Custom-Printed Table Skirts and Covers Make a Branding Impact
Companies who attend tradeshows regularly have known for years that custom table coverings are a great way to get your company noticed. Job fairs, company meetings, trade shows and expos, any public gathering where a table can be used, can be turned into an opportunity for increasing company visibility when a custom-imprinted table covering is used. These versatile pieces have even been known to turn up at weddings and parties for added flair!
The two main factors that have to be considered when looking at custom fabric printing are: color and material. All other details will fall into place more easily once these two elements have been determined. This is because certain printing methods can only be done with certain colors, and certain materials can only use particular printing methods. This actually sounds more confusing that it is. First, however, we need to look at the two main types of printing methods available for taking an image from a computer file and getting it onto a fabric surface.
Dye Sublimation:
Dye sublimation printing is a complicated name for a complicated chemical process that requires special materials, special inks, and a bit of thinking about color, but can produce beautiful full-color print results. Sublimation is a chemical process in which the ink becomes part of the item being printed, but the process can only work with certain inks on items that have been coated with polyester. This means that polyester fabrics can be printed using dye sublimation, but cotton fabrics, or cotton blends, cannot. In addition, sublimation printing can only be used on white (or very, very light) colored materials.
This does not mean that full-color printing or colored backgrounds are impossible when using dye sublimation printing. What it means, instead, is that in order to achieve a full-color background, the entire area must be printed, rather than just a small imprint area. For example, if you want to end up with a bright red 6' x 4' tablecloth that has a 36€ square imprinted logo in white, and you want to use dye sublimation to print it, you will need to have a 6' x 4' white polyester cloth printed red as a full bleed (ie, printed to the edges), with the logo €dropped out€ to remain white. All colors are possible with dye sublimation printing, it is just a matter of thinking of the best way to get the desired result. However, keep in mind that any cloth color except white will need to be printed onto the cloth.
Heat Transfer:
Heat transfer is a printing method where images are printed first on vinyl, and then the vinyl is literally fused with the cloth to create images in any number of colors on almost any material. Images can be created either by using pre-colored vinyl that is cut into specific shapes to create lettering, or by digitally printing vinyl in full color, and transferring the entire printed image area to the cloth. Depending on the imprint area and number of colors used, heat transfer can be a very cost effective printing option, especially when compared to dye sublimation.
When using pre-colored vinyl, however, it can be difficult to make a €perfect€ match to custom colors (for example, exact PMS color shades), and nearly impossible to create the same effect as screened images. Therefore, colored vinyl is recommended when printing either text or vector images in solid colors that need to be exact color matches. Digitally printed vinyl, however, is a different story altogether. Digital printing depends only on the color inks used, and can be used for either screen or vector images. Depending on the specific heat-transfer method used, the limitations of digitally printed vinyl transfers may be only where the image size is concerned, and not the color or image screen.
Now that we've laid out the differences between the two main printing styles for custom table-coverings for tradeshow or commercial use, we can get back to the two main factors when deciding which method to use for your custom imprinted tradeshow table cover. Those factors, again, are color and material. Remember, these are not the only factors, just the two that are going to be most important in determining which process will be best for your project.
Color: Look at your image graphic. How many colors will it require to be printed? Is it a full color screened image using a custom (ie, PMS or other color matching system) color, or can it be created using €standard€ four-color (or less, or more, of courses) printing? Does the background need to be considered as a separate color? Will your item be imprinted in only one area, or in multiple locations? (This can be important when considering the style of the item to be printed.) Are those imprints all the same colors?
Material: What is the material you are printing on? If you are ordering through a display sign company or printing company, generally they will present you with options that are suitable for the printing processes they use. However, if you are having an item custom-printed, you will need to consider if it is capable of being printed using the process you choose. This is to say that if you have a full-cotton custom table cover that you want to have dye-sublimation printed with your 4-color logo, you will not be able to print on the material itself without having it treated. In cases such as this, you may want to look into custom printing a table runner instead of the material itself, or choose a different base material.
Once details regarding the color of your imprint and the material upon which it will be printed have been established, then it is time to get your printing project underway. Additional details will fall into place based on which printing process you choose, such as image file formats and production time.
Custom graphics, such as banners, table covers, table runners, and similar printed branded materials, can make a huge difference in how your company or product is seen, and received, at tradeshows and meetings. A table cover that matches your branding - the right background color, the right image colors, the right logo and lettering - can increase customer recognition, leading to increased sales. Alternately, a badly matched branded item - a text only version of your company name in a font that does not match your logo - can actually have a negative impact on how your company is perceived.
