Actually we all wait for the T-shirt so that we can hold the meetup. The T-shirt I designed need more technique to print because it's not just monochrome word or picture. I will share with you the problem I encounter when I print the clothes. Hope that you can get some useful information when you want to print your T-shirt.
親愛的Steemit朋友們，相信很多人都已經看到最近的台北第一次大型聚會，雖然你們沒有在現場，希望你們也能透過我的文章與我們同樂，更希望以後能有機會辦跨區域的聚會交流。
台灣地區的用戶等待這次的聚會已久，問題就卡在等待印製的Steemit T恤，由於Teresa設計的T恤不是單純的單色圖案或字體，所以在印製上難度比較高，今天就來跟大家分享一下製作T恤所遇到的一些問題及困難。除此之外，也包括我們這次所找的廠商等資訊，提供給大家想要製作個人客製化T恤的參考。
💝 印刷方式選擇 The print method 💝
Since we all wanted to print personal ID on our T-shirts, we could not get the discount of printing group clothes although we ordered more than 10 pieces.
There were not too many print methods to print on deep color cloth, especially we didn't print many clothes to cost down the price. We could only choose "Direct Digital Printing on Garment" or "thermal transfer".
這次我們選擇印製的廠商是「飛兔衣急便」。由於大家都希望在衣服上印上Steemit ID，所以雖然印製超過10件以上，仍然無法享有印製團體服的優惠。
深色的服裝能夠製作的方式比白色衣服少，再加上我們是客製化個人服裝，而非大量印製團體服，基於費用上及時間上的考量就先把效果最好的網版印刷排除在外。剩下可以採用的作法就只有「雷射數位直噴」或是「熱轉印」兩種比較適合。
👕熱轉印 thermal transfer
Thermal transfer can print beautiful color. But the print area will be airtight, you may feel uncomfortable because of the film under the print area.
熱轉印的方式是在膠膜上印上圖案，再透過加熱將膠膜及墨水轉印到衣服上，所以印刷區域會有一塊不透氣的膠膜，穿起來會有不舒適的感覺並且比較不透氣。
Here are the examples of thermal transfer.
我在廠商店裏翻拍了一些熱轉印的衣服，大家可以看看印製效果。
I am surprised when I see this T-shirt in the store. This picture of Qing Dynasty Princess is one frame of the animation I created for National Palace Museum. I feel a little bit proud of myself to see the T-shirt designed from my animation work
.
看到這件T恤有些小小的驚喜。這個清朝格格的圖案是我們公司之前幫故宮製作的動畫中擷取出來的圖案，親眼看到自己的作品被做成商業成品，還是有點成就感的。
Aren't they bright and colorful?
We finally decided to give up thermal transfer because it took longer time to print.
看看這幾件熱轉印的衣服成品，印出來的圖案是不是很鮮豔漂亮？
不過因為廠商一再強調熱轉印的衣服穿起來不舒適，以及需要耗費的工時，可能會來不及在我們預定聚會之前完成，最後決定放棄熱轉印的印製方式。
👕雷射數位直噴 Direct Digital Printing on Garment
Direct Digital Printing on Garment can print colorful pictures too. You won't feel uncomfortable and it's cheaper than thermal transfer for our case. So I decided to use Direct Digital Printing.
Unexpectedly, the nightmare began.......
雷射數位直噴聽起來就好厲害，據說也是比較新的印製方式，同樣也是可以印出顏色鮮明的效果，又不會有熱轉印不透氣的缺點。以我們印刷面積這麼大的案例，雷射數位直噴還比熱轉印稍微便宜一點。聽起來似乎各種考量下都傾向這種印製方式比較適合，所以就果斷決定使用雷射數位直噴了。
沒想到，惡夢竟然從此開始......
💝 印製溝通過程 Processing 💝
You may remember the original design in my post Steemit T shirt design.
有看過我之前的T恤設計文的朋友，可能還有印象，理想中的T恤示意圖長這樣
We choose the T-shirt they provided because it was more expensive if you wanted to print on the T-shirt you provided by yourself. The American cotton T-shirt they sold looked good. I requested them to print the sample before they printed on the T shirts. That was really a good decision. I am so glad that I made that request.
首先，廠商雖然有提供代客印製衣服的服務，但是自行提供衣服有可能增加他們印製失敗的機率，所以要另外加價，且印製失敗的話他們不會賠償衣服。
聽到這裏立刻打退堂鼓，放棄美美的衣服樣式，還是乖乖的選擇他們提供的衣服樣式，雖然只是一般T恤的樣式，但是看起來美國棉的質料似乎還不錯，選擇他們的衣服也沒有太多的掙扎。
印製前就先按照廠商的要求先修正原稿以符合印刷要求，之後就期待著印出美美的T恤。由於Teresa龜毛要求完美的個性，為了預防萬一，我要求廠商在正式印製之前先打樣給我看。我實在是太慶幸我做了這個要求，若是直接印成品，我可能會羞愧至死。
Here was the first sample! It looked really awful because the background color looked dim.
第一次打樣出來的效果是這樣，那後面灰灰霧霧的雲團是怎麼回事？顏色都跑哪兒去了？
I asked them to adjust ink and print the sample again.
After a couple of days, they still couldn't print a better sample. So I suggested that I fixed my design in order to print better result.
看到這個打樣結果，我只是告知廠商打樣跟原稿差距太大，無法接受，請他們再調整墨量。廠商同意再調整，於是接下來就等待著調整的結果。
過了一個週末，仍等不到新的打樣結果，經過幾番催促，再次收到的打樣跟這次並沒有太多的差別。
這下我也慌了，第一個想法是廠商八成在敷衍我。雖然滿肚子怒火，但是眼下解決問題比較重要，於是我提出了由我這邊修改原稿，看看能不能印出比較理想的圖。因為這份打樣結果最大的問題是背景的顏色出不來，廠商表示是因為背景是半透漸層的，所以要我畫成非漸層，並且顏色更加鮮豔。
After fixed and printed back and forth, I felt that my design became awful too.
經過來來回回十幾次的修稿及打樣，原稿已經看起來非常可怕
The sample looked more and more ugly and the background color still looked pale.
但是印出來的結果，看起來越來越慘不忍睹了。那一團迷霧越來越明顯，但是顏色依舊如同入了百慕達三角區域般謎樣的失蹤。
We tried too many times and still couldn't fix the problem. So I decided to try another way.
這已經是來回不知多少次的修正結果，我終於相信是印刷廠印不出來而不是有意推託。
廠商的解釋是因為黑色墨水與黑色布料印出來顏色不同，所以印黑色不好看，為了要顯示出顏色，他們噴了白色顏料打底。但是噴了白顏料，顏色還是無法飽和的呈現。
這下我聽出問題來了，不論有沒有加白顏料，反正只要邊緣是深色漸層，他們就是印不出效果。
那麼我們就試試走別條路吧！
I asked them to take off the background and print the logo and words only . Then, it looked even more terrible.
我請他們把背景的漸層拿掉，只要印前面的LOGO及字，結果.......
The printing factory told me they wouldn't print any more sample for me. I had to choose one from all the samples they have already printed.
I tried to solve the problem. They told me they don't print black ink because the black ink looked not as black as the cloth. I asked them to still print black for the background although it looked like dark gray. And I add a fine frame outside of the picture to divide the black ink and black on cloth. That was a bet since they wouldn't print sample for me. I asked them to print one T-shirt first so that I could make sure it was the result I wanted. I went to the factory in person to make sure the first T-shirt looked fine, then we could print the rest of T-shirts.
Although the final result was not exactly the same as original design, I think it looked good enough comparing to the samples they gave me.
I wait for 2~3 hours for the rest of the T-shirt. So I went outside and walked around everywhere.
這時我已經全身冒冷汗了，這樣的T恤印出來，完全辜負了大家的託付。
禍不單行的是，廠商下了最後通牒，他們已經來回打樣的幾十次，拖了一個星期還是沒有結論，他們不願意再繼續幫我打樣了，我必須在所有的打樣中選擇一個相對可以接受的。
這對我來說簡直就是五雷轟頂，這樣印出來貓都嫌棄的衣服，我如何交給大家？
絞盡腦汁想了半天，突然靈光一現，從一開始廠商就告知黑色顏料印出來的顏色與黑色衣服有差距，所以他們自動把黑色的底色拿掉，從頭到尾我沒有看到黑色墨水印出來是什麼顏色？於是我要求廠商把之前印了黑色底色的圖email給我，我一看覺得這下有救了。心中暗暗罵他們自作主張拿掉黑色的底色。
原來黑色的底色印出來看起來像深灰色，再怎麼樣也比噴了白色顏料的那團混濁的雲團好多了。雖然藍紫色的漸層仍然過於隱約，但是至少漸層是比較自然的。唯一需要解決的是黑色墨水與黑色布料的邊界問題。於是我用最初的原稿加了一個紫色的細邊框，再把底色的藍紫色調整明顯一些，就要他們印刷了。
由於他們拒絕再打樣，我只好冒著風險請他們先印一件讓我確認。還好印刷公司在台北，所以我決定親自到店裏去看印出來的實品，確保印出來確實是我要的結果。最後稍微再調整一下圖案的大小，就確定印製了。
天可憐見，最後的成品雖然顏色沒有原稿那麼鮮豔，但是看起來還是挺美麗的。加了細框雖然比原設計看起來多了束縛感，但是也算是另外一種效果。
接下來等待廠商印刷要2~3個小時，我就到附近晃晃，順便跟大家介紹一下這家印刷公司及附近的環境。
💝 印製廠商及附近環境 The printing factory and environment 💝
The printing factory looks small but clean. My first impression is good.
飛兔衣急便位於大直明水路，從外表看起來店面雖然很小，但是窗明几淨，給人的第一印象還挺不錯的。
There is a big table for discussion with clients.
店內空間雖然不大，可是有個不小的會議桌，跟客戶討論展示都挺方便的。
Many attractive works are hanged on the wall. Well, of course they put the best works on the wall.
牆上掛了很多他們印製出來的作品，看起來還挺吸引人的。（廢話！擺出來的作品當然是最得意的作品啊！）
I think the factory is behind the door.
從這道門進去，顯然是別有洞天，印刷廠應該就藏在裡面。
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The design area is on the second floor.
樓上還有辦公區域，應該是設計人員工作的地方。感覺上這家公司似乎麻雀雖小五臟俱全。
The building looks new and neat.
公司在大樓的一樓，環境看起來維持得挺清潔舒爽的。
The environment looks high class. The factory is next to an advanced community which is well managed.
明水路算是還不錯的區域，印刷公司旁邊就有一個高級社區，看起來管理得不錯
I found an underground mall with some interesting stores. I spent more than two hours in there. I will share with you on my later post.
發現附近有個綺麗地下商場，進去之後竟然發現裡面別有洞天，在裡面消磨了兩個多小時還意猶未盡。
到底有什麼有趣的店家，就等之後再跟大家分享吧！
Finally, I got the T-shirts with good result.
最後回到飛兔衣急便，印好的T恤總算都維持了一定的水準，開心付完尾款走人。
💝 買家秀 Fashion Show 💝
Some of our members wear the Steemit T-shirt to work and get the chance to promote Steemit.
Let's see the fashion show for our members at the Taipei Meetup.
據說有的人穿了這件衣服去上班，吸引了一些眼球及詢問，確實有達到宣傳效果喔！
來看看台北聚會當天，大家穿上T恤美美的照片吧！
& 
💝 感想 💝
Although I took much time to complet the T-shirt printing, I do get a lot of experience of printing clothing. It's important for a designer to make the most accurate result from design to product. I am sure I can more accurately predict the printed results at design time.
It's not the bad thing when a designer is creative with no limit. But a good designer should have the ability to solve the problem and make the design convert into real product.
The same is true of life. When we encounter difficulties, if we give up easily, all our effort will be wasted. If we can find ways to break through the difficulties, not only we can enhace the maturity of our personality, we can also improve our self confidence and our ability to solve problems. I will encourage everybody not to give up when you encounter difficulty in your life.
這次印製T恤的過程雖然辛苦且驚險，不過也從中得到不少關於印製服裝的經驗，如何將設計與成品做最精準的結合，也是設計人員需要具備的知識。經過這次的經驗，下次肯定在設計的時候就更能準確的預知印出來的成果。
另外一個很重要的地方是，設計人員在設計時經常是天馬行空的，這並不是壞事。如果在設計時就被既定知識所綁住，會限制創意的發展。問題是，當設計面臨付諸商品化時遇到了困難，能不能有足夠的智慧與彈性來修正從而達到可接受的成果，是一個好的設計人員必須具備的能力。
人生也是如此，當我們遇到困難時，若是輕易就放棄了，所有之前的努力全部付諸流水。但是如果能夠想盡辦法突破難關，不只自己的個性成熟度可以提升，解決問題的能力提升了，對自己的自信心也提升了。
Thanks for reading. Hope that you like what I share with you today.
If you would like to learn more about me, please read my self-intro.
Welcome to leave comment, upvote, resteem, and follow me. See you next time~
希望大家喜歡我今天的分享。歡迎留言跟我聊天，我們下次見！
如果你想要更了解我，請看我的自我介紹
