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Screen Printing Trends of 2022

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As the end of 2021 approaches, we are all looking ahead at what is next and what will be the trends driving the apparel industry. Many things have changed or come back in style and in the age of TikTok trends come and go faster than we can keep up with. Here is a summary of what is to come and what is here to stay in apparel printing.

T-Shirt Styles

We’ve seen a change in the styles and fit of t-shirts. The styles that are most popular right now include t-shirt that are thicker cotton and a more relaxed fit. These are the brands that are hot right now:

1. Comfort Colors 1717 Heavyweight T-Shirt

Comfort Colors 1717 is 100% ring-spun cotton, making this fabric very durable and heavy. This material is comfortable and the style is a relaxed fit and a bit oversize. This style has been very popular in recent years for it’s fit.

2. Bella+Canvas 3001 Classic Unisex T-Shirt

This Bella+Canvas 3001 custom print t-shirt is a modern tee with a crew neck and side-seam construction for durability. Designed with superior airlume-combed and ring-spun cotton, it has a very soft feel and smooth surface which makes it great for direct to garment printing.

3. AS Colour 5001 Staple Tee

The AS Colour 5001 staple t-shirt has a soft and relaxed fit, made from a blend of cottons with a fit that can be worn for any occasion. You can dress it down or dress it up. A true staple for every closet.

GRAPHIC Tees

Vibrant and out-of-the-box graphics are all the rage right now. Streetwear has been front and center in fashion trends and will continue to be in 2022. Bold graphics will help you brand stand out and bring an element of art and design that bigger brands may be missing out on. Incorporating a abstract design to your logo to compliment your brand is a great way to push your brand in the new year.

BRAND Merch

Team shirts or branded company shirts are often used as brand merch or swag for employees. While this is a great way to encourage workplace community, the bar is being raised for 2022.

Swag kits or promo merch boxes are a step above the t-shirt or stationary items. These merch box kits can include a variety of items and the box itself can be branded with your logo and brand colors which makes a great promotional gift for potential clients.

Swag kits are perfect for brands that offer a service, these promo products can improve brand recognition and for your current client it can cement brand loyalty.

Learn more about how branding such as swag boxes can benefit your business.

Screen Printed Pants / Shorts

Where it’s a pattern or a logo, screen printing on pants and shorts are very popular in 2021 and 2022. We see brand such as Stella McCartney with these Beetles inspired printed trousers. We also see smaller streetwear brands playing with this concept in a more fluid way with abstract designs and with logo designs. All-over prints on pants have been quietly emerging from the sub-culture fashion trends in New York City as depicted in this article by Vogue.


Specialty Prints

Specialty prints such as puff prints have had an impact on the new generation. Puff print making a comeback in 2021 has pushed this trend to become a big component of streetwear in 2022. The popularity that this type of printing has reached is exciting for specialty screen printers everywhere.

We partnered with the iconic Amoeba Music in Los Angeles and printed sweatshirts with a vibrant puff ink.

Learn about What Is Puff Ink?

Fulfillment Services

With the rise of online shopping, there is a bigger demand in shorter shipping times. When running a small brand this can feel overwhelming and time consuming when the focus should be on the design for the next drop. This is where auto fulfillment services come into play, premium print shops such as Family Industries offer a fulfillment component to their printing services. Not only do we print and ship, but also offer finishing services which include your own branded tags, branded mailers, and any inserts you would like to include with your apparel.

Fulfillment services have become a necessity for a lot of smaller businesses looking to expand.

Learn more about The Benefits of Fulfillment Services

Have more questions? Check out our video explaining the process of fulfillment.

Author: Irene Floridia - Content Creator

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For any inquiries, send us a message!

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send us an e-mail at quotes@familyindustriesla.com

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Why Spending On Premium Screen Printing Is Worth It

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Apparel has definitely become more expensive, and even for simple basic t-shirt the price and expectations of quality have gone up. When delivering quality, as a brand, your focus should be on 100% customer satisfactions. Opting for a cheaper material or cheaper print can cost you credibility and brand loyalty.

What Is Premium Screen Printing?

Premium screen printing refers to specialty printing shop instead of the print-on-demand companies such as Printful or Zazzle. Premium screen printing includes experts screen printers that will navigate the process for you and deliver top quality prints.

A premium screen printing shop will always have designers on their team to assist with technical design inquiries and be able to help you prepare your artwork for screen printing.

Additionally, premium also refers to the type of garment. A good screen printing shop will offer you a variety of fabric types - of course, this may also vary according to the design and ink needs to achieve the perfect print.

