IMPRINT CANADA THE MARKETING AND INFORMATION SOURCE FOR IMPRINTABLE PRODUCTS
A Tristan Communications Ltd. Publication
Direct to Garment Printing vs. Submilation: An In-Depth Comparison
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Volume 20, Issue 5
Domestic Manufacturing: Strengths, Weaknesses & Sustainability
By Jimmy Lamb, Sawgrass Technologies
Part five in a six-part series
Which is better for digital apparel printing, direct-to-garment (DTG) or sublimation? It all depends on what your needs are as both systems are capable of producing vibrant graphics quickly, easily and inexpensively, yet there are significant differences between the two. Perhaps the most significant is that DTG is for cotton fabrics and whereas sublimation only works with polyester. (Both will work with blends, though the images may not have the same level of colour vibrancy.) In addition to fabric type, there are some differences in image colour as well. Universally speaking, due to the size and concentration of colouration particles, dyes (sublimation) are more vibrant than pigments (DTG), thus sublimation will deliver a more vibrant image. This gives sublimation the ability to produce high definition (HD) designs at a higher level of quality than DTG. Technically speaking, pigments (DTG) do have better resistance to intense and extended exposure to sunlight (known as UV fastness) than dyes (sublimation), however that generally does not come into play with apparel. In fact, when it comes apparel, a far greater concern is image breakdown during laundering. Sublimation will not fade when washed, whereas DTG inks will. But there is a lot more to consider than simply the type of fabric and colour clarity, as factors such as production costs, printing speeds, equipment costs and ROI need to be carefully considered. To get a better understanding of the differences, let’s take an in-depth look at how the systems work and how they compare.
By Adriano Aldini, Imprint Canada
In our fifth and penultimate instalment of our six part article series examining the topic of direct overseas sourcing, our focus shifts homeland as we look at manufacturing in Canada. For this article, we spoke with domestic manufacturers - on the condition of anonymity - to gauge, firsthand, their thoughts about strengths, weaknesses and misconceptions, as well sustainability in the domestic manufacturing landscape.
Advantages of domestic production
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In the March/April 2013 edition of Imprint Canada, we highlighted the benefits sourcing locally; the manufacturers we spoke to for this instalment gave us their take on the biggest advantages of domestic production. ,WV\QV]ML WV 9IOM
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Get caught up on the latest industry news
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Ash City's Chris Clark outlines essentials for tapping into this lucrative niche market
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Imprint Canada's showcases the newest wearable fashions, advertising specialty items, supplies and equipment 22
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We highlight Statistics Canada's Consumer Price Index data and large retailer sales figures 46
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