Impressions - Team & Spirit Apparel - Spring 2014 - 16

Laser

Precision
The laser method of
appliqué production
works basically like this:
1. Place the entire fabric appliqué on the garment in the
location in the proper location. No cutting is required.
2. Sew the tack-down stitches.
3. Upon loading the design ﬁle
into the laser controller, you
can activate the laser, which
will trim the fabric right to
the edge of the tack-down
stitches.
4. Sew the ﬁnal border stitches
to permanently secure the
fabric in place and to give the
edges a nice ﬁnished look.

multiple washings, which is deﬁ nitely
a plus. Most blank polyester fabrics have
a bit of sheen, which may or may not
support the look you are trying to create
with a digitally printed appliqué.
On the other hand, cotton tends to
have more of a matte ﬁ nish and possibly a textured surface, which provide
a lot of options for fabric selection.
Though typically durable in nature,
cotton tends to shrink, which may
affect the appearance of the appliqué over multiple launderings.
In addition, it's common for cotton inks to fade due to washing.
And while digital cotton printing is
advanced enough to generate highresolution graphics on the fabric,
sublimation typically outperforms it
when photo realistic images are necessary. But overall, cotton works well for
digital appliqués.
Another factor to consider is dark versus light fabrics. Sublimation and cotton
transfer inks must be used on white or
light-colored fabrics. This is not really
a hindrance to the process, as you can
create any background color you wish
via the digital appliqué process. Simply
start with white fabric, then add the
necessary background colors when setting up your image. For any areas of the
design that must be white in color, simply leave those areas open so the white
fabric shows through.
Production of digital appliqués is
relatively straightforward. The ﬁ rst step
is to create the embroidery ﬁ le, which
is just standard appliqué digitizing -
outline stitch/tack-down stitch/border
stitch. Nothing different is required for
digital appliqués.

GRAPHICALLY SPEAKING
The second part of the process
involves creating the graphics for the
appliqué fabric. Begin by laying out
the image using your favorite graphics program. It's best that you pay close
attention to the overall look of the
16 * Spring 2014

design, which means thinking about the
embroidery aspects while designing the
digital aspects.
For example, what aspects of the
printed fabric need to be prominent
in order to deliver the visual message?
Make sure they are placed where there
is no obstruction by the embroidery. In
the case of basic shapes, it's really no big
deal. But if you are using abstract shapes
or open lettering, then graphic placement details become critical.
Once you are satisﬁed with your
design, print the fabric using your chosen method of digital printing and then
prepare it for the embroidery part of the
job (see sidebar, p. 14).
Recent technology has introduced
the textile laser into many embroidery
shops. The use of this cutting-edge
equipment greatly simpliﬁes the appliqué process, especially when dealing
with complex shapes, multiple segments
and reverse appliqué (at left).
There are far more unique designs
than just three-letter appliqués with
polka dots. For example, you can try a
repeating pattern that uses the school's
mascot. Or maybe a soccer "MOM"
appliqué with a combination of soccer
balls and mascots printed on the fabric.
Either way you cut it, digital appliqué
can add a new level of excitement and
creativity to your spiritwear products.
It's quick, easy and very inexpensive.
Best of all, it commands excellent markups, while setting you apart from the
competition.
Award-winning author and international
speaker Jimmy Lamb has more than 20
years of apparel decoration experience. He
currently is manager of communications
for Sawgrass Technologies, Charleston. S.C.
For more information or to comment on
this article, e-mail Jimmy at jlamb@sawgrassink.com. Hear him speak on sublimation topics at 2014 Imprinted Sportswear
Shows (ISS). Individual seminars are $25 if
you preregister at issshows.com.

http://www.issshows.com

Impressions - Team & Spirit Apparel - Spring 2014

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