Screen printing creates unique visual outputs when compared to digital printing. The ink for screen printing is absorbed deeper, providing clearer edges to the image. Screen printing ink can also be applied thicker, resulting in long-lasting, brighter and more vibrant colours even on darker shades.

What Are T-Shirt Premium Options?

When it comes to custom t-shirt printing you have a choice of three fabrics — polyester, cotton or blended materials.

1. Comfort Colors 1717 Heavyweight T-Shirt

Comfort Colors 1717 is 100% ring-spun cotton, making this fabric very durable and heavy. This material is comfortable and the style is a relaxed fit and a bit oversize. This style has been very popular in recent years for it’s fit.

Features:

  • Relaxed fit and unisex

  • 6.1 oz./yd², 100% ring spun cotton, garment-dyed

  • Double-needle armhole, sleeve and bottom hems

  • Twill taped neck and shoulders for extra durability

  • Heavyweight

  • 7/8" double-needle topstitched collar

  • Pre-shrunk

2. Bella+Canvas 3001 Classic Unisex T-Shirt

This Bella+Canvas 3001 custom print t-shirt is a modern tee with a crew neck and side-seam construction for durability. Designed with superior airlume-combed and ring-spun cotton, it has a very soft feel and smooth surface which makes it great for direct to garment printing.

Features:

  • 100% combed and ring-spun cotton

  • Shoulder-to-shoulder taping

  • Side seamed

  • Retail fit and unisex sizing

  • Soft and lightweight

  • Crew neck

3. AS Colour 5001 Staple Tee

The AS Colour 5001 staple t-shirt has a soft and relaxed fit, made from a blend of cottons with a fit that can be worn for any occasion. You can dress it down or dress it up. A true staple for every closet.

Features:

  • 100% combed cotton (heathers 15% viscose)

  • Shoulder-to-shoulder taping

  • Side seamed

  • Regular fit and unisex sizing

  • Mid-weight

  • Crew neck

What if you’re just getting started?

As a small business, we understand that quality investments matter but funding for those investments can sometimes be tight. If you are at a point where you have to be highly focused on budget, consider simplifying your logo to be a 1 to 2 color print, and keep the design limited to the front of the garment. Not only does this reduce cost, but simple screen printed designs are considered to be more fashionable, which will have your customers reaching for it more often.

Why Not Use On-Demand Apparel Printing?

Print-on-demand can oftentimes be the easiest and cheapest option, however, if you’re looking to build a brand that people trust, this may not be the best option for you.

Control of your merchandise cam often times be lost, you have to trust the printer to do their job properly, but quality control can quickly become overwhelming.

Additionally, order fulfillment can take longer or can be affected by other events such as holiday rush, this is why we always recommend to make orders ahead of launch time to avoid any delays. With a premium print shop, they often times can set you up on a scheduled re-order system.

The main downside of on-demand apparel printing is the loss of control over the quality of the print and the quality of the fabric.

Check Out What Is Print-On-Demand? Pros And Cons Of This Business Model?

In Conclusion

When launching an apparel brand, the fabric itself should be priority. We believe that choosing premium garments coupled with premium printing will cement the high-quality integrity of your brand and in turn also cement brand loyalty with customers.

If you want your custom t-shirts to market your business effectively, they need to be worn and seen. The only way to ensure that happens is to make a great t-shirt people will want to wear.

Print shops such as Family Industries, are a greatexampleshigh-qualityhigh-qualite of a premium print shop offering high quality printing and high quality service for all clients.

Author: Irene Floridia - Content Creator

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook

For FAQ, check out our site!

For any inquiries, send us a message!

OR

send us an e-mail at quotes@familyindustriesla.com

Streetwear Fall Trends

The fall isn’t only for flannel and pumpkin spice lattes; in the fast evolving world of fashion trends, streetwear is front and center. With streetwear becoming more mainstream and social media usage is on it’s all time high, fashion history seems to be repeating itself. The trend this fall is reminiscent of the 1970’s, 1990’s and early 2000’s. We’ll take you to the top 5 trends for this fall/winter season.

Fashion Is Recyclable

It’s not only middle part hairstyle that Gen Z’s have brought back, it’s also streetwear with big wide leg pants and alternative apparel such as oversize sweatshirts and Dr. Marten boots. This fall we are seeing some styles from the early 2000’s making a comeback as well as some 70’s and 90’s , here are some of those trends.

