Images_Digital_Edition_July_2019

TIPS & TECHNIQUES www.images-magazine.com 62 images JULY 2019 J oe Wigzell, academy and creative centre manager at Roland DG, recommends that anyone running a garment personalisation business should try shaking things up, experimenting and trying new things, rather then relying on the same process for every job. “Not only does it alleviate boredom, but it’s a great way to add new products to your offering.” In this month’s step-by-step he walks you through the process of using doming resin. This liquid product hardens into a solid coating, creating a raised design. “It can be used on any flat surface, usually for aesthetic purposes, and it’s best used on designs with no sharp corners or very thin or narrow sections,” he explains. “Doming is a simple and inexpensive way to give products a more interesting, premium finish. It also features added UV stability, it’s colourfast, resistant to detergents etc, and it’s scratchproof.” Joe used a Liquid Lens doming kit, which is recommended as a good place to start for those with no previous experience. “Doming resins come in different varieties – some need to be mixed prior to use, some come in handy applicators – and they can also have a hard finish or a slightly flexible finish. It is possible to add colour or glitter to some resins, but in the case of doming, the resin is typically clear to retain the [visibility of the] image it’s applied to.” The biggest problem when working with resin is anticipating how it will perform. “It’s normal for the resin to spill over the edges of your design when you first start using it,” reassures Joe. “After a couple of test runs, you will discover that most issues can be resolved by applying only a little resin at a time.” In this step-by-step, Joe used a basic procedure which leaves the resin to air-dry for 24 hours; curing ovens and resin application machines will, however, significantly speed up production, reducing the procedure time to a couple of hours, he explains. www.rolanddg.co.uk Lift your designs to a new level with doming resin. Joe Wigzell of Roland DG guides you through the process Raise it up