Rack Star is a modular laser cutting table designed to easily secure unusual and odd-shaped parts for laser marking and cutting. It is available in a variety of sizes to match the most common sizes of laser engraving tables available in the industry. The Rack Star features aluminum rails with cone-shaped pins that can be adjusted to hold items of different shapes and sizes, and in different orientations. The table can also be used with fixtures such as acrylic risers and V-blocks (included). The V-blocks, for example, have holes that align with the cone-shaped pins to hold items like wine glasses, baseball bats and flashlights. Custom fixtures are also available from Rowmark or you can make your own. With an appropriate jig, you can easily use this table for engraving multiple items at once, such as several coffee mugs or a large quantity of pens, with accurate and repeatable positioning.
In addition, the Rack Star also functions as a vector cutting table. The rails can be adjusted to provide support across the bottom of a sheet of engraving stock for cutting. The low contact cone-shaped pins hold the material level and in place away from the engraving table, which greatly reduces the chance of reflection from the laser beam onto the bottom of the item being cut. This is especially nice for cutting wood and acrylic sheet stock.
New CHE Heat Presses: First Edition Screenprinting, Pittsburg, KS, has introduced the CHE Splitters, two new heat presses designed for applying heat transfers to garments. First Edition Screenprinting is the custom transfer division of Cliff Hix Engineering (CHE), a company that was founded in 1991 by Cliff Hix and specializes in screen printing equipment.
The new presses are being touted as three machines in one because a major design feature is that the presses include three interchangeable “quick change” cantilevered platens (shirt, bag and single sleeve platen). No tools are required to change the platens; simply slide one off and replace it with another.
The other useful feature is that, unlike other heat presses, this one has a platen that cantilevers out from its base. This makes it very easy to split a shirt over the platen which can be a useful feature, particularly when applying transfers to both sides of the garment. On most presses, you need to lay the garment on the platen to press it but the problem with this is that if a heat transfer has already been applied to one side of the garment, it will receive the same amount of heat as the side being pressed and this can cause serious problems.
Two models of the press are currently available. The CHE-2400Q Splitter is a manual press that includes 15" x 15", 8" x 12" and 5" x 14.5" cantilevered platens, a hydraulic controlled opening and a three-year warranty. The second model, the CHE-2800Q Splitter, is a good deal larger and is air operated (opens automatically). It features 8" x 12", 5" x 14.5" and 16" x 20" platens. At 69 pounds, the 15" x 15" manual press is light enough to be considered portable. The 16" x 20" press checks in at 145 pounds and requires an air compressor.
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Gallery Wrap: A hot new trend in the personalized products market right now is to transfer photos to canvas to create custom artwork that can be hung in a home, office, etc. Johnson Plastics has introduced “Gallery Wrap” which is a do-it-yourself kit that involves sublimating an image onto canvas and then stretching the canvas over a wood frame, with the image extending around the edges of the frame as well. This eliminates the need for a picture frame and creates a classy piece of artwork ready to hang on a wall.
A corner guide starter kit is required for assembling the frames, which includes four corner guides, 4 oz. of glue and ten pins for fastening the wood frame together. Sizes available are 8" x 10" and 11" x 14" as kits. Pairs of stretcher bars in 8", 10", 11" and 14" lengths are also
available.
Sublimated Fishing Lures: Surely you jest, but no. The world of unique sublimatable products continues to expand and now Johnson Plastics has introduced fishing lures that can be sublimated with images and messages. The lures are available in white or silver and are commonly referred to as “spoon lures.” Each features a treble hook, jump ring and plastic storage box. Be the first on your block to try one out—or better yet, be the first in your town to sell these for either personal use or as a promotional product.
Tile Display Stands: Another addition to the personalized products market is tile display stands from Johnson Plastics. These stands offer a modern look, rod iron feel and a great way to display sublimated ceramic tiles in a 45 degree position. This makes the stand unique in the sublimation industry since most stands hold tiles in a horizontal position. The stands come in two sizes. The small one works for 4" and 6" tiles while the larger one holds 6" to 12" tiles.
Sublimatable Napkins: Laser Reproductions, Inc. (LRi), Skokie, IL, adds to the growing selection of sublimatable products with new sublimatable napkins. These microfiber cloths are 10.5" x 16.5" with serge-finished edges (edge seams are encased in thread). LRi suggests washing them in cold water and tumble drying or laying them flat to dry. I can think of all kinds of applications for these. How about personalized napkins for a wedding, baby shower, graduation, retirement, etc.?
