Happy Labor Day

As the wife of a Chrysler unionized employee, it occured to me this morning that I was unsure of the origin of Labor Day and what we are celebrating. I always thought of it as the “end of summer”, the last in a series of summer holidays, a day off of work, or the last weekend before school starts. Sound farmilar?

Labor Day as defined by the U.S Department of Labor: “Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.”

The History Channel has a short 3 minute video depicting the history of Labor Day.  History of Labor Day Video

Although economic times have been difficult and the labor force is dwindling we still have much to celebrate. The entire idea of free enterprise. Have an idea, and some funding you can produce a product and market it for sale worldwide…. There are apparel decoration companies that have been funded by severance money, many successful businesses have been started and built out of necessity. 

Many U.S. cities celebrate Labor Day with a grand parade down main street followed by a city picnic. Many families gather together for barbecue and picnics. Beaches and parks all around the country will be packing them in for the holiday celebration.  We are spending the weekend camping with family and friends – “Big Surprise!”

Whatever you are doing this Labor Day, take a moment to sit back and reflect. Be proud of your achievements and remember all of those who have gone before and set the stage for our success. 

Do you have a special way that you celebrate Labor Day? Please send me a comment and share your celebration plans.

Let me share with you some alternative places to find design ideas for custom heat transfers.  First, we can look into CadworxLive™ Creations Gallery.  This gallery is filled with custom design ideas that have been created by various cadworxlive users.  Some of them are created to be cut with a vinyl cutter using heat transfer vinyls. Some will be used for ink on paper transfers and others may be created for digital printing.  The gallery contains not only the artwork but also photographs of the finished designs heat transferred to the garment. This is important because it will give you an idea for mixing medias and colors. There are combinations that I could never imagine and yet they create something so striking.

Photograph from Creation Gallery

The creation gallery can also inspire us to “think outside of the box”. There are several photographs in the gallery that were printed on non-apparel items with sign vinyl and unusual patterns.

Gradution Gifts created with sign vinyl

 Some places that you can search are right “under your nose”  For instance how many of us have an Idea Book from Transfer Express? An Idea Book – what is inside of it. O.K., now it was meant to be an ordering template for custom ink on paper transfers and it can still be that for you. However, sometimes they job that is being requested by your customer does not produce enough pieces for a transfer order so we can use the Idea Book and create something with a similar look and feel in our graphics software or in Cadworxlive.  Besides, if you make the design eye popping enought they may come back with a larger order that would require you to order a transfer or digital print.

Do you have a “hot spot” for ideas? Do you want to share it with us?  Please send us a comment with your idea starters. We are always learning from one another.

• Measure the maximum print area on the smallest size shirt measuring from the neck to bottom seam and from arm to arm
• Order the prints at this maximum size
• Apply to all shirt sizes (the print will be a little big on the smallest, a little small on the largest and look perfect on the majority)

If using screen printed custom transfers, a second alternative is to use a gang sheet, where more than one print is printed on the same sheet. There is still just one order but on each sheet is a larger and smaller version of the same print. This alternative works best for rectangular sized prints like a script and tail, where multiple images will fit on the same printed sheet.

Same print on different size tshirts

I am heat printing 12 hoodies for a Breast Cancer 3 Day Team, very simple. Ink on paper transfers on the back under the hood and another ink on paper transfer for the left chest. I am using  a print perfect pad to ensure even pressure, everything  is set up and I am ready to go, it should only take me a few minutes. Now, working where I do I have access to every style of heat press machine, but I chose to use the Auto Clam – why? Because it was already hot and I just wanted to complete the job and go home.  None of us have ever done this?

The machine is heated up properly and I insert the print perfect pad in the left chest area on the first hoodie.  Preheat, press, peel paper and we are good.  O.K. so now I turn the hoodie over so I can print the back, remove the small print perfect pad and insert the larger one that fits my transfer perfectly. I line everything up tuck the hood off the top of the machine so it will not interfere with my pressure and the plastic laces will not melt.  Tuck, tuck it’s not quite off enough tuck again – SIZZLE!  A few explatives, searing pain (imagine grabbing a hot 375 degree cookie sheet without oven mitts!)- Yes, I have burned (not my knuckles) a large area on the side of  my right hand/wrist.   What to do – I have to heat print 10 more hoodies.

Auto Clam Burn

Take a minute, collect your emotions. I know this story is very tragic but there are so many lessons that can be learned from it.  First, a heat free work space is the best burn saver that you can purchase. You can get this type of heat press by using a Draw or Swing style such as the Hotronix models. The newest Hotronix model the Fusion offers both of these options and an obstruction free lower platen mount for easy loading and unloading of hoodies. 

This type of machine is going to ensure that while you are making all of these fine tune adjustments to your garment or transfers you will not be working under the heat, reducing the chance of burns. 

If a heat free work space machine is not available a clam style machine can be used to heat print a hoodie. The hoodie will need to be put onto the machine upside down with the hood facing toward you so it will hang off the front of the machine.  This will eliminate the need to tuck and manuever the hood portion in order to heat press and save your hands from burns.

Correct position of Hoodie on Auto Clam

With these tips you should feel confident that heat printing hoodies will not result in a trip to the emergency room.  Happy hoodprinting!

There are many different techniques that fall into the digital printing category - DTG (Direct to garment), Dye sublimation, heat-applied vinyl, print and cut vinyls-just to name a few.     The features and benefits of digital printing for apparel is going to vary with each technique; and technology in continually changing. 

Great Garment Graphics has spent a lot of time presenting and educating businesses about the benefits of Digital Printing for textiles by using products such as CAD-PRINTZ™ digital transfers. Our lastest webinar CAD-PRINTZ Design in High Defintion compares digital transfers to HD on your television.

HD vs. regular TV comparison

Many digital printing techniques can be adapted to work with textiles or non-textile items. For example many apaprel printers are crossing over by offering bumper sticker, wall graphics, window decals and banners.  These additional products can be an easy wasy for a printers to increase sales without having to increase their customer base.

Digital printing on apparel will sell itself to the consumer. Once they see a photo realistic full color transfer versus a spot color design the reaction will usually result in jaw dropping.  The great success for the printer is that it can be offered with very little set up cost and the material price remains the same regardless of the amount of colors.

Digital printing is taking the apparel printing industry over, don’t get left behind. Spend some time surfing the web, reading blogs, attending webinars and if you can make it to the SGIA show – DO!  You will not be disappointed with it’s vast educational opportunties. PLUS it’s in VEGAS Babe!