Impressions - September 2016 - 55

There are 3-D or other
specialty inks that work
well on transfers, and can
add interest and value to
the transfer print.

Saving Money with tranSferS
Screen printers often juggle a variety of jobs and resources, and if
there is a delay in garment delivery, an order is put on hold. This isn't
the case with transfers since they can be printed and stored until the
garments arrive. No production time is lost and the print shop can

art or different designs all using the same
team colors.
In addition, transfers allow for ondemand order fulfillment, effectively
reducing a shop's inventory requirements.
Different garment sizes or styles can be
purchased based on a customer's ordering
preference. Inventory planning is easier
because if the customer wants to purchase
particular sizes or styles,the shop does not have
to carry unnecessary products while hoping
customers eventually will purchase them.
Garment trends come and go, but shops
often don't want to risk following them for
fear of being stuck with excess inventory.
On-demand transfer orders allow quicker
adjustment to trends, and shop owners can
order only as much of the trendy garment
as the customer needs.
Transfers also can be held in inventory or
as a stock item, for example, then applied to
a garment at a moment's notice, thus guaranteeing a quicker turnaround.They also are
great for fulfilling smaller jobs or recurring
orders, eliminating repeated setups.
Printing/Ink Parameters
Heat transfers also can be applied to hardto-print locations on garments, such as

continue to run efficiently.

across seams or
Another advantage is that the same transfer easily can be applied to
other areas that
different garment types, which allows greater flexibility. Customers
would be difficult
can have their transfers applied to not only T-shirts, but also to sweat
via direct printing.
shirts, hats and jackets.
These locations are
becoming increasingly popular for
artwork placement.
Transfers also are ideal for use as tagless Typically, there is less fibrillation and a
labels. Furthermore, they can be applied to smoother surface because of the heat press'
non-garment items, such as laundry bags, temperature and pressure, combined with
totes, neoprene joint braces, backpacks and the transfer paper's smoothness. And in
many other items that would be difficult terms of durability, there is little to no
or impossible to screen print.
difference between a screen-printed design
What if consumers don't like a particu- and a heat transfer.
lar design? With direct printing, the shop
Garment decorators also can outsource
would incur the possibly-substantial ex- transfer printing to reduce overhead costs
pense of slow-moving or unsold finished and their footprints.
garments.With transfers, the loss is limited
Heat transfers offer many benefits, both
to the cost of the unused transfers alone.
in flexibility and cost savings, and allow
Just as there are various inks available shops to manage inventory easier and carry
for different substrates, transfers can be fewer in-stock items. 
printed with different inks to yield the best
results. If the fabric stretches, a transfer with Chris Pluck, business development director for Insta
stretch capabilities can be used.There also Graphic Systems, has been in the imprinted textile
are 3-D or other specialty inks that work industry for more than 30 years. He has a background
well on transfers and can add interest and in screen printing and offset lithography technologies, and was instrumental in establishing inventive
value to the print.
The applied transfer's hand often is just heat-fusible printing products and print application
as soft as that of a screen-printed design. methods. For more information, visit instagraph.com.
SEPTEMBER 2016

P.55

http://www.instagraph.com

Impressions - September 2016

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