Take Your Imprint to the Next Level with Mixed Media Printing!
Welcome To Cora’s Corner, where every month I am going to help you with your artwork issues. This month is about creating better T-shirt designs using more than one decorating method.
You’ve probably ordered embroidered polos or screen printed t-shirts for your employees before, but to try something different! Something BIGGER. Something that very few customers are doing right now. Mixed media printing is an awesome way to draw attention to your logo and brand. If you really want people to stop and take a look at your logo or get excited to own one of your promo items, mixed media printing is a great way to go. If you’re saying, “Okay, that sounds great and all, but what the heck is mixed media printing?”Mixed media printing means that you have the opportunity to combine two different imprint methods in one location. For example, you could combine a laser decoration with a screen transfer of your logo. Or you could mix a laser decoration of your logo and have your website URL embroidered on top. Or you could screen print, then foil and embroider on top. When you use laser decoration on your garment, the bottom layer of your mixed media printed items will always be the laser decoration, which is a light, controlled surface burn of your design onto your garment. Then on top of your laser design in the same location you can add an embroidery, screen transfer, or a full color imprint.
Mixed media printing is a retail focused imprint method, which means items that are printed using mixed media look more like something you would buy at the store than something you would pick up at a corporate trade show.
If you want a show-stopping piece, mixed media printing sounds like a good fit for you! A cool mixed media design would be a great way to appeal to younger consumers. For example, some mixed media printed hoodies would be a great idea for all of the employees at your customer’s company. And that’s just one example of how you can use mixed media printed items. There’s no wrong way to use mixed media printing, and the benefits are endless!
In fact, there are so many ways you can use mixed media printing that the only reason mixed media printing would not be a good fit for you is if there’s simply not enough funds available in your marketing budget to cover the added cost of a second decoration type.
However, assuming you’ve got enough money available in your marketing budget, the sophistication of a mixed media printed item is really worth the price!
How is mixed media printing done?
1. Apply first decoration
Once the items are pulled from the shelves and ready to be printed, the first step is always to do the decoration that is behind or the background for the 2nd &/or 3rd decoration.
2. Add a second decoration type, etc.
Once the items receive their 1st decoration, they are moved to the next machine for further decorating, whether that be a screen transfer, foil &/or embroidery.
Which items can be printed using mixed media?
Just as not all items are capable of being printed with mixed media, not all items that can be printed with mixed media have the same mixed media options.
Polyester is the only fabric that can be lasered, which is why mixed media printing isn’t an option for EVERY item. However, give things more time, and you will probably see the mixed media expand to even more items!
Things to keep in mind when ordering
I’ll let you in on a little secret. When putting together an order, considered the color of the garment. For example, if you have chosen black hoodies instead of gray. When the proofs come back, it will be pretty evident that with a dark hoodie, it’s near impossible to see a lasered design. So switched to gray hoodies in order to make the laser decoration stand out more!
Laser decoration is literally a burn of your design onto the garment rather than a colored ink imprint. That means when your design is lasered onto the garment it will appear as a darker version of the color of your item. So a laser decoration on a red shirt will be dark red, laser decoration on a gray shirt will become dark gray, and laser on a black shirt will become…more black. In short, there will not be enough contrast between your laser decoration and the color of your garment. Because of that, when you are ordering your items, keep in mind that a dark colored garment may not be the best option for a laser decoration.
Here’s another thing when ordering garments: make sure you are clear on the imprint area sizes available for mixed media printing on your items before designing your artwork!
You may want to combine a 10” x 10” laser decoration with a 4” x 4” screen transfer, or maybe you want to opt for a 5” x 7” screen print decoration with a 4” x 4” embroidered element. Those differences in size could greatly impact your design options, so make sure you have that sorted out before your design team gets to work!
If you are unsure which imprint area sizes are available for your desired item, just check with provider!
One more tip to help you get the most out of your mixed media imprint is to consider how your screen imprint or embroidered imprint will work together (or other combinations). You want to make sure that whatever size your 1st decoration is, the imprint or embroidery going on top is bright and eye-catching enough to not get swallowed up or overshadowed by the 1st decoration.
With some stellar, eye-catching artwork and by following these helpful hints, you’ll end up with some really awesome items for your customers or employees in no time!
Have fun, go wild and be greatly creative.
Until next month.
Cora Kromer
cora@qdigitizing.com