Images Digital Edition DEC 2018

www.images-magazine.com DECEMBER 2018 images 25 TIPS & TECHNIQUES The process of finishing is flexible: using a tunnel dryer, a heat press or even a heat gun to dry the inks on the different materials should be possible. There are special dryers available, such as those for shoes, for example, and heat press platens for caps and shoes to increase the precision of the drying process. Ink coverage The ink volume needed to reach a certain print quality, ie the coverage of inks, will be different for each material you might want to print on, such as cotton, canvas, jeans, leather and even silk. For example, a hoodie with thick, cotton material and long fibres needs more ink in order to ensure a good coverage of the colours, especially on dark garments where you need a white underbase. On the other hand, a garment made of silk needs a very low volume of ink. If you use too much ink, the image will start to bleed and the sharpness of the image will be compromised. It‘s also important that the ink has good washability and a wide colour range to ensure a high quality print result on the different surfaces. There are manufacturers who already offer positioning tools like camera systems or projectors to show where the print will be and to prevent misprints – this makes the operator’s life easier. Examples include AccuLine from Brother, Envision by Brain Industries, and Smake Easy Positioning System. Also, there are different platens available that optimise the print process. These include, but are not limited to: ■ Shoe platen ■ Baby and youth platen, for small sized garments ■ Cap platen ■ Zipper or button platen, for polo shirts, hoodies, etc ■ Sock platen ■ Sleeve platen, (for sleeves and trousers) (See www.brothergt.com for its list of available platens and accessories.) Once you’ve mastered these tools, there are other creative ideas you can apply to increase the fashion value of your products, such as combining DTG printing with embroidery, special foils or rhinestones. Given the technology that’s now readily available, it has never been easier to create something different from your competitors. www.brothergtx.com DTG printers such as the Brother GTX can be used to print shoes and many other products We specialise in premium T-Shirts, Sweatshirts and Polo Shirts for start up companies, lifestyle brands and high-end boutiques. We have a low minimum order quantity – it usually starts around 50 units and can be split over sizes, using our stock fabrics and colours. Please view our website for stock options Visit us www.article-10.com email sales@article-10.com or call 0116 2710277