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Since adjustments can now

be made on individual em-

broidery heads, it is easier

to adjust for thicker fabrics

and avoid thread breaks.

(Image courtesy Hirsch)

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W hile 2016 had an emphasis on the durability and de-pendability of machinery and programs decorators

use every day, many throughout the in-dustry anticipate that 2017 will focus on further improving systems that are already in place. Many decoration methods can expect to see progress toward system effi-ciency or sustainability.

SCREEN PRINTINGScreen printing, like many other meth-ods, has seen a push toward reducing production time. For example, Ryan

Moor, Ryonet, says that there has been an increase in use of direct-to-screen sys-tems during the job-setup process. He says that by going direct-to-screen, both the consumable film and an equipment operator are removed from the situation while eliminating the margin of error that comes with placing carrier sheets and film, sheet movement in the expo-sure unit, and how the platen could move once it’s on the press.

Another improvement that manufactur-ers are adding to their equipment is better exposure units. While LED exposure units have gotten faster and improved in qual-

ity in recent years, Tyler Dummett, Work-horse Products, says that exposure units could expand beyond LED light sources in the near future.

Other new screen-printing features to watch out for in 2017 include technology that could eliminate the need to re-level machines—a time-consuming and some-what costly process.

There has also been an effort through-out the industry to make screen printing eco-friendlier than in the past to answer requests for better sustainability. Screen cleaning, typically the dirtiest part of any screen-printing job, uses a lot of chemicals

Cloudy with a Chance of Improvement The 2017

Technology Forecast B Y S A N D R A S E P A N I A K

LED exposure units

continue to be the top

choice, though decorators

are always searching for

a single-source solution to

exposing screens. (Image

courtesy Vastex)

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that are hard on the environment and the people exposed to them.

To combat this, there has been a stronger effort to introduce closed screen-cleaning systems with eco-friendly products and filters in place that allow fewer harmful chemicals into the environment. Research and development are also underway for more economical solutions for reusing water since many systems currently on the market are financially out of reach for most screen printers.

EMBROIDERYAlterations in embroidery machines have been developed for both 2016 and 2017 that allow for custom programming on some machines, per Ed Levy, Hirsch. This allows the user to assign specific tasks, such as thread cuts or color-related specifications

to an individual head on a multi-head em-broidery machine.

Andrea Bommarito, ZSK Embroidery Machines, says there have also been concerns about difficult placement as decorations move higher up on hats and into smaller, tighter spaces like on pockets. Likewise, bird’s nesting, long trim trails, and garments getting caught in the machine have all been addressed as well. These have been resolved by removing the front picker from the tubu-lar embroidery arm, Bommarito says.

She adds that technical embroidery will be a growth area for 2017, along with specialty attachments. Fortunately, most commercial embroidery machines today are compatible with specialty attachments.

“With this type of technical work, the spectrum of application is increased ten-fold,” Bommarito says. “We are seeing many

new projects within large technology firms using new yarns and materials to create a plethora of new types of wearables.”

Further increasing automation is another focal point embroidery machine manufac-turers have been looking at for this year, Levy says. He adds that automation has been a goal for every conceivable process, which allows businesses to work to scale without having to scale employees incre-mentally. Error reduction and consistency are factors as well.

Likewise, many galvanometric lasers have seen improvements and are moving toward automation and innovation. Ed Balady, BITO, says that he’s seen decorators begin to use standalone lasers over single-head embroidery machines for customization work, such as names on karate and other sports uniforms.

2017 TECH FORECAST

Left: Embroidery lasers will continue to become more accessible to single-head machines. This setup works well with customization jobs. (Im-

age courtesy BITO) Right: New innovations in laser and embroidery technology mean that appliqué is easier than ever. (Image courtesy BITO)

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SUBLIMATION AND HEAT TRANSFERSSublimation is a relatively new method compared to others within apparel deco-rating, so regular developments are almost expected. The method’s capabilities have grown this year with an initiative for inks that can be applied to fabrics other than polyester, a wider range of color capabili-ties for smaller shops, and solutions that allow for cut-and-sew sublimation.

Kyle Hinton, Johnson Plastics, explains that fluorescent ink options have also ex-panded to smaller-format sublimation printers, which will make the price point more accessible to small-scale sublimation printers.

“Studies have shown that people will look at an item with fluorescent colors four times longer than an item with a stan-dard color gamut,” Hinton says about the demand for the bright inks.

Despite the push for sublimation ink that can be applied to other fabrics and blends, polyester still offers the best results after printing. Performance polyester makes an excellent substrate for this reason, with its ability to offer sharp, photorealistic images on a breathable substrate that can be found in more markets than ever before.

Heat presses are also becoming more compatible with sublimation printing. Some, for example, allow garments to be loaded onto the press from either the front

or the rear or have platens that are easier to change for printing on differently-sized substrates like socks or backpacks.

But, heat presses previously hit an ob-stacle with the popularity of lighter, more delicate fabrics hitting wholesale. Accord-ing to Josh Ellsworth, STAHLS’, heat transfer and garment manufacturers have had to work together to get heat transfers that get good results on tri-blends and per-formance fabrics. Many suppliers have de-veloped stretchy, lightweight heat transfer vinyl to work with these lighter fabrics.

