Workwear printing and embroidering
Printing corporate clothing is a craft. From 2018 we now also print on you work clothes and we have options to have work clothing embroidered. We use the latest machines and techniques for this. The materials of our work clothes require specific expertise in printing. This way we can guarantee the quality of the printing and deliver a complete product. This means one less thing to worry about for you as a customer. In this article we explain how this process works.
PRINTED CORPORATE CLOTHING WITH YOUR OWN DESIGN
You can simply provide us with a file of your own design and/or logo for your company clothing that you would like to show off on your work clothing. Together we will then ensure that we properly map out all your wishes. The designs are checked, we determine which type of clothing needs to be printed and in how many quantities this needs to be done. Moreover, we are happy to think with you about the type of printing that is most suitable for your clothing. A combination of different printing techniques is possible. Once this is clear, the printing of the company clothing or work clothing can begin.
TECHNIQUES FOR PRINTING WORKWEAR
Printing work clothing is best done by using the latest printing techniques. The print must be opaque. Things sometimes go wrong here. We use the following techniques when printing work clothing:
- Ultratrans Flex/Ultratrans Plus
- DTG print
- Flex printing using a plotter
PRINTING WORKWEAR WITH PRINT TRANSFERS
The main techniques used are Ultratrans Flex and Ultratrans Plus transfers. These are razor-sharp digitally printed transfers that can be used to print corporate clothing in multiple colors or with gradient grids. It is therefore a full-colour print, without an additional charge if more colors are used. Printing is the new screen printing; it is much easier and it produces a better quality result. However, it is an intensive process. Colored work clothing must be pre-treated with a so-called 'dye blocker' to prevent bleeding.
ALSO SUITABLE FOR INDUSTRIAL CLEANING
Behind the print transfers is ultimately a white top layer or an extra adhesive layer of glue in screen printing. This makes the print suitable for industrial or chemical cleaning. This distinguishes Ultratrans Flex and Ultratrans Plus from other printing techniques. This is very important for Tricorp work clothing because it needs that extra strong adhesion and coverage, given the various applications for which our work clothing is used. The Ultratrans Flex and Ultratrans Plus transfers have already been successfully tested on all Tricorp clothing.
PRINTING: THE NEW SCREEN PRINTING
Another printing technique we use is the DTG print (direct to garment). A design is printed directly on the work clothing. The rest of the prints are all transfers.
FLEX PRINTING
We also make extensive use of flex printing. Using a plotter, the correct design is cut from the material. This is then manually 'peeled' and applied to the work clothing under a press. This is also a precise job. It is important to use the correct temperature (this is 160ºC as standard) and not to keep the clothing under the press for too short or too long. Another option is flock printing. This is a thin layer of substance that is applied to glue. This gives the printed matter a retro look. We use a special material for the flex prints: Poli-Flex.
PRINTING WORK CLOTHES WITH VARIOUS MATERIALS
Poli-Flex is a widely used material. It is flexible and therefore a useful application for different types of work clothing. It is therefore extremely suitable for printing nylon or stretch. Consider sportswear, for example. If work clothing is printed with Poli-Flex, someone can move a lot in his or her work clothing without the quality of the printing deteriorating. The print feels smooth, looks nice and stretches with the fabric.
We also use Sublitex. This is a print on a sublimation material; a satin-like fabric. Ink balls are shot into the material. The ink balls then melt into the material. Sublitex can also be washed at a high temperature and printed in full color. It is an affordable option that gives the printing a kind of badge look. This makes Sublitex particularly suitable for emblems. Finally, the printed matter can also consist of reflective material.
CHALLENGES IN PRINTING CORPORATE CLOTHING
A number of textile types require extra attention when printing work clothing. For example, bamboo burns quickly and softshell penetrates quickly. For this reason, we use a special block-out for softshell to prevent the printing from 'bleeding through', i.e. parts of the fabric being visible through the printing. For example, dark blue and black workers must also be printed with a block-out, especially if the design to be printed contains white. This is not always the case with other materials.
EMBROIDERY CORPORATE CLOTHING
Embroidering logos or other designs on work clothing is also possible. We have this done by an external party that specializes in this. Tip: embroidery looks great on our slim fit polo with short sleeves and slim fit polo with long sleeves. The polos are available in various colors and sizes. Of course, the polos are also suitable for printing.
PERSONAL ADVICE
Because printing work clothing is a precise job, we can best provide you with advice by discussing your specific wishes. Do you have questions or are you interested in printed corporate clothing? Read more about it Tricorp Specials!