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www.images-magazine.com 02 images JULY2023 SHOPTALK 04 Editorial 08 Print Shop Pooches #92 Mabel of Personalise Embroidery & Workwear 12 Decorated product of the month 20 Readers’ choice 72 Up close & personal Kyle Morrison of AWDis NEWSHUB 06 Industry news Azonprinter introduces new DTF system, Lüscher launches the Screen! Cube, and Pigment.Inc unveils one-step screen making machine KNOWLEDGE BASE 27 Fespa Global Print Expo 2023: Review All the new products from Fespa, brought to you by the intrepidImages team 34 Business Clinic The rules around intellectual property and printing, and long tail vs short tail keywords 36 Digital helpdesk Are you charging enough for your prints? Rob Goleniowski at Roland DG offersmuchneeded advice on how to know if the price is right 38 Anatomy of a print The team at Presstime Design & Screenprint is justifiably proud of its ‘EverSoft’ technique. Pierre Hasapogiannis and Ricky Pridmore explain how it works 52 From field to design With the FIFA Women’s World Cup approaching, Maria Palma of Wilcom highlights the power of fonts in sports logos in this handy how-to guide 61 Stitching dreams Dominic Bunce of embroidery digitiser David Sharp explains how to embroider magic onto children’s garments 66AskTony Back with another question, Michaël Vangeneugden of Kadeco Vision in Belgium asks: “When is the best time to invest in an auto reclaimer?” 68 The price must be right Worried you’re being stitched up over your digitising prices? Follow Erich Campbell’s advice to ensure you’re charging the right amount PRODUCT FOCUS 44 Top performers Casual comfort and sporty styling combine in these must-have athleisure and performancewear options from the industry’s leading brands 56 It’s sublime! Dye sub is a go-to option for vibrant prints for soft signage, custom apparel and more! Check out our annual review of must-have equipment from top suppliers 62 Kids club Personalised kidswear is all the rage right now, from the tiniest baby to the tallest teen and every child in between. We review the latest styles INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT 32 Natural selection Stormtech’s new UK and EU sales manager, Shaun Rolfe, talks about the exciting opportunities for the brand and its customers on this side of the Atlantic 40 Social thinker Jaspal Bumrah tells Images about the vision and strategy behind Vinylise Printing’s success in helping influencers and fashion start-ups CONTENTS 38 38 27 40 36 VALUE SOFTNESS 42 61 62
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www.images-magazine.com 04 images JULY2023 Published by: 360 Communications Ltd Images, 360 Communications Ltd, Citibase Brighton, 95 Ditchling Road, Brighton, BN1 4ST, UK 01273 748482 | www.images-magazine.com Advertising: advertising@images-magazine.com Editorial: editorial@images-magazine.com Subscriptions: subscriptions@images-magazine.com | Images is free of chargeto UK subscribers Publisher/advertising: Jonathan Vince | jonathan@images-magazine.com Features editor: Rachael Glazier | rachael@images-magazine.com Features writer: Mark Ludmon | mark@images-magazine.com Publishing assistant: Gaby Bowring | gaby@images-magazine.com Design/Production: ATG Media | production@atgraphicsuk.com Printing: Stephens & George Ltd| Goat Mill Road,Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil, CF48 3TD(issn 0966 7512) Opinions expressed by contributors in this magazine are not necessarily shared by the Publisher. Editorial contributions are invited, on the understanding that the Publisher has the right to alter or abridge all such material as he sees fit. While the greatest care has been taken to ensure accuracy, the Publisher accepts no liability for either errors or omissions. EDITORIAL Campbell, our resident embroidery guru, to explain how to avoid being stitched up when pricing your digitising (page 68). Hopefully, their advice will prove both timely and helpful in ensuring that you not only win more business, but are paid what you and your products are worth. The ‘antipodean summer of sport’ is underway, with England hosting the Baggy Greens in the 2023 Ashes series throughout this month, and the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, hosted by Australia and New Zealand, kicking off ‘down under’ on 20 July. Given the excitement and interest around last summer’s UEFA Women’s Euro 2022, this is certain to be a major televised sporting spectacle. To mark the occasion, we’ve teamed up with the midfield magicians of embroidery digitising, Wilcom, to bring you a fabulous step-by-step guide to creating supersaleable sports logos, quickly and profitably (page 52). Sticking with the sports theme, we are also publishing our annual Athleisure & Performancewear and Sublimation Printing showcases in this issue. Turn to page 44 for the latest line-up of sporty styles in high performance fabrics, and page 56 for a ‘sublime’ collection of modern sublimation printing equipment that’s perfect for decorating sporting apparel. Talking of equipment and machinery, late May saw us high-tailing it to Munich to take in the very latest garment decoration developments at Fespa’s 2023 exposition. Once again, the event didn’t disappoint, with plenty of new products to pique our interest. Unsurprisingly, direct-to-film printing equipment and consumables led the way; however, there were also some very interesting advances in computer-toscreen technology on