ImagesMagUK_October_2021

www.images-magazine.com 56 images OCTOBER 2021 O ver nearly 40 years, Papergraphics has built a reputation for expertise in equipment and supplies for high-quality, large-format printing. Now the company is bringing its knowledge of print and colour management, along with its consultative approach to business, to the garment decoration market. In August 2021 it took its first step into the world of personalised clothing, becoming the official UK distributor of the Italian-made B-Flex heat transfer vinyl (HTV) range. B-Flex is a global HTV brand with offices in Europe, Australia and the US, yet this marks the first time its products have been available in the UK. Papergraphics complemented this new partnership shortly afterwards with its appointment as an official UK distributor for German-made Secabo heat presses. Papergraphics’ business development manager, Alistair Travis, who has been working on the B-Flex project since September last year, explains why the company decided that now is the Hot off the press Alistair Travis talks to Images about Papergraphics’ expansion into the garment decoration market with B-Flex HTVs and Secabo heat presses, and how the company adds value to the products it supplies through its consultative relationship with customers perfect time to move into the growing garment decoration market. “It hadn’t been top of our agenda but, with the rapid rise of online businesses and craft businesses during Covid, we started investigating the growth projections for garment decoration and decided that this was something we could help our customers to benefit from. “The great thing is that a lot of our existing customers are already doing it, and a lot of our other customers could quite easily get into it. They might have a latex printer and a cutter, but with an investment of £700 or £800, they could start a garment decorating business and get return on investment in six months on just 10 T-shirts a month. It’s very accessible.” New ideas for garment decorators As a specialist in large-format print supplies and equipment, Papergraphics’ core customer base includes companies supplying signage and copy print and Alistair is confident that its wealth of experience in these areas will be applied equally successfully within the garment printing market. Similarly, he believes that Papergraphics’ partnerships with B-Flex and Secabo will also serve to open up new larger-format ideas and opportunities for existing garment decorators. “If companies are offering garment personalisation, why not offer personalisation in other areas, such as wrapping paper, canvas prints, artworks or wall coverings? These days you can’t just sit back on your laurels and think you’ll keep on doing what you have always done. The world keeps changing, and personalisation and short run – especially micro-targeted promotions – are what the world is about.” He adds that Papergraphics is currently developing a new web platform to support the garment decoration side of the business as part of a wider investment in web services. B-Flex HTV and a Secabo heat press in the Papergraphics demo and training room B-Flex HTV – it does what it says on the T-shirt