Impressions - Team & Spirit Apparel - Winter 2010 - (Page 12)

The LOW In Part 1 of this two-part series, we take a look at athletic numbering systems from four manufacturers to help you decide which one could be right for your shop. By Deborah Sexton, Contributing Writer Editor’s note: An effort was made to have information from all manufacturers be as consistent as possible to compare each system equally. However, some manufacturers provided more information than others and not all questions applied to each company’s products, hence there are differences in the information included for each company. DOWN Num ON ber iNg PART 1 OF 2 12 • Spring 2010 SyS temS n business, there aren’t many things you can count on to make life easier while adding revenue. Decorators have one such way: screen printing numbering systems. From simple add-on attachments to full-blown, high-end units, these systems allow decorators to generate sales by printing numbers on uniforms for the sports market. “You need to understand the nature of the market you serve,” advises David Landesman, co-president, Lawson Screen & Digital Products, St. Louis. “Will you be printing a lot of numbers on an ongoing basis, or will you be printing numbers on an occasional basis?” If numbering is a major part of your strategy, a standalone unit makes sense, while an attachment might be more appropriate if you’re only printing occasionally, he says. Michael Green, president, The A.W.T. World Trade Group, Chicago, says speed and accuracy are the two most important features to evaluate when shopping for a system. “Also, how does the system handle registration of two-color numbers? Does it require the operator to visually locate the image, or is it automatically positioned?” he asks. Printers also must consider other factors, including how much space they have to accommodate a numbering system, whether they want a standalone station or an add-on to their carousel press, how many operators the system requires, whether they are printing on light or dark garments and the type of fabric that needs to be printed. Ultimately, the proof is in the printing, so decorators shopping for a screen printing numbering system should test-drive a variety of units to see what kind of quality they provide. Prices for numbering systems range from about $500 to $20,000, according to Gerry Rhein, marketing director, Brown Mfg. Group, Wyoming, Mich. “You must determine how many numbers you print to determine what level of machinery to purchase,” Rhein advises. “It’s no different than investing in a carousel printer.” Other cost considerations — besides the actual price of the numbering system — include screen costs, clean-up costs and, of course, printing time. Following is a roundup of screen printing numbering systems from four manufacturers, including details on what each one offers.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Impressions - Team & Spirit Apparel - Winter 2010

Impressions - Team & Spirit Apparel - Winter 2010
Contents
Make the Most of Multimedia
The Lowdown on Numbering Systems
Your Team Sports Marketing Plan
Gear Bag

Impressions - Team & Spirit Apparel - Winter 2010