What is this?

[Prosperi-Tees]

High Density was my first instinct but I have no experience in it. Customer brings in this Ecko shirt and it has a seriously raised layered design and almost feels like a hard plastic but I cant tell. Do any of you experts know what it is?

[Dottonedan]

The top rectangle element looks to be done using a pre-printed patch/stamping process (I think aka as a weld).  Echo is knows for using many of those special affect inks and processes.


One might think that they would use the same method for all elements but no, they are also known for mixing it up. Very large presses with little color...many cool downs.   The type at bottom Yes, HD. Looks pretty high,  maybe 600 micon cap film.

[JBLUE]

The text looks like HD. Fun stuff to work with. Get your hands dirt Gerry.

[Prosperi-Tees]

I will do some experimenting for sure. My customer gave me the link to Jak prints... sheesh how can I compete with all that they offer.

[JBLUE]

I will do some experimenting for sure. My customer gave me the link to Jak prints... sheesh how can I compete with all that they offer.

Or you could just call John. Or even better you can join us in January at ISS. Get him a few beers and he will tell you what you want to know.....lol

Im going to tell him your stealing his customer.........

[Prosperi-Tees]

Lol we have actually had a couple customers that have referennced that they have been in contact with Jak. One of them was a new customer and we ended up getting the job because they were cheap pita customers. This one is a current customer of ours that is really trying to push us into new things so if we dont step it up he will be gone.

[Denis Kolar]

Yes, it looks like a high density. White had a few passes printed.
If the order is small, there is a "Puff" transfer material. I have never worked with it, but it might work for a small order.

[tonypep]

Having spent some considerable time at the long defunct Sweat Equity plant owned by Marc Ecko and his sister (the stories run deep there) I can say that this is most likely stacked HD (mesh marks are a tell) Yes they had welding and mixed it up a lot. The stacked HDs had washfastness issues as well as the "collapsing like a soufflé" tendency with large images and 3 to 4 flashes.
Excessive heat+ plastisol=big trouble. The wash fastness issue was generally attributed to surface and not full cure. The art was exceptional but execution flawed. Even more damaging was the fact that they used Passports instead of people to unload and these highly technical prints were not quality checked until they exited from the dryer. Hence the pallets of misprints.
I'll stop the story there.

[kingscreen]

I always heard rumors that Ecko would P/F/P/F/P/F/P/F/P/F/P/F/P/F/P/F/P/F/P High Density.
All TJ Maxx and similar seconds shops back in the day were always full of Ecko because of all the misprints.

I'd love to hear more stories, Tony!

[3Deep]

I thought HD printing had went the way of the dino's, even a small would eat up a ton of time manual or auto..

[tonypep]

Legal issues do not permit further comment. Interestingly enough I just took off my sweatshirt and I'm wearing a welded Ecko shirt. Interesting to note that, while the SE Factory was fully funded/loaded with six new 16 color presses, tons of quartz flashes, Passports, and all the bells/ whistles/specialty inks/stainless steel mesh/welding/auto reclaim, etc that it only lasted a couple of years. Same scenario years back when a beachside manual printer finally got his 40 mil trust fund and started what was reportedly the largest textile decoration operation in the world. Serious money here. All new Precision Versa-Ovals (big mistake there). Bought a dye house. Brought in partners. Sought offshore production. Threw a $10,000 open house weekend for the exclusive customers who were "invited to do business with them". Lasted a little over a year if I remember right. A lot of money and lofty goals sometimes isn't enough. Solid foundations and controlled, planned growth tends to work out better.
Now Nike had it right. They controlled sampling at the Beaverton Campus and had a factory in Memphis with plenty of work to farm out. And I mean plenty. If sales dipped, they slowed out the outsourcing and kept the factory busy. Smart. I also set up a factory in Greenville NC for sampling and production with two belt printers and six autos. That model lasted over a decade until Nike changed focus and decided there was more margin in other goods. They shut down the factories and continue to farm out work domestically and offshore.
So theres some stories for your Friday viewing pleasure.
Cheers tp

[Sbrem]

We did our HD experiments back when they hit, and I think it looks stacked too, we did our own logo with 3 stacks/colors, and it came out great. No one wanted to pay for it though, so we never did more. It's definitely for big numbers where the costs can be absorbed. For shorter runs, I would think it's too costly.

Steve

[tonypep]

Falls under the "could you vs should you" category

[Action1]

Great stories Tony!

[kirkage]

It seems to crack after washing easily. Plus it is too heavy of an application to wear imo.