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The Difference Between Dye Sublimation Printing and Screen Printing

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The two styles of printing are markedly different. The similarities are that both are printed on substrates and both produce an image. Aside from that? Not so much.

The Process of Screen Printing
The screen-printing process uses a very labor intensive set up that you don’t have with dye sublimation printing.

I’ll walk you through the screen printing process as I know it quite intimately, since this is where I began my career in the graphics business.

Central to the screen printing process is the screen (duh, right?). The screen is still often called a silkscreen, although silk has not been used for many decades since the advent of nylon thread.

There are many types of screen mesh, starting at around 100 threads per square inch and going up to several hundred threads per square inch. The more coarse mesh is becoming less common as it is used with oil-based enamel inks which have been replaced, by and large, with UV inks, which we run through a 220 mesh count as the ink particulates are much smaller than with the older solvent inks.

The screen mesh is typically stretched and glued to a wood or aluminum frame, or attached to expandable frames or roller frames. When stretching the mesh over a frame, we typically take the pounds per square inch (as shown on a “Newton Meter) up to 25 or 26, and let the fabric stretch out over-night.

By the time 16 to 24 hours have passed, the meter will show that the tension has dropped off to around 15 pounds per square inch, and we repeat the process, and the screens should have about the proper tension at around 20-22 lbs. per square inch tension, creating a taut screen that will deliver a good, clean print.

Once the screen is tensioned and attached to a frame, we typically use a fabric tape to tape around the edges of the frame, both inside and out. This is a semi-permanent solution to having ink leak out around the edges of the emulsion.

Now the screen is ready for the photo sensitive emulsion, which is applied with a scoop coater, a variable length tray that emulsion is poured into. After applying the emulsion to the screen, we move the screen to a flat, curtained drying/storage cabinet, where it dries. Different systems of coated screen storage will dry the coated screens at different rates, but ours are usually ready to expose within a couple of hours unless we put a fan on them.

Once the emulsion-coated screens are dry, we can now place the film on the print side of the screen, in reverse, tape it in place, and move it to a vacuum frame. The vacuum frame has a large piece of glass upon which the screen is placed, print side against the glass. A “blanket” is placed over the screen frame, and a vacuum motor engaged, and the screen is pressed tight against the glass.

The vacuum frame is now rotated to face an exposure light, which is typically on a timer. The light is turned on, and the photo sensitive emulsion is exposed, but the areas that are behind the film positive remain susceptible to water. After the set amount of time, typically 6 to 10 minutes, the light will turn off, and the vacuum frame rotated back to laying flat, the pressure released, and the screen removed and moved to a washout tank.

There are semi-automated washout tanks which, once you put the screen into it, it will expose the image with water in a short amount of time. At this point we allow the screen to dry, and we’re ready to place it on the screen printing press.

After making sure there are no pin holes (if there are, we use a blockout emulsion to fill them in), we tape the edges to make sure ink won’t leak out around the edges of the print (more of an issue on a clamshell press than one that lifts up and down, leaving the screen flat at all times). We line up the substrate, put in blockers, micro-adjust the screen to the substrate, and we’re ready to print.

The biggest weakness of screen printing is that we have to make a new screen for every color printed, making the set up time for screen printing quite time consuming. However, because the printing process is very fast, if there are a large quantity of signs or decals or banners, etc.

Next, we pour ink onto the screen, and print whatever it is we’re printing, say, bumper stickers or car window decals or stickers, or window sticker for a business, or signs, or whatever our clients order.

After printing, the excess ink is scooped back into the ink bucket, and the screen removed to a washout tank, degreased, and prepped to repeat the process again.

Dye Sublimation Printing Process
Dye sublimation printing of displays and banners is virtually always done on polyester fabric because the chemistry of polyester is suited to dye sub printing. The chemistry involved in dye sublimation printing is fascinating to me, not just because it’s a complex process, but because the end result is by far the most perfect printing of cloth banners, posters, and displays available.

There are four dyes involved, similar to an inkjet printer. The color coding for dye sublimate printing is a bit different that the CMYK printing that inkjet printers perform. The code for the dyes is CMYO (cyan magenta yellow overprint clear).

These dyes are printed on a special transfer paper, then removed from the printer and matched up with an oxford, satin, knit, or other polyester material and sent through heated rollers at approx.. 400F combined with the pressure of the rollers. In this process, the dye converts to a gas, and with the aid of the heat and pressure, becomes fused with the polyester fibers, and creates an absolutely gorgeous print (assuming the dyes and polyester are good quality).

