The new apparel features fashion-forward styling and advancements in performance fabrics and construction, and will be available in a wide range of sizes and colors.

One of the featured styles is the Attain wicking tee. Designed for teams looking for high-performance wicking in a T-shirt, it is available in an extensive color pallette across a range of sizes. It incorporates features typically seen in T-shirts twice its price, according to the company.

“Our customers love the Attain wicking T-shirt,” says Jill Roberts, Augusta Sportswear’s senior category manager for off-field. “It has a generous cut with raglan sleeves and features our True Hue Technology to prevent dye migration during the sublimation process. That’s a fancy way of saying the colors stay put – for example, white dye on a red shirt won’t bleed and morph into a nasty pink. We’ve built the Attain to hold your team’s colors longer, workout after workout and wash after wash. It’s performance that’s built to last, so you’ll look good supporting your team season after season. You just can’t beat the value at this price point.”

The fall 2017 catalog will feature more than 60 new products. — J.L.

In March 2017, Ryonet, working in cooperation with the GO Exchange (GOEX) and 10 founding partners, organized an Indiegogo fundraising campaign to benefit The Global Orphan Project, (GO Project) a Kansas City, Mo.-based, global community committed to caring for children and families in crisis.

Funds raised for the Allmade project will be used to manufacture eco-friendly T-shirts, made for a living wage, benefiting orphan care and prevention in Haiti. The campaign exceeded its goal as of this past April.

The behind-the-scenes trip, to held in late August, begin in North Carolina and end in Haiti, where participants will meet the people, tour the facilities and experience the energy behind Allmade shirts. In North Carolina, visitors will see used plastic bottles transformed into polyester fibers at the Repreve factory. They also will meet representatives of Carolina Cotton Works, who will demonstrate how those fibers are spun into yarn, knitted into fabric and packaged for shipping to Haiti.

In Port Au Prince, Haiti, participants will visit the Global Orphan Project and its facility, as well as tour of some of the orphanages supported by the GO Project, as well as the Life SA factory where fabric is sewn into Allmade shirts. Members will share lunch with factory workers and hear their stories.

The Haiti visit will wind down with a bus tour of the countryside and catered picnic. Visitors will see presentations from Allmade and GOEX executives detailing the environmental and human impact of the garment industry.

Spots for half or the entire trip are available. For a detailed itinerary, pricing and a packing list, email contact@allmade.com. — J.L.

The image slider also lets store owners highlight events, promotions and announcements, and link to sale items and call attention to key messages. To access the capability, users can go to the Component Library in the store’s Edit Mode and follow the prompts to post unlimited slides with HTML text overlays that can be edited on the fly and displayed on any device.

The password-protection update can be added by selecting the private setting and assigning a six-character password. This can be done either during store creation or by using the Edit Mode as an administrator in the case of an existing store. The private setting will display a branded screen and require the password before granting access to the site. — J.L.

Transfer Express, Mentor, Ohio, recently released a video that shows how to make clip art created for a light background look great on a dark one using the Easy View Online Designer.

When viewing "Inverting Colors in Easy View," shown above, viewers will learn the few simple steps it takes to correctly color a design to make it look right on a dark fabric.

The tutorial demonstrates the easy technique for four pieces of clip art. Viewers will discover how to enhance customer satisfaction by ensuring prints will work on any color. — J.L.

Decorators of all sizes and experience levels are invited to submit their work. The 39th annual contest will be judged at the Fort Worth Imprinted Sportswear Shows (ISS) event, which will be held Sept. 22-24, and winners will be announced Sept. 24.

All winners will be featured in the January 2018 issue of Impressions, online in the Impressions Awards & Design Galleries and through Impressions’ Facebook and Twitter social-media sites. Winning entries also will be displayed at the Impressions booth at all 2018 ISS events.

As always, there is no cost to enter and contestants can enter their work in as many categories as they wish. You must submit a separate sample and entry form for each entry. We encourage all interested contestants to enter today! The deadline for entry is Aug. 15.