Sublimatable Belt: Also from LRi is a sublimatable web belt with a buckle. These belts are inexpensive, costing about $4 each for the belt and $6 for the buckle. The belts can be printed on both sides and multiple belts can be used with a single buckle. The buckle requires a support block for sublimating ($2) and can be sublimated with a monogram, an image to match the belt or any other text or image. The polyester belt is 1.5" wide and 47.5" long. Web belts can be cut down to whatever length is needed.
Sublimatable Jewelry: Sublimatable jewelry isn’t anything new to the industry, but some of the materials and designs from LRi are. There are too many options to discuss here, so I suggest you check them out on LRi’s website. Sublimatable jewelry is great for Mother’s Day, Christmas and birthdays but also consider offering them to groups like Compassionate Friends where a jewelry item featuring a photo of a lost child is worth its weight in gold and then some.
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LaserFlex from LaserBits, Phoenix, AZ, is an interesting new product that allows you to create custom heat transfers with your laser. |
Johnson Plastics has introduced sublimatable fishing lures, just one more unique product for personalization. |
The pet market is booming which makes pet urns, like these from LovedPet, Royal Oaks, CA, potential hot sellers in your business. |
Sublimatable Business Cards: LRi now offers an ultra-thin sublimatable metal cut in the shape and size of a business card. These cards are made of. 008" thick white aluminum and measure 21/8" x 33/8". The metal is printable on both sides and can be used for a variety of applications, including business cards, bookmarks, playing cards, coupons, frequent buyer cards, etc. The metal cards can also be cut down to use for other applications, such as engraving plates.
Sublimatable Wood: Is it possible to sublimate on natural wood? Yes. LRi is offering natural wood boards where the wood grain actually shows through the image, producing effects that range from rustic to natural. This makes for an interesting application for signs and art in the home or office. The laminated birch boards feature the company’s King Coat dye sub coating with a matte finish designed to create bright colors through sublimation. The wood boards can also be laser engraved. LRi’s wood photo boards are 5/8" thick with a beveled back to give them a shadow mount look. They have two keyholes to hang in either a vertical or horizontal orientation and are available in 12" x 8" or 12" x 12" sizes.
Gymnastics Trophy Tops & Resin Figures: I don’t usually include trophy tops or resin figures in my “What’s New” articles because there are so many of them, but this year I am making an exception for one trophy figure which will be available in September and three resin figures available now from Freeman-CMA, Parsippany, NJ.
The reason I am including them now is because in addition to being available in female gymnastics versions, they are also available in male gymnastics versions—something that is hard to find. I have already sold about 100 of the resin figures and have a pending order for the trophy figures for next year. Gymnasts are starving for new figures, trophies, resins and medals, and they want them in both male and female versions. Female gymnastics trophies are fairly easy to find, but the male gymnastics awards are another story. Freeman-CMA, however, has stepped up to the plate and introduced a small resin figure (under $2), two sizes of a larger design and will be offering a really nice trophy figure in the fall.
Pet Urns: The pet business is huge and those of us in the personalized products business have only scratched the surface. I ran across a company called LovedPet, Royal Oaks, CA, at a trade show recently and was very impressed with both the people and the products. They make a variety of wood pet urns that can be sized to hold anything from a small cat to a horse. Urns are offered in four wood species, including walnut, cherry, oak and maple. Designs vary, but most can be personalized with either sublimation or laser engraving and a pre-cut mat can be added to highlight photographs and engraved plates. Laserbits, Phoenix, AZ, also offers wood pet urns.
In addition to the wood urns, LovedPet offers other unique styles of urns as well. For example, cat lovers will appreciate two designs that feature a sculpture of a cat on a wooden base. There are also several urn designs that mimic rocks and are made of faux granite. All have an area for engraving and can be ordered on line.
LaserFlex: LaserBits has introduced a really unique product called LaserFlex heat transfer sheets. This unique product, which is available in nine colors, allows you to use your laser to create a colored transfer that can then be applied to fabric using a heat press. Basically, you create a design in CorelDRAW, invert it so the correct portions of the image will be engraved away and create a vector outline around the image. During engraving the laser vaporizes the colored sheet leaving the transfer image and the white release liner paper intact, and the image is vector cut from the heat transfer sheet. Next, you press the transfer and a garment in a heat press, and remove the liner paper to reveal the colored image on the garment. The result is an image that looks like it was screen printed, only better because there is no weeding involved and, unlike screen printing, you can use it for short run jobs.
