How to avoid purchasing mistakes

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Phil Age and Jean K. Dilworth Kurt Lisk of Windfeathers in Pensacola, Fla. spent two years researching equipment before deciding what equipment to buy. Lisk says,” Considering the different factors between the fabric, ink, printer, and software we heard there was a huge learning curve.&rdqu…
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Fabric manufacturer’s top three fabric printing questions

January 1, 1970  |  News

A fabric manufacturer shares typical customer questions about printing on fabric. From Scott Fisher, Fisher Textiles Incorporated Q: Can you use any polyester for dye sublimation printing? A: No. Polyester that has not been heat set will shrink during the transfer process and result in “ghosti…
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Questions to clarify the direction of your project

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Marti Naughton What is the key message? What is the desired outcome (response) and how will you measure success? What makes your company or product different from the competition? Why are you doing this? Have you done this before? What worked, what didn’t? What feeling or mood do you want t…
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Watch a demonstration of the media before you buy

January 1, 1970  |  News

Compiled by Jamie Swedberg How do you go about choosing vendors for your actual printing equipment? For such large purchases, it pays to travel to a demonstration site and ask to see a couple of jobs run on the exact media you hope to use. Kurt Lisk, president of Get in the Wind LLC, Pensacola, &hel…
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Types of lamination

January 1, 1970  |  News

Compiled by Lou Dzierzak Sid Sharma, director of technical sales, Fabrite Laminating Corp. Because fabrics come with so many finishes, print shop operators should understand the fiber composition of the fabric selected to properly select the dyes and inks that are suitable for that fiber. Armed with…
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Fire retardancy/resistance standards

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Candy Adams Since all exhibit structures are regulated by the fire ordinances of the locale and enforced by the fire marshal having jurisdiction over the venue where the exhibit will be erected, it is imperative that fire retardancy standards meet or exceed local fire protection standards. The Na…
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Awnings go green

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Lou Dzierzak From the buzz generated by Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth to rising energy costs on record-setting days of heat, business owners are looking into ways to reduce their environmental footprint. Rainier Industries vice president of sales Bruce Dickinson offers, “It’s …
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Color types and terms to know

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Marti Naughton Color types Primary. Colors that are pure; they cannot be made by mixing other colors together. Secondary. Colors achieved by mixing two primary colors together. Tertiary. Colors achieved by mixing a primary color with a secondary color. Complementary. Colors located across from ea…
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Is direct sublimation suitable for outdoor use?

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Holly O’Dell As the demand for printable outdoor fabrics rises, expect the use of direct sublimation to increase. Used mostly on polyester-based fabrics, direct dye sublimation penetrates the fiber of the textile without the use of transfer paper. “Sublimation works fantastic with fab…
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Relevant questions to ask when defining “green”

January 1, 1970  |  News

The manufacturing facility Is the facility built with conservation of consumables, as well as the environment, in mind? Are the energy sources being used with maximum efficiency? Was the facility designed for multi-purpose operations? Are more economical means of operation always thought of when ins…
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