Read more about The ‘90s fashion trends that are making a comeback in 2021

Velour Tracksuits

Baby Phat and Juicy Couture had a hold on us back then, and continue to have a big influence now. These tracksuits are the ultimate (more fashionable) alternative to athleisure apparel. Tracksuits have made a comeback for all most every generations since the 70’s and the '70s are as far away in the mid-'90s as the '90s are from today.

There are ways to customize your own Velour Tracksuits by incorporating chainstitching or embroidery of your name or nickname. Generally, the material for these tracksuits are more suited for embroidery.

Corduroy Jackets

corduroy-jacket.jpg

Once again, the 70’s comeback is being demonstrated by this trend. Corduroy is not longer your dad’s style; specifically the double breasted or utilitarian cut. Corduroy jackets are best worn with high waisted pants and boots, and they can be customized by adding embroidery or embroidered patches.

The best colors are dark and earthy colors, coupled with light pants or a turtle neck!

Fashion Tip: Tan colors are in this season! Don’t be afraid to pair tan on tan.

Letterman Jacket

Most notably made popular in the 90’s, this trend has been around since… well, the year 1865. The Harvard’s baseball team sewed the letter ‘H’ to their uniforms and the varsity jacket was born!

This jacket has evolved since 1865 but has not changed much in recent years. This style used to be signifier of your athletic accomplishments, it is now worn by many for the purpose of style.

The letterman jacket has also been a signifier of not only American sportswear but American streetwear as it was made trendy in the 80’s and 90’s. Basically, you can’t go wrong with this fit.

This jacket is great to customize with embroidered patches!

Fisherman’s Beanie

fisherman-beanie.jpg

A fisherman beanie is a bolder style because it sits higher on the head, leaving the ears, and potentially the front of the hair, exposed. The look is inspired by the dockworkers for which it’s named, but it really can be worn with just about any casual outfit.

Are you not sure about how to wear this type of beanie? Check out How To Wear a Beanie Without Looking Like an Idiot

Statement Tee

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People have a lot say, so what best way to express your thought than through a statement tee?

The statement tee has been around for a while now, however, it is again becoming a staple in everyone’s closet. Witty phrases and political statements are an easy and affordable way to upgrade your wardrobe and show a little bit of your personality.

Read 14 Statement Tees That Let Your Clothes Do The Talking


Author: Irene Floridia - Content Creator

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How To Design Artwork For Screen Printing With Puff Ink

Puff Prints are here to stay, and there’s certain design rules to follow to ensure your puff print looks perfect. In this article, we’ll take you through some of the design choices that can make your print stand out and some techniques we feel are essential when designing artwork to be screen printed with puff inks.

What Are Specialty Inks?

Specialty inks refer to specific print finishes. For example, reflective inks, glow in the dark inks and our favorite, Puff Inks. These inks help with making your screen printed designs stand out from the norm. Now, these inks generally require an additive, for inks to create that “puffy” look you will want to select your regular plastisol ink in the color you would like to print and then add a Puff Ink additive which is then mixed with the pigment.

Learn more about Foils and Metallic Prints

So, Does printing with puff ink require A special set up?

Besides mixing the puff additive with your ink and some technical file setup, the process is somewhat similar to other forms of screen printing.

One of the main setup rules are ensuring that there is enough puff ink laid down on a garment in order for it to expand enough to notice, a general rule of thumb is to not have any lines or small details in your artwork that are less than 1pt.

Before puff ink is exposed to heat, it sits flat on the garment like any regular plastisol ink. Heating the finished design (usually by sending the garment down a curing oven) will activate the puff additive and enable the ink to rise and expand about one to two millimeters on all sides.

One important tip we can give you is to prepare for color loss. Because puff ink is an ink additive, it will dilute your plastisol ink color. You can offset this either by starting with a bolder ink color than you planned to use, or if you’re color matching or trying to achieve a brighter color, lay down your puff additive/ink mix, flash the ink lightly without activating the puff additive, and print another layer of undiluted plastisol ink.

Testing Puff Ink Additive

PUFF REQUIREMENTS:

  • Halftone: 20 lpi

  • Line Weight: 1pt minimum

  • Max Art Size: Check with print shop what the maximum art size is as this changes from factory to factory. As a rough guide, an A3 page size would equate to a large chest print for a men’s garment.

  • Image File Types: Most print shops will accept .psd, .tif, .jpg, .gif and .png.

  • Vector Art File Types: Vector PDF, EPS, AI or CDR Files.

Learn more about How To Prepare A File For Screen Printing

Creative Uses of Puff Ink

Because puff ink does not activate until heat is applied, it allows for you to experiment with different design ideas. However, if you’ve never done it, make sure to consult with your premium screen printing shop.

