Let's take sublimation, to start with. Sublimation is a printing method which has been in commercial use for about 25 years now, but far from being relegated to the end of lifecycle dump baskets beside the checkout, the sector has been showing amazing resilience and, horror of horrors, has been growing at breakneck speed in recent years at a very impressive rate of 30% year on year. Hardly moribund! And hardly surprising either. Sublimation is a very affordable solution compared with the costs of traditional printing methods such as screen printing or the new generation direct-to-garment digital printers. Image quality is exceptional and particularly hardwearing, and the technology lends itself to printing on a much wider range of substrates, materials and products, making it an ideal vehicle to expand a business's product range and boost turnover with minimal risk and an outlay that won't break the bank.

Turning the clock back even further, engraving in metal can be traced back to the beginning of the 1st Millenium BC, with glass engraving making its first appearance in the 1st Century AD - so the technology's been around the block a few times. There is something about engraving that portrays a certain cachet of timeless elegance, sophistication and tradition - the hallmark qualities of a bygone era. The very name itself conjures up images of copperplate writing, cursive script and calligraphy, and as an art form it can even be used to reproduce portraits or landscapes. But even engraving, with its origins reaching back to the time of the Ancient Egyptians has its place and relevance in our modern world, from commemorative plaques to crystal bowls, and from nameplates to guidance signage in Braille. And incidentally, how many of us were aware that the market for Braille signage was booming? Clearly then, there are opportunities for printers and embroiderers to expand their businesses by diversifying into other sectors that they might not have expected to be the potential source of substantial new revenue streams.

Aside from identifying the right type of printing and or engraving equipment for their business needs, companies branching out into a new sector need to make sure that they can identify and source suitable blank products, define the printable or engraving areas and content parameters for customer-designed decoration and set variable and discount pricing structures. They then have to communicate all of this to the client in an easy to understand format, attract new customers to try the new service offering, process the order, take payment, and fulfil and dispatch the order in a timely fashion and hopefully error free and in pristine condition. And that's where RSK Tech comes in. We have successfully developed and launched RSK NetShirt - a combined online garment designer and ecommerce solution that is entirely platform-agnostic and can therefore be used with a wide range of printing and engraving technologies, and indeed any other technology for applying personalised content. Whilst originally developed exclusively for the garment decoration industry, the software is actually very well suited to a much broader range of applications including promotional items, personalised gifts, glassware, tableware, stationery, etc. With an online storefront which can be used for marketing purposes and to catch new customers searching the web, RSK NetShirt is the ideal platform to manage a company's expansion into new lines of business such as sublimation and engraving. The fully integrated interactive designer and order taking and payment solution also means that the online shop is fully operational and open for business 24/7. Output files are provided in a variety of high resolution and/or vectorised formats, either in print ready condition or suitable for further processing by the appropriate RIP software, and additional specific customisation and interfacing is possible.

So if you are looking to expand your business, why not take look at how you can raise your business's profile further by taking full advantage of the power of the web, and also consider the technologies available to you, both new and old, that can help you make money by delivering personalised content in both cutting-edge and traditional ways. The outlay may be much more affordable than you anticipated and the return on investment might just be a very pleasant surprise.

Tel: 0800 043 8518

Email: sales@rsktech.com

Web: http://www.rsktech.com/

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