Holt Sublimation Our Process

Our
Process

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Sublimation printing is different from other printing processes in that it is essentially a two step process: Paper is printed with sublimation dyes; heat and pressure are applied to the paper, and the image on the paper is actually dyed into the white fabric or other substrate.

Before being transferred, the printed image on paper looks very different from the final printed product. Visually, the dyes explode with color when transferred, as they actually become part of the fabric or substrate. If you have interest in custom sublimation printing for your product, click on sales

There is no change to the "hand" or the feel of the surface when it is sublimation printed.

Following is a description of the various steps involved in our process, beginning with the development of ideas and artwork.

Creative

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Holt is unique in that we bring great ideas to you, and help you develop them. With our Burlington art studio, our creative team; and with our Holt Portfolio Service of artists, we are able to offer print solutions that set us apart from the competition.

In addition to our art studio, Holt provides exclusive trending information to our customers in our semi-annual TREND CONCEPTS presentations. This is written and visual trending information to help inspire you to think creatively about our process. Our photo-real capability is a key focus in our TREND CONCEPTS. This is a useful tool for our customers as well as our own creative staff. Click on TRENDS to review our Trend Concepts.

Marketing and
Product
Development

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Job Processing
and Follow Through

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Expanding on our commitment to bring our customers the newest ideas and the most saleable products, Holt has Marketing and Product Development personnel dedicated to supplying customers with the latest in sublimation applications, processes and technology.

Our focus is not only new products, but also identifying and addressing the most profitable markets with unique sublimation product. At Holt, our Product Development team works hand-in-hand with Marketing to develop creative ideas and substrates that result in unique, competitive products at retail.

Because our process is extremely technical, we have established standard operating procedures for different substrates. Our ongoing research ensures that any questions or concerns you might have about a new product will be researched thoroughly, and answered.

Our goal is to make our very technical process easy for you, and to give you the competitive edge at retail with unique product. Our Color Managers are responsible for reviewing your job with pre-press and manufacturing when it arrives in order to make certain it flows through our system as efficiently as possible. Your Color Manager will coordinate all aspects of your design’s progress from receipt to strike-off (or press), and will approve the design on press for you if desired. CM’s know all of the right questions to ask—and they ask you and us! They follow your job from the day it comes through the door until the day it is completed.

Prep
or Pre-Press

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Prep is one of the areas in which we are most proud of our technology: our direct-to-plate capabilities mean that you get a much more accurate reproduction of your design than with earlier technology. Direct-to-plate means :

Higher resolution
Sharper detail
Broader range of color
Much more accurate reproduction

Our new direct-to-plate technology is ideal for licensed properties!

Holt
Prep-
Certification

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One key to success in our prep area is "speaking the same language" as our technical people, and we’re eager to get this communication established at the beginning of our relationship! Our technical people are prepared to discuss ways to get your projects through our system efficiently and most economically. By having your job HOLT PREP CERTIFIED, you are meeting our requirements for our prep department to most efficiently open and convert your files, and by doing so you can save on your pre-press charges. This can be a great help if you are using freelance artists for your work, because they can most efficiently create a job, and we can manipulate it more easily, saving time and money.

For more information on how your jobs can be Holt Prep Certified, see our Tech Talk section, or call Billy Whitehurst at 1.800.544.HOLT, extension 647.

Ink Manufacture: Holtset®
Inks

Holt manufactures our own high-quality sublimation inks, which gives us even more flexibility and control on press. There is an obvious quality difference between Holtset® inks and other sublimation inks—our colors are much more vibrant and consistent! We also have the ability to custom-match your specified colors.

Our direct-to-plate technology gives us even more color control on our presses. We can run mixed ink or four-color process jobs to achieve exactly the results you want.

Offset Printing

Experienced professionals, many of whom have been with Holt for several years, operate state-of-the-art Heidelberg and Meihle presses. Offset paper sizes are 28" by 40", with a printable area of 26 7/8" by 39"; and 42" by 60", with a printable area of 41 ½" by 59". We have 2, 4, 6, and 7 color presses: this gives us the flexibility to run fewer than 4 colors if necessary.