Multi-Color Prints

When you have a print with several colors, you can add a puff effect to one of them, creating a more dynamic print.

Gradients

a 3 color halftone gradient printed in puff ink is totally possible! By thinking outside the box. Take a simple typographic logo and inject visual interest, tactile feel and a higher perceived value for your garment in one ingenious print.

Placement

You can play around with placement in any way you would like, this gives you the ability to print puff on sleeves, back or front of the garment. Puff can also be applied to accessories like hats.

Learn more about Different Screen Printing Techniques

What Not To Do with Puff Ink

  • Don’t use puff additive when screen printing fine detail. Some of the detail of your print will be lost when your ink puffs up in the dryer. While some level of image detail is possible to achieve with puff inks, images with extremely fine detail will be lost.

  • Don’t print abutting colors. Similarly, puff ink doesn’t work when printing two colors that register right up against each other. The fine edge will be lost to the puff effect.

  • Don’t over cure your puff ink. Be careful to follow the manufacturer’s instructions on curing your puff ink.

Author: Irene Floridia - Content Creator

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For any inquiries, send us a message!

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send us an e-mail at quotes@familyindustriesla.com

Merch For an Entertainment Brand or Agency

Working in the entertainment world whether you are an artist, a content creator, or a marketing agency, having merch that reflects your brand can be a challenging task. Nevertheless, having merch can only help you further reach your target audience and provide a way for your fan base to support you to continue making content. In this article we will show you the ways you can brainstorm to achieve the best merch line that will result in sales or brand recognition.

Merch For Entertainers

Artists, Bands, and content creators are in a unique position. They are one of the few entities that can create revenue directly from branding themselves. Very similar to professional sports teams, musical artists, and entertainers can sell merchandise that bears their name and likeness that will in turn create awareness and provide revenue for their brand. That brand being their name, logo, music, social media, podcast, & YouTube channel.

As entertainers, most of the revenue comes from selling tangible things. This is especially true for musicians as touring can be expensive and venues do not pay well unless you’re a recognized artistist. Selling band merch can be your way to not only advertise your music but also help you sustain a lifestyle of travel to get your music out there.

With the rise of TikTok, original content creation has become the lifeline for social media. Without original content, these apps would not have the success they are experiencing now.

While apps like TikToK and sites like YouTube will pay for content contributions, unless every video gets millions of views and comments, you’re not making enough to sustain a balanced lifestyle. This is why we believe that offering merch is a necessary step to maintain a steady stream of income.

Check Out Merch Ideas For Streamers and YouTubers

Podcast Merch

Sword & Scale Glow in the dark Skull Tee

Generally, podcasts will focus on specific topics and follow a theme such as true crime, comedy, storytelling, and relationship advise. Most successful podcasts will have a merch store comprised of t-shirts, sweatshirts, and maybe a travel mug.

What can you do to mix up it up? Well, this will depend on what your podcast is about. For example, Sword & Scale podcast has a glow in the dark skull t-shirt, which correlates with their true crime theme. They also sell shot glasses with a mug shot of different serial killers. This is a way to capitalize from your core content.

Additionally, knowing your audience will need to be a focus when creating merch. Sword & Scale knows that their demographic is primarily female, this is why they offer options for a lady’s cut tees and other more “female” centered designs, where as other podcasts such as The Joe Rogan Experience has mostly unisex cut t-shirts and other items that primarily target a male audience.

Pro Tip: You don’t have to just use your podcast name. Get creative and use a tag line or a quote from your show.

Youtuber Merch

Zack King card deck

A good YouTube channel has a specific theme. Honing into what content gets the most views and and figuring out your style will help you come up with merch that fits into the overall message of your channel. Your subscribers will want to see the general merch such as t-shirts, hoodies, & drinkware but we believe that in order to really push your merch, you will need unique merch items.

You may recognize Zach King as the new-age YouTube magician and optical illusions mastermind, Zach has become YouTube legend and unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve seen his videos.

Zack King has developed a brand for himself with his wildly entertaining video content - and with so much success it’s only logical that his merch will reflect his brand. Zack King’s merch includes a magician playing card deck, which lines up perfectly with his content and overall branding.

Check Out The Best Eco Friendly Merch

Entertainment Agency Merch

Family Industries Event Screen Printing

Unlike YouTubers and Podcast hosts, entertainment agencies don’t have a face or a specific voice, they mostly rely on live events such as festivals which attract a variety of people depending on the type of event. For an agency, having a specific understanding of their demographic can be challenging.

