56 www.signlink.co.uk Issue 257 - February / March 2025 your existing sign-making business. Get a heat press with an auto-open release, and you could include this into your existing workflow without hiring additional personnel. The press can sit next to the existing equipment and the industry standard for delivering transfer materials is two days maximum.” In Rogers’ view, recent innovations in the heat press market allow for a wide variety of garment options, tailored to your customer’s exact desires. “Focus on what the customer wants”, he says. “With the technology available with good quality heat presses and transfers, you can now decorate on 99% of fabrics. So let the customer pick their preferred option, then speak to Stahls’ and we will find a decorating solution.” It’s No Fabrication The garment printing sector is rapidly evolving, driven by advancements in printing technologies, software, and an expanding range of fabric options. The evidence of growth in the market is clear to see, with a range of garment and apparel companies demonstrating expansion in response to increased demand. In the last few months, GoCustom Clothing has opened a new facility in Covent Garden, InkTec has continued its expansion with new a sales team, and T-Shirt & Sons has strengthened its arsenal of solutions with the installation of a Kornit Apollo garment press. As the demand for personalised garment products grows, staying on top of market trends and innovations will be key for businesses looking to remain competitive in the market. To stand out from the crowd, you have to be cut from a different cloth. “Firstly, compact roll-to-roll DTF printers are bringing the size and the costs firmly in the range of businesses that don’t do incredibly high volume or simply have space limitations”, he explains, adding: “The availability of space and capital isn’t the barrier to volume DTF printing that it once was. “On top of this, built in fume extraction on the industrial side has made it easier to accommodate a wide variety of environments for the standard 24-inch and larger roll-to-roll DTF printers. “Finally, printing onto sublimated shirts and jerseys with great results and print longevity is now possible thanks to the combination of inks, software, and printer settings from our digital HeatFX and ColDesi DTF printer line-ups.” YES Group’s offerings include the Prestige R2 Pro DTF station, which YES recommends coupling with the new Miro 13 MAX shaker dryer. The R2’s advanced white ink circulation system is designed to prevents clogs and ensures consistent print quality, especially important for DTF printing. But for Burton, DTF is not enough on its own, for those sign-makers wishing to move into providing garment offerings he suggests a combination of different garment printing options working in tandem will result in a more bespoke service for your clients. As he puts it: “Fundamentally, offering more than one customisation method creates both market opportunities and contributes to some exclusivity. The ability to offer custom printed tees or promotional products to your sign customers gives you the potential to add revenues to every sale to those existing clients. “Adding an embroidery machine or UV printer can add similar avenues to sales growth. But adding combinations of a DTF printed tee with a custom embroidered cap, left chest logo, small UV sign, or decal to an event package, boxes out the competition that can’t offer the same versatility.” It’s Heating Up Once your DTF design has been printed, you then need to consider how best to transfer it onto the garment. Modern heat presses are designed to streamline this process, allowing any garment decorating business to quickly customise garments. Manufacturer Stahls’ is regularly innovating within the heat transfer market. Its new Hottronix ProPlace IQ uses cloudbased technology, allowing the user to upload a transfer design which it then projects onto the garment before the design is pressed. This innovation gives you a heads-up on what the final design will look like and allows for accurate placement of the design before you print. For Andy Rogers, marketing director for Stahls’ UK and Europe, the choice is obvious for sign-makers wishing to enter the garment market: “Do it, this is a great opportunity for sign-makers. Next time you visit a customer, take a look at how many of them are wearing branded apparel. One of your competitors could be supplying these.” Rogers stresses that simply adding a heat press into your arsenal can enhance your product offerings, especially if you already use DTF printing for hard goods such as cups and phone cases. He continues: “If you are already using DTF for printing onto hard goods, a heat press can be used alongside this or with GARMENT AND APPAREL PRINT ▲ The new Prestige R2 Pro from YES Group was developed for business owners with limited space looking to print between 200 to 300 shirts daily ◄ The Stahls’ ProPlace IQ can project the transfer design onto the garment before the design is pressed
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