DOWNLOAD: The Impressions Awards

By Marcia Derryberry,
Editor in Chief and
Barbara Montgomery,
Contributing Writer
The Impressions
Awards Go
HIGH
FASHION
36th
A delicately embroidered dress
takes the Grand Champion
award in our prestigious,
36th annual apparel
decorating competition.
i
t’s always thrilling to see which designs take top honors in our annual
Impressions Awards apparel decorating competition. And this year, we were all
surprised when a high-fashion dress — custom made for the competition — and its
intricate embroidery work was submitted
for the contest. We knew it was something
special, and it ended up taking top honors, including the People’s Choice Award,
which included votes from attendees at the
2014 Fort Worth Imprinted Sportswear
Shows (ISS) event held this past September in Fort Worth, Texas.
There’s always something new to see
when the Impressions Awards competition
stages, and this year was no exception.
From screen printed production pieces to
detailed embroidered items and unique
digitally decorated entries, the submissions
collectively offered an array of unique and
fashionable designs from all of the apparel
decorating processes. This year marked the
36th year of the Impressions Awards, and
24
Impressions | January 2015
impressionsmag.com
GRAND CHAMPION
GRAND CHAMPION: EMBROIDERY
FIRST PLACE: EMBROIDERED STOCK DESIGNS | PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD WINNER
t
he whole is, indeed, often greater than the sum of its parts. the wonderful meandering effect on the sleeves and center front
Beyond the quality of its individual elements, it was the panels. The techniques to create this type of look definitely are not
vision and skill with which they were brought together simple,” she says.
that earned “Queen Lidya” multiple honors in the 36th annual
Likewise, Richard Bloedow, GS USA, says it was design inImpressions Awards.
tricacy and placement that catapulted this entry past all
The entry, submitted by Gelisim Tekstil, Istanothers in his mind. “It wasn’t so much that the inbul, not only took first place in the Embroidered
dividual parts of design were difficult,” he says.
Stock Designs category and Grand Champion:
“What was impressive was the way they were
Embroidery honors, but it also earned the
placed on the fabric and the overall visualizatitle of overall Grand Champion and nabbed
tion of the garment. The designs were lined
the contest’s People’s Choice Award. While
up perfectly, eliminating the ability to see
Queen Lidya was named Grand Champion
where the seams are, so it basically became
for scoring the highest combined number of
an allover [embroidered piece].”
points for toughness/job complexity, techniJudge Jimmy Lamb, Sawgrass Technolocal skill, visual impact, design placement and
gies, admits that as he thought out the process
innovation, it was planning and forethought
involved in creating this entry, it almost left
that made the entry a standout, according to
him speechless.
Impressions Awards judges. “Everything about it was challenging,” he
“The elegant understatement of the tone-on-tone
says. “An incredible amount of effort was put into
presentation, coupled with the rich textures cremaking sure the stitch patterns truly were interated through multiple embroidery techniques, set
locking within the applicable sewing space. Plus,
“Queen Lidya”
Gelisim Tekstil
this entry apart,” says Lee Caroselli-Barnes, Balboa
each panel had to be carefully engineered so as to
Istanbul
Threadworks Inc. “The beauty of the textures was
ensure the stitch patterns made it to the edge —
gelisimtekstil.com.tr
the overwhelming eye-catcher.”
without going over it — taking into consideration
Deborah Jones of MyEmbroideryMentor.com
that the edges had to be sewn to other panels. The
says she voted for the entry because of its overall appeal, unusual workmanship was amazing. This entry was like a fine painting.
technique and degree of difficulty. “I also love the mix of pat- You had to let the details soak in to really appreciate it.”
terns — graduating from small to slightly larger, then finally to — Barbara Montgomery
it represents our latest showcase of the
industry’s best designs from decorators of
all sizes and experience levels. The entries
were judged at ISS Fort Worth.
The Grand Champion winner was
Gelisim Tekstil, Istanbul. Combining intricate detailing with an innovative use
of detailed allover embroidery, the entry,
“Queen Lidya,” is an excellent example of
this industry’s top-notch capabilities.
We were again pleased to see the increased number of first-time decorators
entering the competition, with some even
gaining top honors. We also were glad to
see so many different innovative decorating techniques being used. The creative
drive of all the contestants, combined
with the array of categories for different
processes, means everyone had a shot at
winning an award.
A victory in the Impressions Awards
competition is just the beginning for the
designs featured in this issue. In addition to
coverage in our January print, digital and
impressionsmag.com
mobile app editions, we’ll showcase all of
the winners at every ISS event this year —
in six different regions of the country.
