A Newsletter from Screenflex Inks Canada Ltd. & www.screenprintcatalog.com

You are a good parent. You have booked your kid in for scuba diving lessons. You have put out big bucks for a really cool wet suit with a neat little screen-printed logo. But you are also a concerned and safety-conscious parent so you have made sure that the logo was screen printed with ink certified to be lead free, that is, less than 100 parts of lead per million.

Now your kid is ready to dive fully protected from the possibility of being poisoned by any lead in the little screen-printed logo on the suit. So strap on the 20 lb lead weight diving belt on your child and let’s go!

Whaaat?!!

Exactly!

One has to ask. Has this legislation been thought through properly?

Thanks to the customer who brought this example to our attention today. His company manufactures wet suits in three places around the globe. It seems that he now has to go to a lot of trouble and expense to switch to lead-free and phthalate-free ink and to have the prints on children’s wet suits certified by an independent accredited laboratory. He quite rightly wonders by what reasoning the 20 lb lead weight belt is exempt. If you have any similar examples, email me at michael.best@screenflex.ca  We might as well get a bit of a laugh out of this, even as we are being forced to comply.

At the moment this is a U.S. issue that only affects Canadian producers of imprinted childrens’ garments destined for the U.S. But as we all know, sooner or later, what happens in the U.S. in our industry will cross the border and happen in Canada as well. Therefore, all Canadian textile screen printers need to pay attention to this issue.

Our industry sources in the U.S. tell us that as of February 10th 2009, printers of childrens’ apparel for the U.S. market are going to have to produce certification that the ink used in every delivery contains less than 100 PPM (parts per million) of lead.

One might assume that users of Wilflex ink could merely point out that it has been free of lead for about 30 years…  so what’s the problem? But apparently, in terms of the new legislation in the U.S., that is not good enough. Certification of the print has to be done by an accredited laboratory, of which there are apparently only 4 or 5 in the entire country. We understand that the cost of certifying a print “lead free” is about $300.00. This is bound to cause irritation. We have already heard of a case where a fist fight almost developed because a printer refused to certify a print on the grounds that the deadline of 10th February had not yet arrived, and the customer refused to take delivery because he would be selling the garments after the deadline at which the law would come into effect.

And furthermore, lead is not the only sticking point in the pursuit of “safe” imprinted garments. Phthalate (pronounced “thalate”) is also black listed now as bad for the health of American children. Phthalate is the component of regular plastisol and some water-based inks that gives them flexibility. Ironically, I.V. pouches and blood storage pouches as well as a multitude of other medical supplies are made flexible with Phthalates.

The Europeans were the first to focus on making textile products Phthalate-free. The U.S.A. followed suit by setting February 2009 as the deadline, however, we have just been told that that deadline might be pushed out quite a bit. Apparently, among other issues, it has been realized that strict enforcement will put most, if not all, of the used clothing retailers and charities out of business.

Regardless of whether there is going to be a deferment of the deadline or not, certain large sporting goods and childrens’ wear suppliers are requiring certification from printers as if the legislation were already in place. There are also have a number of Canadian printers who are protecting their global childrens’ wear business by not waiting to be forced into compliance. They are preparing to switch to Wilflex’s Phthalate-free Epic line of inks.

Wilflex’s Epic Phthalate-free colours have been available for about 5 years. More recently a full range of bases, pigments, and specialty inks like Fashion Soft Base, gels, metallics and High Density Clear have been added as well.

As with all new and far-reaching developments and legislation there can be confusion, misunderstanding and misinformation in the beginning. We will keep an eye on this issue and produce updates and clarifications right here in this newsletter as they become available. In the meantime, if you need more information or technical assistance, call Screenflex toll-free at 1-800-661-7766 or email info@screenflex.ca

If you are going to attend the upcoming Long Beach Show, be sure to visit the Wilflex booth and quiz the experts about this topic.

This is not the time to be sitting around like everyone else waiting for the economic situation in the textile screen printing industry to improve. Do something pro-active. Wow your customers by getting them excited about how creative you can be. Get your business some attention. Stand out from the crowd. And best of all, have fun and make money doing it.

Screenflex is offering as the January ‘09 special the concept of “burnout”. See the angel shirt that Kathleen is wearing? The design on this 50/50 tee was created by burning out the 50% cotton to leave the 50% polyester. The technique has all kinds of exciting possibilities limited only by your imagination. Everything from lace patterns to see-through designs are all possible. There is no ink deposit at all, so you end up with the softest of hands. 

Here is the how you do it… make your screen using Ulano’s QT Discharge emulsion. Then mix Wilflex Burnout Base with 18% Burnout Activator and print your design. Run it through the dryer at 320 Fahrenheit degrees and wash the garment afterwards to remove remaining traces of the Burnout Base. And there you have it… something different, creative and soft. Your customers will love it and you will stand a chance of generating business that you would not otherwise have had.

