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Sell the Sizzle

Sell the Sizzle

New Article from atkinsontshirt.com. One of the age-old advertising mantras as been “Don’t sell the steak, sell the sizzle.”  You’ve heard that before, right?  That phrase is so intriguing I looked up who coined the term.  The answer is: Elmer Wheeler, and he was one of the pioneers of persuasion in marketing.  (More about his thinking at the end of this article.)
For a good number of decorating apparel shops, their marketing revolves around conversations about price.  They are selling the steak and forgetting about the sizzle.

Monday, August 15, 2016/Author: Anonym/Number of views (1281)/Comments (0)/
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Baby, it's Cold Outside

Baby, it's Cold Outside

Outerwear has become more popular as people have started to wear it for leisure and everyday activities.

When it comes to apparel, people have long experimented with what they wear in their free time, in the office, for exercise, and outside in the evenings. Thanks to fabric technology and some of the performance properties introduced in wearables, multiple clothing styles have become acceptable in different environments. When you look at outerwear, it's not just what we wear int he field or on the way to work; it's by and large how people are looking at outerwear and how we incorporate it into our daily life. 

Friday, August 12, 2016/Author: Anonym/Number of views (1315)/Comments (0)/
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How do LED exposure units compare against the industry standard metal halide?

How do LED exposure units compare against the industry standard metal halide?

It seems everywhere we turn today we see LEDs being used for new purposes.  They are replacing conventional light bulbs, used in televisions, flashlights, and automobiles, among other things.  So it should be no surprise to find them being used to expose screen printing emulsions. 
Wednesday, August 10, 2016/Author: Anonym/Number of views (1304)/Comments (0)/
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Understanding Off-Contact Screen Printing

Understanding Off-Contact Screen Printing

 Many years ago, I thought I knew everything there was to know about screen printing. After all, I was printing T-shirts and various other pieces of clothing on an old hand press and was getting pretty good at it — or, so I believed.

Then came a job opportunity at a large local sign shop, one that does the location signs inside hospitals and parking garages — big stuff, using smelly vinyl inks on plastic, etc.

To demonstrate my prowess in screen printing, they had me demo my setup and printing techniques. As I was in the process of showing them how valuable I was going to be to their company, the guy conducting my interview asked me what I was doing. Where was my off-contact? I said: “My what?”

Needless to say, I was humiliated. I still got the job, but they had to retrain me on the proper setup of the screen.

Tuesday, August 9, 2016/Author: Anonym/Number of views (1403)/Comments (0)/
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Social Activism on the Shop Floor

Social Activism on the Shop Floor

New article from atkinsontshirt.com. Do your employees passionately care about a currently trending topic? 
You know, what the talking heads are blathering about on television, writing about in the newspaper, or most currently, what’s filling up your social media feed with stances one way or another?  This could be a local issue or something that’s being debated on a national level.  And it’s getting ugly.
Here’s a question one of my consulting clients asked me recently, and I’m paraphrasing a bit to make the issue neutral, but it went like this:
Monday, August 8, 2016/Author: Anonym/Number of views (1278)/Comments (0)/
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Time is Money: Why You Shouldn’t Skimp on Tape for Your Screens

Time is Money: Why You Shouldn’t Skimp on Tape for Your Screens

Saving money is a constant challenge for screen printing shops of all sizes. However, in some areas of your budget, it’s worth spending a few extra dollars to avoid long-term headaches. This is certainly the case when it comes to sourcing tape for your screens. Although it may seem cheaper and more convenient to use plain old shipping tape found in office supply stores, this money-saving move might actually end up costing you more in the long run. 
Friday, August 5, 2016/Author: Anonym/Number of views (2543)/Comments (0)/
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Quick Tips for Decorating Headwear

Quick Tips for Decorating Headwear

An array of headwear styles to fit snugly over any apparel order while making a little value-added room in the profit margins.

To design effectively on headwear, the particular decoration area and the challenges involved in decorating the given type must be taken into account. With baseball caps, the most important thing to be aware of is the horizontal aspect of the embroidery area. 
Thursday, August 4, 2016/Author: Anonym/Number of views (1184)/Comments (0)/
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DTG Printing: Life in the Fast Lane

DTG Printing: Life in the Fast Lane

With higher productivity solutions hitting the market, how will the industry respond?

Much has happened in direct-to-garment (DTG) inkjet printing since we last examined the technology two years ago. Newer inks provide better color gamut, improved washability, and adhesion to a growing range of pretreated fabrics.
Wednesday, August 3, 2016/Author: Anonym/Number of views (1360)/Comments (0)/
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LAB Mode Mojo

LAB Mode Mojo

New article from atkinsontshirt.com. Do you use Photoshop for creating the image for t-shirts either digitally or with traditional screen-printing?  How adept are you at setting up a foundation for amazing print results with just a few simple clicks?
Many creative digital artists struggle with Photoshop because there are too many choices to adjust the image; they simply don’t know the tools or get caught in a rut when processing their files.
Like working with pizza dough, they simply overwork the image.  (Sorry, but you do not need a lens flare.  Just stop it.)
What if I told you there was some secret Photoshop magic, that’s easy to use, has only two steps and takes two minutes or less to get to amazing results? Today you are in luck, as we are going to unleash the power of the LAB channel.
Say what?
Monday, August 1, 2016/Author: Anonym/Number of views (1276)/Comments (0)/
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Improve Water-Based Results with Common Additives

Improve Water-Based Results with Common Additives

In some circumstances, additives can help optimize the results of water-based inks. These additives change the chemistry of the inks and cannot be placed back into the original bucket, so use only when needed.

Some key additives include:

Thursday, July 28, 2016/Author: Anonym/Number of views (1325)/Comments (0)/
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