In this Shop Talk conversation, the Ink Kitchen’s Rick Roth, discusses faster screen-printing setups with industry experts Tony Palmer of Palmprint Consulting and Brian Lessard of Made Lab.

Among the topics Roth (who is also the founder and president of Rhode Island-based Mirror Image Screenprinting & Embroidery) address are effective preparation, including having the necessary materials ready in advance of actual printing, and investing in the right pre-press equipment to help streamline your processes. Additional strategies include dedicating time for setup, clear communication and better training of operators.

Rick’s conversation with Tony and Brian was recorded at the 2024 Impressions Expo in Long Beach, California. For more on the Long Beach event as well as the other two annual Impressions Expos in Fort Worth, Texas, and Atlantic City, New Jersey, click here. To see more videotaped Shop Talk sessions from over the years, click here.

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Everyone has opinions about the future. How many of these predictions, though, end up coming true? In this fun and fascinating Shop Talk panel discussion, the Ink Kitchen’s Rick Roth talks with Alex Phelan of Merchadise, Ink Kitchen contributor and AI researcher Michelle Moxley, and Jacob Edwards of Jakprints about the recent revolutionary changes to the decorated-apparel industry they did—and didn’t–see coming.

Rick’s conversation with Alex, Michelle and Jacob was recorded at the 2024 Impressions Expo in Long Beach, California. For more on the Long Beach event as well as the other two annual Impressions Expos in Fort Worth, Texas, and Atlantic City, New Jersey, click here. To see more videotaped Shop Talk sessions from over the years, click here.

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In this Shop Talk discussion, host Rick Roth, founder of New England’s Mirror Image Screenprinting & Embroidery and the Ink Kitchen, talks with Ty Kain of Crafted MFG and Jenna Sackett of STAHLS’ Transfer Express about: 1) the business sourcing blank hats 2) some of the latest technologies available for decorating hats for customers of all kinds using a heat press and 3) the opportunities the sale of custom-decorated hats can provide screen printers, embroiderers and heat-press decorators of all kinds.

Rick’s conversation with Ty and Jenna was recorded at the 2023 Impressions Expo in Fort Worth, Texas. For more on the Fort Worth event as well as the other two annual Impressions Expos in Long Beach, California, and Atlantic City, New Jersey, click here. To see some more videotaped Shop Talk sessions from over the years, click here.

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Starting a business of your own—any business—can be a daunting proposition. However, doing so in the decorated apparel industry is well within the reach of those with sufficient drive and the willingness to do what it takes.

In this Shop Talk discussion, recorded at Impressions Expo Fort Worth in 2023, host Rick Roth, founder of New England’s Mirror Image Screenprinting & Embroidery and the Ink Kitchen, talks with Dallas-based La Tonna Roberson aka Lady Print Boss, a veteran business coach and decorator in her own right, about what it takes to get a successful decorated-apparel business off the ground.

For more on all three Impressions Expos, including the expos in Long Beach, California, and Atlantic City, New Jersey, click here. To see some more videotaped Shop Talk sessions from over the years, click here.

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Although screen-printing as an apparel-decorating technique has been around for centuries, the number of variables involved can make doing it correctly a daunting prospect to this day.

In this Shop Talk discussion, recorded at Impressions Expo Fort Worth in 2023, host Rick Roth, founder of New England’s Mirror Image Screenprinting & Embroidery and the Ink Kitchen, talks with Lon Winters of Graphic Elephants about some of the tips and tricks he uses to avoid and solve such common mistakes as dye migration, registration and improper ink curing.

For more on all three Impressions Expos, including the expos in Long Beach, California, and Atlantic City, New Jersey, click here.

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Women are often underrepresented in the apparel-decoration industry, but the good folks at Ink Kitchen want you to know you’re not alone! In this, the first-ever Shop Talk women’s panel, which took place at the 2024 Impressions Expo in Long Beach, California, the Ink Kitchen’s Pam Ikegami spoke with a panel of decorated-apparel professionals from across the industry to learn a little bit about how they got to where they are today and offer any advice they might have, both for other women in the industry and the companies that employ them.

