BY RAY WEISS

Key takeaways from the video and article:

1. Assess current color consistency issues and determine if they’re rooted in knowledge gaps.
2. Enroll yourself and your staff in color management courses.
3. Certify key team members to boost credibility with clients.
4. Educate front-line staff with customer service training.
5. Leverage digital badges on websites, email signatures, social media, and sales materials to highlight professionalism and training investment.

I recently spoke with an apparel decorator whose business has grown tremendously over the last four years. Things were going well when he started with one DTG printer, and he thought he had it down pat. Then he purchased his second printer and recently his third to keep up with demand. Now, he’s finding it more and more challenging to print a large job on the three machines because the colors aren’t “matching” from one printer to another.

He finds himself coming up with creative workarounds that seem to work for a while then don’t, and he’s increasingly frustrated when large jobs come into the shop. It quickly became apparent that his color knowledge wasn’t keeping up with his production.

In today’s competitive apparel decoration landscape, technical knowledge is just as vital as artistic talent. In the example of this decorator, it wasn’t that his business wasn’t sound; he just lacked an understanding of color management — a challenge many decorators unknowingly face. To his credit, he realized this and is taking steps to turn this around to his benefit.

Take it up a Notch with Training

If this story sounds familiar to you, I would not be surprised. Too many people I speak with go through similar challenges that are easily overcome with training. I have had many conversations with others, including an increasing number of apparel decorators who have gone through some relevant training on color management and share their success stories.

Now, I want to be clear: “Matching” prints from printer to printer, especially when printing on garments, is just about impossible. However, getting a similar appearance is easy enough when you begin to understand what is happening when printing.

One quick example is the one my friend Travis Barcelona from Nazdar shares in his course (Color Management Professional: Direct-to-Garment Certification). The white point of any shirt can be up to 5 Delta E away from another shirt in the same box (and because colors are transparent, this difference will impact the colors printed on these shirts). If you don’t know what Delta E is, it’s simply the difference in color from one measurement to another.

I can measure the white point of the shirts in a box, and when I have a large order to fulfill, I can match up similar shirts with a similar white point so that I am not fighting this challenge. This is just one example of how training can help solve a problem you may not even realize is creating a challenge when printing.

There are other variables that training will help uncover, not to mention the added confidence you and your staff will gain as you understand the science behind the color you see and take for granted daily. Rather than guessing or using unreliable workarounds, a trained professional can make informed decisions that save time and reduce waste.

Another benefit for an apparel decorator is communicating color with clients and internal staff. Have you ever said that a print looks too warm? Did you mean too red, orange, or yellow? Each is a vague description of a problem you see. Communicating color effectively will save headaches as you work to correct color. Company training will help get everyone on the same page, using the same terminology and heading in the same direction.

The Value of Official Certifications

I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention the value of certifications. When I sold print services, I wanted as many arrows in my quiver as possible to help me be a successful sales rep. One arrow was the knowledge I brought to the table versus my competitor.

Another arrow might be the ability to point to our company’s certifications — think of the Color Management Professional: Fundamentals, DTG, or even the new G7+ Expert Training and Certification. These certifications elevate a company’s reputation. They signal professionalism, technical credibility, and a commitment to excellence — qualities customers notice. They represent that you take your business seriously and invest in your staff. Business is competitive, and the stronger your business is in the knowledge arena, the more likely you will also be successful in the pocketbook.

The certifications and training mentioned above are all in color management. I think it’s also worth noting your customer service staff — and when I speak about customer service, that’s everyone in the company — but specifically your front-line staff at the counter or on the phone. They need to be as well trained as your production staff because a wrong word, a call not returned, or an order improperly processed is just as bad as printing the wrong color.

Our Customer Service Professional Certification is an excellent start for the front-line staff. The digital badge they earn (which, by the way, all of our certifications come with a digital badge tied to the individual that earned it) will be a sign to your customers that you take your business seriously — no matter how small you are — and you are just as professional as the largest company out there.

Another reason companies should consider training is that having a development plan for employees will improve the retention of top performers. They are looking for learning and development opportunities and if you don’t have one, will be likely to look elsewhere. These top performers are more likely to leave than an average performing employee, which will impact an organization across all levels, forcing others to pick up the slack, and the business to invest in training their replacement.

Research shows that training increases employee retention by 14% across all training measured and 18% for credible training (from external institutions). Develop a training program and show your employees that you value them and are willing to invest in their growth.

In short, investing in training and certifications equips apparel decorators to handle technical challenges confidently, deliver more consistent results, and present themselves as serious competitors in the marketplace.