ImagesMagUK_December_2021

www.images-magazine.com 02 images DECEMBER 2021 SHOP TALK 04 Editorial 08 Print Shop Pooches #73 Woody from I Want Workwear 10 Readers‘ choice 14 Decorated product of the month 72 Up close & personal Luke Mitford of MHM Direct GB NEWS HUB 06 Industry news Promattex unveils new DTF printer, UK launch for Ricoma 20-needle embroidery machines, and Rocket & Rose opens first shop KNOWLEDGE BASE 22 Hand & Lock Prize for Embroidery: Review Last month, the winners of the Hand & Lock Prize for Embroidery were announced at the Embroidered Arts Exhibition. Images went along to meet the up-and- coming creative stars of the embroidery world 24 The Business Clinic How to reduce your digital carbon footprint, and a guide to using keywords properly 26 Digital helpdesk Margareta Fuchs and Everson Scheurich of DTG Merch explain how to use vectorisation to rescue low-res files for DTG printing 28 Anatomy of a print The award-winning team at Lynka in Poland came up with this hugely impressive print for construction giant Komatsu – despite having only an 8cm- wide photo to work from. John Lynch and Marta Wolos reveal how this high-definition print was created 36 Sustainable viewpoints We asked garment brands what single point they would like to get across to our readers about sustainability. Here’s what they had to say 54 Laser precision Alex Beckingham from laser system manufacturer Trotec demonstrates just how easy it is to personalise garments using a laser cutter 56 Lasers: a beginner‘s guide Laser systems can provide an exciting new revenue stream for garment decoration businesses. Images cuts through the technical jargon to obtain practical advice from industry experts on using this increasingly popular decoration tool 64 Raise your prices Feeling the pinch as suppliers increase their prices? Marshall Atkinson argues that now is the time to pass on some costs to your customers – and he has some advice to help ease the process 66 Animal magic Selecting the right colours to bring a pet to life in thread can be tricky. Dominic Bunce of digitiser David Sharp shares his insider info on how to be the best in show 67 Managing metallics Want to bring a shine to your embroideries? Erich Campbell offers some gold-plated tips to help improve how you digitise and stitch with metallic threads PRODUCT FOCUS 38 Go green! Sustainability is a hot topic in the garment decoration industry at present, so ‘Cop’ a load of these must-have apparel options in eco- focused fabrics 48 Carry it off From totes to shoppers, backpacks to gymsacs – bags and related carrying solutions are ideal for decoration and make perfect gifts, promo products and personalised merch. We take a look at this season’s top styles 52 Packaged to perfection Check out what automated folding and bagging technology has to offer your business – both in terms of your image and your bottom line 62 Gymtastic apparel Work out the best brandable gym and outdoor fitnesswear for your customers with our line-up of the latest sporty styles from leading brands INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT 32 Walking the walk Mark Ludmon visits Si Atkin at his sustainable and ethically driven print shop, Carry on Screening, where he practices an alternative approach to screen printing, business and life 46 Rebel with a cause Phil Millar at Creative Apparel has a bold vision – to create the most eco-friendly garment decoration facility in the UK. He talks to Images about growing crops, mega fans, and the need to finely examine every aspect of this ever-expanding project CONTENTS Season’s Greetings from DECEMBER 2021 30 38 48 56 32 22 28 67