February 06, 2023
The Best Decoration Techniques for CVC Jersey
When selling affordable apparel such as styles made from CVC jersey, it’s important that you select decoration methods that work well with this unique fabric blend. Choose the wrong technique and not only will the finished products suffer, but you’ll also likely miss out on that client’s business in the future.
Thankfully, the experts at Next Level Apparel (asi/73867) are sharing their knowledge on how to select the ideal methods for their time-honored CVC Jersey collection. You can trust NLA on their CVC know-how. After all, this premium blanks supplier invented the industry’s original CVC blend! After perfecting their fabric over the years, NLA now offers a beautiful soft blend of consistent heathered 60% cotton and 40% polyester. Not only is this fabric soft to the touch and comfortable to wear, it’s also perfect for many of the most in-demand decoration methods. Here’s how to get the best results, no matter what your client’s specifications are.
Screen Printing
First up, let’s talk about perhaps the most well-known decoration technique around: screen printing. NLA’s CVC fabric is the perfect blend for this method. The ring-spun cotton not only provides a clean printing canvas as impurities have been combed out, but it also makes garments soft. On the other hand, the polyester adds great strength and durability. These fibers combine to make the optimal shirt for screen-printed designs. Plastisol printing will create a classic and consistent result and also allows for faster print speeds, which can drive down the cost of volume printing. Looking for a more vintage, distressed vibe? Choose discharge printing, as only the cotton fibers will discharge, resulting in a beautiful vintage look.
Heat Transfer
NLA’s CVC collection pairs wonderfully with heat transfer. You’ll gain the benefits of the soft hand and excellent printing surface from the ring-spun cotton, while the polyester will add to the longevity of each print. Heat transfer should be a top choice for small volume runs, as it’s cost-effective and eliminates the need to prepare screens for the graphics. You also gain the versatility to reproduce high-quality and colorful designs, which is a common requirement of many apparel projects.
DTG (Direct-to-Garment)
While DTG decoration has typically been used only for cotton shirts in the past, that’s quickly changing. For example, because NLA’s CVC jersey has a higher percentage of cotton (60% vs. the more common standard of 50%), DTG printing can be done on this fabric blend too. NLA has found that with the correct pretreatment and proper processing, their CVC tees will take DTG printing just as well as 100% cotton tees. Remember though: that 60% cotton component is what makes this possible, so be sure to confirm the apparel you’re printing on contains this or you risk subpar imprints. With NLA’s CVC collection, that will never be the case.