Issue Preview: Lamination, Fleece/Outerwear, Fall Sports, and GP+ Wraps

In the August issue of GRAPHICS PRO, set to mail on July 26 and hit a screen near you on July 27, print and graphics professionals cover the benefits of liquid and film lamination, different types of fleece decoration techniques, and how to tap into the team jersey and signage markets.

Plus, don’t miss GP+ WRAPS, which includes various articles on the design, creation, and installation of wraps to help your shop take that next step.

Lamination Nation

Paula Aven Gladych

• New innovations in both laminates and equipment can help new and existing shops increase their capacity, save time, and improve product quality.
• “Today, both film and liquid lamination are used for UV protection, image enhancement, and total durability.” — Carl Hoffman, Graphic Finishing Partners
• “From unwind to rewind, a roll of media can take an hour and a half and a gallon of our product to coat an entire 150-foot roll. You are not dealing with the weight of film and the cost of film. That has been a big reason people are looking at this now.” — Syd Northup, Marabu Inks
• “Many different lamination films and media depend on repeatable time for repeatable results from job to job.” — Sol Gnatowsky, Royal Sovereign

Decorating Fleece

Kristine Shreve, Kristine Shreve Consulting

• “According to Marketwatch, the global outlook for fleece jackets and vests is expected to grow by a compound annual growth rate of 7.1% until 2030. The market was valued in 2021-2022 at roughly 48 million dollars.”
• “Often, fleece is a synthetic, an insulating fabric made from a type of polyester called polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or another type of synthetic fiber. Not all fleece is entirely synthetic; some may be made with a cotton/polyester blend, and some may be made from recycled materials.”
• “Part of the fun of fleece is deciding which decoration option you will choose. Since some fleece is made of polyester, it can lend itself well to sublimation. The caveat there is that sublimation is best suited to light-colored fabrics, and you’ll also need to test the material to see how it responds to the temperatures generally used to sublimate fabric.”
• “Another method for decorating fleece which creates a tone-on-tone sort of look is debossing or embossing. This might be less common than some other methods, but it does create a more high-end look.”

Team Sports: Don’t Ruin a Perfectly Good Jersey

Adam McCauley, Sandlot Sports

• “When heading down the path of custom team uniforms, it’s very important to determine the best decoration style for your particular team.”
• “The decoration options can vary depending on the sport, budget, and desired aesthetic. I will help walk you through the ways we look at how to decorate fall team uniforms for teams and clubs this fall.”

Team Sports: What Teams are Looking for in Signage

Gina Lynch, Great White Graphics

• “Breaking down what teams are looking for in signage, we start with exactly who is buying team signage. What we’ve noticed is it’s not always a school, as you might think. More often, it’s the booster clubs or parents.”
• “Checking on where the customer will hang these banners is important. More wind may mean adding bungee cords so the banner flexes in the wind, extra grommets, or even suggesting a mesh banner for hanging. Make it as easy as you can for the customer to take the finished product directly to its destination.”

Find these articles and much more in GRAPHICS PRO August.