Index Printing 2005: A Digital Reality [TC]² Activity Member Profile - Cognis Important Dates A Look Ahead

SizeUSA User's Group Meeting – June 29, 2005

 Presentations by SizeUSA sponsoring companies including JCPenney and Jockey International, and a panel discussion by leading academic researchers from Auburn University, Cornell, North Carolina State University, and the University of Missouri will focus on how shape analysis and a better understanding of target markets can be determined through the SizeUSA data. The program at [TC]²'s Cary, NC facility will include demonstrations on a new sortable/searchable database, and ways to conduct size, shape, grading and fit analysis. Registration fee for SizeUSA license holders is $195, which includes a ½ day training session on Tuesday, June 28th. Non-license holders may attend the June 29th meeting for $495, which can be applied toward the purchase of licensed SizeUSA data. Don't miss this opportunity to learn more about SizeUSA and how it can be a tool for increased customer sales and satisfaction. For more details, visit http://www.tc2.com/what/sizeusa/index.html .

Recent travels have taken Mike Fralix and Jud Early to New York City to the symposium entitled Printing 2005: A Digital Reality. Jim Lovejoy attended the VICS Retail Systems 2005 Conference & Exposition in Chicago. Their insightful observations of these two events are discussed in this issue of the [TC]² Newsletter.

Printing 2005: A Digital Reality

 A richly diverse group consisting of designers, technologists, entrepreneurs and educators gathered on May 24-25 at the New School University in New York City to attend this year's second annual digital printing symposium. The symposium, entitled Printing 2005: A Digital Reality, was sponsored by AATCC and [TC]². Presentation content ranged from traditional printing methods to current digital printing issues and challenges and offered exciting glimpses into the world of some very innovative printing companies.

State of the Art Digital Printers

Yoonggyun Lee from d.gen International reviewed the benefits of digital printing and showcased some of the equipment being designed and developed at d.gen International. Special features have been designed to eliminate the drawbacks typically associated with digital printing. A unique fabric feeding mechanism allows for the accommodation of a wide variety of fabrics, including very thin silks and stretchy knits. Some machines are equipped with a dual carriage, increasing production speeds more than twice that of a digital printer with a single carriage. Printers incorporate a continuous ink feeding system, able to handle 6-12 colors. The availability of a continuous ink supply allows for non-stop printing.

The Toaster and The Printer

A rather unexpected, however, apropos analogy was introduced by Andy Hatkoff from Pantone Inc. and reinforced by Steve Smith from DPInnovations. The analogy emphasized the importance of calibrating a digital printer to achieve the desired results. Often we neglect to realize that a costly piece of high tech equipment - such as a digital printer - has the same calibrating needs as a simple kitchen appliance that we all are so familiar with. Anyone who has ever used a toaster knows that in order to produce the perfect piece of toast in the morning, we must do a little experimentation with the light and dark setting. A digital printer also needs the same attention to this obvious and necessary detail to achieve the desired results. It was also pointed out that like a toaster, each individual printer requires a specific calibration to produce the intended printed fabric appearance.

“Digital Dyeing”

The attendees eagerly awaited Bill Grier’s presentation on the process he has coined “digital dyeing.” Bill Grier from Colorep is cleverly utilizing the sublimation printing process to achieve photographic detail, perfect registration and very likely saving on dye cost in the process. In the sublimation printing process, paper is impregnated with dyes. The dyed paper is then introduced to fabric. The paper and fabric are exposed to heat, at which time the dye on the paper is permanently transferred to the fabric. At Colorep, instead of transferring the printed design from paper to fabric, the design is transferred onto cut pattern pieces. First, the paper is printed with specified pattern pieces that contain the proper placement of the design pattern or logo. Second, fabric is cut into the same specified pattern pieces and laid onto the printed paper. The transfer of the design pattern or logo from paper to cut fabric pieces allows for full control of the placement of the design. In some cases, dye is transferred to the entire ground of the fabric piece as well. This process is what Bill refers to as “digital dyeing.” Transferring the dyes to the entire pattern piece as opposed to dyeing the entire fabric reduces the amount of dye that is used.