Heat press manufacturers have also worked with garment distributors to help prevent dye-migration on polyester gar-ments. Cationic polyester is much less

Above: Mixed-media

applications will be-

come more accessible

with the growth of mul-

tiple decoration meth-

ods. (Image courtesy

Hirsch) Left: High-vol-

ume production across

all fields has reaped the

benefits of new techno-

logical improvements.

(Image courtesy Hirsch)

Left: Embroidery lasers will continue to become more accessible to single-head machines. This setup works well with customization jobs. (Im-

age courtesy BITO) Right: New innovations in laser and embroidery technology mean that appliqué is easier than ever. (Image courtesy BITO) Left: Heat presses can apply transfers at lower and lower temperatures, so much so that delicate fabrics and materials can be printed. (Image courtesy

Hotronix) Center: Fluorescent ink options have now become available and affordable for smaller-format sublimation printing. (Image courtesy Johnson

Plastics) Right: Polyester still boasts the best results for sublimation printing, though strides have been made to make printing on cotton possible. (Image

courtesy Johnson Plastics)

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likely to bleed, states Ellsworth, and it removes the limitation of only being able to work with dye-blocking heat transfers.

Even heat presses have seen a bigger push toward automation. Since several parts of the heat transfer process require the opera-tor to be present, Ellsworth says there isn’t much of a production savings on labor. However, automation could still help re-duce labor costs long term by reducing the amount of work done by the operator while still increasing output.

TECHNOLOGYMany upcoming technology features are designed to increase efficiency and reduce labor and labor costs across all methods. Whether it means cutting down setup time, altering equipment to prevent problems, or further automating machines, these chang-

es boil down to efficiency, cost reduction, and increased sustainability.

“Labor is getting harder to come by, so if you can run your shop more efficiently with less labor, then that’s one way to remain sus-tainable,” Moor explains.

On the other hand, the race for efficiency doesn’t necessarily mean that all machines and equipment are becoming faster. Al-though machines are always trying to handle increased speed, Levy explains that this is often to the detriment of your qual-ity. Citing sports cars as a metaphor, he says, “What’s the difference if it goes 140 mph or 170 mph if you’re driving it at 60 or 70 mph?” Levy asks. “Your driving speed is de-termined by the material and the intricacy

of the design.” This can be translated to thread breaks and needle breaks on embroi-dery machines, he explains.

This theory can also apply to screen print-ing and sublimation, where it may be an ex-pensive loss if your very fast machine breaks and isn’t producing shirts while you’re wait-ing for it to be repaired. In other cases, it could mean an operator getting hurt while working with the equipment if it’s running too quickly to be safe.

“Thinking of safety while maintaining efficiency is the key here,” Balady says. “In terms of driving, you have to drive slower.”

Ensuring your website is mobile-friendly and integrating electronic devices into your shop setup are also important in keeping

2017 TECH FORECAST

Right: Transfers have

become lighter and able to

adhere at lower temperatures for

more delicate tri-blend fabrics. (Im-

age courtesy STAHLS’) Below: Trans-

fer and apparel companies have been

working together to make transfers that

won’t bleed onto fabric after being pressed.

(Image courtesy STAHLS’)

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your shop running at its best. Web sales continue to grow, and more of those sales are being completed on smartphones and tablets.

“When one thing translates from the web to mobile devices, it’s called being respon-sive,” says Levy. “Everything web-facing is designed responsively so that it can work on a regular PC screen or somebody can take their iPad out in the field to work on it.”

Many decorators across all disciplines are also transitioning toward being able to operate parts of or their entire shop setup from a tablet or other devices. For example, while many automatic presses can already be controlled this way, Dummett notes that software on tablets and other devices allows users to make changes in flashing and flash configurations. Being able to control dryers isn’t far off, either. Dummett explains that doing so allows functionality to come into your equipment after purchase.

This isn’t limited to screen printing, ei-ther. Bommarito states that many of the steps in setting up an embroidery job have been streamlined by applications embedded into a Windows-based controller. Many of these apps are not limited to the brand of machine in your shop either, making it easier to use the technology for setup regard-less of the brand of machine you use. Any number of apps and software are available to help every aspect of your business, from machinery automa-tion to things as small as managing proofs and orders online.

No matter what types of equipment your shop has available, there will continue to be a huge selection of op-tions for you to choose from that can help your shop save hundreds each year and get jobs finished in a timelier manner with consistent quality.

Editor’s note: For the evolution and advancements found in direct-to-garment printing, turn to page 2 in The D2 Re-port, a special supplement of this issue.

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This isn’t limited to screen printing, either. Bommarito states that many of the steps in setting up an embroidery job have been streamlined by applications embedded into a Windows-based controller. Many of these apps are not limited to the brand of machine in your shop either, making it easier

Above: Screen printers are taking steps to ensure their shops are eco-friendlier, more efficient, and

less costly to run with greener products. (Image courtesy Ryonet) Below: Filtering water used to

clean screens can put a lot of harsh chemicals back into the water supply. This has prompted an ini-

tiative for affordable water filtration systems. (Image courtesy Ryonet)

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