Additionally, we’ll be presenting the
2014 winners in our Impressions Awards
& Design Galleries, located online at
impressionsmag.com, throughout 2015.
We also will present additional 2014
Impressions Awards entries in the galleries
as an opportunity for decorators whose
designs did not make the winners’ podium
to get much-deserved kudos for hard work
and excellent design execution.
It’s never too early to start thinking
about this year’s competition. We’ll have
the official entry form available on our
website in May, but if you are interested in
entering early, please contact Associate Editor Lauren Mitchell at lauren.mitchell@
emeraldexpo.com for more information.
Congratulations to the winners and
thanks to all who entered last year. We’re
proud to showcase the talent and creativity this innovative industry has to offer.
Thank you to our judges!
Richard Bloedow
GS USA
Lee Caroselli-Barnes
Balboa Threadworks
Dane Clement
Great Dane Designs
Terry Combs
The Equipment Zone
Deborah Jones
MyEmbroideryMentor.com
Jimmy Lamb
Sawgrass Technologies
James Ortolani
Transfer Express
Charlie Taublieb
Taublieb Consulting
January 2015 | Impressions
25
36th
MULTICOLOR SCREEN PRINTING ON LIGHT OR DARK GARMENTS
1
st
FIRST PLACE
“Take ‘Er Slow”
2
nd
US Recognition
Lakewood, Colo.
(303) 988-4127
usrecognition.com
SECOND PLACE
“Bent Axles BBQ”
Images
Santa Maria, Calif.
(805) 925-7170
imagesscreenprinting.com
3
rd
THIRD PLACE
“Green Energy”
US Recognition
Lakewood, Colo.
(303) 988-4127
usrecognition.com
TRUE PROCESS COLOR SCREEN PRINTING
2
nd
1
st
“Steeplechase
2014”
FIRST PLACE
“Broken by the
Burden”
Anderson Studio
Nashville, Tenn.
(615) 255-4807
andersonstudioinc.com
King Screen
Atlanta
(678) 528-3269
kingscreen.com
3
3
rd
rd
THIRD PLACE (TIE)
“Gruene Hall”
Cornerstone Impressions
Fort Worth, Texas
(817) 568-8337
cornerstoneimpressions.com
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Impressions | January 2015
SECOND PLACE
THIRD PLACE
(TIE)
“German
American
Partnership”
Rambow
New London, Minn.
(320) 354-3636
rambow.com
impressionsmag.com
36th
OUTSTANDING DESIGN: A SCREEN PRINT ARTIST’S AWARD
1
st
FIRST PLACE
“Crab Ripped”
Mojo Art & Image
Baltimore
(888) 862-9989
getmoremojo.com
DESIGN DETAILS
No. of Colors in Design: 8 colors;
2 whites/10 screens
Separation Software: Adobe Illustrator
Size of Run: 600 pieces
Ink Brand(s): Rutland M3 series plastisol
Screen Printing Press: 14-color/
16-station M&R Sportsman EXG
Run Time: 1 hour
Purpose of Design: Stock preprint
for wholesale
Artist: Kevin Pickett
(design owned by Dave Trapp)
Frames Used: Newman Roller Frames
a
lthough Mojo Art & Image is just
wrapping up its debut year in
operation, “Crab Ripped” is the
product of decades of screen-printing experience. The combined expertise of owner
Dave Trapp, artist Kevin Pickett and his
group, and a production crew headed by
Kevin Wise and Dawit Admasu, were key
to making the original design — one of the
company’s first stock wholesale offerings
— a huge seller in Mojo’s Maryland line.
Founded as a decorating adjunct of the
22-year-old, Baltimore-based Buck Wear,
Mojo draws from Buck Wear’s veteran
art staff in designing for the expanding
preprint segment of its business. Bringing
Pickett’s Crab Ripped art to life on a shirt
required a true team effort — from the
separations done in-house in Adobe Illustrator to careful attention to ink, mesh and
other production details. Crab Ripped was
printed using 10 screens — eight colors
and two whites.
“One of the biggest printing challenges
was figuring out the colors and how to
make them work,” says Wise, the production manager. “We needed to make it look
like the shirt was actually torn, like there
were ripples in the shirt and pieces sticking up. It wasn’t easy. When we initially
28
Impressions | January 2015
set up the job, we had to press-check it to
get just the right colors and get the fades
right. The design had both light and dark
tonal colors, and there also are two golds:
the yellow in the Maryland flag and a dark
gold that kind of blends with that. So that
added to the time. All in all, the initial
setup took about two hours; but once we
nailed it, it was the same every time.”
