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
The unconventional is definitely at the heart of the urban Chii Clothing Culture collection, produced by Culture Studio Screen Printing & Embroidery. The Chicago-based decoration house specializes in allover and discharge printing, and processes including foil and texture inks. In January 2005, Rich Santo, president of Culture Studio, launched the Chii Clothing Culture line, which showcases all of Culture Studio’s specialties and is designed especially for fashion-forward young adults. A self-proclaimed lifestyle line, Chii — pronounced “sh-i” — emphasizes tradition, culture and respect, according to the brand’s Web site, chiiclothing.com.
July 01, 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
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
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
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
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
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
Many team uniforms are made from polyester materials, which can pose decorating challenges for screen printers. Polyester has a tendency to bleed dyes because it contains a larger percentage of man-made fibers, which don't absorb dyes as well as natural fibers do.
April 01, 2009
Mark Clewell, sales manager for Vastex Intl. Inc., Allentown, Pa., explains how a vacuum pallet enables manual press owners to offer a wider range of products.
March 16, 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
Auctions can offer some great deals if you know what you're doing, but don't get caught in the trap of buying something simply because it's cheap.
The ongoing recession seems to have practically everyone refocused on frugality, doggedly searching for ways to get the best deals on anything and everything they purchase. Screen printers are no different, seeking bargain-bin pricing on top-notch equipment and supplies. And what's one of the best places for dollar-conscious decorators to find these killer deals? An auction.
March 01, 2009
It's more important than ever to have and adhere to a marketing plan; here's how to stay on track without spending a lot.
Screen printing in a rough economy can be fun and frightening at the same time. Existing clients who have been loyal for years may start to shop around and squeeze prices. In a recession, customers tend to look for less-expensive decorating options than they had ordered in the past. So jobs that may have been embroidered jackets last year could be spot color screen printed T-shirts this year. That can keep the shop buzzing, but the owner needs to make sure there is enough margin built into the jobs that do come through to keep the doors open.
March 01, 2009
A primer on what you need to know to get the right dryer and use it correctly.
When screen printers began using plastisol inks in the late '50s, they found they needed a heat source that would cure screen printed prints on finished garments. Don Petrey was an early innovator with Flexible Products Co. and he helped pioneer the process by developing a screen printable plastisol ink for Russell Athletics. Don printed this new plastisol formulation and cured the printed athletic jerseys in an industrial gas oven.
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
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
Distractions are everywhere in an exhibit hall full of new equipment, thread and garments; follow these tips to maximize the benefits of your trade show travel.
Attending your first decorated apparel trade show is exhilarating. Even though the cost of travel is up, I don't think you can afford to miss the trade show closest to your home town. If you are new to the industry, prepare to be astounded by the number of new products and suppliers you will find. If you are an old hand in the industry, expect to find new products, ideas and processes to keep your business innovative and on the right track.
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
Many customers ask for or require a screen printed proof of the final product before releasing the order. Make sure that you have a complete understanding of who has approval authorization before you determine if you are going to offer this service. Also, associate a value, even if you intend to waive or forgive the cost at some future time.
January 01, 2009
Bringing automated equipment into your screen printing shop is a big decision, but one that can take your business to the next level. While extensive planning is required to make a large investment, here's a quick checklist to get you started:
January 01, 2009
Raw Talent Inc. co-founders share the experience of a recent upgrade from one manual and one entry-level automatic press to two high-output, 8-color automatics.
On a good day's worth of production, Cody Murray and Corey Bramlett, president and vice president of custom apparel company Raw Talent Inc., Bethlehem, Ga., pull in what a majority of their peers earn in one salaried year.
December 17, 2008
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
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