All that Sparkles Can Bring Gold

Heat transfers done in crystal rhinestones or metallic nailheads are easy to apply and hard to resist.
January 01, 2006

When you think about alternative decorating, making best use of your heat press usually brings to mind printed transfers or numbering kits for sports teams. However, that same press can be used to decorate garments with motifs made from rhinestones, metallic nailheads and studs, or combinations of both.

Any garment apparel shop with a heat press — whether primarily a screen printer, embroiderer or promotional products distributor — can easily offer these (literally) flashy products.

The wholesale cost of transfers runs the gamut from pennies to dollars, and the margin in added value can be many times the cost. In any event, transfers with crystals, rhinestones and/or metallic studs elevate your garment decoration offerings to a new level, set you apart from your competition and possibly get you into new markets.

What exactly are rhinestones? Long associated with Nashville stars and Vegas showgirls, rhinestones originated in Europe and are named for Germany's Rhine River where long, long ago rock crystals were found that could be cut and polished to imitate precious gems. About a century ago in central Europe, Daniel Swarovski invented a mechanical means to cut and polish man-made lead crystal glass. His Austrian company still bears his name and Swarovski rhinestones — and crystal of all kinds — are widely acknowledged to be the best and most expensive in the world.

Lesser-known European factories, mostly in the Czech Republic, make good quality rhinestones that are more affordable than Swarovski. In recent years, Korean and Chinese manufacturers have come to market with a variety of even less costly products, including acrylic rhinestones.

Nailheads are simply polished metal bits (originally round like a nailhead, but now available in myriad shapes) that can be heat transferred onto garments just like rhinestones. Nailstuds — or just studs — are metal shaped like glass rhinestones.

One of the industry's leading suppliers of rhinestone and metallic motif transfers is ZBSL Designs of Miami. IMPRESSIONS recently caught up with Susan Shavin, who co-founded the firm with her husband, to check in on trends in this flashy business.

IMP: How do you define a rhinestone or metallic heat transfer?

Shavin: Transfers are defined by the fact that each and every component — crystal or metallic — has thermal coating on the back. What happens is they are put together in a motif [or design] on carrier film and glue on the back is going to be activated by heat. Typically 325°F of heat is required for about 20 to 30 seconds.

IMP: What are the most popular materials ZBSL sells?

Shavin: We have 6,000 designs available in any color you want. We're geared to supplying transfers that appeal to the higher end for customers who are actually going to keep the garments. Swarovski, that's the best … we don't compete with the stuff coming from Korea or China in terms of price.

IMP: What are the trends right now?

Shavin: In fashion, basically, everything goes. People are still very much into all those things you might think are "over;" but they're not. We're selling a ton of wordings — things like "Princess," "Sexy," that type of thing — any kind of saying.

Also, tattoo art is very popular — skulls, motorcycles, that kind of thing. As you would expect, that appeals to your more contemporary, younger market — juniors. What's really surprised me is that it has crept into the Missy [women's] market, which kind of shocks me.

More traditionally, florals are very big right now. Neckline designs have gone to the next level, they're more elegant and understated; they used to be big things on the front of shirts. Now it seems designs don't have to be huge to be appealing. Everybody used to want to fill up their garment and you don't see that as much any more. Now they can put something simple, elegant and small on the front of a shirt. That's crossing over to all markets.

Of course, your classics — the hearts, the stars and all that stuff — are always strong. Also, cheerleading is huge; I'm in shock how big rhinestones have become in cheerleading. And we're seeing sales moving into the men's market, and that's driven by the urban, streetwear looks.

IMP: Are rhinestones or metallic transfers making any headway in the corporate market?

Shaving: We do the ISS shows [for decorators] and the textile shows in New York and Los Angeles and Paris [for retail], but we also do the ASI shows (Advertising Specialty Institute) and PPAI (Promotional Products Association Intl.) shows and I'm amazed at how big crystal motifs have become in the corporatewear market. We're seeing restaurants, banks, real estate companies — companies I hadn't really thought about being interested in this — having their logo translated into motifs. Women [at these companies] are starting to push it. They are saying "Hey, we're tired of generic shirts with generic designs that fit just the men. We want something for us." So now we do a lot of translations of corporate logos, and the motif has to be true to the logo; we're very picky about that.

We are able to translate a logo [in rhinestone or metallic] that maybe isn't so interesting in embroidery, and suddenly it becomes something special. Even though it has the company name, employees like wearing it. With printed shirts sometimes they only wear them because they have to, and take it off as soon as they can. When they get their shirts that are decorated with our motifs, they don't mind wearing them out to dinner.

IMP: What do you say to decorator who aren't doing rhinestone transfers?

Shavin: There may be a better markup, but the best reason they may want to get into this is to offer their customers a new product. That increases their revenue because not everyone is going to want screen printing. They're generating new business, plus you can enhance designs that are already printed and it brings a lot more value to the garment. I see lots of printed tops that you might look at and say, "That's OK." But when you add a few rhinestones, you've suddenly brought it to a whole new level.

IMP: Is it expensive to get into this business?

Shavin: We make it as easy as possible; just a $100 minimum order to open an account. After that, there's just a two-piece minimum on any order unless the motif is over $15, then it's one-piece minimum. We try to help everyone who is interested in this business, not just the large customers. They treat us right, and we treat them right. I have customers who've been with me 20 years. They come to the [trade] show to buy and they stay in the booth to help me sell. It's fantastic.