The Impressions Product Guide

	Brought to you by Impressions and ISS
	February 26, 2008 • Vol. 5, No. 4


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All About Embroidery
Taking your embroidery business to the next level requires a review of your current shop setup and equipment demands. For some embroiderers, investing in a new singlehead or upgrading digitizing software is an investment sure to pay off. Sew up your shop's needs by checking out our latest guide that's all about embroidery.

For the latest news, products, tips, techniques and more, please visit us at impressionsmag.com.

Press N Bond from Floriani Embroidery Commercial Division seals the back of appliqué, embroidery work and patches with a clear, highly fusible coating that is secure enough that no stitching is needed. Apply it to an appliqué, peel off the release paper, and the appliqué is ready to adhere to most fabrics.

Dalco Athletic offers blank patches that come in a range of colors, sizes and shapes with traditional merrowed edges. The patches are constructed from either 100% polyester for sublimation or 35% cotton/65% polyester for embroidery and screen printing.

We'd like to welcome all new Impressions Product Guide subscribers — and thank our loyal subscribers. We appreciate your support.

This twice-monthly guide is designed to keep you abreast of the latest decorated apparel products, including many unveiled at the Imprinted Sportswear Shows, discover industry trends and request vendor catalogs.

We hope you find this information useful.

The BE-1201 12-needle singlehead machine from Brother Intl. Corp. features Production Reporting, which displays real-time data such as design status, stitch count, thread breaks, output and more. The BE-1201 also comes with a jumbo bobbin, which allows for maximized productivity with fewer bobbin changes.

Magna-Glide bobbins from The Embroidery Store feature a magnetic core that optimizes thread delivery to create consistent tension from beginning to end of each bobbin, according to the company. The bobbins' magnetic cores also prevent backlash and overspin, eliminating the need for anti-backlash springs.

American Embroidery Supply's Diagonal No-Show Nylon Mesh stabilizer is specifically designed for light-colored fabrics. It is ideal for use over stitching that may scratch skin, and is almost invisible from the front of the shirt, according to the company.

Colman and Co.'s Backing-in-a-Box is designed similarly to a tissue box so decorators can easily retrieve the required backing sheets. It is available in 2- and 3-ounce tearaway precut in 8" x 8" squares and packaged 250 sheets per box.

Allied Grid-Lock plastic tubular frames from EmbSupplies.com feature a grid that enables users to accurately position embroidery designs on garments. The frames come pre-assembled in one rectangular, one square and four round sizes compatible with several brands of tubular embroidery machines.

Tajima USA Support & Service offers its15-needle, 6-head tubular/cylinder bridge TFMX-llC 1506/450x360 embroidery machine, which is capable of sewing on standard, wide cap, tubular, narrow and flat items. It features a 450mm x 360mm sewing field, memory capacity of up to 2 million stitches and rotates in one-degree increments.

HoopTech's 7-in-1 Quick Change framing kit from Hirsch Intl. Corp. features a base unit and seven interchangeable windows, providing a solution to dealing with hard-to-hoop items. One window is designed specifically for hooping caps while the others measure 2" x 4.5", 2.5" x 4.5", 3" x 4.5". 4.5" x 4.5", 6" x 4.5" and 4" x 11".

Edwards Garment Points to Stretch and Flattering Fits as Top 2008 Women's Uniform Trends

Dakota Collectibles Launches PrintArt for Direct-to-Garment Users

Legacy Label Debuts ThermOdomes

Magna-Glide bobbins from Fil-Tec Inc. feature a magnetic tip that helps to control the tension and rotation of the bobbin.

Pantograms Mfg. Co.
Inc.'s Toyota Net-4 networkable multihead embroidery machine sews up to 1,200 stitches per minute. When configured to run with other embroidery heads, the Net-4 will keep running all problem-free heads while one head is down due to a thread break. In addition, different jobs can run simultaneously on the Net-4.

The Amaya XT from Melco Embroidery Systems can be configured to include any combination of heads from one to 30. It features a precision laser tracing eye, Acti-Feed automatic thread tensioning, 16-color backup system and can sew up to 1,500 stitches per minute.