How is Screenflex going to help you with this “economic stimulus” idea? We are offering a 4 Kg (1 gallon) container of Wilflex Burnout Base and a 1 Kg container of Burnout Activator powder for $49.95 (that is just over 20% off the regular price) for as long as supplies last. And that is not all. If you buy a gallon of Ulano QTX Discharge Emulsion at the same time, Screenflex will give you 10% off the regular price of the emsulsion too. And, as usual, we will provide full application instructions. At this price, what do you have to lose?

If you are wondering how durable the shirt will be after the cotton is removed to create the design, just call Screenflex at 1-800-661-7766 and ask for Wendy. She will tell you about the burnout shirt one of her daughters has and how after many washes it is still in great shape.

The goverment isn’t going to provide our industry with any bailout or “economic stimulus package” so call Screenflex right now and get your own economic stimulus package going. Call toll-free to 1-800-661-7766 or email info@screenflex.ca

2008 was a year of change in the Canadian textile screen printing industry. Elections in Canada and the U.S., the sub-prime mortgage issue in the U.S. that set off a string of economic changes, and the sudden decline in the value of the Canadian dollar, all had an impact.   

Hopefully the screen printing industry will benefit from some economic stability in 2009. Perhaps our politicians will show the maturity that we expect of them by putting aside petty squabbles and instead focus on cooperating in managing the economy back to prosperity. James Freeman Clarke is quoted as having said: “A politician thinks of the next election; a statesman thinks of the next generation”. Let’s hope that we discover that we have some statesmen in Ottawa in 2009. In the meantime though, we should all be reviewing our business models to adapt to, and take advantage of, the changing times. 

Happy 2009!

You probably don’t need reminding by this photograph recently taken at Lake Louise in the Rockies, what time of the year it is again in Canada. But let us remind you that it is now when you have to be careful to not allow emulsion (or any other water-based products) to freeze.

Freezing does not take long in the cold temperatures that we have been having across the country. In some places like Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba it has been down in the minus 20’s and minus 30’s for extended periods this winter already. When you receive a delivery of emulsion from us in winter, and even though we ship all emulsion by heated service, we suggest that you immediately check to ensure that it is not frozen. Cold but flowing is okay; frozen and solid is not okay.

Screenflex has many freezing horror stories such as the frozen 55 gallon drums of emulsion a few Decembers ago and the skid of product on a “heated” truck that broke down in the middle of nowhere 500 kilometers south of Yellowknife. Once emulsion freezes it is useless, wasted, finito, toast. So, keep your emulsion in a cool but not freezing place.

Nobody likes price increases but unfortunately they have become a fairly regular ocurrence as the U.S.-based manufacturers struggle with material cost increases. As a distributor, Screenflex has no choice but to respond accordingly. The latest announcement of a price increase comes from Ulano. On 1st January 2009, Ulano products will cost about 5% more.

Aside from manufacturer price increases, in Canada we also have to keep a constant eye on the CND/USD exchange rate. Our last price adjustment for the exchange rate change was on 6th November when we lowered prices by 6%. Since then the Canadian dollar has lost some more ground but so far we have managed to avoid any upward adjustments. We will have to see what 2009 brings.

With U.S.-sourced screen printing products escalating in price due to the sudden increase in the cost of a U.S. dollar, and ink being no exception, our focus has been turned back to ink cost efficiency.

First of all though, before we look at ink costs, printers should keep in mind that they have much bigger cost issues brought on by the decline in the value of the Canadian dollar. Garments, equipment and other imported items should be receiving much more attention than the pennies per print that ink represents.

But since at Screenflex our focus is ink, we want to remind you that there are measures you can take to reduce the volume of ink that you apply to garments and in so doing, reduce your ink costs. Don’t overlook the obvious; it always amazes us how often this happens. Here are some important cost-saving measures: proper selection of mesh; proper mesh tension; proper squeegee selection; and appropriate equipment settings.

Just to illustrate what a difference mesh selection can make to ink cost, look at these results that we produced using Wilflex’s Ink Management System (IMS). We entered all the variables to determine the cost per print (ink type, print size, % coverage, mesh count). We did our comparison by changing just one variable, the mesh count.

When we went from a 110 mesh to a 158 mesh we cut our ink cost by 37%. Then when we moved up to a 196 mesh we cut it by a further 15%. We moved up to 230 mesh and cut the per-print ink cost by another 25%. Our model showed that the ink cost using 110 mesh was more than twice as much as the ink cost when using 230 mesh.

Even though, in the end, the ink cost is mere pennies per print, it is worth considering your mesh counts and using higher counts wherever possible. Aside from the ink saving, your prints will be softer, which is very “in” right now.

And what exactly do we mean by pennies-per-print? Well, in our model we assumed a solid 12 inch by 12 inch print covered 100%. And the cost in the worst case using 110 mesh was just over 10 cents per print which we brought down to just over 4 cents per print using the 230 mesh. Oh, and the pricing? That was at the latest prices adjusted upwards for the latest exchange rates.

