Issue link: https://nbm.uberflip.com/i/1491557
3 4 G R A P H I C S P R O • J U N E 2 0 2 3 G R A P H I C S - P R O. C O M S T A R T H E R E e cons are that weeding vinyl is very time-consuming and particularly diffi- cult on fine detail and designs. It's also a heavier product and sometimes doesn't have the greatest feel on the back of per- formance apparel. Obviously, some materials are better than others, but the right pieces for the right garments help tendentiously. Also, for you to be able to use some of the mate- rials, you may need to invest in some newer print/cut technology. Heat-applied patches and emblems ese are amazing products and come in a wide variety of styles. Whether it's PVC, woven, embroidered, leather, or even 3D emblems, these products really give your customer a sense of creative retail- ready gear. We often thought we had to have sew- ing machines or embroidery equipment to get patches sewn onto garments and hats. With the proper backing, most of these products are permanently heat applied in under a minute. at saves a lot of time in the embroi- dery department when you can remove a 3D stitched logo off a machine production and instead turn it into a 3D embroidered patch to be heat pressed. e cons of heat-applied patches are that the heat, pressures, and materials need to be closely monitored and have processes created. Leather patches have a different heat and pressure application than PVC patches. If you don't get those application reci- pes correct and documented, you'll hurt your reputation when clients come back because their logo fell off. You may also need to invest in a heat press that allows for constant bottom heat. at way, you can bring the heat to the backside of the product while pressing from the top at a lower temperature to ensure that you don't scorch garments during the application. Heat-applied DTF One of the best and brightest products being used with the heat press are the DTF (Direct-to-Film) prints. Direct-to-Film printing is a relatively new technology These are leather-etched heat-applied patches purchased through Stahls and applied to a sublimated cap. Smaller bottom heat platen. This particular unit is being used for cooler bags. Notice the bottom heat is reading 319 degrees (320 is programmed) the top heat is 280 degrees. DTF print applied using the small bottom heat platen. The customer didn't have embroidery in the budget, so the DTF allowed for full-color decoration while not breaking the bank. Siser Color Print Soft material printed and cut using the Roland Versa Camm. One of the benefits of having a dad own a T-shirt company.