show, along with new directto-garment and wide-format digital printing options. You’ll find our snapshot review of the exhibition on page27. Jonathan Vince SIGNUP! Register now to receive your own FREE monthly copy of Images: imagesmag.uk/register UPDATE CONTACT DETAILS Moved to new premises? WFH? Update your details online: imagesmag.uk/subs-update JULY2023 VOL.32 NO.7 IMAGES DIGITAL STATS 1 May-31 May, 2023 Users: 32,453 Page views: 37,918 Toppost: 1,336 views Impressions: 6,516 Top tweet: 499impressions Link clicks: 48 Reach: 5,717 Page visits: 325 Reach: 2,855 Profile visits: 283 Wilcom shares an easy-to-follow step-by-step guide to digitising supersaleable sports logos onpage52 G’day, sports fans “How much?!” It’s my new involuntary cry every time I set foot in a supermarket, receive a printer’s bill, or go to renew an insurance policy or subscription plan (don’t panic, Images remains free to registered readers!). Almost everything is getting more expensive, including the cost of doing business. So it’s never been more imperative that you get your shop’s pricing right – not only to ensure you are charging the right prices to maintain your business as a profitable going concern in the face of increased costs, but also so that you can continue to win sales in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Charge too little and you’ll sink under the increased costs; charge too much and you’ll be left watching the tumbleweed as cash-conscious customers look for moreaffordable options elsewhere. With the importance of hitting the pricing sweet spot in mind, we asked Rob Goleniowski, head of sales (UK & Ireland) at Roland DG, to advise on strategies for pricing digital print (page 36), and Erich Users: 812 Page views: 31,972 Sessions: 1,637 Page per session: 19.53
INDUSTRY NEWS www.images-magazine.com 06 images JULY2023 Azonprinter introduces new DTF Neon system Manufacturer Azonprinter has launched a new direct-to-film (DTF) system, the Azon Primo+ Neon, which is promoted as being “completely maintenance free”. It presented the new 60cm (24”) DTF system at Fespa Global Print Expo in Munich in May, with two machines in the range: the Primo+ Neon and the Primo+ Neon X with CMYK plus white and four neon colours. It follows Croatia-based Azonprinter’s development of direct-togarment (DTG) printers. Features of the new Primo+ Neon include built-in ink tank agitation and recirculation systems and an automatic nozzle check with a programmable time frame. It alsooffers automatic system maintenance, leading Azonprinter to describe it as “the only 24” DTF system that is completely maintenance free”. Turn to page 27 for more Fespa news. imagesmag.uk/azon-dtf-neon Pigment.Inc unveils one-step screen making machine Making its debut at the Fespa trade show in May was the D2M Rapid Screen from Pigment.Inc. Billed as removing most of the steps from the screen making process, the unit applies an injectable emulsion derived from UV ink as a negative over the entire screen. The ink application is followed by a UV light, which cures the emulsion. The result is a screen that is ready to go on the press. Full-size screens take around four minutes to create, said general manager Jerry Erich, with multiple passes building up the height of the emulsion, enabling high-build prints. The system has been developed with Swiss engineers René Baer and Shlomo Hermon, who worked on the chemistry of the ‘emulsion’, a UV-ink derivative. It is designed to work with all common screen mesh sizes and all brands of water-based, reactive and plastisol inks, and is compatible with M&R, MHM and Roq systems. Pricing, exact launch dates and the UK distributor are yet to befinalised, but it is expected to go into production at the end of this year and be available in the UK in thefirst quarter of 2024. The price is likely to be around €50,000 (£43,000), with a full-image screen costing approximately €1.20 (£1) to produce. imagesmag.uk/PigmentIncD2MRapidScreen Lüscher launches the Screen! Cube at Fespa A computer-to-screen (CTS) and computer-to-plate (CTP) specialist has teamed up with John Potter to develop a new laser CTS system for garment printers. Called the Screen! Cube and shown for thefirst time at Fespa in May, it was created after John of 3JP Consulting, and founder of printing equipment supplier MHM Direct GB, approached Swiss company Lüscher Technologies about developing a laser-toscreen system. Lüscher is known for developing the CTP systems that are used in the production of 85% of the world’s banknotes. Unlike most laser-to-screen units, which have a series of lasers on a bar that travels left and right on an X-axis, John explained, this machine uses lasers that are connected by fibre optics into a single lens, and so is extremely accurate. The lasers have a life span of 20,000 imaging hours. It uses no consumables (including print heads), is virtually maintenance-free – the lens needs wiping occasionally – and unlike those that use DMD chips, needs no cooling system. It offers a resolution of 1,270dpi and is modular, meaning printers can add more laser diode units as their production levels increase, boosting the speed at which the screens are created from around four minutes to two minutes. It will be available soon through MHM Direct GB and other dealers worldwide. imagesmag.uk/screencube Follow the links to the news stories online www.images-magazine.com Azonprinter’s Azon Primo+ Neon X DTF printer The new, modular Screen! Cube can create a screen in just two minutes [L-R] Jerry, René and Shlomo with the D2M Rapid Screen prototype at Fespa in Munich
