That is the advice of 20-plus year industry expert Tom Vann, president and CEO of Target Graphics. “Doing special effects for the sake of doing special effects is a mistake,” said Vann, “but using them to get texture or a glam look to fit a specific demographic or market, that’s where you see growth, and when people execute it right, success.” He believes distributors should take a common-sense approach when it comes to emerging technologies and techniques in garment printing—and they can start by realizing new printing methods and inks need to be incorporated into a design that fits the target market. “It’s picking the right shirt with the right design, and then the right embellishment,” continued Vann. “If it’s a youth market, they like glim and glam so you might use foils and so forth. If it’s retro, you’re going to still see distress, which has been popular for a long time.”
- Companies:
- Target Graphics