When looking into custom graphics such as imprinted table coverings for tradeshows and job fairs, it is wise to look at all elements of the final project, and not merely the price. The least expensive method may be perfect for your project, but then again, it may not. Make sure your printing method can handle both the color requirements of your job, and also that the material being used is suitable for both the printing process chosen and the color needs. When those match up, you are sure to be pleased with the results!
The two main factors that have to be considered when looking at custom fabric printing are: color and material. All other details will fall into place more easily once these two elements have been determined. This is because certain printing methods can only be done with certain colors, and certain materials can only use particular printing methods. This actually sounds more confusing that it is. First, however, we need to look at the two main types of printing methods available for taking an image from a computer file and getting it onto a fabric surface.
Dye Sublimation:
Dye sublimation printing is a complicated name for a complicated chemical process that requires special materials, special inks, and a bit of thinking about color, but can produce beautiful full-color print results. Sublimation is a chemical process in which the ink becomes part of the item being printed, but the process can only work with certain inks on items that have been coated with polyester. This means that polyester fabrics can be printed using dye sublimation, but cotton fabrics, or cotton blends, cannot. In addition, sublimation printing can only be used on white (or very, very light) colored materials.
This does not mean that full-color printing or colored backgrounds are impossible when using dye sublimation printing. What it means, instead, is that in order to achieve a full-color background, the entire area must be printed, rather than just a small imprint area. For example, if you want to end up with a bright red 6' x 4' tablecloth that has a 36€ square imprinted logo in white, and you want to use dye sublimation to print it, you will need to have a 6' x 4' white polyester cloth printed red as a full bleed (ie, printed to the edges), with the logo €dropped out€ to remain white. All colors are possible with dye sublimation printing, it is just a matter of thinking of the best way to get the desired result. However, keep in mind that any cloth color except white will need to be printed onto the cloth.
Heat Transfer:
Heat transfer is a printing method where images are printed first on vinyl, and then the vinyl is literally fused with the cloth to create images in any number of colors on almost any material. Images can be created either by using pre-colored vinyl that is cut into specific shapes to create lettering, or by digitally printing vinyl in full color, and transferring the entire printed image area to the cloth. Depending on the imprint area and number of colors used, heat transfer can be a very cost effective printing option, especially when compared to dye sublimation.
When using pre-colored vinyl, however, it can be difficult to make a €perfect€ match to custom colors (for example, exact PMS color shades), and nearly impossible to create the same effect as screened images. Therefore, colored vinyl is recommended when printing either text or vector images in solid colors that need to be exact color matches. Digitally printed vinyl, however, is a different story altogether. Digital printing depends only on the color inks used, and can be used for either screen or vector images. Depending on the specific heat-transfer method used, the limitations of digitally printed vinyl transfers may be only where the image size is concerned, and not the color or image screen.
Now that we've laid out the differences between the two main printing styles for custom table-coverings for tradeshow or commercial use, we can get back to the two main factors when deciding which method to use for your custom imprinted tradeshow table cover. Those factors, again, are color and material. Remember, these are not the only factors, just the two that are going to be most important in determining which process will be best for your project.
Color: Look at your image graphic. How many colors will it require to be printed? Is it a full color screened image using a custom (ie, PMS or other color matching system) color, or can it be created using €standard€ four-color (or less, or more, of courses) printing? Does the background need to be considered as a separate color? Will your item be imprinted in only one area, or in multiple locations? (This can be important when considering the style of the item to be printed.) Are those imprints all the same colors?
Material: What is the material you are printing on? If you are ordering through a display sign company or printing company, generally they will present you with options that are suitable for the printing processes they use. However, if you are having an item custom-printed, you will need to consider if it is capable of being printed using the process you choose. This is to say that if you have a full-cotton custom table cover that you want to have dye-sublimation printed with your 4-color logo, you will not be able to print on the material itself without having it treated. In cases such as this, you may want to look into custom printing a table runner instead of the material itself, or choose a different base material.
Once details regarding the color of your imprint and the material upon which it will be printed have been established, then it is time to get your printing project underway. Additional details will fall into place based on which printing process you choose, such as image file formats and production time.
Custom graphics, such as banners, table covers, table runners, and similar printed branded materials, can make a huge difference in how your company or product is seen, and received, at tradeshows and meetings. A table cover that matches your branding - the right background color, the right image colors, the right logo and lettering - can increase customer recognition, leading to increased sales. Alternately, a badly matched branded item - a text only version of your company name in a font that does not match your logo - can actually have a negative impact on how your company is perceived.
When looking into custom graphics such as imprinted table coverings for tradeshows and job fairs, it is wise to look at all elements of the final project, and not merely the price. The least expensive method may be perfect for your project, but then again, it may not. Make sure your printing method can handle both the color requirements of your job, and also that the material being used is suitable for both the printing process chosen and the color needs. When those match up, you are sure to be pleased with the results!
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