To download an entry form with complete rules and other information, please click the PDF link above or click here. — L.V.

The all-day DTG Training and Educational seminar, which will be held Sept. 13, will introduce DTG printing to those interested in getting into the industry or wanting to learn more about the process. Course attendees will mainly work with the Epson F2000 DTG printer.

The seminar will include an introduction to DTG printing, as well as instruction on pretreating basics, preparing artwork for DTG and printing demonstrations. Discussions will cover such topics as what can and can't be printed, what to do before the printer arrives, warranty and service, artwork preparation, printer maintenance, specialty DTG printing platens and more. Attendees also will engage in hands-on printing.

Coffee, lunch, drinks and a special mystery bag of goodies also will be provided for all attendees. Interested parties also can purchase RTP Apparel and Image Armor products, including shirts, pretreatments and equipment, while at the seminar.

To sign up for the seminar, click here. — J.L.

The materials were unveiled concurrently with a new brand identity: DuPont Intexar smart clothing technology. Debuted at the recent Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, which was held July 26-29, Intexar transforms ordinary fabrics into active, connected, intelligent garments that provide critical biometric data, including heart rate, breathing rate, form awareness and muscle tension.

Intexar offers stretch and comfort, and easily is integrated into garments to make smart clothing.

“Every athlete — from professional to everyday — can benefit from smart clothing to help boost their performance; but it has to look good and feel good,” says Michael Burrows, global business manager, DuPont Advanced Materials. “Intexar is a game-changing technology and will truly move the needle in making smart garments as comfortable as regular fitness clothing.”

Available as a suite of premium and high-performing stretchable electronic inks and flexible substrates, Intexar is embedded directly onto fabric using standard apparel-manufacturing processes to create thin, form-fitting circuits. Garments powered by Intexar can endure more than 100 washes, and continue to perform through repeated stretching and demanding activity.

DuPont featured two smart-clothing garments powered by Intexar technology at Outdoor Retailer: Body Plus displayed a smart fitness shirt commercially available in China that uses Intexar to enable real-time monitoring and data collection, such as heart rate, breathing and muscles movements. OMsignal displayed a high-end fitness sports bra and a comfortable, attractive lifestyle bra, both boasting advanced sensory technologies capturing real-time ECG, respiration and physical activity. — J.L.

The launch features elevated basics, tech and performance styles, trend-right looks and the addition of the Rabbit Skins brand, all culminating in 100 new styles. Highlights of the launch include Port Authority Carefree poplin shirts and EZCotton polos, course- and office-ready Nike Golf Dri-FIT Legacy polos, Eddie Bauer jackets ready for adventure and OGIO Endurance Sonar full-zips that capitalize on the ever-growing athleisure trend, according to the company.

SanMar is expanding its Alternative Apparel line, adding gear bags from OGIO and new looks from District, Red House, CornerStone and Port & Co. The company also is introducing 12 infant and toddler styles from Rabbit Skins, the newest addition to its brand portfolio.

"Our focus is always to work with customers to pre-meditate the changing demands in logoed apparel designs and trends," says Lee Strom, vice president of marketing, SanMar. "The fall new product collection is rich in textures, patterns and sharp price points on performance styles."

Customers will soon receive copies of the 2018 Apparel, Bags and Caps catalog. Customization options also are available. In addition to the 2018 Apparel, Bags and Caps catalog, SanMar is delivering a 2018 Essentials collection featuring popular favorites and select new styles, as well as its 2018 New Arrivals August 2017 edition, a snapshot of all the new styles now available. — J.L.

Hirsch Solutions, Huntersville, N.C., has released a new video showing how to use the Brother GT-381 direct-to-garment (DTG) printer to quickly and easily print high-resolution, full-color art on cap bills.

In this segment of the Brother GT3 "Print More Than Tees" video series, viewers will see how, by simply securing the bill with double-sided tape, using a template or tape to confine the image area and pressing start, they can print with up to 1,200 dpi resolution. Offering caps allows decorators to upsell T-shirt sales.

