1. What is screen printing? Screen Printing is a uniform printing technique in which ink is pressed through a mesh screen using a squeegee or blade. Each color of a design requires its own mesh screen. The screens are prepared to only allow each color to permeate at desired spots. Once the screens are prepared, the selected color ink is added to the screen and a squeegee is used to push or pull ink through the mesh screen and onto the garment. If multiple colors are used in a design, the first layer of ink is flash cured and the uniform is printed on again with a different color. This process is repeated until the full design is complete.
Below are available screen printing styles. Distressed: Texture appleid to the design to give it the appearance of being worn and faded. Soft Hand: Term used to describe the method of applying ink to the garment. Light ink coverage that makes for a softer more comfortable print. Water-Mark: Subtle print that uses "half-tones" to achieve a water-marked look. Tone-On-Tone: Subtle print that uses inks which are similar to the garment in color and tone.
2. What is sublimation? Sublimation is a method of applying designs or images onto fabric, using ink, pressure and heat. The term sublimation refers to the concept of a material converting from a solid to a gas, while skipping the liquid stage. The dye sublimation process uses dye that is heat sensitive. This dye is printed on a special transfer paper, which is placed on a sheet of polyester fabric and transferred to a large heat press.
The heat press supplies pressure and heat, which converts the solid dye into a gas. The gas particles bond with the fabric and converts back to a solid, injecting the dye and color directly into the fabric. White polyester fabric is used, as natural fabrics such as cotton do not contain "pores" which expand and absorb the dye.
Unlike screen printed garments, the ink can not be removed from the uniforms. On screen printed garments, the ink sits on top of the garment, while sublimated garments absorb the ink. Sublimated garments do not fade, crack or peel off, allowing them to have a much longer lifespan than traditional screen printed uniforms.
3. What is Embroidery? Embroidery is the technique of decorating apparel, fabric, or other materials with needle and thread. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as sequins, rhinestones, or yarn. It can be produced by a machine or in some cases by hand. In our usage it is always done by a machine that is specifically made for the apparel industry.
4. What is an online store and how do they work? A Stoller Sports Online Team Store is a great way to get practice gear to your team, apparel to your fans and raise money all at the same time! We customize each item specifically to your organization in addition to controlling all tasks associated with the store. These include launching the store, maintaining the store and individually shipping each order.
- We DO require a minimum of 12 pieces per method of decoration (screen-printing, embroidery, sublimation). If the minimum is not met, we refund those items. - We DO have a maximum quantity of items per store based on your program size. A representative will work with you to help decide the quantity of items and which items to offer. - We DO NOT charge or require any deposit to open an online store. - We DO NOT charge any setup costs for our online stores. - We DO NOT allow exchanges or refunds once the store has closed. - We DO NOT allow exchanges or refunds unless the garments are defective. How to Have a Successful Online Store. - Promote! Promote! Promote! - Send constant emails to current members and alumni. We suggest at least 2 EMAILS PER WEEK. - Social media posts are a great ways to promote to your organization and fans. - Do not let your members forget the store is live. - A store's duration of 4 days - 2 weeks is ideal for continued interest from the organization. Fundraising. Need to fundraise for your organization? Not a problem! Let us know how much money you want to make off of each product. Once the orders from the store ship, we will send you a fundraising check for the total raised.
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