How Direct to Garment Printing Works

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DTG is an acronym for Direct to Garment printing. Other terms for this include, but are not limited to, digital direct to garment printing, inkjet to garment printing, and digital apparel printing. The DTG printing process involves printing directly to textiles or clothing with a modified inkjet printer that is specifically designed to print garments. It requires a specialized platen and inks that are formulated specifically for cloth textile printing. These inks are printed directly to the fabric, unlike dye sublimation textile printing or heat transfer printing which uses a paper carrier which transfers the dye image using a combination of heat and pressure.

The basic technology used to build a DTG inkjet printer is the same technology used to build an inkjet printer similar to those used in homes and offices worldwide, except they cost a lot more, sometimes a lot more, depending on the type of output the printer will produce. Faster, bigger, and better machines can cost upwards of $300K.

DTG Printing “officially” became a commercial enterprise in approx. 2004 when the first DTG inkjet printers were introduced at a large trade show for printers put on by the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA) in Minneapolis, Minnesota (USA). Since the original units were introduced in 2004, many other printer manufacturing companies have jumped into the fray, and the speed and resolution have increased significantly over the past 10 years.

Fabrics Used in DTG Printing
One of the reasons for DTG printing, though, is that cotton and other natural-fiber cloth fabrics cannot be dye sublimation printed, due to the porosity of the fibers. Poly fabrics like polyester and nylon can by “printed” with dyes during the heat transfer from the transfer paper to the fabric because they are closed fibers that open up and encase the dye then close again as they cool. Natural fibers are not able to accomplish this, so inks were invented that would fill the gap, so to speak, using inkjet printing technology.

Natural fabrics have been printed for decades using inks that were compatible with cotton, but with the advent of dye sublimation printing, it became the challenge to create the inkjet printers that could print cotton and other natural fibers with similar results, although, in my opinion, the colors don’t pop as well on the natural fibers, possibly because they are natural fibers.

RIP Software
As with most inkjet printing, most printers are driven by computers that have RIP software. RIP stands for raster image processor. These processing programs dictate the quantity of ink used as well as sending information on the shirt color (dark clothing requires a white base coat under the image to be printed). Some RIP software (more costly versions usually) are able to “drive” multiple inkjet printers.

Why DTG Printing was Developed
The main reason direct-to-garment printing was developed was to create a way to print small quantities of shirts without the cost of having to set up multiple screens to print just a few shirts or a few dozen shirts. You could actually print a single shirt with this technology. That would likely be an expensive T-shirt, but some people have the budgets to afford a single shirt made to order, so the DTG printers were invented. However, compared to printing one t-shirt using traditional screen printing methods, DTG printing is very cost effective. However, with everything that is computerized, the equipment and inks are costly, although the results are typically cleaner and more concise compared with screen-printing.

Fish Protein Fertilizer Effect & Function in Agriculture

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Fish protein organic liquid fertilizer is a pure natural fertilizer, It’s rich in organic matter, fish protein, peptides, biological polysaccharides, etc. It’s also a kind of functional fertilizer, can be used as base fertilizer, topdressing, can be irrigated root, drip irrigation, flushing spray. Fish protein fertilizer with rich organic matter, protein, polypeptide, etc., after plowing soil significantly increased the content of soil organic matter, can rapidly promote the soil microbial breeding, greatly activate the soil nutrient, increase the soil fertility, improve soil protecting fertilizer water retention capacity, the use of fish protein fertilizer can effectively improve soil harden problems, maintain soil fertility.

Use fish protein can promote root development, improve photosynthesis, promote the growth of plants, and is beneficial to flower bud differentiation, mature early, and can greatly improve the quality. Spraying fruit trees, the leaves green glow, disease reduction, increase the fruit and vegetable quality & yield, Fish protein fertilizer is a pollution-free environment-friendly green fertilizer nutrient.

Fish Protein Fertilizer also has a very good inhibitory effect on plant diseases and insect pests, it can be used in the following aspects: cultivating strong seedling, stimulate the potential of plants.

