Drum roll or bugles…It’s now a race to the finish for the BEST DESIGNED T-shirt. Everyone loves a contest so let the First Annual Tallahassee Regional Screen Printing Competition begin!

The momentum started with T-Formation from Midway as host. Next to answer the challenge and line up at the gate was Full Press Apparel, Clothesline, Kenny T’s from Tallahassee proper and Classic Shirts from Quincy. All are ready to go the distance and flex their design muscles.

Who will win this exciting contest for the title of BEST? We’re betting on our “raring to go” Thoroughbred Designers from our Full Press art department.

We’ll keep you posted.

In an effort to give all Full Press staff continuing education and keep minds and skills sharp, Danny and Tracey have begun after-hours classes for the FPA team. Last night was the first of many.  Jay DeMarco from Rutland Technologies in North Carolina spoke on the intriguing subject of “Printing Creatively with New Inks.”

We learned more about “discharge” printing, a technique that feels soft to the touch on the garment. We also learned new efficiencies in the production process. Our eyes were opened to the latest innovations and technologies available to screen printers.

Keep the good stuff coming! We look forward to our next class at FPU.

Tracey and Danny’s dog, Tango recently came by to say, “Hi!” He was the center of attention as Tracey tried to contain his enthusiasm. “Mr. Energy” was very vocal as he tried to personally greet every single staff member. He had recently been through a big surgical ordeal and very glad to be out and about. He left his doggie T-shirt at home since his hair was now growing back and filling out. We say, “Come back anytime, Tango!”

Hey, anyone out there want to print a T-shirt for their best friend?

Listen to Tango’s reply!

Dog_1

Clothing is going interactive…it’s super fun and the latest trend in custom T-shirts!

You are starting to see them everywhere. They look like square jigsaw puzzles, sometimes in color but most often in black-and-white. They are in magazine advertisements, on billboards, on websites, on business cards and any printable material you may want to produce.

What are they? Quick response codes, or QR codes (sometimes called QRCs) and they act as immediate conduits to websites, videos, discount coupons or other marketing messages transferred through a mobile device. What makes these codes so compelling? They are an immediate response mechanism.

See something you like? Simply snap a picture of the code with your cellphone camera. Using a free down-loadable application for smart phones, code data is then translated and magicly displays on your phone’s screen. (For marketers, QR Codes are a great resource to create multi-channel engagement with an intended audience.)

Many organizations and businesses are having their codes printed on T-shirts for branding, marketing and promotions. Individuals are wearing them proudly to identify with the latest “hip” technology. If you haven’t been in the loop, here’s a paraphrased definition from Wikipedia:

“A QR code (short for Quick Response) is a specific matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code), readable by dedicated QR barcode readers and camera phones. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded can be text, URL or other data. The creator intends for the QR code’s contents to be decoded at high speed.”

Big names like Google have used QR codes on T-shirts at technology conventions. The most common reason is to link to a website or to supply contact information. However, creative uses seem to be unlimited and everyday novelty communication purposes surface. For example, students at a prestigious design university decided to code parts of their diary on a custom printed T-shirt. Amongst college coeds this proved to be an overnight sensation and an intriguing way to broadcast details to fellow students.