Orange Coast College Stops by Money Merch!

Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California, runs an amazing four year fashion program where students can obtain the education to succeed in the fashion industry. From merchandising, product development, sewing, etc., they cover all the essentials. 

The Money Merch team had the honor of providing the spring 2024 textiles class with a tour of the facilities. Students were walked through every department, and got a breakdown of how things operate, the information about the equipment in use, and details about the production process.

The tour started off in our DTG department, where we prepped a image file for printing by using the GTX Graphics Lab software. The next step was to explain the process of using pre-treatment and why its essential for printing on dark colored garments. The pre-treat allows for vibrant, full color prints, similar to how a paint primer works on wall.  

We did a live showcase of the pre-treat and print process using our Brother GTX Pro printer, so the students could see the amazing abilities and quality of DTG first hand. 

The tour continued to the main production floor and where our screen printing machines are located. We explained what each piece of equipment is for, and why we prefer certain machines such as the M&R automatic presses. 

Using our direct to screen machine, it showcased some newer technology that removes the need for using transparency film to burn images into a screen. This process allows for more efficient production with increased accuracy.

Screens were loaded up on our presses, aligned with laser precision, and the screen print process was in motion. Each screen had custom mixed pantone inks to match the color of the original digital artwork as close as possible. Certain inks in the sequence were flashed to cure in between, and finished through our conveyor dyer to ensure that the print is completely cured for long lasting results.

We finished off the tour in our embroidery department. Starting off with what the digitizing process and why its essential. We loaded up a pre-digitized .DST file on one of our Barudan machines to show the embroidery process live. Our operator also dove into how different needles, threads, and the way a .DST is processed can effect the end result. 

The services showcased on the tour explain what embellishing companies can accomplish on pre-made garments. Allowing the design students to understand what the process is like, and to be able to create their own custom designs in the future. The Money Merch team had a blast to be able to host this event, and look forward to the upcoming tours for new students every year.