Wildwood offers water base screenprinting on dark garments using an opaque ink system. Ink is heat set by sending the printed garment through a dryer. Colors will mute somewhat but yield an effect that most customers are happy with- a vintage , broken-in look with a soft hand.
After reviewing the original art we discuss the possible print production techniques with you. In this case art was optimized for Digital Printing. We created a pre-production sample on a basic100% cotton Gildan Metro Blue and used a white under printer to help make the colors pop. After sampling the sample is reviewed, approved, and the entire batch of shirts is then printed.
A belt print uses a very large industrial printing press and this press can register multiple colors across an entire shirt. We like the all-over look and feel of many belt prints but wanted to come up with a less expensive and equipment intense printing option. The "Fake" or Faux Belt print comes out of this. In this example a large background print fills the shirt and we print a three color post-print (printed after the first print is completed) on top of this. We're excited with our results and the look.
American Ballet Theatre wanted a cropped photograph printed on a black t-shirt. Our first challenge in the art department was to make the image look good on the non-rectangular shirt shape. If we reproduced the complete photo, we worried that we would create a harsh corner and we wanted to soften this. We rotated the photo, placed the logo to compliment, and proposed the fitted dark garment to complete a positive impression.
Finally, we used a simulated process separation and printing method to best serve this image on the dark garment background. We selected a fitted women's garment to complement the design.
This collection of product from 2012 was produced for A Prairie Home Companion® and their annual cruise. Initially, they wanted us to include: windmills, tulips, camels, a skyline of the architecture of the Netherlands and Spain, the Moorish style, and a guitar on the product. We gathered reference material and created sketches while problem solving our way closer to a design solution.
APHC ultimately chose the flamenco guitarist and dancer as well as a selection of products and we set production in motion. We further tweaked the design for best display on each item based on the production method, display size, and or cost.
We partner with our local Ultimate Frisbee League, Madison Ultimate Frisbee Association or MUFA, to Source, Print and Distribute performance wear jerseys and discs for all their teams. They ask us to create a collection of custom apparel that we source, print and fulfill. We love teaming up with our customers working together to help them complete what might otherwise seem like a daunting task.
At Wildwood, we find integrated solutions for meeting the needs of our clients. For example, we team up with the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art to help produce tees, totes, and caps for their Annual Art Fair on the Square. We help select the imagery, garments, and printing technique. We also create the art separations and produce a sample for review before the entire job is printed. Finally, at the event, we retail the merchandise.