Professional Women from Across the Decorated-Apparel Industry

Joining moderator Pam were Jody Mazade, sales and marketing director at Howard Custom Transfers; Milissa Gibson, sales director of Lane 7 Apparel; LaTonna Roberson, owner of the Dallas-based T-Shirt Shop Lady Print Boss; Megan Griffith, co-owner of P&M Apparel: https://www.pmapparel.com ; Nicole Pape, CEO and owner of Embellishr; and Nikki Bowen, co-owner of Cotton Street Apparel. For more on all three Impressions Expos, including the Expos in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Fort Worth, Texas, click here.

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Heat-transfer apparel decorating is not just for beginners or those getting started in the business. Many of the industry’s biggest screen-printing and embroidery shops use heat presses and special transfers as well in order to custom decorate T-shirt, hats, hoodies and other kind of apparel in ways that wouldn’t be possible otherwise.

Heat pressing blank apparel

In this Shop Talk host Rick Roth, founder of New England’s Mirror Image Screenprinting & Embroidery and the Ink Kitchen, talks with heat-press and heat-transfer expert Dave Conner of longtime industry leader STAHLS’ Transfer Express about the ins and out of making this kind of decorating a success.

Roth and Cox’s conversation was recorded at part of the Impressions Expo in Fort Worth, Texas.  For more on all three Impressions Expos, including the expos in Long Beach, California, and Atlantic City, New Jersey, click here.

The post Avoid These common Mistakes When Heat-Transfer Apparel Decorating appeared first on Impressions.

It’s easy to get bogged down in the technical aspects of apparel decoration, but the real path to success, if you’re an embroiderer (or a screen-printer, heat-press specialist or digital decorator, as well) lies in thinking like a business owner first.

In this Shop Talk, host Rick Roth, founder of New England’s Mirror Image Screenprinting & Embroidery and the Ink Kitchen, talks with Jennifer Cox of the National Network of Embroidery Professionals about charging what you’re worth, factoring in all costs and communicating your pricing clearly to avoid surprises.

Valuing Your Embroidery Work

Critical to this kind of approach, Cox says, is thinking long-term: ensure your pricing allows you to reinvest in your business, pay yourself fairly, and weather unexpected challenges.

Roth and Cox’s conversation was recorded at part of the Impressions Expo in Fort Worth, Texas. For more on all three Impressions Expo, including the expos in Long Beach, California, and Atlantic City, New Jersey, click here. For the latest on registration, conference schedule, exhibitor information and the Impressions Expo Fort Worth schedule, click here.

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Impressions Shop Talk host Rick Roth, founder of New England’s Mirror Image Screenprinting & Embroidery and the Ink Kitchen, sits down with the Equipment Zone’s Jay Busselle, and together provide a truly comprehensive overview of what today’s direct-to-garment DTG) and direct-to-film (DTF) printing technologies mean for decorated apparel professionals across the industry—be they screen printers, embroiderers or heat-press decorators.

Roth and Gardner’s talk was recorded at part of the Impressions Expo in Fort Worth, Texas. For more on all three Impressions Expo, including the expos in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Long Beach, California, click here.

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In a truly special installment of the Impressions Shop Talk series, host Rick Roth, founder of New England’s Mirror Image Screenprinting & Embroidery and the Ink Kitchen, sits down with T-shirt screen-printing legend Dave Gardner, inventor of simulated process printing and the “underbase” print; creator of the iconic Harley Davidson T-shirts of the 1980s; director of creative embellishment at Gildan; and recipient of the 2024 Impressions Lifetime Achievement Award.

Screen-Printing Legend/Creator of Simulated Process Printing

If you have anything at all to do with T-shirt printing, art and color seps, or apparel decorating in general, you’re not going to want to miss this conversation.

Roth and Gardner’s talk was recorded at part of the Impressions Expo in Atlantic City, New Jersey. For more on all three Impressions Expo, including the expos in Long Beach, California, and Fort Worth, Texas, click here.

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