by Matt DeLaere, Marketing

[Image from http://www.fathomevents.com]

The other night I was able to see a special double feature of Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein in the theater. Seeing the films on the silver screen definitely makes a difference, especially since the cinematography and sets were designed to be seen on the big screen, not television. Quite a few people were on hand for the opportunity to see the films as they looked back in the 1930s.

Being a faithful Stahls’ employee, heat printing is never far from my mind. I noticed that other attendees were wearing a variety of T-shirts inspired by classic horror films (I, of course, was clad in an undersized jacket, black sweater, and electrodes). These shirts ranged from cartoon versions of the classic monsters to (hopefully) licensed images straight from the movies.

Then the thought struck me – fanwear doesn’t have to be for sports. With the variety of decorating options available, and the use of mixed media, you can create awesome products for fans of just about anything. The local chapter of the Cat Lovers Adore Whiskers Society (CLAWS) may want to show their love for furry felines with T-shirts adorned with doe-eyed fuzzy friends. Printing the cats in Flock heat transfer vinyl would add an element of dimension and make them disturbingly more cuddly.

Chess fans might be interested in a knight or a rook (possibly in CAD-CUT^® Carbon Fiber) on their shirts, and the dating service for chess players, “Check for Mates,” surely would want cool gear for its clients.

Going back to the monster theme, a multimedia design of Frankenstein’s monster would draw some looks. Perhaps the face in Glow, hair in Flock, and electrodes in Fashion Film™ Metallic? The great thing about designs made with your own vinyl cutter  is that you can do custom one-offs. It may be worth it to market your business as a source for unique custom apparel. Even with labor factored in, the profit margin can be sizeable.

Anyone who’s met a hunter knows that they don’t limit camouflage to their hunting expeditions. Plus, hunting widows also like to be seen (or not seen – with camouflage I can never be sure). Camouflage Sublimated SimStitch^® designs, like the one at left, are easy to design, order, and apply with your heat press – no sewing required. Hunters will love what you can provide using Stahls’ Any Word. Any Way.™ custom lettering designer.

If you’re more after haunters than hunters, custom designs, like the one at right, can be created using CAD-PRINTZ^® Text Effects. You can preview your full color digital transfer design to see what the design will look like as you go.

With all the decorating and design options available, it’s easy to create great-looking fanwear, no matter what kind of fan will be wearing it. So take some of your “mad” ideas into your heat printing laboratory (pronounced luh-BOR-a-tory, of course) and create your own monstrous (or non-monstrous) designs. As the Monster might say, “Heat printing good!”

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