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INDUSTRY NEWS www.images-magazine.com 08 images JULY2023 PRINTSHOP POOCHES #92Mabel Whether it’s pedigree pups or mangy mutts, decorators’ dogs are valued members of staff at embroidery and print shops from Barking to Furness. This month we have Mabel from Personalise Embroidery & Workwear in Witham, Essex Fullname: Mabel Abbott Breed: Cockapoo Age: 11months Time at company: Nine months Jobtitle: General dogsbody Job description: Quality control on customer orders, keeping production staff in line and, most importantly, providing staff with cuddles! Special skills: Never getting in trouble because of her cuteness! Favourite colour: Mabel loves to steal threads off the shelves when she can. Her favourite is Madeira 1108, Pantone 190c, because it matches her collar! www.personalise-uk.co.uk Aided by her cuteness, Mabel is an incorrigible snaffler of embroidery thread Promotion & Branding Show in Bristol in May 2023 Follow us on Twitter @imagesmaguk Strong start for Promotion & Branding shows The 2023 series of Promotion & Branding shows is set to continue with events around the UK from September after a successful start this spring. The shows, hosted by embroidery and print specialist GS UK, bring together suppliers in the garment and textile decorating sector. This year’s schedule began in April in Bristol and in Basingstoke in Hampshire. The organisers reported: “The first two shows were very well attended with a regular flow of visitors throughout each day, keen to talk to our industry experts.” More Promotion & Branding shows followed in June in Portsmouth, Peterborough, Solihull and Manchester. After a summer hiatus, they return, visiting Hinckley in Leicestershire on 26 September, Barnsley in South Yorkshire on 28 September, Belfast on 11 October, Newcastle upon Tyne on 24 October and Glasgow on 26 October. All shows have free parking, goody bags and the opportunity to pick up special show offers. For information and to pre-register for a show, visit promobranding.events. imagesmag.uk/pb23-start Kingly gains environmental certifications for garments Sock and garment specialist Kingly has revealed that it has been awarded two environmental certifications for its range of unisex apparel. It has achieved the Global Recycling Standard and the Global Organic Textile Standard (Gots) after investing around€100,000 (£87,000) every year on SMETA Pillar 4 audits and certification procedures. Kingly has also implemented an antigreenwashing validation system to prove traceability through the third-party Cradle to Gate sustainability platform. Kingly was already one of only 52 producers of Gots-certified socks in the world. It also has an Oeko-Tex certificate for its bestselling socks, testifying that they are made with no harmful chemicals. imagesmag.uk/kingly-gots Garment manufacturing at Kingly The roadshow returns in September in Hinckley, Leicestershire
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INDUSTRY NEWS www.images-magazine.com 10 images JULY2023 Tajima integrates Coloreel with embroidery design software The Coloreel on-demand threadcolouring system has been integrated into embroidery design software with a new update from embroidery machine manufacturer Tajima. Embroidery design software DG16 from Tajima Software Solutions now makes it easy to assign any Coloreel colour and effect directly in the design creation workflow. Users no longer need to use a separate programme to colourise their embroidery designs for Coloreel. This means that everything can now be done within one software programme, allowing for faster design creation and easier modification of existing designs. Other benefits include a reduced risk of mixing up stitching and colouring files. With all stitch and colour data now contained in one file, it is also more convenient to create multithread embroideries that combine Coloreel thread with traditional precoloured embroidery threads. imagesmag.uk/coloreel-dg16 Follow us on Facebook: @imagesmaguk Tajima’s DG16 embroidery design software features Coloreel integration CTS UK managing director Howard Gill updates staff ontrading Workwear supplier reports ‘strong trading’ CTS UK has reported a “very encouraging” start to 2023 with “strong trading figures” across all parts of the business plus a healthy order book and margin improvements despite the “challenging economic times”. The company, a specialist in workwear and other business supplies, has been boosted by new customers including retailer Sainsbury’s and distribution and outsourcing group Bunzl. It has also reported “rapid growth” for Equithread, its business providing workwear to the equestrian sector, which was relaunched in January. CTS’s senior team has been strengthened by two key appointments: James Smith is the new production manager and Imran Amjad has joined as senior account manager with special responsibility for the cleaning and hygiene sector. imagesmag.uk/cts-trading MiHub, the international supplier of corporate clothing and uniforms, has announced the appointment of a new chief operating officer, Philip Ellis. He has more than 30 years’ experience working across both private and public limited companies across the world, most recently with Spectrum Brands and for Intercarabao Limited. Now part of the company’s senior management team, he brings experience in strategic planning, sourcing, logistics, operational improvements and general management, and has worked internationally including China, Brazil and theUS. He said: “There will always be a place for uniforms with customers globally and this, added to the service-centric DNA of the company, just feels like a great fit for my experience.” imagesmag.uk/mihub-ellis CHANGING FACES Mi Hub chief operating officer Philip Ellis Smarter Textiles This intricate logo was embroidered by Smarter Textiles in Gloucester onto workwear for SV Mentoring. imagesmag.uk/Smarter-Textiles-SV DECORATOR REPORT
