IronforgePress.com: SERVICES

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Our Services
Why IronForge Press over any other printer? IronForge is a screenprinting shop run by designers, for designers (and anyone who needs a sweet print.) Our mission reaches far beyond the production and manufacturing of goods. We focus heavily on the design and art preparation as well as detailed correspondence with customers and clients to offer a full-service advice, design, and manufacturing option that we feel is unique in this industry. Our customers learn about the creation of thier product instead of simply being handed a finished piece and an invoice. We feel that the more the customer understands about the process, the more freedom they have to execute thier vision with all the tools we have to offer. In keeping with our mission to provide a unique experience, we offer specialty inks and services that many printers do not. Water-based inks, discharge inks, foils, flockings, and other heat-set embellishments are standard options for our customers. . From building a clothing company from scratch to offering simple advice on which ink works best in a particular situation, we are eager to help. Below is a detailed list of our services with as much information as we could cram into this page. Look around, brainstorm, and shoot us an e-mail with any questions or projects that we can tackle for you. Thanks for checkin' out The Forge!


Garment Printing
Have a clothing design that you'd like to get printed? We offer diverse ink and source blank options from the most basic to the most specific for your project. Some of our most frequently requested garment suppliers are as follows:
	We source and print on a large selection of textiles and garments, from basic wear and sports oriented garments, like Hanes, GIldan, Anvil, Fruit of the Loom, Bella, Jerzees, Izod, to more slim-fit, fashionable garments,like those manufactured by American Apparel, NextLevel or Vertex. We also offer eco-friendly, organic, and "green" garment options.



Poster Printing
Our bread and butter. We print limited posters and art prints for clients and ourselves every week. Each print unique and printed by hand, you can sell these collectable pieces at a premium as they will never be printed again. Check out our blog for examples of our work.
	Your options for ink and paper choices are nearly limiteless. Pantone color matching is available which means we have endless ink color options. We offer Glow-in-the-dark, Metallic, Varnishes, and other "effect" ink at no extra charge. Currently, our maximum printable image size is 16"x20". Our standard paper sizes are 12"x18" and 18"x23".Cutting to accomodate custom sizing and framing of printed pieces at a quoted cost per project is available. We offer a standard white 14pt CS1 paper as our in-house stock as well as the full French Paper line for colored stock. We also print on a variety of other paper stocks from various manufacturers. If you have a different supplier in mind that is not listed here, please send us an email and we will track down what you are looking for. Beyond printing on standard paper options, we can print on acrylic, plexiglass, plastic, wood, metal, fabric, and pretty much anything else that is flat, clean, thin, and small enough to accomodate a press platten. So get creative, pitch us your project and we will see what we can do to make some awesome prints together.


Design Services
We are designers who opened a screenprinting shop to provide ourselves with specialty printing that we did not have access to in Florida. We literally have decades of design experience and are offering these services through Iron Forge Press at $50 an hour. From helping prepare art for printing at the shop, to developing websites from scratch, we can do it all. Our blog shows many samples of our work
	Before we stepped foot into a print shop, we were designers. We charge a $50 flat rate based on an approved amount of billable hours that we discuss with the client prior to beginning a project. No surprises, no rogue invoices, just straight business. Many of the projects featured on our blog were designed in-house by us. We design for print, clothing, web, product packaging, publishing, typography, advertising, anything and everything that can be embellished with an aesthetic touch, we have our hands in it. We use both Mac and PC hardware and software and can provide your files however you need them. We offer full photography services as well. We can handle product/model shots, location shoots for print/advertising content or source stock photos for your sites or projects based on your need. Pictures tell the real story of how diverse and experienced our design history is so stay tuned for our new portfolio page which will showcase a wide variety of our work.


