PVC- and phthalate-free inks available from InternationalCoatings

Tag : Specialty Fabric
More than half of all garment manufacturers now have organic cottongarments, and some of them are rapidly expanding their productlines with a wider selection of garments with some or all organiccotton content (see sidebar on page 62). One hundred percentorganic cotton is grown without the use of pesticides and geneticmanipulation. And, transitional organic cotton is grown on fieldsthat haven’t used pesticides for at least three years.
One thing to consider when looking at an organic garment is that itcan be completely made out of organic cotton or only a portion ofthe fiber might be from an organic source, so it’s importantto know the extent and details about the composition of the productbefore you make specific marketing claims.
Other eco-friendly garment options are being created using recycledplastics that are formed into synthetic fibers as part of the polycontent. Occasionally, shirts are also made out of sources such ashemp, bamboo, soy and coconut. Since many of these products arebrand-new, it’s always a good idea to get samples and testthem for reactions to the different decorating processes, as wellas test washing and quality control.
3. Find a low-impact process.
Distributors and decorators “are asking for products thathave a low impact on the environment, yet still create great printswith a soft feel,” Tabor says. One new product is the Gen IVSeries, PVC- and phthalate-free inks available from InternationalCoatings ( www.iccink.com ). “We’ve seen some great prints come from these inkswithout some of the drawbacks of water-based inks, and they stilljust use water to clean up,” Tabor says.
There are other inks and solvents available for greener printing,depending on the printing process that’s being used.“By far, the lowest impact to the environment is still thewater-based inks, and they also have a really soft feel to theprint for a reasonable price,” Tabor says. “Thedrawback with water-based inks is they require a water-resistantscreen/stencil, more precise printing controls, and have loweropacity for dark shirts.”
Other alternatives for green garment screen printing are theWilflex inks ( www.wilflexeasyart.com ) that are available in PVC-free, phthalate-free or water-basedformulations. Many printers are now advertising a far moreresponsible cleanup system for before and after printing, usingsoy-based chemicals for regular inks and/or water-soluble ink andstencil systems with multistage filtration to thoroughly clean thewater before it leaves the plant. All of these processes can be aneffective addition to an eco-friendly marketing package forinterested clients.
Purchasing green, organic garments that are combined witheco-friendly ink processes can make a client feel great about theirproducts without sacrificing comfort or fashion. There’s ahigher price for these kinds of products and services, and theinterest is still riding high enough that clients are typicallyprepared to pay a little more for them.
4. The green graphic.
An area that tends to get less attention from earth-friendlycustomers is the artwork and designs that are used to helpillustrate the organic process. There’s a movement in theart/design community to incorporate design looks that are more“crafted,” using artistic filters and floral accents tohelp illustrate the friendly and down-to-earth appeal of theeco-minded products.
Some of the freshest design styles look like paintings and artsketches, with loose lines and hand-crafted typography. Usinggraphics of this style in advertisements is one of the best ways toeffectively market a green garment and process. Utilizing a designconcept that showcases the style and ideology of conservationismcan create an emotional response that allows the client to relateto the purpose and message.

If artwork is being contracted from an outside source for thispurpose, it is essential that the artist can demonstrate qualitytraditional drawing skills. Designers that are skilled in computergraphics may not have the touch to illustrate in the loose stylerequired to make artwork look purposely hand-drawn, yet stillprofessional and engaging. Images and graphics that use floralmotifs, organic shapes, a strong play between positive and negativespace and that work well with the weave of the shirt continue toincrease in popularity. In contrast, the synthetic and staticcorporate-looking logos that don’t have a personal feel arein far less demand with this market.
A final consideration to the graphic that promotes the marketing ofgreener garments is how well a particular image will be reproducedusing the water-based or lower-opacity inks that are common in thisstyle of printing. Designs that showcase a lot of fine details andprecise geometric shapes won’t fare as well asrougher-looking images that may be more worn or distressed instyle, because the image will be more forgiving to the limitationsof the sensitive inks.
Water-based inks, in particular, don’t print the really finehalftones and line work as well, because they’ll want tobegin drying in the screen after a short period. This issue can becompounded by uncontrolled airflow in the plant or excessively dryair in the printing environment. “For working withwater-based inks, it’s always a good idea to have thehumidity high and keep a spray bottle with water handy in case youhave to leave the press for a few minutes,” Tabor says.“Artwork that has less fine halftones seems to be easier todeal with.”
5. Get some more green with an eco-friendly process.
Take good notes and document each added cost and additionalprocess, and make sure that they find their way into the marketingpackage. This is one of the best ways to make sure that you recoupthe costs of the additional steps and increased expense ongarments. A green printing or decorating style needs to be promotedin emotional terms, certainly, but the marketing should still befounded in real attempts to unlock the profit potential, as withany popular wave in fashion marketing.
A key advantage to those companies that are marketing to theeco-friendly movement is that they can set a significantly higherprice on the basis of conscientious use of products that have alower impact on the Earth, and they can make people feel good aboutwearing their clothing at the same time. If the artworkthat’s created for the garments reinforces this trend, thenthe whole package can be priced at what was previously considered aboutique market level, due to the current high demand fromcustomers.
It’s a sure bet that the local governments will clamp downwith some form of restriction on the inks and solvents in the nextseveral years. Rather than waiting until there’s no choice,it’s always better to profit from a strong trend by ridingthe green wave of the future.