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INDUSTRY NEWS www.images-magazine.com 12 images JULY2023 There was only ever one choice for Decorated product of the month in this issue: the awardwinning print from Monster Press. TheImages team was fortunate enough to see this awesome print at Fespa in May and we can confirm that it is a stunningly impressive T-shirt. When we saw it at the show in Munich, Germany, it was still labelled as being shortlisted, but later that day, it was awarded Gold at the Fespa Awards 2023 in the ‘Special effect on T-shirts, garments, and other textiles’ category. Printed for Hard Times Clothing, the print is, says director Will Petersen, a parody/mash-up of a 1970s Star Wars poster and the characters from Avengers. “We picked this design for the Fespa Awards as it was a cool design concept and we thought it was a great balance of softness, vibrancy and detail, and we liked how nicely the colours blended together and faded into the shirt.” The artwork was separated in-house using Photoshop, and the design was created using eight colours, printed wet-on-wet. The team used Wilflex MX plastisol on a discharge underbase, and printed the job on Earth Positive tees using Monster Press’s 10-colour MHM S-Type Xtreme automatic. Philip Collin-Shone, EMEA area sales manager at Avient Corporation, which produces Wilflex inks, congratulated the team, saying it was an “absolutely fabulous concept” that made full use of the Wilflex Epic MX Mixing System. He added: “Holding the repeatable registration on a job like that needs some serious precision: pre-press screen prep, mesh tension, correct emulsion, coating, exposure, rapid set-up, machine stability, off contact, correct squeegees, accurate Pantones (of course – no bias there), etc... What a job.” www.monsterpress.co.uk DECORATED PRODUCT OF THE MONTH The Funky Peach These fantastic T-shirts were printed using DTF by The Funky Peach in Poole for The Conditioning Centre Gym. imagesmag.uk/Funky-Peach-Beans DECORATOR REPORT Schoolwear and sportswear supplier Banner has published an impact report on its efforts to be sustainable, including the move towards using more eco fabrics. TitledBe Better Together, it charts how the company has made “substantial progress towards a greener and fairer future for the people, planet and the communities Banner serve”. Standout achievements in 2022 included the transition of 65% of Banner’s products to eco fabrics. Exceeding its goal of 50%, the company is on track to achieve 100% by 2025. The supplier has also signed up to the Better Business Act, a business-led campaign aimed at changing the law to make sure every UK company aligns the interests of their shareholders with those of wider society and the environment. Banner has also begun its journey to become a B Corp – companies that benefit people, communities and the planet – as part of a “vision of being a force for good and to drive positive change”. Banner’s impact report is available via Banner’s website. imagesmag.uk/banner-impact23 Banner report reveals progress in sustainability efforts Read our full-length Decorator Reports online: www.images-magazine.com The award-winning print from Monster Press Banner’s third annual impact report is available now
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INDUSTRY NEWS www.images-magazine.com 16 images JULY2023 2024 dates for Sign & Digital UK and Printwear & Promotion Live! announced Printwear & Promotion Live! (P&P Live!) and Sign & Digital UK (SDUK) will both take place on Sunday 25 February until Tuesday 27 February 2024 at the NEC in Birmingham. Datateam, the parent company of P&P, announced the acquisition of the SDUK show earlier this month. Following this announcement, SDUK’s original 2024 dates of 27-29 February were changed so the two shows could run alongside each other in Halls 1 & 2. imagesmag.uk/SDUK-P&P View daily news updates at: www.images-magazine.com Leicester’s garment sector hit by price pressures Garment companies in Leicester are being forced out of business because of pressure from fast-fashion brands, according to international campaign group Labour Behind the Label. The non-profit group has reported that the number of factories in the clothing industry in Leicester is estimated to have halved over the past three years from 1,000 in 2020, partly blamed on retailers asking for lower prices. According to Labour Behind the Label, factories said their profits were being squeezed by demands for large discounts, last-minute cancellations and unexpected changes to orders. Citing anonymous reports from garment businesses in Leicester, it claimed that suppliers were often treated with “disdain and disrespect”. Some of the pressures facing Leicester’s garment suppliers from retailers were reported in an investigation published in The Guardiannewspaper in June. Founded