SWF East Inc.'s SWF/HC-UH1504D-45 dual-function, four-head embroidery machine is capable of working on one large order or simultaneously running two different orders. It boasts a memory that can hold up to 100 designs, plus mirror image conversion and design direction.

Vista Metallic thread from MESA Distributors Inc. features a rayon core and an outer shell of 12-micron film metallicized with aluminum. It is available in 18 colors on 4,000-meter cones.

Digital Art Solutions' DecoStudio e1 from Wilcom & Corel enables decorators to combine embroidery and print, moving between vector art and embroidery elements, while keeping everything in one file for production purposes. It automatically determines the best stitch settings according to the fabric and garment types chosen, and converts designs from vector art to stitches.


Check out our coverage of this cool category! Link to fun and informative stories below.
Small Multiheads Adapt to Changing Market Needs The evolution toward small orders in the U.S. embroidery market has accelerated the development of versatile 2- to 8-head machines.	Growing an Embroidery Business by the Book Dubow Textile Inc. provides an inspiring example of how a small embroidery business can grow into a successful big business.

Catalogs are perhaps the single most important tool you have as a decorator. Click on the links below to see how Impressions has developed true-to-form virtual versions of these industry vendors' catalogs:

Staton

Fruit of the Loom

Daystar Apparel

Blue Generation

Jerzees

Gildan

American Apparel

Miss an issue of IPG? Click below to catch up.

2/12/08: Plackets

1/29/08: T-shirts

1/15/08: Organic and Sustainable Products

11/27/07: ISS Fall Highlights

11/13/07: Wovens

10/30/07 Accessories

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Impressions Product Guide Editor: Susie McManus, smcmanus@impressionsmag.com
Editorial Director: Richard Lebovitz, rlebovitz@impressionsmag.com
Editor in Chief: Marcia Derryberry, mderryberry@impressionsmag.com
Senior Editor: Terry Murphy, tmurphy@impressionsmag.com
Managing Editor: Jamar Laster, jlaster@impressionsmag.com
Associate Editor — Digital Media: Haley Shuler, hshuler@impressionsmag.com
Associate Publisher/National Sales Manager: Laurie Gonz, laurie.gonz@nielsen.com
Graphic Designer: Ben Carpenter, BC Squared, www.bc2design.com
Advertising Account Executive: Kent Deardorff, kent.deardorff@nielsen.com
Advertising Account Executive: Jeanine Morgan, jeanine.morgan@nielsen.com

About Our Sponsors

Made in Downtown L.A.

American Apparel is a vertically integrated manufacturer, distributor and retailer of branded fashion basic apparel based in downtown Los Angeles. American Apparel employs more than 6,700 people and operates a leading wholesale business that supplies T-shirts and other casual wear to distributors and screen printers.

Gildan is a vertically integrated marketer and manufacturer of premium quality branded basic apparel. The company manufactures basic T-shirts, sport shirts and sweatshirts for sale in the wholesale imprinted sportswear industry in the United States, Canada and other international markets. Gildan's overall mission is to deliver better value through better design.

Kavio provides unmatched workmanship, innovative design and exceptional customer service to the apparel industry. Kavio offers the promotional products, imprinted and embroidery markets with a range of basic and athletic apparel available in a multitude of vibrant colors. Our collection includes Kavio Junior, Kavio Girl and Kavio Infants.

T-shirtforums.com is a partner of Impressions magazine, the Imprinted Sportswear Shows and the Promotional Apparel Expo that provides an online discussion place for the decorated apparel community. Users of this free forum also can get help locating hard-to-find apparel items and promotional products in the "Wholesale T-shirts and Other Products" discussion group.

The Imprinted Sportswear Shows are the leading event for the decorated apparel and imprinted products industry. The exposition floor showcases the newest products, apparel and equipment, while the conference program provides the expert knowledge you need to turn investments into profits. For more information about the Imprinted Sportswear Shows and the Conference Programs, click here.

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