To reflect the optimism that was displayed by industry companies in our Wearables Sales Forecast, we decided bright was right for our cover decoration. Our Sales Forecast logo was printed on the stalwart X-TEMP tee from Hanes Branded Printwear (asi/59528; circle 117 on Free Info Card). The shirt was decorated by Heritage Screen Printing (asi/700490; circle 119 on Free Info Card).

Measure Twice, Print Once

Heritage used plastisol inks on its M&R Chameleon manual press to print the Sales Forecast logo. The versatile decorator used mesh counts of 110, 156 and 196 to achieve the proper half tones for the gradients. “These shirts are beautiful and nice to print on,” says Owner Steven McKee, “however, they are soft, which can be an issue when loading them onto the pallets straight. We took our time and measured them out to ensure a properly straight imprint.”

Neon Lights

Neons are having a moment again, and the X-TEMP smartly updates the trend with five heathered colors to choose from. “Because the fabric is a cotton/poly blend, the neon colors take on a unique look that’s really resonating with consumers,” says Newman, “and we’re finding that our heathered neon colors are selling just as well as our core colors.”

Playing It Cool

Hanes introduced its X-TEMP collection this year, and the results have been robust. “Looking ahead to 2015, we fully expect the trend of styles that blur the line between performance and leisure to remain strong,” says Rachel Newman, director of sales and marketing. “X-TEMP hits this trend spot on by combining the comfort of blended ring-spun cotton with the wicking performance of polyester.” The company is planning to expand the collection for 2015, adding men’s and women’s sport shirts, a youth tee and women’s V-neck.

Decoration Tip

Heathered garments are trendy, but can also complicate printing by introducing additional color into the fabric. For printing on the X-TEMP, “we made sure to add a second coat to the white underbase,” McKee says, “to allow for proper coverage over the heather in the garments.”