Entry #1 Enlarged Photo

Entry #1 Judges' Comments

Scott Fresener: This is an outstanding print. At 65 LPI it is hard to see the halftone dots and if you use a loupe (magnifier), the print is very clean. It is helpful that they could print 12 colors and hit the print with a couple of flashes (my guess). The colors are bright and jump off the shirt. I like the yellow high density print but at first glance I thought it was just a thick print. This is by far the best shirt of the group. The fact that they made this print very large so it jumps off the shirt is a big plus in the overall impact.

C.J. Mittica: There were two major elements to this challenge: creative and technical. We gave full discretion to the contestants on how to print and what they did with it. There is very little creatively added to this version beyond the bold size, so that is a demerit. Technically, however, this is a wonder. The colors are crisp and (if a little darker) faithfully reproduced. The yellow 'Wearables Magazine' text was printed in an HD Suede which gives it 3D dimensionality – it stands out up close. The technical proficiency demonstrated here carries this shirt through.

Stephanie Woods: The simulated process print is really impressive. It captures the fine details of the designs and looks like a photograph. The use of the raised ink on the letters in "Wearables Magazine" is a nice touch but not as effective on the larger word "Wearables".

Entry #2 Enlarged Photo

Entry #2 Judges' Comments

Scott Fresener: This is a nice clean print. For using a discharge as the underbase it still has a plastisol feel to it. They did not say if they used an auto but it has an auto's clean look to it. They did a nice job of making this a magazine cover graphic. The only minor complaint is I wish they would have used a flesh color for the skin rather than make it from red and yellow. This could be from a lack of printing stations. The colors are off just a little. The background car in the front is orange on the original and they went a little red. The same for the tongue which should be a little more pink. I like that they incorporated a thumbnail size image of the graphic on the shirt the lady is wearing. Overall a good job.

C.J. Mittica: I like the creative approach they took here of making a magazine cover. Subtle touches like the tire tread logo marks, the creased magazine edges and the model wearing a shirt with the same image were all really nice additions. As far as image quality, the main logo is fine, but the woman they used for the cover probably could have been printed more cleanly. All in all, a good effort.

Stephanie Woods: The process print overall is very pixilated and looks like it needed more separations to blend the colors better. The rest of the design represents the other fine details well. I like the subtle watermark effect of the tire tread throughout.

Entry #3 Enlarged Photo

Entry #3 Judges' Comments

Scott Fresener: This is a very clean print and looks like a 65-LPI halftone, so the gradations are very smooth. I like the graffiti red around the print and the registration is dead on everywhere. You can't tell they underbased the red graffiti part - until you stretch the print so it cracks. Overall a good job and true to the colors in the original. A true test of a dark shirt is how well light colors like yellow pop with a white underbase, and they did a good job here.

C.J. Mittica: Another very impressive effort from this decorator. The colors are clean and the main image is faithfully reproduced. I really like the custom graffiti design – it adds a whole lot to the shirt, and it features some really neat hidden touches like our website URL at the bottom of the design. Lastly, the black-and-red ringer is an inspired choice, and printing on a ribbed T-shirt shows some serious technical chops. Great job.

Stephanie Woods: This is great shirt! The oversized print is well executed and the ink coverage is strong. The process portion of the design looks good as well and shows the fine detail of the image. I would have liked to see better ink coverage or use of a flash behind the yellow lettering since the black shirt is showing through a bit.

Entry #4 Enlarged Photo

Entry #4 Judges' Comments

Scott Fresener: This one was hard. The overall idea was good but it is hard to judge how well the print was really executed. And, I think between the time they printed this and submitted it there was some bleeding of the black garment color into the print because the shirt I got was very dull and dark. They used a 65% poly/35% cotton garment, and my guess is it was brighter when printed. That said, it certainly has a vintage feel to it with the distressed look and dulled graphic. I think they went a little too far in dulling down. I was a printer back then and the graphics were a little brighter but certainly chipped and cracked because of how thick the prints were back then.

C.J. Mittica: A lot of neat things going on here. The work shirt was a great choice to go with the hot rod/auto theme. The heavy-duty distressing shows some creative thought. While the desaturated colors do fall in line with everything else, I think they were turned down a little too much; I would have been curious to see this graphic with colors that were punchier. Lastly, the symbols on the chest and sleeve (dig the metallic wrenches) make this a fun item to wear.

Stephanie Woods: This is very cool! I like the subtle but effective use of the foil to highlight design elements. I think the weathered effect on the “Wearables” design is well done and a fun twist on the concept. I can definitely see a guy wanting to wear this jacket!

Entry #5 Enlarged Photo

Entry #5 Judges' Comments

Scott Fresener: This was the only entry that was a true CMYK job on white. It is a very clean print that shows good technique and good registration, but like a lot of CMYK jobs the print is a little darker than the original. If this was their first CMYK print, maybe they sent an early print. CMYK tends to settle in after a dozen or so prints and you get a feel for the proper squeegee pressure for each color. Black is about the hardest color to hold because often CMY is used along with black to make it black, and if you aren’t careful the black will turn a shade of a color. In this case the black turned a tad magenta. I would have like to seen two blacks and maybe they did that. With a spot black for the solid black areas (the borders) and then a spot black for the image, it helps control the black. This is a good print but because of the extra dot gain they got the image turned a little dark and the background cars turned out a little muddy and not the exact colors. But, for a first time attempt it was a nice job!

C.J. Mittica: With everybody printing on black, the choice of a white shirt was a nice contrast. But by just printing the image, this shirt was going to need be a technical marvel to stand up. It doesn't quite reach that level. Plusses: the hand is soft, and the image is reasonably replicated. Minuses: The blacks appear a little dark and the colors have too much edge to them, as if somebody turned up the tint on your TV. Considering the first entry took the same approach and knocked it out of the park, this tee has its work cut out.

Stephanie Woods: Nice job! The process print is detailed and well-executed. The spot colors have good overage while maintaining a nice hand. My sample did have some areas with ink bleed into the lettering but overall it's a good effort.

Contest Rules

Top Decorator was open to distributors, decorators and suppliers with screen-printing equipment. Participants must prominently use screen-printing in their design. They are allowed to incorporate it into mixed media with other decoration methods.

Voting for the Wearables Top Decorator Awards consists of online visitors choosing three favorite designs, based on creativity, technical mastery and design appeal. One vote is allowed per person per challenge round. In the third round, the two submissions with the least amount of votes will be eliminated.