in 2001 and based in Bristol, Labour Behind the Label is a workers’ cooperative that focuses on campaigning for labour rights in the global garment industry. imagesmag.uk/leicester-labour Garment suppliers and retailers are facing price pressures. [Credit: Artem Beliaikin (Unsplash)] Dae Ha gains OekoTex for DTF film to affirmquality Dae Ha has added Oeko-Tex Standard 100 to certifications for its direct-to-film (DTF) film to help highlight its quality in the face of cheaper products coming onto the market. Introduced by Dae Ha UK in January, the film for DTF printing, made from recycled blended polyester, has been audited for compliance with Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Class 2, which ensures products contain no harmful substances. It adds to the film’s EN71-3 accreditation, which covers different aspects of product safety, and its certified conformity with the US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). Dae Ha UK has also formed a partnership with UK-based Indie Inks to supply its DTF powder, which carries the Oeko-Tex Eco Passport certification for chemicals, colourants and accessories used in the textile industry. It has also started offering Indie Inks’s specially formulated DTF ink designed exclusively for use with Dae Ha DTF film, which also has Oeko-Tex Eco Passport certification. imagesmag.uk/daeha-oeko DTF film from DaeHaUK UPM and Vaude to make woodbased polyester fleece UPM Biochemicals and Vaude, an outdoor apparel supplier, have teamed up to make garments from bio-based chemicals. According to the companies, 60% of all materials currently used by the fashion industry are made from fossil-based polymers. UPM says it recognises “the acute challenge faced by the textile and footwear industries to find more sustainable solutions for the polyester and polyurethane used in their products”. To help accelerate the sustainable transformation of the textile industry, UPM will be producing new, climate-neutral materials from sustainably sourced forest biomass that will help replace fossil raw materials in the textile value chain. UPM and Vaude will then create “the first ever” fleece jacket made from wood-based polyester. Chemical company Indorama Ventures will polymerise and spin a polyester yarn containing UPM’s BioPura BioMEG. Pontetorto, a textile manufacturer located in Prato, Italy, will then process this yarn into a novel, bio-based polyester fabric which Vaude will use to produce the final garment. imagesmag.uk/UPM_vaude UPM and Vaude have teamed up to make fleece from wood-based polyester rather than fossil-based yarn SDUK will be co-located with P&P Live! in 2024 following its acquisition by Datateam
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INDUSTRY NEWS www.images-magazine.com 20 images JULY2023 AWT refines safety features of SuperTurbo gas dryer AWT World Trade has redesigned the gas train of its Super-Turbo dryer. The new design includes modern sensors and gas valves for enhanced safety features, promising clean, efficient working conditions. Sensors test the burner chamber each time the machine is turned on to assess the integrity of the gas line and the quality of the air. Users are alerted immediately to any issues like leaking or insufficient pressure. “The relatively lower cost of gas is a powerful motivator to use these efficient machines, but safety concerns have been a legitimate barrier for some users,” stated president Mike Green. “The enhanced safety features of the Super-Turbo can alleviate those concerns and allow people to enjoy the benefits of the cheaper heat source without worry.” The Super-Turbo has been manufactured by AWT for decades, with new iterations of the design released periodically. imagesmag.uk/AWT-Super-Turbo Want to know what your industry colleagues really think of the garments and accessories they decorate? Each issue, one reader tells us why they rate a particular product Sophie Pat, marketing coordinator at Uniform Xperts in Leicester, says her favourite product to decorate is the Compass Padded Gilet (R238X) from Result Genuine Recycled. This eco-friendly gilet comes with access for decoration, explains Sophie. “It’s excellent quality, and is one of our bestsellers!” The R238X is a lightweight, twolayer softshell made using recycled polyester, which is both windproof and showerproof It’s really popular with personal trainers and tradespeople such as plumbers or carpenters, adds Sophie, “who are buying for themselves, so are usually willing to pay for premium as they prioritise comfort and quality for everyday wear”. imagesmag.uk/jul23-readerschoice www.uniformxperts.com READERS’ CHOICE Find our digital editions online: imagesmag.uk/digital-issues Abdullah Gaffa, personal trainer and owner of Train with Gaff, in his Compass Padded Gilet embroidered by Uniform Xperts The latest version of the Super-Turbo offers enhanced safety features Resolute launches hot and cold peel DTF film Resolute has introduced a new DTF film with a triple coating that promises greater stability and better prints. Exclusive to Resolute, the new film, called Resolute Premium Evo Universal DTF film, offers both hot and cold peel. This allows users to switch between the two without changing the roll or profile. The hot peel can be used on cotton and polyester, and cold peel is ideal for super-fine detail. The film has an invisible barrier that protects against humidity, which the printer and consumables supplier says can affect the quality of the print and make the powder difficult to shake off, especially on the edge of text and graphics. In addition, Evo “has a long shelf life, doesn’t suffer from moisture ingress, or seeping from the edge of the ink before curing”. It also has an anti-skid reverse coating to help avoid film skew, and is available in a 100m by 600m roll. imagesmag.uk/resolute_evo_dtf Calder Screen Print This vibrant design was screen printed onto T-shirts by Calder Screen Print in Sowerby Bridge for The Gig Cartel. imagesmag.uk/Calder-Shanghai-Treason DECORATOR REPORT Resolute Premium Evo Universal DTF film promises fine detail