More Details of Fish Protein Fertilizer

The Specific Application of Fish Protein in Crops

1.Tomato
In the early stage: spraying fish protein, promote leaf hypertrophy, developed roots, Improve seedling adaptability. Bud stage: with fish protein, reduce malformed flowers, increase the fruit rate. Expansion period: use fish protein 2 times, fruit size uniformity, increase the weight of single fruit, enhance the intensity of photosynthesis, can make the picking period extended.
2.Strawberry After transplanting, with fish protein, slow seedling speed, good root development.
Early flowering, spraying fish protein, can increase the yield, improve the sugar content of the fruit.
3.Grapes
Spray before germination to prevent the cold spring.
Spraying fish protein 1500 times thinner after germination can speed up the growth and improve the resistance to abnormal weather.
After fruiting, spray fish protein 3 times, promote photosynthesis, improve grape sugar content, increase the weight of single ear, improve plant stress resistance.
4.Watermelon
(1) Spraying fish protein at the seedling stage, watermelon has developed roots, strong stems, slow seedling speed, reduce the occurrence of viral diseases, and improve crop stress resistance.
After sitting melon, spray fish protein 2-3 times, interval 7-14 days, enhance photosynthesis, increase yield, increase the sugar content.
5.Chili
After transplanting: spray 1500-2000 times of fish protein, spray 2-3 times, every interval of 7-15 days, improve disease resistance, reduce falling flowers and fruits, extend the harvest period, mature live culm, increase the yield of pepper, improve the quality of pepper.

Follow Some Amazing Tips To Get A Lot Of Facebook Likes In Quick Time

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Facebook Likes can definitely help your business grow as far as online promotion goes. However, in order to get more likes you’ll have to ensure that you create a strong networking online in order to generate some fine results. You should be able to make the most out of the FB Likes which come your way so that you are able to update your clients regarding the newly launched products. Not many people know that there are several companies like “Sun FB Likes” that could help one in getting a lot of likes and comments on the Facebook page. A lot of people ask the question as to how to get maximum number of FB likes in double quick time. If you too are looking for an answer to this question then you must go through the points given below. • You should first ensure that you share some original content on your Facebook page so that you are able to come across some fine options in this regard. You should post informative content on a regular basis so that you can keep the users interested without much ado. This is one of the most significant things to do in this regard. • Now, you should consider engaging your readers in the right manner. For this you’ll have to ask them several questions so that you can keep them interested no matter what it takes. This is how you’ll be able to get their response in quick time. • You got to ensure that you connect with several other managers online who are planning to manage their work in a similar way. It will definitely help you in making a smart choice. • Another great thing that you could do here is to properly run a contest that allows you to get better replies from individual. Even though we know that keeping the personal and professional life is important you must link your personal profile to your business page so that you can show your personal side to your clients as well. This will definitely prove to be a smart option for you. • Distribute some business cards to your clients so that you are able to promote your services in the right manner. • Make sure that you create a very strong network on the internet that allows you to satisfy your queries in the long run. This is the right way to get maximum amount of Facebook likes. These are some of the most essential things that you got to remember if you truly want to take your business earnings to a new level. I am pretty convinced that you’ll be able to get your hands on some amazing likes and comments that will take your business to a new level of expertise. Read the above mentioned article carefully if you truly want to improve your business ratings in the long run. This is exactly how you’ll be able to become a successful business owner. Enjoy getting likes on your page!

Key Advantages of Writing a Guest Post

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When it comes to making money online, most of the experts suggest blogging. This is the main reason behind the growing popularity of bloggers and blogs. If you want to earn money through a blog, you need to do a few things, including SEO, writing high quality of content and of course guest blogging.

If you are a professional blogger, you must be aware of guest blogging, but if you are a new player in this field, you must know the key benefits of writing a guest post.

Increase Traffic

It is a known fact that the without having a decent amount of traffic towards your niche site, you won’t be able to earn desired amount of money. Hence, you do whatever you can to increase the human traffic. The more your site attracts traffic, the more chances would be to earn money.

Deriving organic traffic towards your site is the first reason or benefit that insists you writing a guest blog. Needless to say like all other bloggers, you too want to have quality and genuine traffic towards your niche site, so use this technique to accomplish desired task.

Backlinks

If you want to improve the search engine rankings of your site, you need to create lots of quality backlinks. However, there’re tons of ways available through which you can create endless backlinks but creating a do follow back-link is certainly the most essential task to do.

With the help of guest blogging, you can easily create do-follow back-link. This way, you will be able to improve the ranking of your site. Having improved ranking for your site ultimately means you will be able to generate more traffic and thus benefits.

Grab New Audience

When you write only for your blog, you have a certain audience. Hence, it is highly suggested that you must write for other blogs so that you can get benefit out of a new audience or you can increase the number of readers.

Writing guest post for different sites is the best way to accomplish this task. For this, you only need to grab a list of a few high PR sites or blogs that allow guest writing. Now, you need to create unique content keeping the requirements and standard of a certain blog or site.

