Fair-weather golfing? Chance would be a fine thing!

For all you keen golfers, there is surely a huge sense of frustration that the chilly, damp weather thrown at us this year, has prevented you from getting out onto the greens as often as you would have liked. But while you’re waiting for the weather to improve a little, now is a great time to take a look in your trolley and give it a spring clean. Is some of your kit looking a bit tired and grubby? What about that towel, and your pitchfork? And has your umbrella seen better days?

If you think it’s time to treat yourself, why not invest in a few new accessories to start the season with a real swing. And while you’re at it, you could maybe consider having them personalised with your initials, or your company logo? State-of-the-art printing techniques such as dye sublimation mean that you can obtain stunning, long-lasting colour print on small volume – or even individual – print runs, making a customised golf umbrella, golf towel or other accessories an affordable and unique gift – just for you.

Anti-skimming Shield

There was a time when skimming meant sneaking the cream off the top of the milk before Mum noticed, or skilfully aiming pebbles into a pond, to see how many times they would bounce before sinking. Sadly, skimming is now another type of “art form”, and includes the practice used by electronic pickpockets to steal your card data without even touching you, your wallet or your card. The technology that allows us the convenience of using contactless payment can also be used by thieves using an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) device to intercept your data and then use it for their own purposes. Often, the first thing you know about it is when your bank contacts you to inform you that they have detected fraudulent activity on your account or – worst case scenario – you bank account has been emptied.

So what can you do to protect yourself? Well, advice suggests you try placing all your contactless cards close to each other, to confuse any device. If you usually put your wallet in your rear pocket, move it to the front – you’re more likely to notice someone in front of you. Changing your wallet to one with an RFID shield in it is another solution – or you can buy a shield card, which is about the same size as a credit card, and which you place in your wallet. The very latest shield cards draw energy from the credit card scanner to create an electronic field, thus making your contactless cards invisible to the scanner.

Inevitably, criminal minds will always be working hard to find new ways to steal, but it’s reassuring to know that there are effective measures out there that can help to stop your card data being skimmed.

Dye sublimation printing, ideal for small quantities!

Vibrant colours, high-quality print, permanent results, eco-friendly…the printing process of dye sublimation offers all these benefits, so it’s easy to see why it’s fast becoming one of the most popular ways to print onto a variety of products and materials. It’s also a simple and cost-effective print process for small production runs, which means you can achieve excellent results where high-quality, multiple-colour results are required, even on a one-off item.

So how does it work? Here’s the science bit: sublimation uses heat-sensitive dyes, converting them directly from their solid state to gaseous state, without ever becoming liquid, to transfer the dye onto the substrate. The best results are achieved by using an industrial heat press, as this gives a consistent heat and the correct pressure. When exposed to the heat of the press, the fibres of the substrate open up, allowing the dye to permanently penetrate. The image is fixed, and the results are brilliant and long lasting.
Widely used in the design industry on a commercial scale, it’s good to know that this process is available to everyone who wants to create stunning print results on a small scale, too.

On 30 October, 20173 November, 2017 By melvyngpage4 Comments