Decorators on Impressions’ annual list of top-volume shops prove that an economic downturn doesn’t necessarily mean a slump in production, sales volume or mindset.
As America’s collective business community continues to struggle with the longest recession since the Great Depression (though not near the same magnitude), stories of resilient companies — such as Impressions’ 2009 Top-Volume Shops — offer a beacon of light during this overcast time. Though the largest companies can be the hardest to fall in weakening economies, this hasn’t been the case with our industry’s top shops. That these big players remain securely at the top of their game may have a little to do with luck, but probably a lot more to do with resourcefulness and well-earned reputations.
July 01, 2009
Kidswear is trending more than ever toward adult and juniors styles, even as the majority of the market remains tried-and-true basics.
Oooh, baby! Today’s kids are sporting some decidedly progressive, adult-driven apparel, including sun dresses with Affliction-style heraldry designs, diapers decorated with abstract sublimated designs, vintage-wash fabrics and organic cotton one-piece body suits. These fashion-forward offerings are part of a bumper crop of products from industry suppliers, who continue to unveil new twists for tots, even as classic kidswear items retain their perennial popularity.
July 01, 2009
Give your clients’ orders a fashion edge with big designs and trendy placements.
Following the trends in retail, custom apparel decorating shops can expand their product mixes and bottom lines by offering garments with allover embellishment and oversized designs in unorthodox placements. There are numerous production methods to achieve this end, from fitting your screen printing press with oversized pallets and screens, to mastering certain techniques of digital printing. The method with perhaps the lowest cost of entry and one that’s easy to manage is buying (or printing) oversized transfers.
July 01, 2009
Equipment Zone, Fair Lawn, N.J., has introduced the Veloci-Jet, a new digital direct-to-garment printer. According to the company, it is one of the fastest inkjet-to-garment printers on the market, printing a full-size design on a light shirt in about one minute.
June 29, 2009
Whether you are buying a cappuccino or getting your oil changed, chances are the person assisting you is outfitted in custom workwear or servicewear of some type. It’s hard to say exactly when the first uniform was worn and by whom. Perhaps soldiers going into battle started the phenomenon. Or maybe it was railroad workers who wore bib overalls in the late 1800’s that popularized the trend. Either way, from traditional to non-traditional, workwear has become a staple of various sectors in our labor force.
June 22, 2009
More publicity. Less competition. These are great reasons to start a business during a recession. Whether you’re new to the industry or already established, here are a few promotional ideas to help give your business a boost.
June 05, 2009
Beginner's luck has its place in the apparel graphics industry. Veterans can tell great stories about beginners who happened on our shores and made a big pile of money — fast. But for every such tale, there are scores of others where entrepreneurs' dreams of success were dashed upon the rocks of conventional wisdom, wrong assumptions, poorly researched solutions, shopworn strategies and poor execution.
May 22, 2009
Learn how the right software can pump up profit potential for your apparel decoration business.
If knowledge truly is power, then no other tool gives you absolute power over your business like information management software.
May 01, 2009
Despite tough economic conditions, the ladieswear category continues to perform surprisingly well, thanks in part to new fabrics, details and colors.
While the ongoing recession may have prompted suppliers to narrow their product offerings a bit, that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of stylish, new options this year in ladieswear. See-through sheers, eco-friendly cottons, red-hot layered looks, deep V-necks, bright colors like apricot orange and lime green, and standby styles like baby ribs are giving decorators plenty of alluring choices. Eye-catching looks inspired by retail are in abundance.
May 01, 2009
A close-up look at the most profitable applications and markets for the red-hot laser bridge machine.
Eric Withaar knew the look he wanted to offer customers — the hip, creative style that's so popular now at retail. "It's that look of cotton twill with frayed edges," he says. However, it simply wasn't cost-efficient for his shop to offer customers the highly sought-after look — until he purchased a laser bridge machine last year.
May 01, 2009
As the landscape continues to change, here's a look at what's being worn and how it's being decorated.
In these daunting economic times, even team sports are feeling the crunch. While it's true that participation remains healthy, the dollars-per-player spent on decorated apparel has dropped along with consumers' disposable income. "The numbers that people are spending [on team sports decorated apparel] are dropping," says Keith Ritschard, owner of RSB Activewear, Argyle, Wis. "[For example], screen printing nowadays is preferred more than it used to be [when it comes to] basketball designs. The economy has hit everybody and it gets more dramatic as you move down the line. Schools are not resistant to the changes."
April 01, 2009
Use this overview to pick the best method for your shop.
There are about as many ways to number athletic team uniforms as there are teams in the ever-expanding playoffs of professional sports — in other words, lots. But you have to know which decoration process works best in various situations. With that in mind, here's an in-depth look at the six main ways to number uniforms, as well as the pros and cons of each process.
