9 Keys to Short-Run Apparel

In “Opportunities and Experiences in Short-Run Apparel,” part of the “Digital Textile Printing: What, Why, and How” session during PRINTING United, Jeremy DeBoer, manager of Savi Customs, joined Lily Hunter, product manager of Textiles & Consumables, Roland DGA to look at nine areas apparel printers should focus on:

Graphic design. Prioritize technical expertise, especially in patterns.

Color management. The ability to match corporate colors is critical, but so is consistency.

Environment management. Changes in temperature and humidity can have adverse effects on digital textile printing.

Equipment management. Downtime costs money, and poor maintenance will inevitably lead to downtime.

Inventory management. Keep everything clean. Color waste after a print job can cause whites to appear speckled, among other issues.

Quality control. If you’re in textiles, you’re going to have reprints. If there’s an error, it’s better to reprint the garment to ensure product quality for customers, DeBoer said.

Sewing. Automation is coming around, but isn’t there yet, especially for more complicated stitching. Good equipment and personnel are necessary.

More quality control. Hunter and DeBoer believe in inspecting at every stage of the process.

Implement systems. Savi worked to develop its own software to track jobs from start to finish. That’s not necessary for all printers, but DeBoer said accuracy, efficiency, and excellent customer service should be the top priorities here.