Using the GT-381 to add caps to your custom printing applications can allow decorators to expand their offerings to teams, clubs, schools and businesses, according to the company. — J.L.

Whether starting out in apparel decorating or continuing to build a business, Stahls' TV has a wealth of resources, such as live webinars, videos and archived educational sessions that cover a wide range of topics, from how-to, marketing and business basics to advanced techniques and new technology. A blog and weekly Monday morning Stahls’ TV show are designed to keep you in the loop on breaking industry news and trends, according to the company.

Stahls’ TV Morning Show
Every Monday, 11 a.m.-11:45 a.m. EST
Find out the latest industry buzz, new product and decorating ideas, and business strategies to stay of the competition.

How To Create A School Spiritwear Fundraiser
Aug. 10, noon-1 p.m. EST
From heat printing school spiritwear to creating sales fliers for fundraisers, Courtney Kubitza shows the best practices on how to get started.

Heat Press For Profit: How To Get Started
Aug. 17, 2 p.m.-3 p.m. EST
Participants can get informed on what they should look for in a heat press and vinyl cutter to make the most out of their apparel-decoration businesses.

Seven New Ideas For Your Team Business
Aug. 24, noon-1 p.m. EST
The fall sports season is nearing and it’s time to fire up the heat press. Courtney Kubitza offers some new and exciting ideas to give businesses a competitive edge.

Craft Corner Live: Heat Printing Nonapparel Items 2.0
Aug. 29, noon-1 p.m. EST
Using just a heat press or home iron, Jenna Sackett shows how to get creative when customizing home décor items such as wall art, welcome mats, “farmhouse”-style décor and other unique household accessories that can yield high profits.

Click here for detailed class descriptions, updates and registration information. — J.L.

Buicko's experience spans from promoting startups to rebranding a major Chicago-area casino and helping launch Phlips Ligthing's latest campaign.

In his new position, he will manage customer communication efforts while spreading the word about InkSoft's latest features. — J.L.

This bonus offer, valued at $150, also includes an 8" x 10" platen protector.

This particular platen size is ideal for tote and polypropylene bags, and hoodie pockets. Its size allows for users to drop buttons, zippers and seams off the press to create a smooth surface, thus ensuring successful heat application, according to the company.

The non-stick platen cover protects the lower platen from adhesives, inks and wear and tear. It also helps to increase productivity, allowing the user to slide garments on and off the platen quickly and easily during application.

To order, click here. — J.L.

"Being a part of the ZDHC program provides us the opportunity to share our knowledge and insights, partner and collaborate on issues with others in our industry, and improve our knowledge on sustainability, environmental and chemical-management issues," says Jimmy Summers, vice president, environmental, health and safety/sustainability, A&E. "We believe it is very important to be actively involved in driving positive change throughout the industry. It's simply the right thing to do."

A&E recently released its annual corporate sustainability report highlighting continued improvements, specifically in global water-use reduction and zero-waste-to-landfill efforts. A&E supports widespread implementation of sustainable chemistry and best practices in the textile and footwear industries to protect consumers, workers and the environment, according to the company. — J.L.

When RICOH aimed to develop a new ink for DTG customers, the goal was to match or surpass the color output and performance of PowerBright PLUS inks and pass savings on to customers, according to the company. A standard cartridge of the new RICOH Garment ink now is available online in the AnaJet store for United States customers for $44. An XL cartridge is available for $86.

RICOH Garment ink currently is available only in CMYK; white will come at a later date. The company performed several blind print comparisons among RICOH Garment ink, as well as Spectrum and PowerBright PLUS inks. Many participants were unable to determine a difference, according to the company. — J.L.

The M&R Cos., Roselle, Ill., recently announced a two-day basic screen-printing course will be held at the company's Miami branch office.

To be held Sept. 22-23, the course will cover artwork, screen registration, making and cleaning, manual printing (hands on), automatic printing (hands on), garment curing, and shop layout.