April 01, 2009
By knowing the capabilities and limitations of this technology, you can rely on almost any major brand to print without problems.
So many inkjet-to-garment machines, so many choices, so many varied and confusing stories. If you read the forums, go to the trade shows, or listen to the guy down the street who bought an inkjet machine three years ago, you might be even more confused about the differences in the growing variety of equipment available. Despite what you hear, there are more similarities among these machines than differences.
April 01, 2009
Here's how to assemble a board that can work wonders for your business.
When you think of a board of directors, you probably think of a big-time, publicly traded company full of Wall Street bigwigs. However, a board of directors is a proven concept that actually works for companies of any size, providing business owners unbiased insight and suggestions that can have a positive impact on the bottom line.
April 01, 2009
Multimedia decoration on caps can return high margins.
The tough economy challenges all decorators, but those who print or embroider hats may have a little advantage over the competition. The price point for caps — which varies by style and brand, of course — is lower in general than for many other types of garments that customers may pass on this year due to budget restraints. Multimedia-decorated caps can fill that gap for you and your customer.
March 01, 2009
Survive this down economy with these strategies: Track your cash, diversify your customer base and be flexible enough to take any job that comes in the door.
The briefest glance at any newspaper or TV news program lately is enough to make the steeliest of stomachs wrench in anxiety. Between the slow-motion stock market crash, sinking 401(k) values, frozen credit pipelines, mounting job losses, plummeting home values and increasing unemployment rates, it's enough to make you want to bury your head in the sand until the economic storm passes.
February 01, 2009
Driving margin in a tight market.
As your customers' 2009 budgets tighten up, no doubt some of them will cut back on order volume. A restaurant client, for instance, that regularly bought employees five new shirts each year might be thinking about cutting back to two new ones this year. A gloomy forecast? Perhaps. But plackets represent a shot at boosting your per-item margin, which can brighten your future quite a bit even if order volume drops.
February 01, 2009
Direct-to-garment inkjet printing has emerged from its infancy, with new equipment being introduced and existing printer brands upgrading their technology. With so many options available, it is important to be as informed as possible when shopping for this innovative decorating equipment.
February 01, 2009
Offering your customers unusual decoration placements, such as on the inside of a hoodie, can set your shop apart from the competition and boost your bottom line. One of the best ways to achieve these unique retail looks is through using sublimation transfer printing, and experimentation is the name of the game.
February 01, 2009
Despite an overcast economic forecast for many industries worldwide, the decorated apparel trade continues to glimmer through the clouds, as is evident by the finely crafted entries Impressions received for the 30th annual Impressions Awards competition.
January 05, 2009
Make the most of your investment with these proven techniques to increase Web site ROI.
Today, a Web site isn't a business luxury — it's a necessity. Just like a business card or brochure, your Web site provides the first impression many people will have of your business. Your goal is to make sure it's not the last.
January 01, 2009
Mondo and Rosey Garcia's desire for custom paintball team uniforms evolved into a successful sublimation business with clients in many niche sports.
People in paintball aren't subtle. And they don't follow the crowd. Which is why the combination of Animal Paintball's affordable custom design and the choice of sublimation printing was a natural. While competing at a paintball tournament 10 years ago, Armondo ("Mondo") and Rosey Garcia realized that their team's cool jerseys looked like every other team's cool jerseys.
January 01, 2009
Decorators and consumers alike look to lower price point items such as T-shirts to help them ride out the recession.
Some T-shirt manufacturers already are getting battered by the current recession, while others have hardly been scathed. The good news for manufacturers and decorators alike is that overall T-shirts sales may take some hits, but the market will still be standing when this economic storm passes. "As all markets, we are feeling the recession," says Todd Proffit, marketing director for Alstyle Apparel, Anaheim, Calif. "However, in this tough time, people are still purchasing T-shirts."
January 01, 2009
The decorated apparel industry, despite substantial challenges in the U.S. economy, is alive and…well, we could be doing better. Wall Street — and the economy in general — are on a wild roller coaster as the credit crunch continues and decorated apparel is not exempt. While no one can predict the future with certainty, this survey-based analysis suggests we'll be along for the ride, but perhaps on a smaller coaster that doesn't rise as high or plunge as fast as the monster whipsawing the rest of the U.S. economy.
December 01, 2008
Follow these tips to make 10 bold graphics from one piece of art.
Multitasking your graphics is an excellent way to add value to a design collection. With a little imagination, you can wring a lot of mileage from one good vector image. In this article, I'll demonstrate how to take one vector design and use it creatively to print 10 distinct garments.
November 01, 2008
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Learn the Newest Digital Decorating Tips from Impressions
The apparel decorating business is constantly evolving. Each year apparel manufacturers look for the most up-to-date digital techniques and methods for advancing their apparel decorating businesses. Subscribe to Impressions and get all the information you need about the latest innovative digital decorating process.
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