Know your application before choosing inks

January 1, 1970  |  News

Don’t pick your ink before your application. We asked ink experts what print shop owners should consider first and they sang in harmony. Mark Trimble, Sawgrass Technologies: “What am I making and how many do I want to make? Then start to look at what it is made of: What fibers am I using…
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Testing for ink durability

January 1, 1970  |  News

Your client’s digital graphic illustration looks great when it comes off the printer. But your client expects that vibrant image to look good months or even years later. To ensure happy customers, you want assurance that ink suppliers have tested their inks’ durability. Tests may be cond…
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Creating a collection

January 1, 1970  |  News

In her book “The Design Directory of Window Treatments,” interior design veteran Jackie Von Tobel created thousands of hand-drawn illustrations. But it wasn’t until her friend and business associate, Jeanelle Dech of Adaptive Textiles in West Chester, Pa., suggested that she create…
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Dream it, design it, print it

January 1, 1970  |  News

Digitally printed fabrics have yielded creative, one-of-a-kind solutions for the home interiors market. The sky is seemingly the limit when it comes to design and end-product potential. Print shops and end product manufacturers have delivered a variety of products for clients, including wall coverin…
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Belli shares his hidden costs of doing business

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Sigrid Tornquist “To operate this business, or any business, you’ve got to have a handle on your costs,” says Joe Belli. “And there are a lot of hidden costs that many companies just consider ‘overhead.’ We define costs more specifically.” Belli cites the…
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Specialty Fabrics Review interviews Joe Belli, part owner of Eide Industries Inc.

January 1, 1970  |  News

Interview by Sigrid Tornquist What is your industry prediction? Once the economy recovers in the U.S. we should see a moderate to high demand for industrial products and fabric awnings. What is your business philosophy? To develop and build lasting relationships with customers, employees, vendors an…
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Training employees on lean processes

January 1, 1970  |  News

“You can’t go [into lean manufacturing mode] expecting to drop 25 percent of your workforce,” says Kevin Kelly of Globe Canvas Products. “Ideally, you would like to keep them all and retrain them, because the efficiency will be high enough that you will be more productive.&rd…
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Tips for keeping a lean inventory

January 1, 1970  |  News

Your suppliers offer discounts for bulk orders of fasteners, fabric, ink and other materials you need to make your product. “It looks good on the financial records,” says lean consultant Chris Ortiz, “but it costs a lot of money to carry those items. You are tying up six months of …
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Web resources for finding partners

January 1, 1970  |  News

Where do you find good people to do a job for you? Face-to-face is great—but you might consider the Web as well. We can’t recommend any of these personally, but you may wish to take a look: Freelancer.com, based in Sydney, Australia, claims that small businesses worldwide had posted 500,…
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Methods for bonding flexible PV cells to fabric

January 1, 1970  |  News

Architects and FTL Solar co-founders Todd Dalland and Robert Lerner explain some of the innovative methods they’re exploring for bonding thin-film flexible photovoltaic (PV) cells to fabric: Lamination. Adhesives activatedÊby light, heat, moisture, temperature, pressureÊor a combination for …
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