“When we debuted the course in April, the response was overwhelming and the course quickly sold out,” says Andrea Bardenheuer, M&R’s director of Latin America sales. “And the course itself garnered rave reviews, so we began to make plans for another class.”

Training will be conducted by Patrick Lashbrook, M&R’s regional sales manager for Florida, who is an expert on basic and advanced screen-printing techniques.

“Patrick combines a wealth of knowledge with years of practical experience and a passion for teaching virtually every aspect of screen printing," says Glen Carliss, head of M&R sales in the Eastern United States. "The people he has trained invariably praise Patrick’s ability to simplify the most complex issues, and to impart the tips and tricks that increase their shops’ quality and productivity. This is an especially valuable course for those who aren’t content to learn by trial and error.”

Find a list of course topics by clicking here.

The fee for the hands-on course is $300. Lunch will be provided both days. Seating is limited, so the company encourages interested attendees to reserve spots as soon as possible by emailing Andrea Bardenheuer at andrea.barden@mrprint.com. — J.L.

The easy-to-use feature lets online store owners get the word out to customers about special promotions, approaching deadlines, new products, instructions and more, and keep the messages in front of them throughout their visit. Located at the top of the InkSoft-powered store page, the static bar stays in place, carrying custom messages as shoppers scroll through store offerings.

To enable the promo bar, online store owners must log into InkSoft, navigate to a store built on the new platform, go to the Component Library in the "edit" mode and select the feature. After that, choose whether to start from scratch or load previously saved data and use the promo-bar controls to determine color, messaging, text positioning, etc.

User-friendly menus make designing fast and easy, allowing quick access to store colors, as well as basic HTML formatting and other options. Then, save or publish with a click.

Also, stores built on the new platform now have a form added to the "Contact Us" link in the top navigation bar. It allows customers to reach out to store owners in the way that works best for them.

Finally, InkSoft has added a Product Lens template, which is an Adobe Photoshop file that assists in creating a professional product-preview image to send to clients. — J.L.

The company has stocked 16 styles from the Boxercraft line in its Grand Rapids warehouse and began selling the product in mid-July via its website and call center. All other Boxercraft styles will be available via special order.

Boxercraft designs its own brand of apparel, with a variety of casual styles forwomen, men and kids, and growing selections for babies, as well as accessories. The company also offers oversized fit shirts, including the original Pom Pom Jersey. — J.L.

The company manufactures ink for screen, digital and pad printing, three popular methods used to personalize and brand ad-specialty items, according to the company. The variety of substrates can be challenging for an ad-specialty printer.

Nazdar’s Technical Service Team is focusing on finding the ink to solve many print, adhesion and coverage issues printers encounter with competitor products.

“We have so much to offer the ad-specialty printer,” says Phil McGugan, vice president of sales and technical service, Nazdar. “Our many distribution locations, in-house color matching and online resources truly place Nazdar ahead.” — J.L.

Developed by Vivid Chemical, the PrintPerfect system consists of a printer loaded with Reveal Textile Series (T-Series) ink, RIP software and Reveal film. T-Series ink is a reactive colorant created by Vivid to complement and maximize the capabilities of the company's Reveal-S film (available now) for white and light-colored garments, Reveal-W film (coming soon) for white designs on dark fabrics and Reveal-WC film (coming soon) for color and white designs on dark fabrics.

The Reveal PrintPerfect printer contains no white ink, but creates white on the shirt through the interaction of the patented Reveal T-Series ink and coating technology on the W and WC films.

The Reveal PrintPerfect solution eliminates the limitations of using the Reveal-S film with sublimation ink, according to the company. Now, decorators can print and transfer photographs and subtle shades. When used with Reveal WC film, decorators can produce full-color graphics with white on dark shirts. This system is a fraction of the cost of direct-to-garment (DTG) printing and white color laser printers, and will enable a single-step solution and will be more flexible than DTG printing, as no pretreatment is needed, according to the company.

To view an informative video on the Reveal PrintPerfect 600T system, click here. — J.L.