Screenflex cannot do anything for you with regard to the international money market and the cost of a U.S. dollar. But we can bring you quality products, efficient friendly service and competent technical support; all at just pennies per print.

The Canadian dollar has tanked. What else can you say about a currency that has lost about 25% of its value against the U.S. dollar in a couple of months? Fifteen percent of the loss in value has happened in just the past 3 weeks.

Obviously, sooner rather than later, Screenflex and everyone else on this side of the border in this industry, has to respond by increasing prices. Sitting around playing wait-and-see is not a survival option. If anyone says that they can absorb what amounts to a 25% price increase without passing it on, they should be asked about the kind of margins that they have been making on the backs of Canadian textile screen printers.

Typically, faced with an ink price increase, the response from many screen printers will be: “But I can’t increase my prices to my customers!” Unfortunately, we all (and that includes the end users of t-shirts and other imprinted garments) have to face up to the new economic reality of higher prices and the decline in the value of the Canadian dollar. But we also need to keep the impact of ink price increases in perspective. We need to realize that it is relatively so insignificant that it hardly ranks as an issue.

Consider these two simple questions: (1) When you say that you cannot increase your price to your customers to cover an ink price increase, are you saying that your customers will not pay you another half to one cent per print? Those same customers will be paying more for everything else derived in whole or in part from south of the border, so why should a print on a t-shirt be any different? (2) Of all the textile screen printers, large and small that have failed in the past, how many of them failed because of ink prices? In the twenty years of Screenflex’s existence, we don’t know of one. Do you?

In these economic times, ink cost is not the problem. Wages, equipment, utilities, rent, transport, travel, shipping, staff productivity, quality of work, application technique, equipment productivity, customer service, and pricing intelligently, to name just a few, are much bigger challenges than passing on an extra cent per print in ink cost to your customers.

As usual, all comments, concerns and discussions are welcome. Go ahead and drop me a line at michael.best@screenflex.ca

Some ink manufacturers have just woken up to the fact that governments and customers are beginning to focus on eco-friendly screen printing ink. Now they are announcing eco-friendly ink like they have just invented something new. But as with most new developments in textile screen printing inks, Wilflex is still way ahead of the game, just as they were when they were the first to take lead out of plastisol ink 25 years ago. 

Kathleen’s t-shirt is printed with eco-friendly Wilflex ink that has been available for eight years all over the world!

Wilflex Quantum One does not include phthalates or PVC resin, yet it prints and cures like conventional palstisol-based inks. It also delivers the same high-quality performance and PANTONE colours you would expect from other Wilflex colour systems.

Wilflex Oasis is a line of water-based inks that does not include phthalates, PVC or AEPO’s and it meets the Oeko Tex 100 standard. The Oasis line also includes non-formaldehyde discharge inks.

Wilflex Epic ink system provides you with the most advanced non-phthalate ink technology for market conditions and certification standards that require non-phthalate inks. The Epic system is based on Wilflex’s popular MX mixing system that gives you consistent PANTONE colours.

Want to know more about eco-friendly inks? Don’t waste time with immitators and be careful of salespeople who claim to have “organic”, “green” or “enviro” inks without knowing what they are talking about. Don’t be some no-name brand’s guinea pig, call Screenflex toll-free at 1-800-661-7766 or email us at info@screenflex.ca We know a lot, but if you manage to stump us, we always have the full resources of Wilflex’s experts to back us up.

Oh, one more thing…   we have samples.

Kathleen salutes our Beijing Olympians and their 18 medals in her official Canadian Olympic Team t-shirt. She also looks forward to great results from our winter Olympians with her official Vancouver 2010 sun visa.

Canadian gear! Canadian pride! Made in China?

We know that others have been objecting publicly about Canadian Olympic apparel being produced abroad, but we want to take up the cause on behalf of our industry specifically.

Canadian pride is important, but so are Canadian jobs, in this case, screen printing jobs. Why can’t we tie the two together? Why can’t the Canadian Olympic Committees show some of the patriotism that they expect the rest of us to show? Why don’t they insist that all Canadian Olympic licensed gear has to be produced in Canada? We have textile manufacturing and textile screen printing industries decimated by an exodus of work to low-wage destinations abroad. It takes a special kind of gall to ask an unemployed Canadian textile worker or a failed screen shop owner to proudly wear a Maple Leaf sewn and printed in China!

Canadians don’t seem to realize that Canadian jobs and Canadian businesses are being destroyed by their greedy clamour for cheap products made by foreign workers in foreign countries. When that greed overshadows even national pride, it has gone too far. 

How about this for a suggestion to deal with out misplaced priorities problem? Before our athletes get a boost from any of the additional tax payers’ money that they want in order to produce more medals and boost national pride, let’s give the tax payers a boost by stopping the flow of Olympic textile and screen printing jobs to offshore locations. Let’s rethink Canadian national pride a bit and let’s keep more of its economic benefits inside Canada.

And don’t bother pointing out that Kathleen is wearing Canadian pride made in China. She’s a dummy. What’s your excuse?