Ply has a couple of meanings in the apparel industry. If you’re talking dress shirts, ply is the number of yarns twisted together to make a single thread that is woven into a fabric. For screen printers, 2-ply is referring to a garment constructed with two fabric layers. Common 2-ply garments are windbreakers, athletic shorts, and the hood on some styles of sweatshirts. Because the two layers of fabric are generally sew together at the edges and are loose against each other, there is an extra step and some additional equipment required to print these garments. Let’s take a look.
How Screen Printing Works For 2-Ply Garments
File Preparation Tips For DTG Printing On Apparel
Digital printing has some similarities, but is a bit different than screen print or embroidery in terms of file prep. Here's some suggestions to submit your file so that your end print looks like you want it to.
3 Ways To Avoid Polyester Dye Migration
Polyester and poly blend garments continues to grow in popularity over the years. It has become one of the most common types of materials used in the promotional apparel world. When printing on polyester and polyester blends, it can sometimes prove to be a struggle, as it's one of the most challenging fabrics to print on.
Read More3 Types Of Embroidery Stitches
As a Promotional Product expert knowing as much as you can about the apparel decorating processes will help you with your sales. As partners we feel it is our responsibility to give you the information you need to sell. Today were going to talk about embroidery stitches. 'Apparel Decoration' companies use 3 distinct embroidery stitches to create the beautiful custom embroidered garments you see. Each stitch creates a different look on the fabric.
Read MoreHow Soft-Hand Printing Via Discharge Inks Works
Discharge ink was developed specifically for soft-hand printing on dark garments. Discharge is a water-based ink that bleaches the garment weave while depositing pigment. The look of the final print is quite different from traditional plastisol prints. The end print is more muted, the colors are flatter, and the edges of the screen stencil tend to soften through the production run. Butt-to-butt registration is not guaranteed. Discharge is really great for vintage looking prints with lose designs. Tight logo style graphics aren’t ideal for discharge printing.
Read More5 Tips To Preparing An Illustrator File For Your Contract Decorator
Screen printers love Adobe Illustrator because the graphics are so clean and perfectly scale-able. Certain features of the program were even designed specifically for the print industry. A screen print artist or separator prepares your design file for print production, but there are some steps you should take to prepare your file for the printer.
The Advantages & Disadvantages Of Plastisol Ink
Plastisol ink is a PVC (polyvinyl chloride) based system that essentially contains no solvent at all. Along with UV ink used in graphic screen printing, it is referred to as a 100% solid ink system. Plastisol is a thermoplastic ink in that it is necessary to heat the printed ink film to a temperature high enough to cause the molecules of PVC resin and plasticizer to cross-link and thereby solidify, or cure. The temperature at which most plastisol for textile printing cures at is in the range of 149 °C to 166 °C (300 °F to 330°F).
Plastisol is the ink of choice for printing of finished goods such as t-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, and tote bags.
How Staff Uniforms Can Have An Impact On Your Business
Staff uniforms are a common feature shared by many of the most successful businesses in the country. Everyone from doctors to fast food workers are expected to wear a specific type of attire. Businesses can use staff uniforms for a variety of beneficial purposes.
3 All-Over Printing Approaches For Custom T-Shirts
All-over printing does encompass the entire surface area of a shirt, however, the are three different approaches a printer might take based on the desired print and style of art. Each approach varies in complexity and price, so please be sure to consult with a sales insider before you finalize your design.
How To Achieve The Best Quality When Screen Printing On Polyester
Polyester is one of the most challenging fabrics to screen print on. It’s even advisable to stay away from poly-cotton blends in a lot of cases. Being in the decorated apparel business, we are often asked whether or not we can print on different types of fabric. In almost all cases, the answer is yes. However, not all fabrics get along with ink so, it's important to consider all elements of your production run.
Decoration, Timeline & Budget: What You Need To Know
Ordering custom decorated apparel for your clients can be a fun and easy process if you are working with the right decorator. It’s simply a matter of communicating and planning with your decorator in advance to sort through the various apparel applications and options. This article is designed to walk you through the various steps to think about when working with your client and decorator during the planning, budgeting and timeline stages.