PRINTWEAR Article: Clarifying Compliance

Ed Branigan wrote a new article published in the recent April 2013 edition of Printwear Magazine, entitled:  “Clarifying Compliance – What the CPSIA means to you.”  Here Ed breaks down the complex definitions and restrictions of the CPSIA laws and how it may apply to everyday printers.  An informative flowchart as well as an explanation what the printer needs to know makes the article a must-read.

Check out the article (in PDF format) from our website here.

International Coatings manufactures a complete line of phthalate-compliant screen printing inks, including a wide variety of whites, specialty inks, special effects inks, color matching systems, additives and reducers.  For more information on our products, please visit our website at www.iccink.com.

    International Coatings:     The Intelligent Choice

How Is CPSIA Legislation Affecting the Garment Industry?

This short article, recently published in Impressions, is an observation made by our Product Manager, Mark Brouillard:

Editor’s Note: The following is an unsolicited editorial commentary provided by a screen printing industry veteran. As always, Impressions encourages you to do thorough research to make complete, informed decisions about your shop’s business practices when it comes to CPSIA legislation.

To gauge the effect of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008 at retail, my wife and I recently decided to go do some “market research” to see if there has been a shift in garment decoration, specifically involving garments targeted at wearers ages 3 years old and younger. The short answer is, yes.

However, trying to find a printed shirt containing some type of screen printing ink was next to impossible. Instead of prints, we found patch work and embroidery. Even the little feet on pajamas have been replaced by cloth, instead of the little rubber ones from just a couple of years ago. We even found bibs that stated “PVC- and Phthalate-Free” on their hanging cards.

We then shifted our focus to apparel meant for wearers 5 years of age and older. (We skipped over clothing targeted for 4-year-olds, as it could go either way.) Interestingly enough, clothing for this segment also had changed. In the boy’s shirt section, roughly 30% of the T-shirts contained screen printing ink. Again, a lot of embroidery and patch work — and even some dye sublimation — was used. In the girl’s shirt section, about 15% of the T-shirts contained screen printing inks. Embroidery, patch work and patterned garments were found.

It wasn’t until we got to the sections of the stores with apparel for 12-year-olds did we see more screen printing inks on T-shirts, hoodies and other such apparel.

Remember, we went to three “big-box” retailers and a children’s-specific retail chain. My wife and I also have two grandsons — ages 2 and 5 — and we buy them lots of stuff, especially clothing (and toys). We first started noticing a changing trend in apparel decoration near the end of 2011, and even more at Valentine’s Day. By Easter, a complete paradigm shift was apparent.

So, is the CPSIA legislation affecting the garment industry? In my opinion, yes. Garment decorators seem to be manufacturing around the CPSIA regulations because it is probably easier (and in the long run, cheaper) to do more patch work and embroidery than to do screen printing. The testing requirements, intrusive amount of paperwork, and possible legal ramifications have made it so that screen printing on youth garments is too risky of a prospect.

Just my opinion.

Mark Brouillard, International Coatings’ product manager, has considerable experience in formulating and manufacturing industrial compounds. For the past 16 years, his focus has been on the formulation and product development of textile screen printing inks. Brouillard coordinates the company’s product development efforts and deployments. For more information, visit iccink.com and read the company’s blog at internationalcoatingsblog.com.

International Coatings manufactures a complete line of phthalate-compliant screen printing inks, including a wide variety of whites, specialty inks, special effects inks, color matching systems, additives and reducers.  For more information on our products, please visit our website at www.iccink.com.

   International Coatings:     The Intelligent Choice

Top 5 Considerations for Ink Kitchen Conversions

As the implementation of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) permanently prohibited certain phthalates from being used in children’s products, the screen printing industry has since scrambled to meet the demands of the new regulations. Even though the legislation does not specifically address apparel, it does specify children’s products, and many large retailers have mandated that all their apparel products for children be phthalate compliant…

Thank You For Visiting Our Booth At ISS Long Beach

GEN IV print. Art by XIIISF.com

This year’s ISS Long Beach show was a great success thanks to visitors like you!  We enjoyed the opportunity to meet you and introduce our newest products and screen printing techniques.  We appreciate your interest in our screen printing inks and related products.    Read more….

ISS Long Beach Show This Week

Reminder: ISS Long Beach Show is this week Friday Jan 20 – Sunday Jan 22! Make plans to come see us at the show!

CPS What??? Confused About CPSA, CPSC, and CPSIA?

Having a hard time understanding the differences between the CPSA, CPSC and CPSIA? Don’t feel alone, as most of us have a hard time keeping them straight. So let’s see if we can shed some light on the matter

CPSC Stay of Enforcement Ends Dec. 31, 2011

Just a reminder, the stay of enforcement enacted by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), will expire December 31, 2011. At that time, all children’s products* must be tested and certified by a CPSC accredited third party laboratory, for lead content and phthalate content, where applicable.

What does all this mean? Here is an excerpt of Marci Kinter’s update from the SGIA website, with more details:

UPDATE: CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION EXTENDS STAY OF ENFORCEMENT

Here is the Steve Kahane, International Coatings’ President, with the latest news from the CPSC in regards to Phthalate testing:

UPDATE: CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION EXTENDS STAY OF ENFORCEMENT ON PHTHALATE TESTING AND ANNOUNCES THIRD PARTY LABORATORY ACCREDITATION REQUIREMENTS

UPDATE: CPSC Extends Stay Of Enforcement

Consumer Product Safety Commission Extends Stay of Enforcement on Lead Testing through 2011; Stay of Enforcement on Phthalate Testing ….

CPSC News on Lead Testing & Phthalate Testing

Here is International Coatings’ President, Steve Kahane, with the latest news on what is happening with the CPSC regulations:

“The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) staff is recommending that the stay of enforcement pertaining to total lead content in children’s products and certain related products…