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Gallery Wrap from Johnson Plastics is a new way to create custom wall art. |
The Punch’nPress Key Chain Stamper from Johnson Plastics is a convenient tool for making personalized key chains on the spot. |
A new technique from USA Rhinestones, Fort Worth, TX, allows creating rhinestone designs on garments that appear to light up. |
The Hardwoods: “The Hardwoods” from Rowmark is a selection of real wood sheet stock that can be used for a wide variety of projects, signs, architectural projects and awards. Available in 1/8" and 1/4" thicknesses, the 12" x 24" panels come in red oak, walnut, cherry and maple. These unfinished panels are sanded smooth and are ready to engrave or cut with a laser. They can also be engraved with a rotary engraver.
Light-Up Rhinestones: Are you or your customers into rhinestones? Well, here is one of the neatest rhinestone products I’ve ever seen: Rhinestones that light up! Actually, the rhinestones don’t light up but they have fiber optic light channels scattered throughout the design which makes it look like the rhinestones are illuminated. A small battery pack is hidden somewhere in the garment. Unfortunately, this isn’t something you can do in your shop but you can send your rhinestone garment or your design to USA Rhinestones, Fort Worth, TX, and they can put the optic fibers in for you. I priced the American flag shown in the photo accompanying this article and it wasn’t out of line at all. Of course, the size and garment causes the price to vary. The owners told me the machine that works this wonder cost them over $100,000 so we aren’t likely to see it being sold to engraving shops anytime soon.
SOFTWARE
CorelDRAW X7: It’s that time again. Corel Corporation has released version X7 of CorelDRAW, the graphic design software most of us use. There are lots of sources for this product and prices vary wildly, so shop around. Remember, too, that you can buy the upgrade version if you have a previous X version of the software (X4, X5 or X6). Educational versions are also available for those who are enrolled in college level classes and some other situations. This is a big savings if you qualify. This time, a “cloud version” is also available for $198 per year ($16.50 per month). This allows a single user to access the program from multiple computers. Version X7 upgrade features include a number of enhancements with fills, fonts and the workspace. For more detailed information about changes, go to: http://www.corel.com/static/product_content/cdgs/x7/CorelDRAW
GraphicsSuiteX7_ComparisonChart_en.pdf. Also, watch for future articles about the new version of CorelDRAW in upcoming issues of EJ.
Remember, too, that if you use plug-in programs from companies like Laser Jump Start, Nampa, ID, or Digital Art Solutions, your plug-ins may not work with the new Corel version. Check with the individual software providers for information about upgrades to their programs.
Lightroom 5: This is a new version of Adobe Lightroom. Intended for people who use and store lots of bitmaps, this program is becoming a mainstay among sublimators and photographers. Capable of not only locating photos quickly, it can also perform many of the complex tasks of Photoshop both quickly and easily without the expense of owning Photoshop. Although it does require a learning curve, it is much easier to learn than Photoshop and training is available on YouTube for free. Cost is about $109 from www.amazon.com.
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Innotec of Wisconsin, Racine, WI, offers several electronic tape dispensers that can save you time. |
Sublimation App: Condé Systems is introducing a new app designed to help turn social media traffic into orders for personalized products. The cost of the iPersonalyze app is only about $30 per month with a one-time $200 setup charge. The iPersonalyze app is designed to give digital decorators the ability to sell custom sublimated products through a branded Facebook Page, company website or showroom kiosk. As a business owner, you are able to select, price and manage your products using an online dashboard that provides access to all customer files, orders and shipping addresses while also tracking sales and providing marketing tips. Once a customer places an order, he or she can proceed to a checkout page to pay for it via PCI DSS, which accepts all major credit cards and PayPal.
CONCLUSION
It’s exciting to periodically write these “What’s New” articles because it goes to show that our industry is, indeed, moving forward and branching onward toward new areas. As you can see, there’s a lot happening in the areas of sublimation, laser engraving, awards, personalized products and more. This article is not, of course, all-inclusive but it does provide you with a look at what’s new in the industry. Perhaps you found just what you needed to give your business a boost! Or maybe you found another new product that is making your life a whole lot easier. In any case, be sure to let us know. We’d love to hear from you!
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