Comparing Heat Transfer Films with Screen Printed Graphics

A high quality polyurethane heat transfer film will outlast a screen printed garment hands down. In fact, if you properly process and care for a polyurethane heat transfer, the applique should last the life of the garment.  We all know what happens to a screen printed shirt after a dozen washes.  Plastisol inks crack. By comparison, I have a tee-shirt with digitally printed applique  that still looks great after 30 washes.  While the heat transfer material looks new, the base color of the fabric has faded.

 
After 30 washes, my Indian motorcycle applique still looks great!

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Roland Service Technician for Contract Work

Supply55 is seeking a trained Roland service technician to service a population of printers in the Sacramento, California, Carson City, Nevada and Reno, Nevada area. If you’re a trained independent Roland service technician, please contact Supply55 at 734-668-0755 or sales@supply55.com. Read more »

Outgassing and Health Concerns

I have received several letters from those who have read my story about outgassing. I certainly did not intend to cause alarm. Plastics outgas (also referred to as off gassing or degassing). The rate at which this outgassing occurs depends on the resin type,  time, temperature and atmospherics. The good news is that outgassing of a […] Read more »

Color Trends

Popularity of colors among designers and consumers can vary from year to year. To keep pace with color trends, vinyl film manufacturers and paint companies try to gauge changes in the marketplace. Colors from the world of fashion and interior décor have impacted color selection in the automotive market and in corporate graphics. Bold and […] Read more »

When Ink Is Not the Problem with Digital Printing, Part I

Variables like surface tension, media expansion and ink absorption take on new dimensions on larger substrates. If the paper doesn’t advance, it could cause blobs of ink or other ugly outcomes. If the media stretches even a little, you could get blurs. Tiling can become a challenge on larger prints. Read on to discover what […] Read more »

When Ink Is Not the Problem with Digital Printing, Part II

Beyond dust and dirt, several factors impact the ink’s ability to stick to the substrate. The carrier ­ aqueous-based or solvent-based ­ is another key factor in the final outcome. Then there’s calibration. Read more »

Ink, Glorious Ink

You have two choices: buy cheap ink and yield cheap signs, or buy quality ink and yield quality signs. Find out why ink makes such a dramatic difference in large-format printing. Read more »

Banners Are Everywhere, but Professionals Want Vinyl That Pops!

Get rid of your humdrum banner designs and start creating vinyl banners that demand attention. Your customers will thank you.  We’ve all seen them – and probably wished we hadn’t. You know those unsightly banners on buildings and in stores that only get your attention because they are so poorly designed. These banners are overloaded […] Read more »

Cleaning Vinyl Graphics

Sign makers should assume that many of their customers will do some pretty stupid things when cleaning graphics. For this reason they must provide the end user with instruction covering proper cleaning and care of any graphics.  When I sold fleet graphics, many years ago, I would give my customers an instruction sheet which included the do’s and don’ts listed […] Read more »