Printing for Christmas

We recently completed a 24′ h x 40′ w digitally printed project for Brian Setzer for the current “Christmas Rocks! Extravaganza” tour.  We have worked with this client before and enjoy doing their projects, and in the past have provided everything from traditional textiles to digitally printed backdrops to stage set elements.  But our most favorite time of the year is Christmas - we love to decorate and celebrate - and we always get excited about participating in Christmas shows, so this was a fun print project to tackle.

The project took one week to complete.  We did not design the artwork ourselves - instead it was build by the client’s own graphic artist as a vector file in Adobe Illustrator ®.  This was a cartoon-style graphic - lots of color and bright imagery. 

This type of graphic particularly lends itself to being digitally printed - the blues and bright tones show so well under concert stage lighting.

For this backdrop, we chose a heavy knit for two reasons.  First, in our industry, being flame retardant to national standards (at a minimum) is very important, and this material met the client’s requirements in terms of flame retardancy.  Second, knit type materials are perfect when the client needs to store the pieces folded up - when re-hung, the knit fabric relaxes and the wrinkles tend to hang out fairly well.  As you can imagine, in a stage or concert backdrop, clients don’t want to see wrinkles!

We use exclusively 3M inks with our 120″ Vutek QS3200 printer and use Colorburst for our RIP software.  I think the combination of the inks, the printer, and the software really come together for beautiful colors in the end product. 

For this project, print time took four hours, not including sewing / finishing time.  The piece was finished with webbing, grommets & ties across the top (we use a Jopevi electric grommet machine), which is a traditional backdrop finish.  The sides are durably hemmed (we prefer Consew brand commercial sewing machines) and the bottom is completed with a hidden weight pocket to help the drop hang nicely.

Offering digitally printed textiles in addition to our regular services is a benefit to our clients and allows us to keep the complete show in-house in terms of production.   I tend to post a lot about concert projects we work on - primarily because those are the projects that we can usually get photos of or find videos on YouTube.  However, as a full service sewing shop, we do produce all sorts of textile products for the theatre and stage, including traditional stage draperies, and more and more we are beginning to get request for digitally printed backdrops from schools, churches, and other non-tour customers - they really add a beautiful element to a show, and if the artwork is nice (such as a beautiful snow scene), the drop can be used at the annual holiday show for years to come.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed!

Mixed Media Backdrop? What’s that?

I seem to recall way back in grade school, doing “mixed media” art projects.  The fact is, I can’t really say that any of these “art” projects of mine were very artistic.  The best you could say about them was that they were “crafty” - bits of macaroni glued on a paper plate, bits of ribbon and sequins - something only a mother could love!

Here at Sew What? we have been exploring a new meaning for the term “Mixed Media,” and in my mind it really is a form of art.  In a stage backdrop context, “mixed media” refers to combining a number of different textural elements to make one dramatic piece of stage scenery.

Not sure what I mean?  Rather than trying to explain it, I’ll let some of our recent projects do the talking:

Mixed Media - Lady Gaga Style

• Digitally printed backdrop, with cut elements appliqued to scenery netting
• Attach to that a front projection screen for low res moving imagery
• Embed some LED lights on a basic battery pack, along with some smoke lines, for the gift that keeps on giving
• One backdrop and about 100 looks!  That’s Mixed Media Lady Gaga Style!

Mixed Media - Motley Crue Style

• Translucent poly substrate, digitally printed with bold graphics
• Take out various elements  and fill with mesh
• Add a backside applique in areas to reduce transparency strategically
• Rock it Crue-Style with front lighting looks and back lighting blow through, and then whip it away kabuki-style when you’re done!

Mixed Media - Soulja Boy Style

• All-American Red, White, and Blue backdrop on a traditional cloth substrate
• Step it up a notch with glossy lenses - digitally rear-printed clear vinyl elements appliqued into the design strategically to give the appearance of reflective sunglass lenses
• The result?  A dramatic backdrop that looks back at the audience! 

These are just a few examples of the huge diversity of looks that are achievable with a mixed media backdrop.  In the past, a scenic backdrop was simply fabric and a printed or painted image.  Now, with mixed media, a backdrop can be so much more. 

Mixed media is a concept that was introduced to us here at Sew What? a few years ago, and since then we have run with it and are continually “pushing the envelope” to find better and better ways to achieve the client’s vision in better and more innovative ways.  It’s not just about the fabric anymore!

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed!

Is there such a thing as a “Green” ink for digital printing?

As I continue to explore the question of eco-friendly textiles, I have been thinking about digital printing. As more and more artists become interested in protecting the environment, we have begun to have more requests for “green” custom band backdrops.  We already have some eco-friendly options available for the fabric substrate, but what about the inks used in digital printing?  UV Curable, Water-based, EcoSolvent, Mild/Light Solvent, Full Solvent – which is best, ecologically speaking?

I would assume (based on the name) that a great choice for digital printing would be to use eco solvent inks.  The reality, however, is that these inks aren’t nearly as ecologically friendly as the name implies.  In researching eco solvent inks, I learned that they contain HAPs (Hazardous Air Pollutants) and VOCs (Volatile Organic Components).  Maybe eco solvent inks are better in comparison to other types of solvent inks, but that doesn’t mean they are good for us.

I’m interested in a new type of ink being touted by EFI – Bio-Solvents.  According to a white paper by EFI, bio-solvent Inks “contain no harmful VOCs and have the best health and environmental profiles available”.  EFI does make a bio-solvent ink (BioVu), so they aren’t exactly an unbiased source.  However, their literature does display the Environmental Protection Agency’s DfE logo, so I am feeling more confident (though I will continue to research this new category of inks before making a decision).

If this is all true, then bio-solvents may be the wave of the future.  Right now, EFI’s BioVu inks are only available for use with one printer type – EFI’s VUTEk 3360 product line – but they say that they have plans to roll it out to other product lines in the future.  I’ll keep my eyes out for it and let you know.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed!

Direct Print vs Dye Sublimation – What’s the difference?

One of the products we offer is custom digital backdrops – the customer supplies the artwork as a digital file, and we print the artwork onto fabric or mesh and then sew it into a fabulous backdrop.  Yes, sometimes for the tours of major recording artists like Kenny Chesney, but many other times for a school or church production or a special event or…

There are the two primary methods of digital printing – direct print and dye sublimation.  In many cases, customers ask, what is the difference between the two?  What makes one method better than another?

Well, here is a very basic primer on the topic.  With Direct Print, the inks are printed directly onto a coated fabric substrate.  Due to the coating, the backdrop tends to be slightly stiffer.  With Dye Sublimation, a paper transfer process is used to convert the ink solid into a gas, which then “etches” the image into the fabric.  As the fabric substrate is not coated, a dye sublimated backdrop tends to be a little softer and more flexible.

So, which is better?  Depends on the individual project.  Direct print can be printed onto fabric up to 16’ in width, allowing larger seamless backdrops or fewer seams on an extra large backdrop.  Dye sublimation, on the other hand, can only be printed onto fabric up 10’ wide, meaning anything bigger would require seams.  However, the image tends to have better resolution and color vibrancy.  Not sure what would work best for your project?  We can help find the right print method and substrate to meet your needs and your budget.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed!