Domed graphics are moving beyond their traditional product marking and labelling uses into a new range of garment and fabric decoration applications.

The industry for domed labels and decals has grown enormously in recent year. In fact, polyurethane resin doming is currently one of the fastest growing markets in the field of industrial graphics and products identification. Domed labels are everywhere : on cars, cameras, microwaves, DVD players, freezers, stereos, and just about every other type of consumer item.

One reason for the increase in demand is that doming greatly enhances the appeal of an otherwise conventional, flat, and lifeless label. Doming dramatically transforms graphics into interesting, three-dimensional, decorative items and produces a high-gloss finish that enriches the printed colour. The doming process is particularly effective when used on metalised polyester, where the mirror finish accentuates the light-bending effects of the dome, creating additional depth and interest.

In addition to increasing visual impact, the dome also serves to protect the image from damage. Polyurethane domes are very durable, and their self-repair properties enable the surface to recover almost instantly from indentations.

Polyurethane doming resins are UV stable and non-yellowing, even when used outdoors for several years. Further more, the UV inhibitors used in the polyurethane coating greatly prolong the life of the printed image.

Despite the proven popularity of domed labels and decals in the field of product marking, they are rarely seen on garments or other fabric surfaces. This is because the normal method of applying a pre-printed and domed, self-adhesive polyester or vinyl label to the product is only satisfactory if the surface to be marked is rigid and non-porous.

However, the visual impact provided by the contrast of a glossy domed surface with the matt texture of the surrounding fabric holds the promise of enhancing many textile products. Consequently, the practice of applying domed emblems to T-shirts, sports bags, sneakers, baseball caps, raincoats, sportswear etc. is growing in popularity.

Producing domed graphics for fabrics requires a few alterations to conventional doming techniques. We'll begin by reviewing those techniques, and then consider the limitations fabrics introduce to the process, and explore methods for overcoming those limitations.

Doming basics

A typical doming application involves the dispensing of a liquid polyurethane resin onto a printed label or decal in a measured amount. The liquid resin then flows over the surface until its progress is interrupted, usually by the cut edge of the label. Surface tension then holds the liquid in place, and it begins to cure after seven or eight minutes. Cured resin is dry to the touch after about one hour.

Resin-dispensing machines can be either manual, or configured to varying degrees of automation. They come in different levels of sophistication, depending on the type and number of labels to be treated.

As a guide, you can expect that a semiautomatic machine, such as the unit shown, would dome approximately 50,000 - 60,000 1-sq-in, labels per day, you could of course produce considerably more with a fully automatic model.

At first it will probably be more convenient to have the domed decals produced for you to apply to your product. Later, when the strength of the demand has been ascertained, you may consider the purchase of the necessary equipment and licence to enable you to produce the fabric domes in house.

Challenges in unique applications

As explained previously, the label's cut edge acts as a temporary barrier that holds the resin for a vital few minutes until it begins to gel. However, problems can arise when no such cut edge is available.

Also, because the polyurethane is applied as a liquid, it is essential that the surface of the label by non-absorbent; otherwise, the doming material will not pool on the surface to produce the desired dome effect. Hence, it is generally not possible to dome directly onto woven materials.

Various methods have been used to try to overcome this problem. One such method is to frequency weld the dome to the fabric. This method presents a number of drawbacks.

For example, the label must have a matching piece of weldable plastic positioned on the inside face of the fabric area to be domed. If the backing piece is not in precise alignment with the domed label on the face of the garment, a satisfactory weld will not be achieved.

For this reason, it can be difficult to apply welded domes to finished articles, particularly if the are lined inside, as with many garments or bags. Furthermore, the welding process can leave the domed area with a slightly rough edge that contrasts noticeably with the smoothness of the dome, and can detract from its finished appearance.

Another technique uses screenprinting. The decals are produced on a type of polyester film, which is coated with a heat sensitive adhesive on one face, and a white background colour on the other.

Unfortunately, this method can give rise to problems, due to the white face side coating separating from the carrier film, taking with it both the printed image and the polyurethane dome. Another drawback with this system is that screenprinting imposes a limit on the number of colours that can be conveniently incorporated into the design.

The latest, and most successful method to date, involves the use of an adhesive, which is also the white background colour. When domed with the polyurethane specially formulated to be compatible with this surface, a near perfect bond results, with no layers to separate, even after exposure to many washing machine cycles.

In addition, this new method of production will allow the use of digital printing, giving almost total freedom of design and colour. Also, digital printing offers the flexibility of profitably handling the very short print runs often required in the decorated-garment and ad-specialty markets, as well as being equally practical and economical for longer run lengths.

It must be stressed that these digitally printed and domed labels for use on woven fabrics have all the rich, vibrant colours associated with normal domed labels, and are not to be confused with the muted effects often produced when digitally printing directly onto garments.

Applying domed graphics to garments

A heat press is used for adhering domed graphics to garments. This method offers the advantage of overcoming the absorbency of the fabric, while simultaneously making the application of the finished dome almost foolproof and virtually eliminating risk of damage to expensive, completed items.

In addition, the garment's fabric integrity is retained, because the labels are securely attached to the garments without the need for any stitching. This is a particular advantage when applying domed graphics to waterproof materials, where stitching can open routes for moisture to penetrate the garment's protective coating.

The apparent simplicity of this heat-press solution is, however, complicated by the fact that the heat required to secure a satisfactory bond to the fabric damages normal doming-grade polyurethane.

One way around this is to use adhesive products that work at lower temperatures, but these cooler working adhesives can sometimes result in and unsatisfactory bond of the dome to the fabric. The answer is that the dome must be able to withstand the heat of the press at the point of application, for a sufficient time to secure satisfactory adhesion, without the process degrading the pristine surface of the dome.

In addition to heat resistance, the polyurethane used for garment doming should be formulated to be much softer when cured than the domes produced for application to rigid surfaces.

This also presents special problems for the chemist, because the softer the material, the more susceptible it is the heat damage. The good news is that extensive research and development have now yielded a special doming-grade polyurethane that is capable of weathering all of these extremes.

Designing graphics for fabric doming

It's important to consider the size of the domed graphic that you want to apply to garments. Domes are so eye-catching that the best effect is often obtained by using quite small and discreet domed images. Small domes add a look of quality to the product, but the effect can be diminished by the use of domes that are too large.

Smaller domes are also very cost effective in use. You can, and indeed you should, expect to use much smaller images than you would with embroidery or screenprinted heat transfers.

You will find that your customers will typically choose to have much smaller images with domes than they would with other methods of garment decoration.

Whilst domed labels for fabric garments are usually small, the other extreme can also apply, and some quite large domed labels have been applied to spring interior mattresses, tents and caravan awnings, for example.

In addition to determining the appropriate size, you should also give careful consideration to the shape of the domed emblems for applications to garments. I strongly recommend that you limit the shapes for garment-bound domes to round and elliptical shapes or rectangles with rounded corners. Sharp corners can be uncomfortable for the wearer, and they can decrease wash resistance.

The weave of the fabric to which to dome is to be attached is not a factor in determining the clarity of print, as it would be if it where being screenprinted or decorated with a printed transfer. Even quite coarse textured material, such as that used for document cases etc., can be clearly marked with text as small as six point, or fine detailed logos and heraldic crests etc.

You can give your customer an idea of what to expect by producing conventional, domed self adhesive labels as samples, or even create short production runs of domed labels by using small, twin-pack cartridges of polyurethane resin and a hand-held dispenser.

