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
In the final part of this series, our expert guides you through fast and efficient techniques to use when digitizing and sewing on woven fabrics such as tackle twill and stretchy materials like Lycra spandex.
Part 1 of Digitizing for Specialty Fabrics (Impressions, May 2009) was about using an abundance of underlay to control the loops and piles of napped fabrics like terrycloth. If you read that article, I’m sure you would never have thought I would talk about specialty fabrics that require no underlay. But that’s the case with one specialty fabric.
July 01, 2009
Puffy foam embroidery continues to be a popular option for those customers looking for something different to give dimension to their designs. One of the biggest challenges with this process, however, is preventing the foam from sticking out between the stitches in 3-D designs. Some simple solutions in both the digitizing and embroidery stages can help correct this problem.
July 01, 2009
Thread tensioning is such a big part of the embroidery process. If it is set correctly, the machine will purr and the design will look beautiful. If the tension is off, it can make you pull your hair out and say things you shouldn’t.
June 22, 2009
Embroidery legend Walt Floriani once said that embroidering with just one type of thread is like a chef trying to prepare a gourmet meal with salt and pepper as the only seasonings. Don’t limit yourself; take advantage of the many thread choices out there that can spice up your embroidery.
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
Many shops just hire a new worker and let them learn on the job. This “on-the-job osmosis” method usually results in uneven job skills and does not give your employee the best opportunity to excel.
May 22, 2009
I once was working with a fellow who told me he would like embroidery if it weren’t for the thread. Obviously that person didn’t last long in the embroidery industry. After all, what is embroidery all about? Decorating a piece of fabric with thread. Sometimes we get so focused on stabilizers, digitizing and other things that the thread gets taken for granted.
May 11, 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
In Part 1 of a two-part series, our expert guides you through fast and efficient techniques to use when digitizing and sewing on various substrates.
In a perfect embroidery world, all designs would work on all types of fabrics. Of course, that perfect world just doesn't exist. In the real world, we take on jobs that call for digitized designs to be sewn on a variety of fabrics. And the smart embroiderer knows how to alter a digitized file or adapt sewing techniques to ensure letters and logos show properly on any fabric.
May 01, 2009
There are a handful of basic rules you must follow to really make your embroidery digitizing designs turn out correctly. Ignore these basic principles, and you’ll end up with a design that makes you weep, wail and gnash your teeth.
April 13, 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
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
Sometimes the tasks that seem so simple on the surface end up being the most difficult to execute. Take keyboard lettering, for instance. Virtually every embroidery software program comes with some sort of built-in lettering package. Everyone who uses computers for everyday office tasks is accustomed to typing letters into the computer and getting exactly what is on the screen printed out on paper.
April 01, 2009
Needles can cause headaches and cost money if you use the wrong style or size, or don't replace them regularly.
You may have heard the old joke about two embroiderers discussing when embroidery needles should be changed. The first embroiderer asks, "So how often do you change your needles?" To which the second embroiderer replies, "Oh, every time they break."
April 01, 2009
When your design goes wrong, follow these efficient tips and tricks to get back on track.
After hours in front of the computer, and subsequently test sewing a new design, digitizers sometimes are frustrated when something that looks good on screen just won't sew out well on fabrics. There are a few tricky aspects of the digitizing process that create these types of elusive problems. Let's consider the most common issues so that you can recognize and fix potential problems while the design is still on your screen.
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
Smaller orders coming from regular customers? Here's how to make more profit on smaller jobs.
Keeping a positive attitude is the key to maintaining high-end sales in these uncertain times. If you go into your customer's office to show him products while you are bemoaning the economic crisis, you will convince him that he can't afford to buy anything.
March 01, 2009
Follow these tips from an industry veteran who has devoted decades to helping embroiderers get it right when they're sewing on caps.
I have seen many changes in my two decades in embroidery, but there's one constant I can rely on: complaints from embroiderers about sewing on caps. In fact, cap aggravation consistently ranks as the top reason for embarrassing displays of emotion by shop owners.
March 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
While the trend for many embroidered designs calls for using shiny thread, other jobs require thread that gives the overall image a duller, matte finish. Cotton thread serves just that purpose, and designs sewn with it offer a homespun, antique look.
February 01, 2009
While embroidery thread won't spoil the way food items do, some types do have a shelf life. Just how long will it keep? There's no set number of years thread will last, but different types do outlast others, according to manufacturers. For instance, polyester thread virtually will last forever under the right conditions. But rayon, which is constructed from natural wood products, will likely deteriorate more quickly, experts say.
February 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
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Maximize the Potential of Your Embroidered Apparel Business
Impressions is a valued resource for those in the embroidered apparel business. From learning new machine embroidery designs to finding the perfect source for commercial embroidery equipment and supplies, no embroidery business should be without Impressions.
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