The transfer deal

12 April 2022

Transfers are a super-effective way to professionally and permanently mark ownership of items from uniforms through personal wear to bed linen and towels, as Innotex Transfers explains

There are countless ways to print, tag and permanently mark ownership of items being processed through industrial laundries; but watch out, the industry is about to be shaken up as Innotex Transfers unveils its InnoPrinter semi-automatic transfer application system at the CleanEx 2022 exhibition.

The innovative InnoPrinter system comprises a range of environmentally friendly, durable transfer prints manufactured by Innotex in a unique ‘continuous-roll’ format, that when loaded onto one of the MK heat presses, enables a single operator to print over 400 pieces per hour. In less than half a second, the proprietary EcoResist transfers are fused with the fibres of the fabric, permanently bonding the design to the item, making them capable of withstanding exposure to the chemicals and high temperatures found in industrial environments.

The process involves no wet inks, consumes less energy than a desktop PC and utilises a lightweight paper based carrier material that is completely recyclable. The team at Innotex Transfers are on hand to handle all of your design and artwork needs, leaving you to focus on the simple task of application.

While predominantly used to control the movement of items through the laundry process, as well as to limit stock shrinkage due to theft or misplacement, heat transfers open up a whole new world of possibilities for laundries looking to enhance their range of products and services on offer, especially in the form of branded workwear.

Getting started with heat transfers couldn’t be simpler, all that’s required is a good quality heat press and a reliable source of heat transfers.

The perceived value of a branded item of workwear is significantly higher than that of a blank one, with customers eager to spend money improving their brands visibility. For a laundry capable of performing the decoration tasks in house, the gross margin for the decoration alone is typically £1.50-£2.00 per garment. With an InnoPrinter semi-automatic printing system in use, this margin can more than double to almost £5 per garment.

When it comes to sourcing garments for decoration, we are fortunate enough in the UK to have one of the widest range of garments and biggest pools of suppliers available across Europe. There are several large distributors covering the UK, each of whom stock numerous well known clothing brands like Fruit of the Loom, Gildan, Regatta and Russell Athletic. Two of the largest distributors, Ralawise and PenCarrie, based in Deeside and Exeter respectively, stock well over 150 brands between them and carry tens of thousands of lines across a variety of categories such as workwear; leisurewear; hospitality and chefswear to name but a few.

The alternative way to source garments is directly from independent workwear manufacturers or importers such as ORN International, in Buckingham or Uneek Clothing in London. Companies like these typically stock smaller ranges of clothing but are focused on garment styles suited to tougher industrial environments. More often than not, buying garments from independent brands like these offers better value for money and contributes to a more consistent and reliable supply chain.

Regardless of whether the garments return to the laundry for cleaning or are cared for by the wearer at home, it is always important to consider the washability of any kind of decoration. Many basic decoration methods such as heat transfer vinyls withstand a relatively small number of domestic wash cycles and are impossible to iron or calendar without damaging the design. Likewise, many thermally printed tapes, intended for use as a security device, can be removed from items with minimal effort after laundering if not applied correctly. The beauty of Innotex’s EcoResist transfers is the way they are completely embedded in the fabric fibres, allowing them to stretch and recover with the item without the risk of flaking or peeling off the surface.

Typically, heat seal transfers rely on heavy-duty printable substrates that are laminated with layers of adhesive allowing them to be fused with the item; such compositions can result in thick and conspicuous finishes that are less favoured by many customers. As an alternative, Innotex’s ranges of EcoResist and RapidInk transfers are an unobtrusive way of labelling or tagging pieces for just a few pennies per print.

When applied with one of the revolutionary InnoPrinter MK heat presses, Innotex’s transfers are by far the most cost effective way to print textile products; with minimal training or experience, an operator is able to process over 100 items every 20 minutes with ease. This is all thanks to the InnoPrinter’s ground breaking roll feed system with optical alignment that guarantees perfect positioning of designs time and time again. All the operator needs to worry about is loading the item and engaging the pneumatic press with simple foot pedal activation.

Furthermore, thanks to the absence of any wet inks, the process does not require any secondary processes such as drying or curing. Items are ready to manipulate immediately meaning they can be packed up and shipped out right away. Innotex handles all of the transfer production at its Bedfordshire-based facility, turning around orders within four days and shipping nationwide. Simply email your artwork and sizing requirements and let the friendly team do the rest; as soon as your transfers arrive, load them onto the InnoPrinter and you’re up and running in under 90 seconds.

The smallest format InnoPrinter MK1 heat press allows for the application of multi-colour designs up to 10x10cm, making it perfect for marking and labelling a wide range of flat work pieces including napkins, tablecloths, pillow cases and bed sheets. The larger machines in the range provide even more possibilities with printable areas of up to 30x40cm. These machines are perfect for laundries looking to offer a full range of workwear to their customers that includes larger prints to the rear of garments, or perhaps even additional merchandise items such as bags or garment carriers.

There has never been a better time to start upselling a range of workwear to your existing customer base and Innotex Transfers are well positioned to be your partner in the new endeavour.

Check out the company’s full range of transfers and machinery online at innotextransfers.com or better still, stop by their stand at CleanEx 2022 running Sunday 24th and Monday 25th April at Ascot Racecourse.

Free tickets are available for the event and online registration is now open. Simply search online for CleanEx 2022 and get yourself registered today.