The Transfer Print Column
enjoy the rich heritage of screen printing, but itʼs on the rise. Look at the five-year search trend report from Google Trends on heat press versus screen printing.
The prediction is that heat printing will outpace screen printing in search volume within three years. For the record, I donʼt think screen printing is going anywhere and actually believe the industry will continue to see growth, but heat printing is experiencing a groundswell that is noteworthy.
7) Fast fashion will grow for a cause Meaning whatʼs on YouTube or Instagram today needs to be available for purchase tomorrow. Connecting customizable apparel to spheres of influence can be profitable, both for the influencer and the brand.
The prediction is that more influencers will look to wear/promote garments to their audiences around causes.
As heat printing grows into the fashion market new designers will be attracted
actual items make a difference, but so does the story and experience. The prediction is that decorators who focus on curating their offer(s) to small audience(s) will grow faster than those who donʼt.
3) Stories and experiences Heat printing is expanding down 5th Avenue. Ask any trend reporter in retail whatʼs happening, and you are bound to hear about the importance of experiences in the store. On demand customisation with a heat press is one way to drive experiences and brands such as the NBA, American Girl, Adidas, Nike, Champion, Louis Vuitton, UGG, Ralph Lauren, DKNY and more have deployed them.
The prediction is that as heat printing grows into the fashion market it will attract new, up and coming designers and entrepreneurs with creative ideas that weʼve never seen before.
4) Sports participation increases again Yeah, I know kids are lazy. Things arenʼt how they used to be back in your day. Sure, eSports are on the rise, but so are other sports participation levels according to NSGA. Sport is growing in popularity, so there are more athletes than ever before. With the rise in high school participation it can be assumed that club sports are also experiencing growth. The prediction is that sports participation will rise again in 2019 for the 32nd straight year. I know, not a bold prediction, but this one is intended to point out that the numbers show that there are increasingly more opportunities in team uniforms and fan merchandise.
5) The decline of DTG for the small to mid-sized business
This one is not going to put me on the most popular list, but I believe 2019 will be another year of DTG advancing for the few, and further realisation that DTG is not for the masses. Itʼs always fun to predict the next big thing, but itʼs time we see DTG for what it is, a technology built for mass customisation of T shirts. A proven business concept is that is much less expensive to sell more to current customers than to find new ones. A DTG is a piece of equipment that is very specific in what it accomplishes and has limited potential for printing more products. With the rise of lean businesses along with the challenges of finding new customers and skilled labour, itʼs not advisable for any mid-sized or small business to invest in DTG. Predictions are easier when trends have started, so the prediction is that the percentage of garments printed by DTG will rise, but the percentage of shops interested in purchasing a DTG will wane for another year.
6) The continued growth of heat printing technology Whatʼs inexpensive, easy to scale, offers many finishes and prints all over a wide variety of items? Yep, heat printing finally has the floor. It may not be as cool to some as printing right on the shirt with DTG, as magical as the chemistry of sublimation or
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk 8) Reflective as a finish will grow
The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the construction industry to be one of the fastest growing over the next couple of years. And somehow, high visibility apparel is all over the runway as a autumn/winter trend from 2018. These two facts mean that we predict reflective as a finish to have a record year of sales growth.
9) Garment graphics meet augmented reality in a big way
Ever heard of augmented reality? If youʼve ever had a bottle of 19 Crimes Wine with friends then you have, if not take one to your New Yearʼs Eve party and be the hit…thank me later! But with the context of experiences and stories, the prediction is that promotional items will start to be produced with a digital decoration that brings a brand to life in a fun and memorable way.
10) Apparel gets into the details
While there is certainly a space for big, bold graphics, the prediction is that small, simplistic logos with unique placement onto unique apparel will separate your work from the next shop in 2019.
Think about merchandising application onto cuffs, collars, back shoulder, ankle and calf locations. These placements are also a secret weapon for the heat printer competing with other decorating techniques that are typically limited in these areas. So, there you have it… 10 musings that can spark some conversations for you or your leadership team. For my co-workers at Groupe Stahl, I predict this is the year we become known as a technology company in addition to the worldʼs largest manufacturer of heat printing equipment and equipment. Hereʼs to a successful 2019!
Here’s to a successful 2019 February 2019 | 43 |
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