(Sorry - bunch of questions - let me know if I need to put in different threads...)
How is a combination of techniques applied to a t-shirt, for example, one that has flocking designs & foil and/or embroidered designs as well? Do printing places usually do all in the same place or would I have to have one done in one place, then bring all to another place, etc.? Is this why designer shirts like Hardy/Audigier cost so much (besides the name, that is)?
Also, if I'm designing something using different techniques, do I have to do each technique's design separately so they can be layered by the printers accordingly?
Hi funnygirl,, I do layering and combination materials all the time,, the thing is that in order to do this you really need to be set up to do this yourself, reason is that if you could get someone or a group of shops to do this is that you would have to ship your product from shop to shop,, it would become very expensive.
For example I do glitter films flock and rhinestones in layers,, sometimes I print and layer flock or glitter etc.
As for Hardy and the rest well I have seen Hardy stuff and there really isn't anything special except for the name and following they have as they are mostly in the celebrity status and can charge the money because of it.
Even if say you could get someone say on this forum to do this kind of work for you it is very time consuming and I am sure they would charge accordingly because each step is a duplication...
I'm just wondering how CA has his t-shirts made in mass production b/c I like some of the techniques altho not necessarily the style. I guess he has enough money to trek his shirts to different places for each step. If I were to do it, I wouldn't know how I could make a profit then, being an unknown name/brand...
Is it worth it to buy all the equipment learn to do it all ourselves?
Hey, I would have to see the Ca stuff for sure but it looks as if some of his stuff is the fabric is done before making the garment and then after it is made its printed and foiled and rhinestoned,, just my guess,, some of the stuff can be done otherwise using large heat press or screen printing,, however you shake the stick its a expensive way...
I doubt Audigier has to ship a thing from one setup to another, I am pretty sure it is done inhouse. If it isn't done in the same location, I'm sure the embellisher receiving it is on the Audigier payroll. Also, the majority reason why the price tag is high as Roger mentioned is because of branding. It could be justified I'm sure, by the cost of advertising and marketing, but truth be told, when a celeb wears his designs in public, the only cost to his company is likely the garment itself.
I'm surprised no one has said this yet, but there is nothing wrong with combining techniques on a single shirt, but they must be done carefully, so as not to look cluttered or tacky. I have seen some very nice print jobs, and a few that just looked like the maker was trying to do too much with it. I'm sure you'll be fine, only you can decide what's right for your product.
How is a combination of techniques applied to a t-shirt, for example, one that has flocking designs & foil and/or embroidered designs as well? Do printing places usually do all in the same place or would I have to have one done in one place, then bring all to another place, etc.?
Some embellishers can do everything in one place, many can't. It depends on what you want done - flock, foil, and ink is easy for example, but embroidery is less common. Some printers will be able to outsource what they can't do inhouse, but still take care of everything for you so you don't have to worry about shipping it back and forth. Really depends on the capabilities of who you choose to go with.
Quote:
Originally Posted by FunnyGirl
Is this why designer shirts like Hardy/Audigier cost so much (besides the name, that is)?
No, it's pretty much just the name. While a typical Ed Hardy shirt would certainly cost more to produce than the average Hot Topic shirt, not that much more. They charge what they can - that just happens to be a lot.
Quote:
Originally Posted by FunnyGirl
Also, if I'm designing something using different techniques, do I have to do each technique's design separately so they can be layered by the printers accordingly?
I wouldn't really know how to answer this one without seeing how you've designed your artwork. There's not really a lot to laying out a design... if it makes sense to you it should hopefully make sense to the printer
It's really not a big deal. The first thing is to come up with a design that incorporates different techniques or processes. We use Plastisol where we want foil to be in the design, water based inks where we don't. Discharge print to add a different look. Then we use rhinestones wherever we want and even embroider on top of that. It's just a matter of thinking it through and setting up the design for what you want. Practice makes perfect.
Combo of techniques? 
