Chenille & Applique — Saturday, November 14, 2026
The texture that makes a varsity jacket worth what you charge.
Chenille and applique are how a garment moves from printed to premium. We'll cover digitizing for chenille, laser-cut applique, placement, and the finishing that separates a $40 hoodie from a $140 one.
Two weeks clear of Thanksgiving, so it doesn't land in the holiday crush.
Who it's for: Embroiderers and decorators who want to raise ticket price rather than volume.
What's included
- Hands on production DTG, DTF + hybrid machines
- Lunch included
- Samples to take home
- Leave with a print path for your product
What the day looks like
One thesis runs through the whole morning: hybrid is the advantage. DTG is the premium print for cotton; DTF reaches everything cotton can't. Knowing how to run them together is the edge single-method shops don't have. Every demo below is a piece of that.
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1
Hybrid is the story
The spine of the day. DTG = premium hand-feel on cotton. DTF = strategic print for polyester, hard substrates, neck labels. The combo we innovated is the competitive advantage.
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2
Hybrid applications, live
Walk the demos we patented and pioneered — printing shoes (high-tops, skaters, even the tongues) on our AccuLine system, under-the-bill on hats, framed canvas, and skateboards with the right sanding + pretreat.
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3
DTF deep-dive + strategy
The Kern DTF lineup, the platen systems (including the shoe platen we built and the vacuum platen), and the real difference between a basic bin-and-oven setup and a professional Schultz powder/dryer/pretreat workflow.
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4
Pretreat, dialed in
Live calibration — grams per LMS by shirt color and weight, sanding grits for decks, and the do's and don'ts of DTF on leather. You leave with the cheat sheets.
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5
The shop ecosystem
Not maintenance — leverage. How we build a contained, climate-controlled environment (Corplast, the right humidifier) so your prints stay consistent batch after batch.
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6
What you take home
Clear DTG / DTF / Hybrid definitions, the tools and systems for each, printed cheat sheets, pre-printed Kern DTF samples in your swag bag, and a direct line for follow-up.
Before you come
Who is this for?
Anyone decorating apparel — from people just getting started to shop owners who want the hybrid DTG + DTF edge. You tell us your experience level when you reserve, and we pitch the room accordingly.
Do I need to bring anything?
Just yourself. Everything you need is on the floor. If there's a specific garment or substrate you want to try a print path on, bring it — we'll work it into the demos. Full details land in your confirmation email.
Is lunch really included?
Yes — lunch is on us, and you tell us about any dietary needs when you reserve so there's something good for everyone.
Where do I park?
We're at our Santa Fe Springs showroom. Parking and arrival directions are sent in your confirmation email a few days before the workshop.
What if I can't make it?
Reach out and we'll sort out a transfer to a future date. Refund and transfer terms are confirmed at checkout and in your confirmation email.