Impressions - October/November 2011 - (Page 4)

FIRST IMPRESSIONS New Friend, New Focus ands down, my favorite part of working in the decorated apparel industry is meeting you. The market attracts creative, energetic entrepreneurs who inspire our team at Impressions to provide the best editorial content and information to help you reach your business goals. And there’s no better place to meet each other one-on-one than the Imprinted Sportswear Shows (ISS). In addition to connecting with exhibitors to ﬁnd out about their latest product offerings, ISS provides the opportunity to learn and network — whether it be on the show ﬂoor, in the conference sessions or just hanging around the hotels. That “hanging around” can be the key to forging new relationships and there isn’t a show I’ve come away from that hasn’t enabled me to make new friends who leave an indelible impression on me. Those meetings often make me think about more things we can offer through our print and digital content to help you succeed. Such was the case recently at ISS Atlanta, which was held this past Sept. 8-10. While hanging out at the hotel after setup day, I met a new friend, Michelle Capps, a startup decorator and ﬁrst-time ISS attendee from Dade City, Fla. Her mission was to educate herself as much as possible about the industry, gain contacts and make her ﬁrst substantial equipment purchases for her business, The T Zone. I was impressed immediately with Michelle’s focus and drive. She had more than done her homework prior to the show in pouring over past Impressions issues, reading our Impressions Newsletters, Impressions Product Guides and other online content, and keeping up with industry blogs. She hit the show ﬂoor all three days and we met each evening to review what she’d learned, seen and accomplished. The prevalence of new decorators like Michelle is one of the reasons we recently launched the “Build Your Business” section of our website, which can be accessed via the impressionsmag.com green navigation bar or by scanning the QR code below with your smart phone. It is dedicated to helping decorators succeed and be proﬁtable, whether yours is a startup company or an established ﬁrm looking to expand its services or streamline business practices. Easy to navigate, it is broken down into four distinct categories: Decorating Diversiﬁcation, Industry Outlook, Sales and Marketing, and Shop Management (read more about the Build Your Business section on p. 14) Michelle was eager to check it out and we decided that her journey as a new decorator would be a great addition to Build Your Business. We’ll be following her in the coming months, giving you insight into the trials and triumphs she encounters. Look for the ﬁrst installment in an upcoming Impressions Newsletter, and Michelle’s story will then permanently reside in the Shop Management section of Build Your Business. I can’t wait for you to meet Michelle and be inspired as you take your own company to the next level. DECORATED APPAREL GROUP EDITORIAL OFFICE 1145 Sanctuary Parkway, Suite 355 Alpharetta, GA 30009 (770) 569-1540, (800) 241-9034; Fax: (770) 569-5105 EDITORIAL EDITOR IN CHIEF MARCIA DERRYBERRY • (770) 291-5574 MDERRYBERRY@IMPRESSIONSMAG.COM SENIOR EDITOR JAMAR LASTER • (770) 291-5578 JLASTER@IMPRESSIONSMAG.COM CONTRIBUTING WEB EDITOR SARAH GODDARD CONTRIBUTING WRITERS HENRY BERNSTEIN, DEBORAH JONES, KEVIN KELLY, GREG KITSON, KIETH STEVENS, CHARLIE TAUBLIEB VICE PRESIDENT/CONTENT DOUG HOPE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT JOE RANDALL ART ART DIRECTOR WENDI VAN ELDIK • (770) 291-5520 WENDI.VANELDIK@NIELSEN.COM ADVERTISING ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER LAURIE GONZ • (813) 366-2877 LAURIE.GONZ@NIELSEN.COM SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE JEANINE MORGAN • (813) 366-2876 JEANINE.MORGAN@NIELSEN.COM SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE — CLASSIFIEDS DIANE KENNEDY • (770) 291-5519 DIANE.KENNEDY@NIELSEN.COM PRODUCTION PRODUCTION DIRECTOR NAN MCDOWELL • (770) 291-5480 NAN.MCDOWELL@NIELSEN.COM PRODUCTION MANAGER TERRI HILL • (770) 291-5481 TERRI.HILL@NIELSEN.COM h CUSTOMER SERVICE BACK ISSUES • (800) 697-8859 SUBSCRIPTIONS • (800) 697-8859 NIMP@OMEDA.COM FOR REPRINTS RAY TRYNOVICH, THE YGS GROUP • (800) 290-5460 X148 IMPRESSIONS@THEYGSGROUP.COM LIST RENTAL LIST RENTAL PRODUCT MANAGER BART PICCIRILLO • (848) 731-2768 BART.PICCIRILLO@ERAEPD.COM SCAN THE CODE BELOW TO SUBSCRIBE! EDITOR IN CHIEF To comment on this editorial or to express your views on other matters, address your e-mail to mderryberry@impressionsmag.com. 4 Impressions >> October/November 2011 A Division of Nielsen impressionsmag.com http://www.impressionsmag.com http://www.impressionsmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Impressions - October/November 2011

Impressions - October/November 2011
Contents
First Impressions
From the Show Director
FYI
Product Gallery
ISS Conference Program 2012: Designed for Success
Laser Etching on Performancewear
On the Move
It Pays to Take Shirt Design Online
The Digital Difference
Technique
Production
For Screen Printers Only
Online Directory
Tech Tips
Business to Business
Classifieds
Ad Index

Impressions - October/November 2011