Earn Money

Without any doubt the ultimate goal of creating a blog or site is to earn huge money. You too want to achieve the same goal. Now, the question arises here how you can earn money through guest blogging. So, the easiest answer to this most common question is that you can include your Adsense account to a guest writing piece.

Remember, when you do guest writing, you are allowed to add your Adsense account to your published post. This way, you will be able to earn money on your published guest write-ups.

How to Do It?

The best way to do this job is to create a list of some high PR sites that accept guest writings. However, if you find it difficult, you can avail services of a reputed guest post services provider.

Components of a Powerful SEO Saskatoon Strategy

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One of the most effective marketing techniques that both small and large businesses alike can benefit from is SEO Saskatoon. SEO (search engine optimization) is a process that tailors your business website to the ever changing algorithms that are used to rank your site high where your clients are looking for you. Now, in order to get the high ranking that leads to increased visibility, there are a few things you need to pay close attention to.
The 6 Essentials of a Powerful SEO Strategy

1. Keyword Research

This is the first step of any solid SEO strategy. It is about finding out what phrases potential customers use to look for your business and the products you offer. These phrases are then used liberally in the website to let search engines know what you offer so that the next time someone searches for something you offer, your website is on the search results. These keywords and phrases are used to drive traffic to your site.

2. Meta Data

Meta tags are words that are used to describe a website or a page on that website. This is the short description that always accompanies the page title on the search results pages. It is advisable to use keywords in your metatags, though not compulsory. A Professional SEO Saskatoon marketer knows just how to format the metatags for maximum visibility. 3. Content

The quality of the content determines whether a visitor to your website will ignore your site or come back and bring others with them. Good content not only improves user experience, it also improves relations with target audience, builds trust and credibility which in turn lead to higher ranking.

4. Backlinks

This is the avenue through which your top quality content gets seen by your target audience. Now, the one thing to remember is that the backlinks should be relevant, helpful and from authority sites in your industry. It is never about the quantity of the links but the quality.

5. Visuals

Yes, visuals play a vital role in attracting traffic. Clear, relevant and informative visuals are especially popular with internet users, and they are set to attract more traffic as well as shares on social sites. 6. Social Media Marketing

A strong social media presence helps improve brand awareness, as well as enhance relations with prospects and customers. Social media gives businesses a way to interact with their target audience in a more responsive environment.

How To Start Your Own Free Money Making Websites

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So, you’re hunting for free money making websites. This article takes a look at the two aspects involved in this search: the free websites and the money making websites. . .and how to combine the two.
There are many options that you can choose from if you are looking for free website platforms. Webs.com, Weebly.com and Wix.com are three of the most popular choices for building your own website step by step. If you are just starting out, these could be good options to learn on with a free account. Obviously the free account will limit the features that are available to you but you can also upgrade at any time. These sites all have tutorials to help you get started if you’re brand new to building websites.

Another option is to create a free blog. Typically, blogs differ from websites because they offer opinions or suggestions and because they are more dynamic. Blogs should be updated frequently and consistently with your articles (posts). A website is more static. The information that you put on the pages of your website will not change too often or too much. Blogger.com, WordPress.com and Thoughts.com are some of the most common.

It really makes no difference whether you choose actual websites or blogs to be your free money making websites. Either way, the money-making aspect to apply will be the same. Here is how to monitize your site.

Regardless of whether or not you have your own product or service to sell, you can make money from your website/blog by adding Google AdSense ads. Most website and blog platforms offer this service automatically so all you have to do is sign up – it’s completely free. Once you’re approved, ads that are relevant to the content of your site will appear and when your visitors click on these ads, you will make money. It doesn’t get any easier than that!

Another way to monitize your site, even if you have nothing of your own to sell, is to offer affiliate products to your visitors. Sign up for an affiliate account with any of the affiliate programs (ClickBank and Commission Junction are the most popular) and choose the products that you want to promote. Obviously, these items need to jive with the theme of your website or blog. Put some information about this product in your website or blog along with your affiliate link and whenever someone ends up buying the product, you get a commission on that sale. Affiliate programs typically offer somewhere between 50 – 75 percent commission so you can do really well with this depending on how much traffic you get to your site and how relevant the products are to your theme.

As you learn more about earning money with blogs and websites, you can also start thinking of developing your own product(s) and service(s) that would serve your audience.

There aren’t too many ways that you can earn money without spending any. . .but free money making websites defy the norm!