Live merch printing has been a great way to develop revenue based on the type of event as it can always be adjusted to fit the specific demographics of the crowd.

A good merch agency can help an entertainment agency develop and expand on different merch items that can be customized on site such as with live screen printing, live embroidery, live sublimation, and much more!

By adding a customization option on site, can excite event goers to get their names or initials printed unto an events shirt, or tote bag. These are very simple ways to get the crowd involved and it can create a stream of revenue.

Author: Irene Floridia - Content Creator

Looking for The Best Merch printer?

send us an e-mail at quotes@familyindustriesla.com, or give us a call at 323.227.1547 and we'd be happy to help.

Our showroom at 2755 Fruitdale Street, Los Angeles, CA 90039 is open by appointment only from 10 am - 4 pm Monday through Friday.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook

For FAQ, check out our site!

For any inquiries, send us a message!

OR

send us an e-mail at quotes@familyindustriesla.com

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Do Trade Show Swag Giveaways Boost Brand Awareness?

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Promoting your brand at an event such as a tradeshow or a festival is a must. Giveaways is a good way to engage with the event goers and boost brand awareness.

Trade show Giveaways

Tradeshows can be great exposure for brands in the service industry and giveaways or promotional items can aid other marketing efforts. Whether you call them promotional items, tchotchkes or swag, exhibitors at every trade show hand out countless trade show giveaways to attract and encourage attendees to enter their space.

Check Out 6 PR Tips To Gain Exposure At Trade Shows

The right trade show giveaways can help generate leads and support integrated marketing messages that will prompt attendees to tie that message back to your company long after the show has ended.

What’s The Right Trade Show Promotional Item?

The perfect trade show giveaway items communicate a company’s brand strategy and messaging to attendees. Before selecting a trade show giveaway item, first consider weather or not they support your corporate or brand image and campaign theme.

Check Out How To Build an Effective Tradeshow Marketing Strategy

Brand Alignment

  • Ensuring your branded merch has your company logo printed, etched, or chiseled on it. It does not matter how cool the giveaway is, you will lose out on business and exposure if the item cannot be linked back to your brand.

  • Your giveaway items need to in some way tie-in to your brand and most importantly, your industry. This will help the attendee connect the dots between the physical merch item to your service or business.

  • If you’re attending a themed trade show, select an item that goes with the theme to further strengthen your brand messaging.



Pro Tip: Once you’ve chosen the right merch for your trade show booth, the way you display your items and present your brand is just as important as the items being displayed. Approaching your display as another tool for marketing is a good way to ensure a successful way to show the value in your business.

Check Out Trade show booth design is a key element to engaging with attendees.




What Is A Valuable Trade Show Giveaway?

The most important function of a tradeshow giveaway is the ability for that item to resonate with your clients and prospects. While unique and fun giveaways are always a good way to generate overall interest in your brand, practical merch items can present more value to a trade show guest.

  • Think of a trade show giveaway item as something an event goer can immediately find useful such as tote bags, water bottles, sanitizer, or a backpack.

  • Some of the most valuable giveaways are the ones that will be used frequently like a cool keychain, wireless phone charger, or a phone case / phone wallet.

  • Apparel such as t-shirts are always attractive for people and it’s an overall low-cost product and the perfect canvas for your logo.

Budgeting For Trade Show Giveaways

Like exhibits, trade show budgets vary in size from exhibitor to exhibitor. You should be conscious of the costs associated with your trade show giveaway regardless of your marketing budget. A good rule of thumb is to use 10% of your profit towards marketing, out of the 10% allocate a certain amount to your promotional merch as needed. This will vary depending on your business model.

Check Out How Can Branding Costs Be Capitalized

Tips To Cut Giveaway Costs

  • Making sure you get the most bang for your buck, may mean that you will have to get a little more creative or find inexpensive alternatives.

  • Shipping can add up and can sometimes be an afterthought that puts you over your budget. Think ahead and use a local merch agency so as to be able to pick up your merch instead of paying for shipping and handling.

  • Having the right staff to represent you on site can be a way to ensure your promotional items are being handed out to every person and nothing goes to waste.

Author: Irene Floridia - Content Creator

Looking for The Best Promotional Merch printer?

send us an e-mail at quotes@familyindustriesla.com, or give us a call at 323.227.1547 and we'd be happy to help.

Our showroom at 2755 Fruitdale Street, Los Angeles, CA 90039 is open by appointment only from 10 am - 4 pm Monday through Friday.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook

For FAQ, check out our site!

For any inquiries, send us a message!

OR

send us an e-mail at quotes@familyindustriesla.com

p 323-522-3829