heat press

Heat Transfer, Sign Materials…or Both??

If you have a vinyl cutter, odds are you’re using at least one of Heat Transfer or Sign Materials in your business. If you’re not using both, you’re missing potential profit opportunities! It took us at Imprintables Warehouse a while to realize that. For years, we sold only the Heat Transfer materials, and did quite well at it. Our Spectra Eco-Film is one of the most popular Heat Applied Materials on the market.

Imprintables Warehouse added Duracal 530 to our line up around 2011.  We knew that our customers already had the equipment needed to use the material, we just had to make it available to them!  If you have a vinyl cutter and a heat press and have been working with Heat Transfer materials, you really need to try this material.  I’ve told many customers over the years to include a decal or two with their heat transfer jobs.  The perfect time for this is with a corporate logo or a team sport.  After you cut and apply your logos to your polos or jerseys, put in a roll of sign vinyl and cut the logo again.  When your customer comes in to pick up their order, hand them them decal you’ve created for them as a complimentary gift.  Odds are, you’ll see an order in the near future!!  Your cost is only the few minutes it took you to load the material in and prepare the sample.  Material cost is pennies.

Add on sales are a big business.  Introducing a new product to your existing customers will bring in some extra cash to you and your business!

 

(Another) Heat Press Innovation

Which is your favorite?  The Swing Away or a Draw heat press?  Both have their advantages to you, the consumer.  Would you like the draw action so you can view your work area from any angle?  Or do you prefer the swing away option to completely move the heat?  Odds are, you’ve had jobs where both features would come in handy.  Now what about a fully threadable lower platen?  How many different settings do you have for your various heat transfers?  Wouldn’t it be simple to cycle through them?

If you’re in the business, what is your “dream machine”?  Hotronix has created a press that should be the closest thing.  Introducing the Hotronix Fusion!  The Fusion should offer you everything on your wish list.  Fully threadable platen, check.  Easily to change lower platen, check.  Auto on/off, check.  Touch screen, digital display, check!

Do yourself a favor.  Check out the video and see what this press has to offer your business!!

Creating a Distressed look with a Vinyl Cutter

How much do you incorporate fashion into your vinyl cutter business?  I covered in an earlier post some materials that can add some flair to your apparel.  Another way to make your good more fashionable is to use the latest decorating trends.  I’ve identified the Distressed look as a trend that has been around for a little while but is still very popular.

It may seem like the distressed look would be difficult but it’s really not when you use the right tools.  I sourced two fonts that will make creating the artwork the easy part for a change!  The best to use are Destroy and Gesso.  I’ve selected these two because of the ease of weeding.  There are plenty of distressed fonts available but not all will allow you to weed rather quickly.

Of the two, Gesso is the easier to weed.  Most of the lines and detail will be weeded out on the initial pull.

Destroy has a bit more detail.  Don’t get me wrong, it will take a little more time to weed this design!  However, in my opinion, the end result is the best.

The weeding process for the Gesso font took about a minute longer than it normally would.  This should be factored into your pricing.  Destroy took about 5 minutes longer.  The good news is you don’t have to get all the detail!  It’s distressed so if you leave a few spots behind that should have been weeded it actually adds to the look!

Here’s the end result:

Gesso

Destory

Simply adding a specific font to you design software can add a lot to you business!

Equipment and Materials used: