Manufacturers, retailers and brand owners of swimwear and water activewear can now identify their goods with Avery Dennison ComfortTag™ heat transfers that have been proven by third party testing to meet salt and chlorine durability requirements established by the American Association of Textile Chemists & Colorists. In independent testing conducted by Philadelphia University, ComfortTag heat transfers passed AATCC Test Methods 162-2002 (Colorfastness to Water: Chlorinated Pool) and 106-2002 (Colorfastness to Water: Sea).
The tests were the latest in a series that evaluate ComfortTag's performance and image quality characteristics. In 2005, ComfortTag passed AATCC's Test Method 61 for withstanding 50 launderings, as well as separate tests for withstanding dry cleaning, and enzyme and pumas (rock) stone washing. ComfortTag has also been test-proven to be free of formaldehyde. No other heat transfer currently on the market has been reported to have passed this battery of tests.
"What this means is that marketers can now convey brand on swimwear and water activewear with heat transfers that have passed every major test for durability and retention of image quality," reports Mark Hansinger, Avery Dennison Retail Information Services marketing director – Apparel Labeling. "This opens new vistas for marketers because the product combines the comfort of soft heat transfers with the durability of more conventional labeling, such as woven and fabric labels. Accordingly, they are highly versatile. ComfortTag heat transfers can be produced in every pantone and process color, and they present images with extraordinary faithfulness to original artwork even on rough fabric such as denim. A proprietary adhesive ink technology developed at Avery Dennison's Pasadena, Calif. research labs underlies ComfortTag's superb image and performance qualities."
Hansinger notes that product uniformity is an added ComfortTag benefit. "One of Avery Dennison's great strengths is the delivery of label products with batch-to-batch color and quality consistency," he says. "Retailers are assured that the labels on garments arriving from diverse shipments will present the same shadings and intricacy of color to customers who are evaluating those goods for purchase. This global consistency goes far in reinforcing brand image."
ComfortTag heat transfers can be supplied fully preprinted with logos, graphics and variable data for application with most heat transfer bonders, including the Avery Dennison TH 2000™ and Avery Dennison CTB-5™. They can also be supplied partially preprinted for onsite printing of variable data and subsequent bonding. A variety of security technologies are available with the heat transfers to combat diversion and counterfeiting.
Visit: www.ris.averydennison.com.
Avery Dennison's Retail Information Services Division brings to industry a powerful, global offering of information management, brand identification and solution-enabling products. Brand identification products include fashion-inspired woven and printed fabric labels, heat transfers and embellishments for tag-free labeling, graphic tags, integrated bar code tags, leather and leather-like patches, sock bands, size stickers . . . and more. Among the company's Information management products are RFID and bar code price tickets, and carton and pallet labels; web-enabled order entry systems; and the InfoChain Express™ supply chain management solution, which tracks purchase orders and assists users in meeting the US Customs' 24-hour Manifest Mandate. Solution enabling products include RFID printers and print/apply systems, bar-code printers, heat-transfer bonders, molded plastic fastening and application devices, anti-counterfeiting and diversion tools. The organization operates product ID ticketing centers and service bureaus in 35 countries and maintains mature, highly reliable global distribution processes throughout Asia, North and South America, Europe and Africa. Major markets include retail, apparel, softlines and hardgoods.