7 Effective Strategies on Marketing Your Business Locally

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When I was studying for my business degree and before eVision Media was formed, I was in need of an outlet to be around other like-minded women. Years previous I was a member of the local Valley Women’s Network so revisited their luncheons.
Even though funds were very tight at the time, it was important for me to have some human interaction – even if only once a month.

Little did I know, going to these meetings ended up being the catalyst for eVision Media’s birth.

During this time I connected with women entrepreneurs who where either eager to start a new business or take their business to the next level. Being the former webmaster for the Vancouver Sun and Province, it was a natural thing for them to ask me questions about branding and websites. I was more than happy to share my knowledge.

Eventually conversations evolved into them hiring me so they could get the help they wanted with their marketing presence.

The next thing I knew I was in business as a web developer!

That was over 12 years ago and I’m proud to say a handful of those women are still clients today.

I have to smile when I think about it because I really had no intention of starting my own business. I was going back to school with the idea of landing a CIO position somewhere.

Turns out my calling was much more important than that – helping business owners realize their dream.

The Many Benefits of Attending Local Live Events

Fast forward to present day, I still value the connections made when attending networking and other similar events.

Recently I was in Vernon attending the WOW-Woman of Worth Conference where I had an opportunity to get to know many incredible women I would never have met otherwise. (I was inspired to write these networking tips while there.)

I am also a member of the Business Professional Women’s Group and attend meetings in Langley and Abbotsford.

The connections found at events like these have been invaluable – not only professionally but also personally.

Social Media and Online Marketing is Not the Only Way to Generate New Business

Sometimes with Social Media and online marketing being so prevalent we forget about our own back yard and the opportunities available to us. All we have to do is simply step away from the computer and check them out.

My business was literally created by connecting with people locally.

And just because Social Media has taken over the online networking landscape, doesn’t mean there’s any less value in building your business at that grass-roots level.

Do you market your business in your hometown?

If hiding behind your computer has become the norm for you, I encourage you to explore local opportunities to get better known in your home town. Here’s seven tips, ideas and suggestions on how you can take advantage of generating business through local efforts:

1. Network where your target market is hanging out. First be clear on WHO that target market is and then do some research on where they gather.

This is an easy one if you are a B2B business like eVision Media; there’s plenty of networking groups available tailored for that crowd.

But you might have to look at other shared interests. For instance, if your target market is very health conscious, join a popular yoga group and get to know those people who attend.

2. Volunteer at community groups. Volunteering in community groups are a great way to boost your visibility. Not only are they a great way to give back to your community but also an excellent way for you to showcase your skills and expertise.

Do a search for groups that could use your skillset. A great example is if you are a bookkeeper or accountant – volunteer to be the bookkeeper for the group.

3. Create your own Meet-up. Setting up local, more casual events on a subject you know would be of interest to your target market is a great way to build your brand visibility.

These types of gatherings can be very beneficial to the attendees where you can offer something of value to them and showcase your expertise at the same time.

4. Set up a trade show booth. Many trade shows have thousands of visitors. They are a great way to build your brand visibility and bring more awareness to your business offerings with the local crowd.

Set up a professional display and strike up conversations with those showing interest in what you are offering.

Be sure to have a way for them to get onto your mailing list by offering a draw or free giveaway. Just be sure they check off a box giving permission to receive your regular newsletters.

5. Join the local Chamber of Commerce. Even if your target market is not business owners, there are still plenty of great reasons for you to get to know other business owners in your area by joining your local chamber.

Not only can they be a great referral source for you, but they are still people who could be interested in what you have to offer at a personal level.

6. Nominate others for awards. We had the honour of being nominated for, and won the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence award in 2016 in the home based business category.

I was also nominated for a WOW – Woman of Worth award in the Business & Prosperity category. The amount of free publicity and exposure we received for each of these awards was priceless.

I encourage you to nominate someone for similar awards. Not only is it very gratifying to make someone else’s day, you also gain a lot of exposure from being the person who nominated them. Another option is to be an award sponsor, again bringing you great satisfaction and business exposure.

7. Don’t forget your business card! While some may poo-poo this, I’m still a believer in the value of business cards.

Get professional cards designed and printed. Use them wisely – always ask the other person you’re talking with for their card first and reciprocation will ensue.

Your business card is a first touch-point that person will see your visual brand so ensure you give off the right first impression with a professionally designed one.

Aside from getting out there and getting involved in local community activities, you could also take advantage of various paid advertising opportunities. Newspaper advertorials, radio ad spots, sponsorships and even billboards can all be taken advantage of at a local level.