[ *GOING GREEN* ]

Every year we find more and more of our customers are looking for eco-friendly apparel products. It’s a trend we hope never goes out of style. We here at Sapphire believe very much in keeping the Earth clean, and reducing our carbon footprint, as well as yours. We strive to use the most sustainable products as well as environmentally friendly inks. So many people are confused about options they have when it comes to staying Green while trying to output a great product. So I thought I would talk a little bit about the options that are out there today so you can have a better understanding of how you can help.

Cotton is one of the most intensely sprayed crops in the world, and cotton pesticides are the greatest crop contributor to volatile organic compounds in the environment. Cotton requires wide spacing to grow, allowing bare soil to oxidize in the sun, releasing carbon into the atmosphere, allowing rain to wash soil and chemicals into stream, and decreasing soil fertility. we offer organic and environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional cotton such as hemp and bamboo. Hemp is known as a viable clothing fiber due to its durability, versatility, sustainable growing abilities, and long fibers. Organic cotton is grown with safe, nontoxic, non-chemical pest repellants such as manure and herbs, protects the ground, our food, and all animals — including humans. Additionally, organic cotton is pure and has not been genetically altered or modified. These materials can be used for apparel, to totes, to hats.

There are all sorts of ways that apparel is described as being GREEN. Look for these key terms when shopping for "friendly" materials.

ORGANIC: This is the most common term used when GOING GREEN, but what does it actually mean? Organic refers to the way agricultural products—food and fiber—are grown and processed. Organic food production is based on a system of farming that maintains and replenishes soil fertility without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers. Organic foods are minimally processed without artificial ingredients, preservatives, or irradiation to maintain the integrity of the food. Organic agriculture is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony. No toxins or synthetic fertilizers are used. Organic cotton is produced without the use of harsh chemical bleaches or dyes, and is allergy free.

RECYLCED COTTON : This is another more earth-friendly choice in cotton clothing. Recycled cotton is cotton fabric which has been made from recovered cotton that would otherwise be cast off during the spinning, weaving or cutting process. A trade name for recycled cotton is Eco Fibre; there are no harsh chemicals used in the processing of this fabric.

BAMBOO: For starters, Bamboo takes in five times the volume of greenhouse gasses as an equivalent stand of timber trees and releases 35% more oxygen. It needs no replanting, pesticides or fertilizers, and its roots retain water in the watershed, sustaining riverbanks and reducing water pollution. bamboo fabrics can look and drape like silk, but are more practical because you can machine wash them on the gentle cycle and dry them in the drier or on the clothesline. They somewhat resist wrinkling without the addition of resin finishes added to some polyester/cotton blend fabrics to give them that qualities. The soft, smooth texture is exceptional for the comfort of all who wear it.

HEMP: Hemp grows extremely fast and can be grown in any climate, in any agronomic system. Hemp can be grown with no (or little) herbicides, fungicides, pesticides, or other biocides. Hemp is a natural weed suppressor due to the fast growth of the canopy. Actually, hemp is a weed. Because it grows so fast and densely, it blocks out sunlight to other weeds that are trying to grow. Due to it’s long roots, hemp replenishes soil with nutrients and nitrogen and helps control erosion of topsoil. Also, once harvested, any residue can act as an eco-friendly manure. Hemp produces the same amount of oxygen while it’s growing that it would use in carbon dioxide if burned as a fuel. Also, due to it’s leaf/root ratio (this can often be 10% roots vs 30% leaves), hemp can produce between 20% - 40% more oxygen than will be polluted. Naturally, products made from hemp are 100% biodegradable, recyclable, and reusable. Also, the speed at which hemp grows can provide benefits regarding the resource requirements of the end product.Clothing and textiles made from hemp have no residual chemicals that could affect our health.

I hope you find this information beneficial! Please let us know we can help you obtain any of these items for your apparel needs. Look out for our upcoming blog about our environmentally friendly inks. Make it a GREEN day.

Water Base in Motion...

Its been a busy week here at Sapphire...we are printing for Local Motion Hawaii! We love working with them! Their prints are always clean and colorful, but also love them because they tend to use Water Base inks. Not only does this feel and look great, but these inks are also environmentally friendly.

