Hello {{first_name|Vinyl Visionaries}},
So the new year and Vinyl Vision are well and truly launched. Loved seeing your feedback on the first edition of the year, and be assured what you ask for is what you will be getting. Looking forward to building a community of enthusiasts, designers, and professionals who share a passion for creative expression through vinyl. We will continue to deliver independent industry news, and features that are of interest to you, so please feel free to make suggestions and requests, to submit news, hacks, and ideas. Don’t forget to vote on the design of the week, and “may the odds be ever in your favor”.
Design Directory
🧩 Vinyl Challenge: Can You Answer?
What day is national sticker day?
Answer at the bottom.
📰Vinyl Scene: News Update
The latest trends, technology advancements, and industry news related to vinyl graphics. Got any news to share?
09 Jan - Expanding the solutions available to the printed apparel market, Epson today announced a new SureColor® F-Series direct-to-garment (DTG) printer. Designed to open new doors for garment decorators, entrepreneurs, artisan businesses, and print service providers, the versatile entry-level printer is purpose-built for a range of DTG and direct-to-film (DTFilm) printing applications. The hybrid printer combines outstanding image quality, easy operation, and flexible performance in one space-saving package to allow designers to spend more time creating.
New DTG & DTF Printer from Epson
03 Jan - Decoding 2024: What’s in and What’s Out. Howard Custom Transfers provides us with a great look forward at 2024, with their predictions for the dynamic world of apparel decoration, where staying ahead of the curve is crucial. As we step into 2024, they explore the latest trends that are shaping the industry. From innovative techniques to shifts in design philosophy.
As they say, “In the fast-paced world of apparel decoration, adaptability is key. By staying attuned to these emerging trends, decorators can ensure they are delivering products that resonate with the ever-evolving tastes of consumers in 2024.”
Great 5 Minuet Read
02 Jan - Our Success Group (OSG), a leader in small business coaching and development, announced the launch of the Goal Getter Masterclass Series, making it accessible to the public. The three-part training program is designed to empower small business owners and entrepreneurs with the tools and strategies needed to set and achieve their business goals in 2024. Normally these programs are only accessible to OSG Members but due to the demand for tools to achieve goals, the decision was made to offer it to the public as well.
The series, led by success principles certified business coaches Aaron Montgomery and OSG Member and fellow business owner, Becky Kotzer, will kick off on January 10th, 2024 with the first session focused on "Designing Personalized Business Goals." This interactive workshop will guide participants through the process of identifying their unique business strengths, passions, and values to form a solid foundation for goal setting.
Great Business Development Offer
💡Vinyl Hacks: Weekly Wisdom
Tips and hacks related to creating, applying, or maintaining vinyl graphics. Got a hack to share?
There are not many YouTube searches containing the word “vinyl” that will not bring up Matt Vassallo of TheRhinestoneWorld. This week’s hack is not just a single hack, it’s eight hacks all to do with cutting, weeding, and assembly of multiple layers for vinyl decals. At less than one minute per hack even at normal speed, this video has something for everyone.
Hack 1 - Cutting multiple scraps at once with a cutting mat
Hack 2 - Peeling vinyl from cutting mat
Hack 3 - Reverse weeding
Hack 4 - Light Board
Hack 5 - Weeding tool for scraps
Hack 6 - Layer colors with parchment paper
Hack 7 - Remove application tape from vinyl
Hack 8 - Use a smaller piece of smaller application tape for multiple cuts
Matt Vassallo - TheRhinestoneWorld
🤖 Digital Artisan: AI Innovations in Design
Explore the frontier of creativity with a segment dedicated to the latest AI tools revolutionizing the art of vinyl design. Got a great AI tool or hack?
The most game-changing software in my life this year is Canva. With over 20 years of experience with Corel Draw and Photopaint, I occasionally fall back on these for some jobs. Mostly I just do stuff in half the time and at exactly the right size and resolution the first time inside Canva.
Canva's integration of AI tools takes its capabilities for vinyl graphic design to a whole new level. For instance, the AI can suggest color palettes that harmonize well with your chosen images, ensuring your vinyl designs look professionally coordinated. This is particularly useful when you're trying to capture a specific mood or brand identity.
Another impressive feature is Canva’s AI-powered text generator. It can recommend font pairings and layout suggestions, which means you can create visually appealing text elements for your vinyl graphics without the headache of font matching. This tool is a lifesaver for creating catchy slogans or informative text on vinyl banners and decals.
