PPB February 2021

compiled by Danielle Renda Andrey Popov / Danijela / Andrei Shumskiy./.Shutterstock.com. The Debate Continues: Screen Printing Vs. Heat Transfers We have a small order—which is the smarter choice? Q A DISTRIBUTOR ASKS: Screen printing versus heat transfers. How do they compare? We have a small order of 165 items—tees and hoodies—but most of them require a four-color imprint in three locations. I’ve never done a heat transfer decoration and I’m hesitant because I don’t know how well it holds up. What is your expertise on the subject? The description of the order (four print in three locations) combined with the low quantity (165 items) seems better suited for a technology that you haven’t mentioned, but is ideal for low-run, multi-color, multi-location printing. Assuming each print location is a different size, this job would take at minimum 12 screens (and their associated setup fees—ouch). Your secondary option of heat transfer would work, but in my opinion, heat transfer looks cheap. Heat transfer does not wash particularly well either. I would suggest a third option that is ideal for jobs like this: sublimation. Sublimation is great for low-quantity, multi-color printing, with great washability. Sublimation has no set- up fees or screens to burn. The inks chemically bond to the fabric through heat and pressure, which leaves you with no hand and a wonderfully soft garment. The color gamut is large and colors come out bold, bright. You can also achieve photo-real quality, as it’s usually printed with four or six colors (CMYK++). Sublimation also washes great, the print will never crack, peel or fade since it’s chemically-bonded to the fibers. The only downside to sublimation is that it’s polyester, which some customers don’t like. But if you look around, you can find vendors that have developed custom knits that have a cotton-like look and feel. If your customer is not a fan of sublimation, a fourth option is reactive inkjet on cotton (not to be confused with direct-to-garment pigment printing, which also suffers from less-than-idea washability). Reactive inkjets uses the same dyes that are used in traditional large-run production batch dyeing in a highly refined version, printed from an inkjet head directly onto cotton/rayon/ bamboo (and most cellulose fibers), then chemically bonded to the fiber with steam. The resulting print has zero hand, great washability and really looks quite amazing. The only downside to this technology is that it has a larger minimum quantity order of 100 units per style/ design and a higher cost. However, if you’re looking for the “best,” this is it. RYAN KEARNS Vice President of Marketing SKYOU Oakland, California My preference is always to go with screen printing unless there is a compelling reason to go with heat transfer. Screen printing looks crisper, doesn’t feel like a sticker stuck on the garment like heat transfers sometimes do, and costs less most of the time. But if the design is extremely complex and heat transfer would deliver the best quality, then I am not opposed to going with it. ANUP GUPTA President AG PrintPromo Solutions Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio PPAI 288459, D3 Screen printing, 100 percent! I only offer HTV if the quantity if six to 12 pieces and any time a shirt is going to be worn only a few times. Your customers will thank you and will come back to you any time they need custom-printed apparel. KASSI PORTER FUHRMAN Owner KM Printing & Promotions, LLC Shawnee, Kansas 10 | FEBRUARY 2021 | INNOVATE