This method is popular in the field of ad specialties, for example,where small quantities of many different sizes of labels are required. It also has the advantage of allowing the production of high-grade domed labels with virtually no capital expenditure. Kits that contain all of the necessary equipment and supplies are available for as little as £98.00

The subject of adhesive is rarely discussed when it comes to conventional domed badges and decals that are to be applied to rigid surfaces. Customers take it for granted that the dome will stick to their product and stay there.

The situation is somewhat different when doming for fabrics. Expect customers to ask how many washes a domed garment can withstand. The answer depends on a number of variables, so you need to ascertain the following:

* What is the fabric type to which the domed decal will be applied? For example, adhesion will normally be better to cotton than to a monofilament synthetic fabric.

* What temperature and dwell time will be used for the heated press at the point of application of the dome? It is tempting to cut corners to save time at the point of application, but this can result in reduced bond to the fabric.

* What is the temperature and time of the wash cycle? Compare the rigours of a commercial laundry, processing rented work wear that is aggressively washed every week, to a domestic washing machine doing the weekly wash.

In the final analysis, only actual wash tests will determine the true answer, and if you are offered a large contract, you should give serious consideration to conducting wash tests before going into production. But, purely as a guide, I have tested a cotton T-shirt decorated with a domed label for 50 washes, and didn't notice any fading of the print or conspicuous lifting of the dome from the fabric.

Other advantages of using domed decals on fabrics.

At the present time the main perceived advantage in using domed decals on fabrics is their sheer novelty value, because they are so new and different. But, they have also many less obvious advantages to the garment industry, such as they can be obtained quickly, and in quantities from as few as 25.

They have an amazingly sharp image when compared to screen printing or embroidery, which allows you to use very small typefaces, and other fine detail, in your domed labels.

Because a lot of information can be contained in a small area, the use of very small domes on garments creates an 'understated' look which is difficult to achieve with embroidery or printing. This allows you to create a very upmarket image, at a very modest cost.

Doming allows the easy marking of difficult surfaces, such as fleece garments and blankets, hand or bath towels, coarse woven textiles etc. Also, the inside surface of the fabric in the area of the dome is smooth an unblemished, with none of the rough inner surface texture sometimes associated with embroidery.

You can offer your customers the wonder of colour at an affordable price - even photographs can be included. Because fabric domes are digitally printed, complex designs, utilising many colours, are affordable.

A multi-colour design that would tie up an embroidery machine for hours can be produced digitally in the same time it would take to do it in one colour- and at no greater cost! So, no extra charges; no matter how many colours in your design.

Domed decals can be applied to light or dark colour fabrics with complete confidence. The white background stays white, even on black fabric. They can even be placed over a previously printed or embroidered design, to correct errors.

If the domed decals are ordered at the same time as the garments or bags etc., the articles can be decorated the moment they arrive. By keeping a stock of domed labels for your regular customers, you can give a virtually instant response to urgent orders.

Instead of being reliant on an outside printer, you can reduce carriage costs and keep control of the order by doming the products in house. Still why not reduce stock holding, working capital, number of staff, (in particular, skilled staff) by utilising domes on fabric items?

Awkwardly shaped articles, such as caps, bags, umbrellas etc. can be easily personalised with the use of domed decals, with little or no risk of the loss of finished products due to misprints etc.

No capital equipment is required except for a low cost heat press, which takes up very little space and can be operated by low skilled labour. There is also no need to allocate space and skilled personnel to the preparation of screens, mixing of inks, printing, clearing up etc.

Just dome it

As with any printing and finishing process, there are variables inherent to domed garments graphics that you must sort out. You also may need to contract the doming work to avoid potentially costly investments in high-outputs machines.

But whether you outsource your doming work or invest in the equipment to do it yourself, one thing is for sure - you can boost the appeal of printing garments when you permanently attach a domed decal to the fabric.

For further information contact Mockridge Doming Systems Ltd on 0161 308 2331, fax 0161 343 1958. Visit the website at www.mockridge.com.

Printer friendly version

Email this article to a friend

Bookmark this

---