Canva's AI also excels in image editing. With features like background remover or smart resize, you can easily prepare images for vinyl printing, ensuring they fit perfectly and look great on any scale. Whether it's a small sticker or a large car wrap, the AI ensures your image quality is on point.
Additionally, Canva's AI offers design suggestions based on the latest trends, which can inspire and guide your creative process. This feature is incredibly useful for staying ahead of the curve with your vinyl graphics, ensuring they’re not only high-quality but also trendy and engaging.
In summary, Canva's AI tools simplify and enhance the graphic design process, making it more accessible and efficient. This is especially beneficial for vinyl graphics, where design precision and aesthetic appeal are paramount. With Canva, you get an AI-assisted design partner that helps bring your vinyl visions to life effortlessly and effectively.
🛠️ The Vinyl Toolkit: Featured Item
Round out your tool kit to be the best in the business. Found a great tool?
You know how sometimes you come across a tool and wonder how you ever got along without it? You're about to apply a stunning graphic, but pesky dust and lint are in the way. Enter the silicon roller – the unsung hero in your toolkit.
These little gems are way ahead of your average lint rollers. Why? Well, for starters, their stickiness is something else. They grab onto the tiniest specks of dust and lint like magic, leaving your surface spotless and ready for a flawless graphic application. And let's talk about the no-residue game they play – it's a winner! Unlike lint rollers that can leave that annoying sticky aftermath, silicon rollers are all about cleaning without any trace.
But wait, it gets better. These rollers are like the gift that keeps on giving. Rinse them off, let them dry, and they're good as new – reusable and incredibly long-lasting. It's kind to your wallet and the planet. Plus, they're gentle giants – tough on dirt but super gentle on surfaces. No scratches, no worries.
So, next time you're gearing up for some graphic application, reach for a silicon roller. It's the tool you didn't know you needed, but once you try it, there's no going back.
🎨 Design Showcase: This Week's Best
See last week’s standout vinyl graphic design, and vote on next week’s winner. Have you got a cool design idea?
Congratulations to Bojes Pustra, our week one design winner.
Next week’s shortlist is below and has a strong Valentine’s Day theme, with Chinese New Year thrown if or good measure. How far away is Easter?
Don’t forget to submit your most fantastic designs, and then it's time for you to play judge! Cast your vote for the winner every week, and the champion gets to revel in that ultimate feeling of victory that can be proudly shared on your social channels.
Week 1 Winner - Bojes Pustra, T-shirt Designer FB Group
Shortlist Week 2 - Don’t Forget to Vote!
🤑 Vinyl Value: Exclusive Discounts
We are on the lookout for any special deals and discounts on vinyl graphics products or services. Have you got a great deal?
We continue to look for special deals for Vinyl Visionaries, so if you are looking to reward a focused audience with a great deal, then please let us know. Until then we continue to look for what looks like a good deal in vinyl.
SignWarehouse has extended its Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales events to the end of the year, offering a variety of deals on vinyl cutters, heat presses, printable vinyl, and more. This includes bundle offers like a printer and cutter package at a discounted price. You can explore their clearance specials and end-of-year promotions for various vinyl-related products. For more details and to take advantage of these offers, visit SignWarehouse's website SignWarehouse.
🌟 Graphic Guru: This Week's Star
Read about the movers and shakers in vinyl. Do you know someone who shook the tree?
The Avery Dennison Corporation founder lived in a rented Chicken Coop while at college
Ray Stanton Avery, born on January 13, 1907, in Oklahoma City, was an American inventor renowned for creating the world's first self-adhesive labels, commonly known as modern stickers. His journey to becoming an inventor and businessman is quite remarkable. Avery put himself through college by working at the Midnight Mission and living in a rented chicken coop. After a year-long dropout to live in China, he graduated from Pomona College with a humanities degree in 1932.
In 1935, with a mere $100 loan from his then-fiancé Dorothy Durfee, Avery invented and patented the first self-adhesive die-cut labeling machine, combining used machine parts with a saber saw. This invention marked the beginning of what would become the Avery Dennison Corporation, a significant player in the field of adhesive materials. Initially, the first Avery labels were simple, round price stickers, but the company quickly grew, expanding its range of products and influence in the industry.
Apart from his business endeavors, Avery was also known for his philanthropy, particularly in Southern California. He generously supported educational and arts institutions, including the California Institute of Technology, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Huntington Library. In 1996, he created Avery House at Caltech, a residence housing undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty.
Avery's life was marked by innovation, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy, leaving a lasting impact on the world of adhesive materials and beyond. He passed away on December 12, 1997, in Pasadena, California, but his legacy continues through the company he founded and the products that have become a staple in many industries.
