Embroidery:
Usually custom embroidery takes the form of a company logo, which must be digitized (where the logo is manually redrawn in a compatible format) before the embroidery machine can get to work. Embroidering a logo provides a long lasting quality image but costs more than printing and it is often difficult to recreate small text legibly. An embroidered logo can instantly add value and prestige to a garment. Most importantly, the professional appearance of embroidery will help reinforce your corporate identity.
Vinyl:
Also referred to as vinyl cutting is a method of printing text or a logo onto t-shirts, polo shirts and even fleeces. Vinyl film is a sheet of vinyl that can come in many colors and may be cut to any shape or size, such as a name, logo, number or some simple text. The logo or text must first have an outline added (easily managed with a design program such as Adobe Illustrator. The design is then input direct into a digital cutter which electronically cuts the design on to a single color sheet of flock, foil or vinyl. Transfer foil and flock effect vinyl are two materials often used as an alternative to regular vinyl in the heat pressing process. Each provides a different range of texture to vinyl and as such whether one uses flock, foil or vinyl very much depends on the design and final feel one requires.
Weeding is next. This is the term for when the leftover uncut areas from a digital cutting of printed vinyl, flock or foil sheet are removed by hand.
After weeding the cut panels are taken and are applied to the garment using a commercial heat press. Vinyl cutting is ideal for small quantities as it is relatively cheap to set up and quick to arrive. Multiple print colors, styles, & textures are available.
Direct to Garment Printing (DTG):
DTG printing is a relatively recent development in the world of customized garments. It describes a fully digital printing method that allows you to print literally anything you require directly onto your garments, including full color photo printing. DTG printing offers far superior quality in comparison to full color transfer printing and does not require time-consuming weeding. The process works in much the same manner as a modern inkjet printer you might have at home; instead of first printing your photo or design onto transfer paper and then applying it to the garment with a heat press, DTG printing machines print directly onto the garment. This results in a fantastically high quality print and maximum detail, even on complex full color designs. Until recently, DTG printers could only print effectively onto white garments but due to advances in technology they can now be used on any colored garment, including very dark colors such as black and navy. DTG offers superb quality at low setup costs and delivery can be mad0.e within 24 hours.
Heat Transfers:
This involves taking a high resolution image and printing the image onto commercial quality transfer paper. One can print multi-colored images in most formats including BMP,TIF, GIF, AI and JPEG. The quality of the image produced is directly related to the quality of the image supplied so it is important to supply a quality image. Once the image is on the transfer paper it is then taken and applied using a commercial heat press and release paper to the item of clothing. Transfer printing is ideal for small quantities as it is relatively cheap to set up and can be dispatched on the same day but the appearance is not as popular as screen printed.
Digitizing:
Digitizing, also known as Punching, is the process of converting artwork in any PC format (such jpeg, vector, pdf, tiff, or bmp) into an embroidery digital file format that can be read by embroidery machines. Digitizing is a form of art. The quality of the finished embroidered product depends greatly on the skill of the digitizer and their ability to interprete the design or logo that they are converting into an embroidery file.
Monogramming:
Monogramming gives an item identity by adding a touch of elegance and sophistication with the use of initials. A traditional monogram has initials arranged with the first letter of the first name, followed by the first letter of the last name, and then the first letter of the middle name.
Rhinestones:
Do you love rhinestone shirts and fashions like the celebrities, but can't afford the high prices? Do you have tickets to a special event and you're looking for something unique and one of a kind to wear that will make you STAND OUT IN THE CROWD? Maybe your company logo, sports team, special event or fund raiser needs to be advertised in the highest quality way. Available in lots of colors and sizes, rhinestones have more facets than ever and adds TONS of sparkle to the crystals. Hotfix glue on the back allows for easy application by heat.
Appliqués:
Appliqués are decorative pieces of fabric that are sewn onto an item such as clothing or bags. They add dimension to a design allowing for creative options that offer a variety of colors, textures, and patterns. For embroidery designs, appliqués allow you to substitute large sections of the design with colored material instead of filling the area with stitches.
Examine Your Zones:
Both printing and embroidering are available in many areas, or ’zones’, of a t-shirt or polo shirt. Before deciding on what logo or text you require it is a good idea to think about where on the garment you would like it to appear. For instance, the most popular choice for a company logo is above the left breast, but the zones on either sleeve make a great place to include a sponsors name for an event.