The design was printed with 23" x 31"
Newman Roller Frames. The crew used
a 195 mesh for the underbase and a 305
mesh for everything else, with the goal being a sharp print that helped impart a 3-D
look, along with a soft hand.
Although Crab Ripped is part of Mojo’s Maryland preprint line, it has spawned
a number of successful variations, such
as ones incorporating the American flag,
a deer skull, and Baltimore Orioles and
Ravens colors.
“Everyone thought it was one of the
coolest designs that we did, so we decided to change it up and [reseparate] it
for other markets,” Wise says. “We’re not
putting geographic limits on what we can
do. We’re ASI vendors and are reaching
out to buyers across the country with our
own and Old Bay designs, which we are
licensed to print.
“Crab Ripped has helped get our preprint operation off to a great start,” he
adds. “But [it has] also reinforced the
importance of print quality and having
people on board who are capable of putting out a product that looks so good that
it sells that well. It’s something we all can
be proud of.” — Barbara Montgomery
2
nd
SECOND
PLACE
“Take ‘Er
Slow”
US Recognition
Lakewood, Colo.
(303) 988-4127
usrecognition.com
3
rd
THIRD PLACE
“Vintage T-Shirt”
Lynka
Krakow, Poland
+48 12 293 80 00
lynka.eu
impressionsmag.com
36th
SIMULATED PROCESS COLOR
SCREEN PRINTING
GRAND CHAMPION: SCREEN PRINTING
SPECIAL EFFECTS TEXTILE
SCREEN PRINTING
1 FIRST PLACE
“Eco-Friendly
T-Shirt”
st
Lynka
Krakow, Poland
+48 12 293 80 00
lynka.eu
1
st
FIRST PLACE
“Heart Breaker”
The Araca Group
San Fernando, Calif.
(818) 743-5411
araca.com
2
nd
2
nd
SECOND PLACE
“Guardian Angel”
“Smokin’ Skull”
The Araca Group
San Fernando, Calif.
(818) 743-5411
araca.com
THIRD PLACE
3
“Smile Now”
The Araca Group
San Fernando, Calif.
(818) 743-5411
araca.com
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Impressions | January 2015
rd
SECOND PLACE
CC Creations
Bryan, Texas
(979) 693-9664
cccreations.com
3
rd
THIRD PLACE
“Cherry Pie”
Shockwaves Promotional
Apparel
Des Plaines, Ill.
(847) 981-8661
shockwavesapparel.com
impressionsmag.com
36th
MANUAL TEXTILE SCREEN PRINTING
2
nd
1
st
FIRST PLACE
SECOND PLACE
D. Long & Co.
Savannah, Tenn.
(731) 925-0931
dlongandco.com
Lafferty Screen Printing
Salinas, Calif.
(831) 422-2778
laffertyscreenprinting.com
“Top o’ the River”
“Baeza”
3
rd
THIRD PLACE
“Gypsy Foil Melt”
CC Creations
Bryan, Texas
(979) 693-9664
cccreations.com
MOST CREATIVE USE OF SCREEN PRINTED LOGO/MASCOT
2
nd
SECOND PLACE
1
st
“Antique Car Run”
FIRST PLACE
Rambow
New London, Minn.
(320) 354-3636
rambow.com
“Old Bay
Washed Can”
Mojo Art & Image
Baltimore
(888) 862-9989
getmoremojo.com
3
rd
THIRD PLACE
“Rasta Lion”
Robby Kloding
Accra, Ghana, West Africa
+233241187227
robbykloding.com
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Impressions | January 2015
impressionsmag.com
36th
MULTIMEDIA
FIRST PLACE
1
st
g
reg Gaardbo is fond of noting
that when people tell him, “Your
designing always seems out of the
box,” his standard rejoinder is, “I
never started with a box to begin with.”
That approach has earned Gaardbo,
founder and president of Shockwaves
Promotional Apparel, Des Plaines, Ill., a
raft of industry awards and a reputation
as a “go-to guy” for unique and unusual
ways to present artwork on garments.
With multimedia being his bailiwick,
and recent Impressions Awards honors in
categories including Most Creative Use
of Heat-Applied Graphics, Sublimation
on Finished Apparel, and Most Creative
Use of an Embroidered Logo/Mascot, it’s
no surprise to see his “Peacock Hoodie”
sublimation and sequin creation taking the
top spot in 2014’s Multimedia category.