Taking Digital Printing One Step Further

Jeanelle and Larry Dech of Adaptive Textiles LLC are taking digital design one step further. This innovative couple is very effectively utilizing digitally printed designs to mimic cut and sewn products. The illusion of a box pleat pattern within a drapery has been cleverly created. To form a traditional box pleat pattern, pieces of fabric are evenly sewn together to form a dentil pattern. The Dechs have created a printed design that beautifully mimics the look of a traditional box pleat pattern. Printing, as opposed to sewing, reduces the amount of labor needed as well as fabric waste, ultimately resulting in major savings. This savings allows the Dechs to offer unique high-end products at cost competitive prices.

Infomercials and More

In addition to the presentations there were ten-minute long infomercials. The infomercials provided the attendees with a cogent overview of some of the latest printing products available including equipment, inks and software.

On the last day of the symposium attendees visited three companies that have successfully implemented digital printing. First2Print and Supersample Corp. are using digitally printed fabric for sampling. Both companies use paperbacked fabric to eliminate shifting of the fabric during printing. Although this entails additional costs, the use of paperbacked fabric minimizes mistakes. Attendees got an impressive demonstration of the DReAM machine manufactured by Reggiani at Digital Printing Systems, LLC. The heavy duty machine is equipped with 6 carriages, significantly increasing production speeds.

These observations are not all inclusive. [TC]² and AATCC thank all the wonderful presenters and contributors who made this symposium a great success.

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[TC]² Activity

VICS Retail Systems 2005 Conference & Exposition

Jim Lovejoy attended the VICS Retail Systems 2005 Conference & Exposition on May 24-26 in Chicago Illinois. The conference showcased a roster of exhibits, presenters and keynote speakers. Presentation content was diverse and thought provoking, ranging from knowing your customer to new global data standards.

Jones Apparel Group's CEO, Peter Boneparth, presented “Creating Enduring Value by Integrating and Extending a Brand Driven Business.” He talked about the shift of “consumer needs” to “consumer wants” which is no easy task when you are managing 28 brands and selling 400 million units a year. He outlined 14 strategies for keeping pace including organizational agility, fast track product delivery, balanced marketing, multi-channeling, lifestyle brands, social responsibility, global branding and an employee centric culture.

Saks Incorporated Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Bill Franks, talked about how to “Match Merchandise Offerings to Customer Behavior” using listening systems that leverage customer information to business plans. Saks achieves product differentiation with assortments. Differentiated products from unique vendors and emerging suppliers account for 35% of revenues. Customer survey results have helped to enhance the in-store experience through entertainment, store visuals and more customer service.

Liz Claiborne's Vice President of Global Sourcing and Quality, Gary Ross, stated that shopping patterns have changed and there are too many stores and products in the U.S. There are 5.5 square meters of retail floor space per capita in the U.S. compared to 2.5 square meters per capita in Europe. As a brand owner, this requires shorter runs and more styles in less time with lower cost. To be a preferred vendor in this environment a company must have compliance, strong operations, product development, vendor certification, flexible fast manufacturing, distribution/logistics and compatible technology. Liz Claiborne's vision is to be the best supply chain in the world - from design to store. A video was shown of Luenthai's “ Supply Chain City ” in Asia that has one stop shopping for graphics, R&D, samples, manufacturing, logistics for multiple product packages going to multiple locations and end to end tracking systems.

Wal-Mart's Vice President of Applications Development, Randy Salley, called for more participation in the Global Data Synchronization Network using any of the certified data pools like UCCNet, Transora, GNX and WWRE. A serious challenge in global trade is data consistency and synchronization among buyers and sellers. These organizations are collaborating to improve and standardize the flow of trading partner data. Wal-Mart is currently operating with 782 suppliers using the GSDN. With the merger of UCCNet and Transora, a community of 4500 suppliers and 40 retailers are connected using standard data formats and definitions. This is collaboration on a global scale!

Conference attendees were given “Wave and Win” RFID cards periodically to scan at several kiosks on the exhibit floor. Among the top prizes was a two year lease on a new BMW. The VICS Board of Directors met during the conference and presented several Collaborative Commerce Achievements Awards. The Board also decided to go to a members-only model for VICS committee participation. The next Retail Systems/VICS Conference will be in Chicago on May 24-26, 2006.

