Issue link: https://nbm.uberflip.com/i/1490460
6 0 G R A P H I C S P R O • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 G R A P H I C S - P R O. C O M r e f n s n a r T t a e H S D N E R T A P P A R E L D E C O R A T I N G H eat transfers saw a surge during the pandemic as decorators shifted their outsourced orders to in-house or started up new businesses during the e-commerce boom. "You don't need setups or huge, expen- sive machines. You can have commercial decorating capabilities from a spare bed- room," says David Conner, digital mar- keting manager of STA HL S' Transfer Express, a Mentor, Ohio-based manufac- turer of heat-applied, screen-printed trans- fers and digital transfers and a provider of blank apparel. "e cost is super low and is built on demand, not inventory." Decorators, sign shops, and others setting up a small-scale apparel print- ing business only need a heat press and individual transfers and blanks for their printed apparel and promotional prod- ucts. ey don't need printers and a long list of other equipment that result in high overhead costs. Startup costs can be less than $2,000 with commercial-quality results. "We are seeing continued trends with DTF transfers. As films evolved and more options started coming out, it kind of changed the game as far as how decora- tion has been done," says Adam Yukish, director of business development of All American Print Supply, a supplier of DTF DTF and promo-driven products will lead the way Shelley Widhalm is a freelance writer and editor and founder of Shell's Ink Services, a writing and editing service based in Loveland, Colorado. Digital hybrid transfers to 100% polyester to demonstrate full-color capabilities in a single-step application. (Image courtesy Howard Custom Transfers, Inc.) FOR 2023 B Y S H E L L E Y W I D H A L M