Samples

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Samples can be generated using paper from approved strike-off's. When we go to press, we "set the standard" for each image we print, and this enables us to provide production quality paper for sales samples, trade shows, web sites and catalog shoots. Typically, we run 100 sheets of paper at the time of your strike-off, but this can be adjusted as needed for large quanities of samples and applications, there are additional charges which will be discused prior to processing the job.

In addition to running samples on press, we have the ability to sample with our Holt Replica System, or HRS. Our exclusive HRS works two ways to benefit you: it offers an affordable option for small quantity sampling, and is a good proofing system prior to strike-off.

With this system we are able to produce small quantities of sample paper, usually 10 or fewer pieces, at a reduced price when compared to our traditional process. While your prep charges are the same, you do not incur strike-off press charges when sampling. When you do go to production, your HRS prep charges are applied to this.

By using the HRS for sampling, your up-front savings are significant. Again, this process is excellent for sampling designs, as you do not incur typical press charges if you opt to not go to press.

Continuous Narrow Web Printing
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Another division of Holt Sublimation is our Narrow Web flexographic printing. Using our same high-quality Holtset® inks, we continuously print heat transfer paper for ribbon, shoelaces, bindings, elastics, belts, twill tape and more.

Because we can print widths as narrow as 3/8" and as wide as 30", this facet of our business has many creative applications.

Holtset® Narrow Web Printing was developed in the early 1980’s by converting our flexographic packaging printing machines to accommodate shoelaces. Since that time, we have printed a variety of items including ribbons, elastics, suspenders, orthopedic cast material, labels and more. Our Narrow Web process allows us to decorate continuously, items which are 30" wide or narrower, as narrow as 3/8".

This facet of our business really brings art to life, allowing many products that were previously unembellished to be printed and decorated as never before. Prior to web printing, many customers decorated their products through weaving or knitting, at tremendous expense to them. The perceived value of these processes did not merit the added expense, but this all changed with Holt’s web printing. Sublimation printing adds value, costs are lowered, and minimum quantities are greatly reduced.

While 4 color process is not yet available in web printing, the ability to achieve exciting effects using screens and percentages of colors on otherwise unprintable products has been perfected, and this facet of Holt Sublimation is especially exciting for creative-thinking product development and design people.

Applications

Our expertise in transferring our Holtset® paper to your cut parts or product results in consistent color at an affordable price. While a few of our customers invest in equipment to do their own transferring, we are set up to handle large volume applications, and have stringent quality control specifications in place to ensure that you get consistent color and high quality printing.

The applications process is one of the most critical aspects of sublimation printing, and we have 30 years of expertise which ensures the success of the printing. Applications are done in North Carolina and Asia.

Finished Products Division
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In addition to printing garment components and finished pieces, Holt also provides finished product, constructed and shipped to your specifications.

Essentially, we can do one component of the process such as printing, or take care of the entire product from creative through construction. By allowing Holt to deliver the total product, your company will save time and money.

Our customers gain from the benefit of our 50 plus years in the textile industry, and from the buying volume that we command. The relationships that we have built over the years can be packaged and delivered complete to you. To speak with a representative about how our menu of services can benefit you, click sales

Holt Services

Holt Services is a sales division of Holt Sublimation Printing & Products which utilizes the buying power and manufacturing capabilities of Holt's 60 years in the printing industry. Holt Services offers convenient, economical products and solutions to customers by providing low pricing on products such as paper, ghosting tissue, waste disposal services, and sublimation inks for Holt customers who handle these portions of their production work.

Technology

As we move into the new business economy, the ability to exchange, share, and distribute information and images has become increasingly important. Holt Sublimation has developed an Internet-based set of solutions that allows our customers to send and receive images and data files. This will decrease cost and time-to-market and increase productivity. By allowing real-time file and document transfers using our high-speed FTP servers, Holt assists our customers through the development and production efforts. Full security is applied to all of our FTP servers so there is never a concern about proprietary information or unwanted access. Holt makes these and other services available to all of our valued customers upon request. For more information about Holt's technology offerings, please contact Michael Holt.

Holt Sublimation Printing & Products
2208 Air Park Dr PO 2017

Talk to us!

Burlington, NC 27216
Tel: 336.222.3600 Fax 336.229.7580