Garments made from organic and Fair Trade cotton need not be treated any differently when it comes to garment decoration. However if you have taken the care to offer organic and Fairtrade products to your customers, perhaps you should go the whole way and offer an environmentally-friendly way of garment decoration.


This month P&P editor Melanie Attlesey asked ‘do you have any advice for decorating organic and Fairtrade garments?’


At CPS we recommend that whenever possible you


source Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) approved screen printing products for your printing needs. GOTS is the most commonly adopted standard UK certification given by the Soil Association, specifically suited for organic cotton printing. At CPS weve


#Cottonedon and are already providing screen printing supplies that are approved by the Soil Association for GOTS. So why not get in touch with the Soil Association to find


out more. Will Shorter,


product manager, CPS


The process for printing organic cotton is no different from printing non-organic cotton. Plastisol inks would completely destroy any organic integrity that would accrue from buying organic cotton in the first place. So if youre going to the effort to make your choice organic cotton garments, then you should make the choice to have it printed with an organic approved ink such as a high quality water-based ink like Permasets Permatone range which has been granted approval by the Soil Association in the UK.


Permatone inks are 100% solvent free, yet still deliver really pure, vibrant colour, an exceptionally superior soft handle and excellent durability on garments. Plus they are totally safe for you and your staff to use as they are non-toxic. There are a few differences


| 70 | July 2016


between using good water-based ink with no solvents and using a plastisol ink. Top tips are: 1) Always flood your screen immediately after printing.


2) Work quickly to prevent ink sitting on the screen too long and drying out.


3) Apply small amounts of fresh ink regularly, rather than a huge lot at the start of the run.


4) Wash ink off of the screen, out of the design, as soon as you have finished to prevent drying.


5) While getting used to the inks, you can use a small amount of water mist from a spray bottle on the screen between prints.


Peter Conway, owner,


I Dress Myself


As you know using an environmentally-friendly way to print really suits organic clothing. For example, the GOCCOPRO Digital Screen Maker doesnt use any chemicals, emulsions, washout booths or recovery solutions. Water- based and PVC inks work great, but why stop there. These screens provide the user with the option of picking the most


environmentally-friendly ink and producing great quality inks. So if you want to develop your eco-credentials pick a system that allows you to do so.


Derek Muller, owner,


GOCCOPRO


When your clients want or insist on organic clothing products, and if theyre prepared to pay the often inflated prices for these goods, then you really need to be sure you use the best materials available to comply with their product choice. The Oeko-Tex standard 100 mark gives you and your clients confidence and assurance that the heat transfer films you are using to decorate these garments are certified safe from any harmful chemicals to health, even ones that are currently uncontrolled.


Here at Grafityp many of our excellent textile vinyls from Siser are Oeko-Tex certified and are the perfect choice for quality decorations or markings on your organic clothing line. We will be happy to talk you though the most suitable options and even send you any required samples. Sue Kirkwood, product manager, Grafityp UK


www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72