“People come to us because our work
makes them, and our company, stand out
from the crowd,” Gaardbo says. “Our customers are paying for our creativity, and
our ability to visualize and render artwork
in a unique way by using and mixing various media.”
In the case of the Peacock Hoodie, the
client wanted the artwork to have a soft,
Victoria’s Secret-type look. Gaardbo went
“Peacock Hoodie”
Shockwaves Promotional Apparel
Des Plaines, Ill.
(847) 981-8661
shockwavesapparel.com
DESIGN DETAILS
No. of Colors in Design: Full-color, CMYK
RIP Software: Wasatch
Size of Run: About 200
Ink Brand(s): Nazdar Source One
Sequin Application Method: Hotfix
Sublimation Printer: Mutoh
Hotfix Sequin Applicator: All American
Setup Time: 2-3 hours
Production Time: 6-8 minutes
Purpose of Design: Contract for retail
Artists: Greg Gaardbo and Meghan Bortz
with a combination of sublimation (to
achieve a full spectrum of colors) and hotfix
sequins as an accent. After sizing, the design
went straight from Adobe Photoshop to the
RIP to produce the sublimation transfer.
The pattern was taken to a different
computer, where the sequins were laid out
by hand and then transfers were created
using a hotfix machine. The 18" x 18" design required putting portions on transfer
sheets of three different sizes. The colors
were applied to a garment made of a 50/50
cotton/polyester blend burnout fabric,
which retained sufficient polyester on the
surface to accept the sublimated colors.
Then the sequin transfers were applied.
While the initial setup took two to
three hours, actual production time ran
six to eight minutes per piece. “It’s really
not that bad; the hardest part is making
sure everything lines up as it goes through
the process,” Gaardbo says. “It takes more
time than screen printing, but we’re also
able to charge a premium.”
Now in its 23rd year, Shockwaves has
gone from solely being a screen printer to
also doing in-house decorating with sequins, sublimation, embroidery and laser
appliqués. “We were doing non-textile
printing and started screening T-shirts
because a customer had a need,” Gaardbo
recalls. “And we just kept acquiring new
tools. It’s an ongoing learning process.
“But all these things are only tools
that provide access to new media,” adds
Gaardbo, who studied at the Illinois Institute of Art. “It’s still all about creativity;
basically, that’s what we supply — art on
apparel.” — Barbara Montgomery
2
nd
SECOND
PLACE
“Skull”
Quality Punch
Torrance, Calif.
(310) 909-8948
qualitypunch.net
3
rd
THIRD PLACE
“Soccer Hoodie”
Divine Bling
Clovis, Calif.
(559) 260-1122
divinebling.com
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Impressions | January 2015
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36th
MOST CREATIVE USE OF AN EMBROIDERED LOGO/MASCOT
2
SECOND
PLACE
nd
1
st
FIRST PLACE
“Magic Dogs”
“Lone Autumn
Wolf”
Quality Punch
Torrance, Calif.
(310) 909-8948
qualitypunch.net
Sunshine Digitizing
Calgary, Alberta,
Canada
(800) 661-1797
sunshinedigitizing.com 3
rd
THIRD PLACE
“Brock Lesnar”
Shockwaves
Promotional Apparel
Des Plaines, Ill.
(847) 981-8661
shockwavesapparel.com
EMBROIDERED STOCK DESIGNS
1
st
FIRST PLACE
“Queen Lidya”
2
nd
Gelisim Tekstil
Istanbul
gelisimtekstil.com.tr
SECOND
PLACE
“Kentucky
Derby Hat”
JP Bell
Aurora, Colo.
(303) 809-2274
3
rd
THIRD PLACE
“Galata Tower”
Gelisim Tekstil
Istanbul
gelisimtekstil.com.tr
impressionsmag.com
January 2015 | Impressions
35
36th
MOST CREATIVE USE OF HEAT-APPLIED GRAPHICS
(DIGITAL TRANSFERS, CUT-AND-SEW OR PRINT/CUT MATERIALS)
1
st
FIRST PLACE
“Zombie Fish”
Savi Customs
San Diego
(866) 783-6489
savicustoms.com
2
nd
SECOND PLACE
3
rd
“US Army”
THIRD PLACE (TIE)
Savi Customs
San Diego
(866) 783-6489
savicustoms.com
“Cosmic Yoga”