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INDUSTRY NEWS www.images-magazine.com 22 images JULY2023 The textile industry trade show, Itma, welcomed 111,000 visitors from 143 countries last month. The week-long show, which was held in Milan, Italy, takes place every four years and this year featured 1,709 exhibitors. Ernesto Maurer, president of Cematex (the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers, which owns Itma) said: “This edition has been a great success with the visitorship higher than the previous exhibition in 2019. At this Itma, the transformation journey toward digitalisation and sustainability has taken a huge leap forward. It has been a mega gathering with the presence of stakeholders of the entire textile and garment making ecosystem. Cematex associations and their member companies, as well as all other exhibitors, are delighted with the results as the exhibition has surpassed all our expectations.” The next ITMA will be held at the Hannover Exhibition Center in Germany from 16-22 September 2027. imagesmag.uk/itma_2023_final Check out our Instagram Stories for the latest industry news @imagesmaguk DuPont Artistri launches DTF inks Digital inkjet ink manufacturer DuPont Artistri launched its brand-new DTF ink at Itma last month. The Artistri P1600 DTF pigment ink set is said to allow “for profiling with reduced ink volume, delivering both efficiency and productivity as equipment runs cleaner for longer”. Tucker Norton, the general manager for DuPont Artistri Digital Inks, said, “With Artistri P1600 DTF inks, garment decorators will not only benefit from brightly printed fabrics, but these water-based inks can help contribute to their sustainability initiatives. P1600 inks were formulated using safer by design principles to assess and evaluate any potential environmental risks, are classified as non-hazardous under GHS and are HAPS (hazardous air pollutants) free.” Available in the UK through Resolute, the P1600 inks can be used on cotton, blends and polyester. imagesmag.uk/artistri_dtf The DuPont Artistri P1600 Pigment DTF Inks were launched at Itma in Milan Itma will return in 2027 in Germany CFP Flex adds new film products for DTF Heat transfer film specialist CFP Flex has introduced new products for direct-to-film (DTF) printing for decorating garments. The Prem’DTF range offers film for creating mirror, glitter and rainbow diamond effect in a wide choice of colours, compatible with both DTF and direct-to-garment (DTG) technology. Made in France, it is an anti-static film with a solvent-free special coating, promising no ink bleeding and no powder pollution. Its other new Prem’DTF offering is a DTF film to block polyester resublimation, giving a black opaque barrier with a soft touch and elastic finish. It works with a two-step process: white ink is applied to the Prem’DTF Blocksub film and then the final visual is printed on the Prem’DTF transparent film. The printed Prem’DTF Blocksub film can then be applied to the garment with a heat press. imagesmag.uk/cfp-premdtf Prem’DTF Blocksub film is designed to block polyester resublimation Itma 2023 welcomes 111,000 visitors
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INDUSTRY NEWS www.images-magazine.com 24 images JULY2023 Tee Jays builds for growth Tee Jays is expanding its headquarters to accommodate the apparel manufacturer’s continuing growth in Scandinavia and Europe. Based in Svenstrup, Denmark, the updated headquarters will include an additional 6,000sqm of warehouse space, which will increase the company’s storage capacity from 4,000 pallet spaces to 12,000 pallet spaces. ”We are very excited to embark on this expansion of our headquarters in Svenstrup,” said CEO and owner Peter Høfler. “It is a clear indication of our continued growth and commitment to providing the best solutions to our customers in Scandinavia and Europe. The additional storage capacity will allow us to strengthen our logistics and enhance our ability to meet customer needs.” imagesmag.uk/tee_jays_expanded_HQ Half of Fespa attendees planning to invest in new technologies The recent Fespa Global Print Expo and its co-located shows, the European Sign Expo and the Personalisation Experience, attracted 14,776 visitors from 134 countries. The visitor numbers for the Munich events, held at the end of May, were up from the 11,647 who attended last year’s shows in Berlin. Investment in new technology was a priority for those attending, reported the show’s organisers, with 50% planning an investment within 12 months. Michael Ryan, head of Fespa Global Print Expo, commented: “Business leaders from all over the world came with an appetite to understand what’s changing in the market and a determination to innovate and invest to expand their offering.” Turn to page 27 to read about the new products seen by the editorial