Ink Options
Textile Ink: PLASTISOL	DETAIL IMAGE
Plastisol inks are the standard in screenprinting. Our plastic-based printing inks provide a durable, opaque, and economical solution for most standard printing applications. They are easy to print, do not dry in the screen, can be very opaque on dark garments, and will adhere to most textiles. Plastisol inks do not color the fibers like a dye, they rest on top creating a rubbery feeling on the garment. Plastisol is our least expensive ink option and the best for detail in fine line elements. Metallic Add the subtle lustre and sparkle of metal to any color printed on your garment. Our metallics are plastisol based and have a glitter flake which requires a larger-mesh screen, meaning slightly less detail in fine line elements.
Textile Ink: WATER-BASED	DETAIL IMAGE
Water-Based inks are a good choice when a soft garment is desirable. The ink cannot easily be felt with the hand when passed across the surface of the fabric. Ideal for boutique fashions or for anyone who values comfort over design control. The level of detail that can be printed is less than that of plastisol. Ink opacity is also a concern when printing with these inks since they absorb into the fabric. Water-based is more costly as well because it is much more difficult to cure than plastisol. If a water-based print job will take more than one day, the ink must be removed and the screen cleaned with to prevent drying. The ink is then put back in the screen on the next work day and the job is continued.
Textile Ink: 3-D	DETAIL IMAGE
3-D/SUEDE inks are cool as they add a real sense of dimension to your printed garment with an ink application that actually stands above the garment and adds a textured surface. Suede finish inks are very soft and slightly furry like suede. Not often seen on garments, this ink has many interesting applications that will impress customers.
Textile Ink: DISCHARGE	DETAIL IMAGE
DISCHARGE inks are awesome. This printing method removes the existing dyes in the garment, without weakening the fabric, providing for a very soft hand. It most resembles a bleaching effect which works great in vintage and boutique designs. It can be used in conjunction with other printing applications for unique results. For optimal results, discharge printing requires blank textiles of reactive dyed, 100% cotton composition. Discharge inks will not work well with polyester, nylon, or any other materials other than cotton.
Flatstock Ink: METALLIC	DETAIL IMAGE
Metallic inks are always popular for poster and art prints. The semi-reflective quality of these inks offer a nice dimension to flat designs and lend an additional level of realism to faux-metal objects.
Flatstock Ink: VARNISH	DETAIL IMAGE
Varnish inks are cool for subtle effects like gloss on matte presentations or adding translucent detail over a design. Varnish inks can also be used to coat papers that absorb a lot of ink to help retain vibrancy and opacity with layered colors.
Flatstock Ink: GLOW	DETAIL IMAGE
Glow inks or Phosphorescent inks are pretty self-explanitory. They glow in the dark. When not glowing, phosphoescent inks are a light yellow hue and can go undetected into a well planned design until the lights go off. Great for concert venues or any application where the design will be displayed in low light or with black lights.



Decorative Elements
FOIL	DETAIL IMAGE
FOIL Highly reflective metallic application, available in a variety of various finishes and patterns, including holographic patterns. Perfect for adding “bling” to your garment or expanding your design to include a tactile element. Added as a sublte accent design, or the central element of your garment, foils are awesome. Special wash and care instruction should accompany any garment with a foil application. Wash inside-out in cold water in a soft wash. Dry on low cool heat or out on the line if you are representing the 1900s like a champ.
FLOCKING	DETAIL IMAGE
FLOCKING Soft fuzzy surface application, reminiscent of velvet or felt, available in a variety of colors. Great for accenting design elements. Added as a sublte accent design, or the central element of your garment, flocking is rad. Special wash and care instruction should accompany any garment with a flocking application. Wash inside-out in cold water in a soft wash. Dry on low cool heat or out on the line if you are an 80 year old maid.
RHINESTONES/STUDS	DETAIL IMAGE
STONES/STUDS Add a whole new dimension to your design with heat-fixed rhinestones (Including genuine Swarovski Crystal), rhinestuds or nailheads in a never-ending variety of shapes, colors, and finishes. Special wash and care instruction should accompany any garment with a stone/stud application. Wash inside-out in cold water in a soft wash. Dry on low cool heat or out on the line if you love clothes pins.
EMBROIDERY	DETAIL IMAGE
EMBROIDERY is useful in adding dimension and texture to a flat design or garment. Whether it is adding a small corporate logo to a polo blank, or sewing a custom patch on a boutique T-shirt, embroidery is a classic and popular option for all designers. We have an endless color and thread selection and a full digitizing service for your designs.


Tag Services
GARMENT TAGS	DETAIL IMAGE
Woven tags are a great way to solidify your brand and offer a unique product to your customers. We offer an endless variety of thread color options and tag shapes. We also offer a variety of ways to have them sewn in and at any location on the garment. Printed tags are very popular as they are less expensive than a sewn-in woven tag. Any design can be printed anywhere in your garment to further extend your branding and add another point of interest for your customers. Heat Applied tags are available as well. These can be full color but need to be ordered in bulk.
HANG TAGS	DETAIL IMAGE
Hang Tags Further extend your brand’s identity by including custom printed and finished hang tags, packaging, or any other variety of collateral as part of your garment. We use our flatstock printing expertise to create impressive quality hang tags that are hand-printed, hand-stained, and hand punched. Metallic, Flourescent, Glow-in-the-dark, and other specialty inks are available. A variety of paper stocks are available as well. We offer full offset printing services, including CMYK, spot colors, and metallics, as well as custom cutting and die cutting services as well.