🗓️ The Year in Vinyl: Events that Educate
See what is happening around the world in the world of vinyl. Do you know an event we should list?
09-11 Jan - Gulf Print & Pack, Dubai, UAE is the Middle East and North Africa’s only dedicated commercial print and package printing trade show.
09-10 Jan - The London Textile Fair, London, United Kingdom takes place twice a year in January and September and it is now the biggest textile exhibition in the UK and one of the largest in Europe.
19-21 Jan - Impressions Expo, Long Beach, USA is your source for what’s new in decorated apparel and building your business. See why thousands of industry professionals keep coming back for more!
30 Jan - 02 Feb - RemaDays Warsaw, Poland is a fair for professionals in the advertising industry, covering sectors like signage, visual communication, and printing technologies.
06-09 Feb - Pamex, Mumbai, India, is an international exhibition on printing and allied machinery, offering insights into the latest technologies and trends in the printing industry.
25-27 Feb - DPES Sign Expo, Guangzhou, China is the leading exhibition focused on digital printing, engraving, and signage technology, perfect for those interested in the latest advancements in these fields.
07-09 Mar - Graphics Pro Expo, Irving, USA gives you access to the awards and personalization, apparel decorating, and sign and digital graphics markets, all under one roof.
19-22 Mar - FESPA Global Print Expo, Amsterdam, Netherlands is one of the largest global print expos, covering a wide range of topics such as digital and textile printing, screen printing, and signage. It's a key event for professionals in the printing industry to explore the latest technologies and trends.
18-20 Mar - UV 2024, Las Vegas. Nevada, USA is the premier all-in-one conference event for leaders in the global UV printing industry and is the only conference dedicated to UV and LED UV printing.
21-23 Mar - Impressions Expo, Atlantic City, USA is your source for what’s new in decorated apparel and building your business. See why thousands of industry professionals keep coming back for more!
10-12 Apr - ISA Sign Expo, Orlando, United States is a prominent event in the signage industry, showcasing the latest products and services in signs, graphics, print, and visual communications.
28 May - 07 June - Drupa, Düsseldorf, Germany is known as the world's leading trade fair for printing technologies, Drupa offers extensive insights into the future of the printing industry, including innovative printing processes, equipment, and materials.
13-15 Jun - Graphics Pro Expo, Long Beach, USA gives you access to the awards and personalization, apparel decorating, and sign and digital graphics markets, all under one roof.
10-12 Jul - Graphics Pro Expo, Philadelphia, USA gives you access to the awards and personalization, apparel decorating, and sign and digital graphics markets, all under one roof.
17-19 Jul - Visual Impact, Brisbane, Australia will showcase the latest in the visual graphics industries, including signage, digital printing, engraving, routing, awards, vinyl application, design, airbrush, screenprinting, and display solutions.
01-03 Oct - Graphispag, Barcelona, Spain is a showcases the latest innovations in the graphic and visual communication industry, including digital printing technologies, graphic arts, and visual communication solutions.
03-05 Jun - Graphics Pro Expo, Indianapolis, USA gives you access to the awards and personalization, apparel decorating, and sign and digital graphics markets, all under one roof.
10-12 Sept - Printing United Expo, Las Vegas, USA is an annual event focused on bringing together the entire print industry to see the latest trends, technology, and solutions in one place.
03-04 Oct - Wrap Fest, Towcester, England, is a show dedicated to vinyl installation and vehicle wrapping professionals, and will be held at the prestigious Silverstone Race Circuit. WrapFest includes the World Wrap Masters UK competition, which delivers an intense battle as seasoned pros go head to head to claim the UK title.
24-26 Oct - Impressions Expo, Fort Worth, USA is your source for what’s new in decorated apparel and building your business. See why thousands of industry professionals keep coming back for more!
07-09 Nov - Graphics Pro Expo, Charlotte, USA gives you access to the awards and personalization, apparel decorating, and sign and digital graphics markets, all under one roof.
TBC - Visual Impact, Sydney, Australia will showcase the latest in the visual graphics industries, including signage, digital printing, engraving, routing, awards, vinyl application, design, airbrush, screenprinting, and display solutions.
TBC - The Sublimation Summit, USA is dedicated to sublimation. Crafters and entrepreneurs alike will learn the how-tos of sublimation with classes from some of the leading experts in the industry.
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🧩 Vinyl Challenge: Answer
National sticker day is celebrated on January 13, in honor of R. Stanton Avery, who was born on that day.