team at Fespa 2023. The next Fespa Global Print Expo will take place in Amsterdam, The Netherlands from 19-24 March 2024, alongside European Sign Expo, Personalisation Experience and Sportswear Pro. imagesmag.uk/Fespa-attendees-technologies Print industry ‘on government radar’, says IPIA The IPIA is celebrating progress in its efforts to get the government to identify the UK print industry as being of “strategic value” to the economy. IPIA chair Charles Rogers was invited to an event hosted by deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden to represent the UK print industry at a special business leaders reception at Number 10. His attendance followed the IPIA’s formal request for the “identification of UK print and paper as ‘industries of strategic value’ to our economy”. Since its formal meeting with special advisers to the prime minister, the IPIA has engaged closely with cross-sector body the Graphics and Print Media Alliance (GPMA). It is now canvassing its members for feedback that will shape the IPIA’s ongoing engagement with government. If you would like to feed into this process directly and highlight specific market challenges and trends, or have suggestions on the targeted support required from government, email info@ipia.org.uk. imagesmag.uk/ipia-radar Visitor numbers were up at the Fespa show in May Find us on social media: @imagesmaguk IPIA chair Charles Rogers outside Number 10 [L-R] Richardt Thomsen, founder of RTE, and Victor Høfler, export sales, and Peter Høfler, CEO and owner, of Tee Jays The Embroidery Shop This bold logo was embroidered onto a small run of six polo shirts by The Embroidery Shop in Edinburgh for Edinburgh Black Cab Tours. imagesmag.uk/Embroidery-Shop-Cab DECORATOR REPORT
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All the new products from Fespa, brought to you by the intrepid Images team Fespa Global Print Expo 2023: Review Fespa this year was a show very much getting back to preCovid levels, with five halls, 550 exhibitors and the new Personalisation Exhibition. Held at Messe Munich in Germany in May, the show’s entrance hall was host to the shortlisted entries for the Fespa Awards, including the UK’s very own Monster Press, which went on to win the Gold Award in the Special effect on T-shirts, garments, and other textiles category (turn to page 12 to see the winning entry). There were two stands at Fespa that grabbed visitors’ attention as soon as they walked into Hall B1: Mimaki and Brother. The vast and colourful walkway from Mimaki showcased what was possible with the Japanese company’s products, including its recently launched TxF150-75 directto-film (DTF) printer. Nearby, on the Brother stand, the branches of a beautiful Japanese-inspired cherry blossom tree spread out over the company’s new DTF and wide-format latex printer, as well as its recently expanded direct-to-garment (DTG) offerings. www.images-magazine.com JULY2023 images 27 The spectacular walkway on the Mimaki stand
INDUSTRY EVENT www.images-magazine.com 28 images JULY2023 Mark Vasilantone, president of Vastex International, was on hand to show visitors the company’s expanded range of Lo-E low-wattage, high-efficiency dryers for DTG printing and water-based inks. There was plenty of innovation displayed on the Brother stand, including its newly released roll-toroll DTF printer, the GTXpro DTF R2R. One of the companies creating a big buzz at Fespa was Lüscher. The computer-to-screen (CTS) specialist teamed up with John Potter, founder of MHM Direct GB and director of 3JP Consulting, to develop a new laser CTS system called the Screen! Cube. The modular system uses Lüscher’s proven laser technology and in its top configuration the Screen! Cube is capable of producing screens in two minutes. The recently launched GTX600 Extra Colors DTG printer, with extended ink set, was also on display on the Brother stand, sporting a super-whizzy green and orange livery. News of the prototype D2M Rapid Screen from Pigment.Inc was also flying round the halls. The unit removes many screen-making steps by applying and curing an injectable emulsion derived from UV ink onto screens. Full-size screens take around four minutes, said Pigment.Inc’s general manager, Jerry Erich. Epson launched the SureColor F2200 DTG printer at Fespa. Aimed at start-ups and medium-volume businesses, it has a compact, flat-top design for fitting in smaller spaces, and can also be used for DTF printing. It features Epson’s PrecisionCore MicroTFP print head technology and uses the new 800ml UltraChrome DG2 Ink Pouches. Polyprint was another popular stand with its prototype DTF printer, the Filmjet, attracting lots of attention. This roll-to-roll printer takes 60cm rolls of film and cleverly transports the film through the powder application and curing process using a drum, returning the printed film to just below where it was loaded. The result is a square printer that needs to be accessed on one side only. Special mention has to go to screen printing legend Charlie Taublieb, who was on the Vastex stand and regaled us with many great stories from his past, as well as giving us a rundown on his book, The Screen Printers Hand Book & Survival Guide. 2 New from Poli-Tape is Poli-DTF 90, a 90µm-thick polyester film for DTF transfers. Reach-certified and made in Germany, the clear film gives a smooth, soft finish and can be both hot and cold peeled. It is available in 600mm and 300mmwide 100m-rolls, and A3 and A4 sheets.
