Welcome to another annual installment—our 19th—of one of Printwear’s most popular features. This year a talented team of authorities from every industry sector offer up one or more of their most frequently dealt-with troubles, then deftly shoot them down. If you experience any of these maladies—or any of the simple curiosities also addressed—you may expect a treat on the following pages.  As always, our most sincere thanks to all those who participated in this feature. . . .

Before the New England Patriots broke tradition by introducing all 45 players as a team rather than individuals prior to Super Bowl XXXVI, the cliché there’s no “I” in team was the most ironic statement one could make about professional sports. Joe Montana was The 49ers, just as sure as “The Fridge” was the Chicago Bears and The Broncos were always John Elway’s.  -Read more-

Where does the single-head fit into your business picture? The answer is . . . everywhere!

If there is an indispensible piece of equipment in the personalization arena, the single-head embroidery machine is it. Whether you are small or large, work from the home front or in a large commercial/industrial space, the single-head is the whiz kid that will always earn its keep.

Starting out with a single-head is a great idea for the small entrepreneur—and when business booms and the multi-head equipment is delivered, the single-head is not moved out of the way but placed in a position of honor. There it continues to stitch the one-of-a-kind designs, spit out short runs efficiently, apply individual names and, perhaps its most prestigious assignment, verify designs created by the digitizing department.

A football T that looks good on and off the field. (Photo courtesy Kavio!) The mall! What a great hangout spot for so many teenagers. It provides a place for them to meet, socialize . . . and generate wardrobes that express their personal sense of fashion. What better place to find out what’s hot and what’s not, and to talk to this group of people who . . . like . . . live for fashion?

In previous installments, we’ve focused on designing T-shirt art that is both printable and good looking. Many artists and designers can create art that looks good printed on paper or on a computer monitor, but they simply don’t know the realities of printing on T-shirts. A few mouse clicks and what looks interesting or even beautiful on the monitor becomes a nightmare for the printer, may waste hundreds of dollars in set-up time on press, and may end up a revolting mess when it finally hits the garment.

As this series is dedicated to a new sort of designer with the ability to engineer T-shirt art through a knowledge of printing on garments based on hands-on experience, we focus this month on Print Architect Brian Lessard.