Vapor Apparel
N. Charleston, S.C.
(843) 747-4200
vaporapparel.com
3
rd
THIRD PLACE (TIE)
“Falcons”
Savi Customs
San Diego
(866) 783-6489
savicustoms.com
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Impressions | January 2015
impressionsmag.com
36th
DIGITIZING ARTISTRY
1 FIRST PLACE
“Mallard Ducks”
st
Texas by Design
Rockport, Texas
(361) 729-7193
texasbydesign.com
t
he 36th Impressions Awards is the
only industry competition Peggy
Thompson has ever entered, but the
first-place honors her “Mallard Ducks”
design received was by no stretch of
the imagination beginner’s luck. It was
a combination of great artwork, stellar
digitizing, skillful sewing and, most of all,
teamwork that earned Texas by Design’s
custom retail entry its recognition.
When Thompson moved her company
from Austin, Texas to Rockport 10 years
ago, it opened new opportunities for the
18-year embroidery veteran. Business was
better in the small town, with more custom
and commercial work, and greater potential for retailing her own line on site and
at fairs and events. While continuing to do
Texas wildflower designs for the Lady Bird
Johnson Wildflower Center, she recognized a stronger market in the coastal town
for decorated fishing and hunting shirts.
“Shirts that are specially made with
pockets, loops, etc. for fishermen are popular, and they look great with fish embroidered on them,” she says. “There also is a
lot of duck hunting in South Texas and a
market for wildlife designs.”
Thompson prefers to use original artwork by Texas photographers and artists
— and pay them percentages or royalties
38
Impressions | January 2015
DESIGN DETAILS
No. of Colors in Design: 23
Thread Changes/Stops: 38
Thread Type(s): Robison-Anton Rayon 40
Stitch Count: 43,400
Embroidery Machine Used: Toyota 9100
Sewout Time: 1 hour
Digitizing Software Used: Wilcom ES-65
Digitizer: Daniel Cummins
Purpose of Design: Custom for
retail onsite
— rather than stock designs. A friend suggested she contact Port Neches, Texas, artist Calvin Carter. He agreed to work with
Thompson and digitizer Daniel Cummins
to create an embroidered version of Mallard
Ducks — which had placed fourth in the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2013
Federal Duck Stamp contest.
Carter emailed Thompson a picture of
the original painting, which she forwarded
to Cummins. He took on the challenge
and digitized the design, which Thompson
then embroidered. Carter was kept in the
loop every step of the way, helping finetune Thompson’s sewouts via email until
he was convinced that the embroidery
would match the original art.
The greatest challenge was deciding which colors to begin with and ensuring they still worked as the sewout
progressed by making revisions where
needed, Thompson says. The embroiderer
also found it difficult to establish a rhythm
in managing the 23 color changes, which
initially drove up sewout time because she
was still learning to thread as she went.
“The goal is to get the embroidered
piece looking as much like the original artwork as possible, and I think we’ve accomplished that in a marketable way.”
2
nd
SECOND
PLACE (TIE)
“40th Rodders
Days”
Andy’s Tee Shirts
Concord, Calif.
(925) 825-8911
andystees.com
2
nd
SECOND
PLACE (TIE)
“Toledo Town”
QDigitizing.com
(877) 733-4390
qdigitizing.com
3
rd
THIRD PLACE
“‘Vinshu’ the
Indian God”
QDigitizing.com
(877) 733-4390
qdigitizing.com
— Barbara Montgomery
impressionsmag.com
36th
DIRECT-TO-GARMENT DIGITAL APPAREL DECORATION
2
nd
SECOND PLACE
“Zelda”
T Productions
Mishawaka, Ind.
(574) 257-8610
t-productions.com
1 FIRST PLACE
“Endless Koi”
st
Breakthrough Clothing
Toms River, N.J.
(908) 330-3370
breakthroughclothing.com
3
rd
THIRD PLACE
“Panda’s Night Out”
Breakthrough Clothing
Toms River, N.J.
(908) 330-3370
breakthroughclothing.com
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Impressions | January 2015
impressionsmag.com
36th
SUBLIMATION ON FINISHED APPAREL
1
st
FIRST PLACE
“Vapor Subli-Sock
Samples”
Vapor Apparel
N. Charleston, S.C.
(843) 747-4200
vaporapparel.com
2
nd
SECOND PLACE
“American Customs”
Vapor Apparel
N. Charleston, S.C.
(843) 747-4200
vaporapparel.com
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