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In the world of promotional apparel, there are many options for decorating techniques. This can be a bit overwhelming, especially to those who are new to the industry. Because of this, we reached out to Next Level Apparel (asi/73867), a leader in the premium blank apparel industry, to find out more details on each unique technique and to discover expert tips on how to get the best results. 

Before we get into that, let’s review a little history on how NLA put its name on the map in the first place! NLA has been designing and supplying premium blank apparel since 2003. They first put their stamp on the map as a blank apparel pioneer in the promotional products industry by answering customers’ needs for T-shirts that could sublimate well. The tactical and technical requirements were for tees that were lightweight, breathable and comfortable for people to wear while also having a smooth poly-rich surface for sublimation. Thus, the Unisex Festival T-Shirt (6200) was born, created with a 65% poly/35% combed ring-spun cotton fabric.

Now that you have the scoop on NLA, let’s get down to the details on the decorating business!

SUBLIMATION is a specific process of printing that first involves printing onto a special sheet of paper and then transferring that image onto another material (usually polyester or a polyester mix). The ink is then heated until it disintegrates into the fabric. Note that while the process of sublimation printing costs more than other methods, it lasts longer and will not crack or peel over time, which can be the case with other printing methods. The foremost difference between heat transfer and sublimation is that with sublimation, it is only the ink that transfers onto the material.

FEATURED STYLE: Unisex Festival T-Shirt (6200) DIRECT-TO-GARMENT (DTG) is the process of printing on textiles using specialized aqueous ink jet technology. Think of it like a giant inkjet printer, but for shirts. Typically, DTG printers have a platen design to hold the garment in a fixed position. Then, the printer inks are jetted or sprayed onto the textile by the print head. Essentially, DTG printing is a process of printing graphics onto garments. It uses modified inkjet technology to print whatever graphic your clients want onto the shirt – except rather than printing out lengthy thesis papers or flyers for your book club, NLA’s DTG machines are printing fierce dragons jumping through hoops of burning unicorns, or maybe a cute lil’ bunny rabbit for your clients’ kid’s birthday party. NLA is here to print whatever your clients ask for (but let’s be honest, they’d prefer the dragons!)

DTG printing is a fairly new method that allows for a lot of variation compared to screen-printing, which has dominated the customized t-shirt market for decades. DTG printers can also print over 16 million colors directly to shirts in one single pass, so colors are no obstacle for this technique.

FEATURED STYLE: Unisex Santa Cruz Hoodie (9303) DIRECT-TRANSFER-FILM (DTF) uses a special DTF printer that allows printing of highly detailed designs onto a piece of film before it then transfers it directly onto the fabric. The reason this technique is rising in status lately is because of the variety of fabric surfaces it can print on. DTF printers combine reliability, quality and high productivity. They can handle large production volumes, which is essential in this fast-growing industry. 

For quality results, you will need DTF powder and DTF sheets to print transfer film, as well as DTF Ink. This method is great for clearly printing tiny craft lines and small letters. This technique also means there is no risk of chromatic aberration and colorfastness. The ink, once cured, is locked in color and so you don’t have to worry about it changing over time. The patterns and text printed by the DTF printer are very clear and the hot stamping prevents fibrillation that sometimes happens with traditional methods. DTF is also compatible with a wide variety of fabrics including cotton, nylon, polyester, tri-blends and 50/50 blends.

Another reason DTF printing is preferred by many? There is no question that the market, and especially the fashion industry, is focused on sustainability right now. Reducing the pre-treatment step is better for the environment, and by reducing overspray associated with other methods, purchasing a DTF printer is something most T-shirt companies will want to consider.

FEATURED STYLE: Unisex Eco Heavyweight T-Shirt (4600)  

SCREEN PRINTING is the oldest and most common imprinting method in which the image is transferred to the fabric. Ink is squeegeed through a stenciled screen stretched over a frame and is then cured in a dryer. There are three common types of screen printing: with water-based ink, plastisol and discharge.

FEATURED STYLE: Unisex Tri-Blend T-Shirt (6010)

HEAT TRANSFER, also known as thermal printing, thermal-transfer printing and thermal-wax transfer, is a method of printing that allows you to print a design onto a piece of fabric. Heat transfer printing uses the process of heat to transfer an image created in wax to an object or garment. This printing method is compatible with pre-painted images on a wax sheet or can be used to create an image by layering wax dye onto an object with a heat press machine. A heat press machine works by using heat and pressure to apply the design to the garment.

RECOMMENDED: THE ORIGINAL CVC JERSEY COLLECTION

FEATURED STYLE: Unisex CVC Long Sleeve T-Shirt (6211) ALSO RECOMMEDED: THE ORIGINAL SUEDED COLLECTION

FEATURED STYLE: Unisex Sueded Long Sleeve T-Shirt (6411)

EMBROIDERY is one of the highest-quality possibilities of textile refinements. Durability, feeling and washability of the applied company logo, motif or the promotion message simply can’t be beat by other printing methods. The essential difference is the amount of automatically changing needles, which ranges from 6 up to 18. This dictates the amount of usable colors in one motif. Embellishments such as beads, pearls or ribbon can also be incorporated to provide additional texture.

RECOMMENDED: LAGUNA FRENCH TERRY SUEDED COLLECTION

FEATURED STYLE: Unisex Fleece Quarter Zip (9643)

FEATURED STYLE: Unisex Malibu Sweatshirt (9002)

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