By Courtney Saba
Part 1 of 2
Print service providers (PSPs) offering soft signage are poised to integrate digitally printed apparel into their businesses. With existing technology—whether dye-sublimation (dye-sub) transfer or direct—and a trusted media supplier, these PSPs are uniquely positioned to benefit from the growing popularity of customized, short-run digitally printed apparel.
Expanding Options
Just Vision It (JVI) was established on July 1, 2013 with a staff of two. Today, the firm has grown to 25 employees and occupies a 15,000 square foot facility located in Lone Jack, MO, roughly 20 minutes outside of Kansas City, MO.
The dye-sub wholesale manufacturer specializes in custom fabrication of soft signage, trade show booths and event marketing, apparel, home décor, and silicone edge graphic framing systems. It offers full in-house finishing capabilities and private label drop shipping to clients nationally and internationally.
90 percent of JVI’s business consists of dye-sub manufacturing for business-to-business and wholesalers. 20 percent of the company’s work is considered digitally printed apparel. This offering was not initially available, but as the PSP saw the push for high quality and U.S. manufactured output, it realized it could take its existing skills and adapt them accordingly. Products range from high-end fashion to every day wear and everything in between.
For printing—not only apparel but all of its other services as well—JVI relies on two Mimaki USA, Inc. JV34-260 printers, two Mimaki TS34-1800A printers, and one Roland DGA Corporation VersaCAMM VS-540. The fabric printers—JV34-260 and TS34-1800A—are transfer dye-sub, meaning graphics are printed on transfer paper and then transferred onto fabric using a heat press. The shop uses heat presses from Advanced Innovative Technologies.
Transfer dye-sub is ideal for JVI’s production model, especially for apparel, because according to John Whitt, CEO/president, JVI, it has no true limitations or rules. “As long as we have a polyester material we can print anything a customer might come up with, unlike screenprinting and embroidery where there are a lot of rules and guidelines to deal with like how many colors or screens.”
Fisher Textiles is the company’s media supplier of choice due to the level of consistency between the 15 different fabrics and performance-based apparel options it works with.
Whitt says that as the company becomes more educated on hardware and media advancements, it continues to expand its list of fabric options. The goal with every new introduction is to maintain the consistency and competitive pricing the PSP’s customers are familiar with, he continues.
Micro-Stretch Jerseys
Recently, JVI completed an order for Extra Mile Sports, LLC, who requested unique custom jerseys. The job took seven days to complete from start to finish. This included everything from uploading the artwork to shipping the finished product to the client.
Fisher Textiles 1100 Jersey Micro Stretch was used due to its consistency, performance, and vibrancy—especially when combined with the Sensient Imaging Technologies ink set run on the Mimaki TS34-1800A printer. This device was chosen because of its quality and speed.
The order consisted of 30 jerseys and the execution was a success. The Just Vision It team efficiently streamlined the process, much like any other project of the same caliber, and produced a quality product.
With this type of project falling within JVI’s standard workflow, it stood out among others in the past because the team enjoyed partnering with Extra Mile Sports to deliver an incredible jersey for the end user. Overall, the client was extremely pleased with the outcome.
“Working with John and the JVI team was refreshing. The customer service and attention to detail really allowed us to be confident in offering fully sublimated apparel to our customers,” shares a representative from Extra Mile Sports.
Going the Extra Mile
JVI relies on the transfer dye-sub process to produce quality apparel for its clients, like the recent job completed for Extra Mile Sports. The combination of Mimaki printers and Fisher Textiles fabric provides output that it is proud to offer its customers.
In part two of this series, learn more about transfer dye-sub printing and apparel when we spotlight the U.S. National Synchronized Swimming Team.
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Jul2016, Digital Output DOAPPAREL1607
