I have a few questions about printing on long sleeves

[Mark @ Hurricane Printing]

I have a job to print on the left arm, long sleeve. They want their web address on the left, long sleeve shirt. My pallet is 5 inches wide by 22 inches long.

1 - where do I position the text? closer to the cuff of the long sleeve or do I line up somewhere center of the sleeve? Is there a "rule of thumb" for this?

2 - How tall should I make the text? I planned on typing the text in coreldraw x5 and just expanding it until its about 4.5 inches tall....once I hit that height, then the length of the text is whatever it is. I dont think it would look good if I stretched it out to make it longer....Really I have no idea how to apprach it so any pointers would be helpful.

3 - which way do I put the sleeve onto the pallet? collar first or cuff first? I'm thinking I slide the collar first onto the pallet.

Mark
Hurricane Printing
504-701-3218

[Frog]

I put the sleeve on through the collar.

I pretty much center L/S sleeve prints

I have never printed a L/S sleeve print much bigger than 2" high or wide so your 4.5" is new territory for me.

[Mark @ Hurricane Printing]

I put the sleeve on through the collar.

I pretty much center L/S sleeve prints

I have never printed a L/S sleeve print much bigger than 2" high or wide so your 4.5" is new territory for me.

thank you

well the proof i made for the client i lined up the text closer to the cuff so i may keep it like that..I was more or less thinking if there was a rule of thumb for line up area of a long sleeve

and the 4.5" i mentioned was the widest that i could make it...Right now when i exapnded it to fit on my film (18" long) its about 1.5" tall and about 15" long. I have my registration marks set at about 1/2" from border of film. I think that will be good.

[Frog]

One more thing (and this has raised controversy with some in former discussions)
On the left sleeve, I start the text at the cuff end, while on the right, at the shoulder. My reasoning for this is how the text reads correctly when arms are out in front (which is more often than in back)

[Nick Bane]

yep, sleeve on thru the collar.

i usually center on sleeve top to bottom as well, unless requested otherwise.

and 1.5" tall type 15" long is pretty close to normal here as well.  4.5" tall type would be big imo.  i never print sleeves taller than 3.5" x 17"

and yes, pay attention to text orientation on sleeves so they are readable.

[ScreenFoo]

Frog:  I don't understand why people would argue with you on that, but only because I agree with you.   

Mark:  For some reason I recall you saying you had an M&R Cham--if so, and you have single sleeve boards, you will probably have to load through the collar--in fact, if the platen OC assembly hasn't changed, you may struggle on adult smalls, depending on how they're cut, and youth shirts are pretty much right out.  Cheating the platen out as far as possible will help, but I'd seriously advise loading the board, loading a shirt, and then seeing where the image has to be on the screen to land in the right place.

On the positive side, we have 5x18 boards, and have done 4.5x16 prints on sweat pants with them--not to say it's EASY, but it's quite possible. 

[Inkworks]

What always gets me on sleeve printing is them ending up being too long for the flash cure on my manual... Still looking for used M&R sleeve platens for the auto.

You can use the diagonal length of the flash cure element, but give yourself some clearance room or you end up with under flashed extremities on the prints or having to double flash.

I usually cheat long prints up towards the shoulder a bit because long sleeves bunch up around the cuff.

Collar first.

[Frog]

Frog:  I don't understand why people would argue with you on that, but only because I agree with you.   

I was surprised as well, but there was a contingent that insisted on starting the text at the top, no matter which sleeve. They were not alone, as I see some product out there printed this way as well.

Those contracting this stuff out would be well advised to
1. get on the same page as their end users and
2. make sure that the contract printer understands what they want.

[Printhouse]

I just had a customer argue with me about which way was the correct way to have the sleeve written...  And it was for a waitress staff.  I asked.. do you want them carrying trays with the wording upside down?  They stated... "But then they can read it"....  I said chances are if they work for your business then THEY already know about it!

[Croft]

load through the collar , depending on the size spread I usually start deign at top of arm down because smaller sleeves will pucker or just be a pain in the ass the closer you get to the cuff.
  For direction let the customer pick they know best  have done both directions and customer has had there own reasins for doing so.

[Mark @ Hurricane Printing]

Frog:  I don't understand why people would argue with you on that, but only because I agree with you.   

Mark:  For some reason I recall you saying you had an M&R Cham--if so, and you have single sleeve boards, you will probably have to load through the collar--in fact, if the platen OC assembly hasn't changed, you may struggle on adult smalls, depending on how they're cut, and youth shirts are pretty much right out.  Cheating the platen out as far as possible will help, but I'd seriously advise loading the board, loading a shirt, and then seeing where the image has to be on the screen to land in the right place.

On the positive side, we have 5x18 boards, and have done 4.5x16 prints on sweat pants with them--not to say it's EASY, but it's quite possible.

yep..8 color chamelon with air clamps...and I appreciate all the advice..I will print on the sleeve closer to the shoulder..makes sense to me to do it that way.

[tonypep]

As far as right reading that is subjective. Some prefer text to read cuff to collar, others the reverse. I remember printing Caribbean Parasail LS shirts where the right sleeve read up, left sleeve down. Whatever; just have it signed off.