses perform the same, does not know heat presses. While a heat press is perhaps the least expensive piece of equipment in your shop it may be the most important. Do not be limited by your heat press. This means find a heat press that can accommodate the items that you envision decorating. Send your prospective heat press supplier(s) the items that you want to decorate and ask for explanations on how you will effectively decorate each item with their press – even have them decorate it and take photos or video. Something to know is that all heat applied graphics applications rely on 3 key elements; time, temperature and pressure. Make sure you have a heat press that delivers all three of these elements accurately across all of your items. HINT: If you want to do bags, you need to have a heat press and platen that you can “thread” your bag over that effectively raises the print area on the bag above any seams, zippers, drawstrings or buckles. Seams, zippers, drawstrings and buckles are just a few things that can interfere with obtaining an even pressure on your graphic.
- Match each heat applied graphics technology to your substrate & design expectations. For example, if you wanted to offer a logo program on moisture wicking polyester polo’s you would find that Sublimation is only good for light colored garments and may restrict your offerings. Likewise, you would find that transfer paper printed with a desktop inkjet printer may not give you the best durability and certain plastisol transfer types may not be compatible with polyester. Furthermore maybe your polyester poses dye migration issues and you need a product that will block dye migration if? The point is – have a general idea of what you want to accomplish and an understanding of your substrates then weigh each technology accordingly.
Why opt for this technology versus inkjet to substrate?
A: I won’t say that every heat applied graphics technology should be opted for over inkjet to substrate, but once again it should be evaluated on a process by process basis and also be contingent on your business’ goals. While an inkjet to substrate system can be evaluated for cottons you cannot print synthetics, such as nylon, 100% polyester, spandex or polypropylene. Synthetic fibers are widely used in the development of promotional products and continue to be the base fibers of more and more technical and performance oriented fabrics. Also know that a direct to substrate system can pose certain limitations as far as what kind of items of shapes that you can decorate. Some machines also will not do dark colored fabrics, but work great on light colored cotton. Again, a crucial part of considering either investment involves investing a little money in a small inventory of items that you will want to accommodate and sending them out to be decorated with each potential process. With the most versatile heat transfer technologies you can accommodate all fabrics of all colors, but as mentioned all heat transfer technologies are not created equal. If you were to evaluate the sublimation versus inkjet to substrate, Cad-Print versus inkjet to substrate and plastisol transfers versus inkjet to substrate you would get 3 completely different evaluations. The system or combination of systems for your business relies on what you want to accomplish.
Anything else to consider before investing in a heat-transfer system?
A: Consider the types of designs/logos you will want to apply and make sure the technology you invest in is capable of producing your designs. For instance, cad-cutting is ideal for 1 to 2 colored text based designs or simple logos. If you want to offer full color graphics it wouldn’t be a viable option. Likewise, if you want to offer single color text, printing onto transfer paper would be counter-productive.
General advice for PPDs forging this territory?
A: I would recommend that they consider the following technologies to begin their research: The Cad-Print Process, Cad-Cutting, Sublimation, Plastisol / Screen printed transfers (both spot and four color process independently), digital transfers and inkjet to substrate. I would also recommend that they complete the recommended sampling process after qualifying each technology. Attending a trade show or scheduling a supplier visit where they can see the processes in person can be helpful – in light of traveling expenses, online videos may be another option.
Anything to add?
A: Consider how you will sell and market your new offerings. Your naming convention, presentation of samples and overall belief in the process you offer will translate into sales. Set up a sales presentation that highlights the advantages of the technology that you will be using. Focus on performance factors, design capabilities, and customization options. Also be sure to have applied samples at your disposal that feature your best designs on your most profitable items. Allowing your customers to touch and feel samples of your new process is a key to making sales. And lastly, understand the adhesive process that your technology uses and be prepared to explain its advantages over the old styles of heat press transfers – showing laundered garments at various life cycles can also help to dismiss prejudices associated with heat applied graphics and can lead to a sale.