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AD www.images-magazine.com 32 images JULY2023 – ADVERTORIAL – Born and bred in Vancouver, Shaun Rolfe has been based in Canada working in the promotional sector for 30 years. However, that is about to change as he embarks on a whole new chapter of his life. After taking over as UK and EU sales manager for outerwear specialist Stormtech at the start of this year, he is relocating to London in July with his wife, children and three dogs. He says he has uprooted “with enthusiasm” because of the exciting opportunities for Stormtech garments in the UK and the rest of Europe. Shaun is not new to Stormtech. He first joined the Vancouver-based company in 1994 straight from high school. At that time, it supplied garments only in Canada after being founded in 1977 by Blake Annable. Originally set up to distribute sportswear and accessories, it had expanded into bags before building expertise in jackets from the mid 1980s. Shaun initially worked in the warehouse but soon moved up, becoming western Canadian sales manager at the age of 22 and then national sales manager at the age of 24. Despite leaving in 2002 to explore new avenues, including setting up his own brand agency, he kept in touch with Blake who subsequently invited him back to take on the UK and EU sales manager role. Agility and sustainability Stormtech has certainly grown since Shaun last worked there. By the time he left in 2002, it had already branched out into the US, followed, in 2008, by the opening of a European sales office in London. Currently, Stormtech garments are distributed in over 50 countries. Stormtech’s new UK and EU sales manager, Shaun Rolfe, talks to Images about the exciting opportunities for the brand and its customers on this side of the Atlantic As well as being a fan of Stormtech apparel, Shaun was attracted by the culture of the company, which not only remains privately owned but continues to be helmed by Blake. “I love the agility of Stormtech to be able to pivot quickly, and that I can have conversations with the owner of a company of this size and he listens and reacts to what needs to bedone.” One of the biggest changes over the last 20 years is the growing importance of sustainability, both at Stormtech and within the garment industry. “Demand for sustainable apparel is a massive opportunity in the UK for us,” Shaun says. “In every presentation I’ve done in my first few months and at every trade show I’ve attended, every single person that Shaun Rolfe sees untapped opportunities for Stormtech in the UK garment decoration sector The Men’s and Women’s Skeena S/S Shirts in 60% BCI cotton/40% recycled polyester heathered slub fabric Stormtech founder Blake Annable The high-performance Narvik Softshell Jacket Natural selection
www.images-magazine.com JULY2023 images 33 IS BRAND PROFILE – ADVERTORIAL – Stormtech’s UK distributors Since becoming Stormtech’s UK and EU sales manager at the start of the year, Shaun Rolfe has already been spending time in the UK, including visits to trade shows such as The Big Wearables Trade Show, run alongside The Big Promotional Trade Show. However, he is especially looking forward to being based closer to Stormtech’s distributors including BTC Activewear, PenCarrie and Ralawise. “What will really grow Stormtech’s business in the UK will be me being in the field with our distributor partners that are stocking and selling Stormtech,” he says. “I will be working with them closely to help them accomplish what needs to done, which is to further build the Stormtech brand in the UK and drive further sales.” BTC Activewear Tel: 0800 012 4542 www.btcactivewear.co.uk PenCarrie Tel: 0800 252248 www.pencarrie.com Ralawise UK Tel: 0800 212180 www.ralawise.com comes has a real desire and craving for sustainable promotional wearables.” It is now two years since Stormtech launched its Pure Earth collection and, after the launch of new products in 2023, 90% of the company’s products will fall within the sustainable category. “Sustainability is not a fad, it’s not just a trend – it’s the new norm,” Shaun says. Stormtech’s tagline is ‘nurtured by nature’. Shaun stresses that the company is serious about sustainability, not just using it as a marketing tool. “Our product development team is determined that we are never even accused of slightly ‘greenwashing’ anything. We are brutally transparent with sharing information on what we sell. We don’t over-commit or over-promise anything that is not factual or that we can’t totally back up in terms of documentation and information from our factories.” Stormtech’s accreditations include Better Cotton Initiative, WRAP and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Quality and durability Shaun points out that amongst the most sustainable aspects of Stormtech’s apparel is its quality and durability, with every garment backed by a five-year warranty. “We are selling products that you are not just wearing twice and then throwing into the bottom of your drawer or the recycling bin. We provide promotional wearables and bags that will last and not be discarded.” This also applies to uniforms, Shaun adds. “You want to give staff something of quality because they will wear them after work. I love the idea of the ‘nine to five’ and the ‘five to nine’ – you have to wear a polo to work but you’re not ashamed to wear it down the pub. You don’t want to get a shirt off as soon as you finish work because it’s uncomfortable or looks terrible. That’s something we’re proud of with the Stormtech collection.” Untapped opportunities Shaun believes there are still untapped opportunities for the Stormtech brand in the UK’s garment decoration sector. “What we have done well over the years in the UK market is to explain that Stormtech is a premium brand of high-end apparel in the promotional marketplace that is comparable to retail brands. But potentially what has been oversold is our top-end products, which can be at a high price point, whereas we need to remind everyone in the market that premium doesn’t mean expensive, that we have a ‘good, better, best’ in every category we sell. Distributors may think of Stormtech when a customer comes to them with a high budget, which is a compliment, as they know where to go for a premium retail-comparable product, but where we’re going to see the volume is when we can help them understand that an entrylevel Stormtech product is still going to stand out against the competition.” Through its distributors and a new warehouse in the Netherlands, the UK market is also backed by deep inventory that means top-selling styles are always in stock. Stormtech launched a range of T-shirts as part of its Pure Earth collection this year, but Shaun stresses that the brand is not looking to compete in “the commodity T-shirt world”. Its T-shirts are premium-quality, made with 87% recycled polyester. “It means we have the Cadillac of T-shirts. It is for people looking for retail-quality premium T-shirts – not giveaways.” It is the same ethos across all of Stormtech’s garments and bags, Shaun adds. “We believe in making products that you will wear and wear for a long time.” www.stormtech.eu The Women’s Novarra Vest is made from 60% recycled polyester/ 40% regular polyester fleece The Men’s Montebello Performance Short Sleeve Tee uses 38% recycled polyester and is UPF 50+ rated The urban-styled Scirocco Lightweight Shell and versatile Nomad Duffelbag
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