A Small Wonder

Recently Jud Early and Mike Fralix traveled to Samutsakorn, Thailand to visit a relatively small company specializing in digitally printed apparel. What they found was a remarkable and unique company trail blazing their way into the exciting world of digital printing. The facility consists of 18 printers that run 24 hours 7 days a week. The company is the result of a joint venture known as DPA (Digital Printing Asia) which includes Stork and a number of other partners. You can read more about this innovative new company in Jud Early’s upcoming article in the Techexchange.com newsletter.

The Power of Color

We all know the importance of color in the apparel and home furnishings industries. Color is the primary purchasing consideration among consumers. However, color can be more complex than meets the eye. People’s response to color is deeply psychological. Find out how a person’s subconscious response to color can be used as a powerful marketing and design tool in the article entitled “The Power of Color” - to be published in the upcoming release of the Techexchange.com newsletter.

To find out more about how you can receive a free subscription to Techexchange.com, a monthly publication that highlights new technologies and thought provoking concepts, go to www.techexchange.com.

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Member Profile - Cognis

Global market leader in the personal care sector, with similar success in their commodities and active ingredients for dietary supplements and health market, Cognis Corporation has expanded their chemical manufacturing experience and innovations into the Textile Technology world. Utilizing its 160 years of experience in oleochemicals, Cognis develops innovative products and solutions for personal care, home care, and modern nutrition, as well as high performance products for numerous industrial markets.

Cognis Corporation has grown in each of their strategic business units: Oleochemicals, Care Chemicals, Nutrition and Health, Functional Products, and Process Chemicals. Cognis Textile Technology offers “wraparound competence” for textile processing - producing what can be seen as a whole new generation of functional clothes. With brands, Skintex®, Cyclofresh™, Repellan® and Securlana™, Cognis was put on the frontline in 2004 when these functional finishes were made available. With this launch, a series of catchy advertisements were set to promote this new Active Textile line and technology highlights accompanied these ads in four international magazines, including World Sports Activewear. Skintex® is an innovative technology that imparts a number of beneficial effects to the skin. Skintex® cools and revitalizes the skin, making it an ideal treatment to be used on garments such as sportswear, tights, and underwear. Cyclofresh™ allows manufacturers to impregnate textiles with long-lasting fragrance molecules, focusing on deodorizers for sport and leisure wear. Repellan® provides fabrics with long-lasting protection against staining and water. Securlana™ gives wool long-lasting pilling, color, and form protection.

Among the Cognis focus on special solutions for fabrics are the denim developments. From spinning to garment finishing, Cognis Corporation offers products based primarily on raw materials, assuming healthy cost-benefit ratios and optimized processes, for example, dyeing and finishing of denim jeans. Cognis has strongly focused on the development of complex processes for maximized efficiency, reaching to offer integrated systems concepts with minimized cost.

These efforts in the textile technology field have led to successful launches, as seen in 2000. If babies feel more comfy in some diaper brands than others, this may be due to a skin-friendly pretreatment applied to the fiber web/padding of diapers. Cognis has been able to combine both its know-how from the bodycare sector with that of its textile technologists to create an ideal “in-house synergy” that has lifted Cognis into the textile technology marketplace. This Belsoft® Care is just the beginning for Cognis. Could the usage of Cognis's Caremelt products become standard? Cognis Textile Technology plans on playing a very active role in seeing that it does.

No matter what the technology, Cognis knows the tasks involved and will provide matching solutions to help meet the most stringent customer demands. As a member of [TC]² , they have taken one more important step in making textile technology grow from within Cognis to its customers. “We feel it is a privilege to be a member of [TC]². The dialogue and information from other members and [TC]² staff is valuable in helping us understand our markets and technology trends,” comments Jeff Langley, Regional Business Director for Cognis. Jeff adds, “The global textile industry is very dynamic and challenging and [TC]² moves with it. We enjoy the common goals and common bonds we have with [TC]².”

[TC]² gratefully acknowledges Cognis Corporation's sponsorship of its 25th Anniversary Celebration. For more information on the Cognis organization and its products, visit www.cognis.com .

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Important Dates

June

July

For detailed information about industry events, visit www.techexchange.com

Thanks to the techexchange site sponsors Apparel Magazine, Gerber Technology, Intentia, Lectra and Methods Workshop.

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A Look Ahead

SEAMS Annual Meeting Highlights from Myrtle Beach, SC

Overview of SPESA Annual Meeting at Palm Coast, FL

View previous editions of this newsletter

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