Impressions - September 2020 - 22

SUBLIMATION

Personalization also is booming, much of it brought on by these
same artistic influencers. They design unique creations that offer
buyers the opportunity to add their own touches through personalization of some aspect. Online stores allow designers to designate
areas of the product that can be personalized with an image, text or
both. The customer can then personalize the product online and in
real time as part of the sales process. Not only does this improve the
customer experience, but it also adds to the product's value, which
leads to greater margins.
This ties back into the COVID-19 pandemic, as many of the
newcomers to sublimation are people who have been displaced from
previous jobs. Because of sublimation's low entry cost, it's a very
attractive secondary business for business owners looking to replace lost
income or supplement reduced wages. The result has been a boom in
equipment sales, especially in the middle of this year's second quarter.

Pushing the Limits
Many manufacturers and suppliers have struggled to keep up with
the demand for sublimation printers, inks, papers and substrates.
Some have hired more staff and established extra shifts to feed the
sales pipeline. That's actually good news considering the state of the
world right now.

Though some may fear this will lead to a saturation in the industry,
the reality is that much of this is being driven by newcomers with
new ideas, markets and directions. This means industry growth will
extend beyond its current borders.
All this growth should generate more benefits, such as a wider range
of unique substrates; improved inks and papers; and faster printers.
Manufacturers are interfacing their current sublimation software with
other third-party programs used by crafters and makers, resulting in
an easier transition to sublimation.
Non-sublimation manufacturers such as Siser and Forever have
jumped into the growing sublimation industry with new products
that allow the process to be perfomed on non-polyester products.
This has contributed to the niche's expansion by pushing the limits
of what sublimation previously could do.
Though 2020 has been a tough year for everyone due the COVID-19
pandemic, there are plenty of bright spots for the sublimation industry. It continues to grow and prosper, and is redefining itself in such
a way that signals a promising future for all involved. 
Award-winning author and international speaker Jimmy Lamb has more
than 25 years of apparel-decoration experience. He currently is manager of
communications for Sawgrass Technologies, Charleston, S.C. For more information or to comment on this article, email Jimmy at jlamb@sawgrassink.com.

Create checklists to ensure
certain factors, such as garment
color and quantity, are input
correctly before purchasing.
Photo courtesy of Visual
Impressions, Milwaukee.

Face masks are just a small part
of the changes happening in the
sublimation industry.
P.22

I M P R E S S I O N S M A G . C O M SEPTEMBER 2020

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Impressions - September 2020

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