Like most Screen Printers we normally use Plastisol Inks, but Water Base is much more preferrable when it comes to the look of the garment. Lets compare the two:

Plastisol is a PVC based ink and is what the majority of printers use. Water based is a water based ink with pigments suspended within it. Water based inks can be used to print stickers, towels, fabric yards, canvas and paper, as well as apparel such as shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, jeans, aprons, jackets, hats and practically any other item as long as it can be put on the press to be screened. Designs can be printed on cotton, polyester, or poly/cotton blends. Prints made with water based can be ironed, while plastisol prints cannot be, as the iron's heat plate would melt the PVC in the ink.

Water based ink sits into the fabric of the printed shirt, not on top of the fabric like plastisol printing. This allows skin under the design to breathe better, and can increase the amount of comfort felt while wearing the decorated item.

To add to the before mentioned advantages to Water Base printing, Water based inks are definitely more environmentally friendly! After a run of prints, screens can be cleaned with just water, and it can go down the drain, being no more harmful than mild household cleaning products. Water based inks are simply not toxic, do not contain lead or any heavy metals, nor do they contain any ozone-depleting chemicals (CFC's, HCFC's, etc) or volatile solvents.

The Green movement is having a serious impact on consumers' choices. People are wearing organic clothing, buying hybrid cars, and eating non-GMO food products. Plastisol may be the default choice for most professional screen printers, but water based does have a foothold in the industry, and its popularity will continue to grow, due to increasing demand from the level of the consumer and enlightened persons in charge of clothing lines. Will you be next to join the movement?

If you have any questions regarding our printing techniques, feel free to contact us anytime. :)

A Symbol of Brotherhood

Case of the Mondays?

Not here at Sapphire. Although our home team lost yesterday, and it happens to be a very rainy day here in San Diego, we are up and runnin' in good spirits.

Today we are printing a very touching and special project for our friends at Forged Clothing that i would like to share with you:

On September 6th, 2009, Lt. Dan Cnossen returned to Kandahar, Afghanistan. With less than 36 hours on the ground, his team received their first mission task targeting Taliban operatives. During the mission, a land mine was activated and Dan lost both legs as well as sustained traumatic internal injuries. Currently he is at the National Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland where he is fighting a new battle. Like any other challenge in his life, Dan will face this one with courage and dedication. 100% of the profits from these bandannas are donated to Dan's fund to help his recovery and his family. This bandanna was designed around 4 different sayings they use a lot in the Teams, as well as a fitting portion of the Invictus poem: "In the fell clutch of circumstance, I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance, my head is bloodied, but unbowed." Fold it one of many different ways to have it read what you want, the 4 saying are: Strength Through Adversity, Brotherhood, Never Fail, and Seek & Destroy.

With these bandannas, Forged Clothing has raised over $2,500 for their friend. This is an amazing and touching project that we are very proud to be a part of. If you have any questions or would like to find out how you can help, please contact us :)

I always have a blast working with them and love their designs!

BOLTZ!

Is everyone pumped for the playoffs?

We are! Which is why we were so happy to do this print yesterday...for the second time in 2 weeks! These shirts are selling fast just in time for the game this weekend. The beautiful artwork was done by our client Rob, who is a very nice guy on top of being ectremely talented.

My favorite part of this design is the "family crest" feel of it. With the border around the horse which he seems to be charging out of along with the bolts, San Digo flag and design around that. I think it gives the shirt a really special feelin of San Diego Charger pride!

They also have been doing Raider Nation T's for some time now. This also has the "family crest" look! Vote in our poll which design you like the best! Feel free to leave comments.

New Bloggers Here!!!

Hello Everyone!

Thank you for visiting our Blog. This is our first post...EXCITING!

We are looking forward to sharing a wide range of information with you here, from Screenprinting and Embroidery news to our every day lives in the shop. We will update you with what we are printing everyday along with the process we used to do so, followed with pictures! We are always discovering new and fun ways to print which we are looking forward to sharing with the world! From our clients to collegues, we are looking forward to your thoughts and input and ideas. Become a follwer and enjoy our daily posts!

We look forward to meeting you :)