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HollyMarie · April 21st, 2009

We are an embroidery business and send out all our graphic design jobs and silkscreen business. We would like to do our own graphics for the shirts. What do we need to get this going? What do you prefer in computer hardware...Corel?? Is there anything else I need for the computer? What printer should I get? Where do I purchase the films? Thanks in advance for any information! Any other helpful info would be greatly appreciated!

innothread · April 21st, 2009

You'll need photoshop and illustrator (or corel), however, having those programs won't make you a graphic designer and there's a big learning curve to them.

What area are you in? It would be good to go to a screen printing tradeshow and meet with many of the suppliers.

Rodney · April 21st, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by HollyMarie


	We are an embroidery business and send out all our graphic design jobs and silkscreen business. We would like to do our own graphics for the shirts. What do we need to get this going? What do you prefer in computer hardware...Corel?? Is there anything else I need for the computer? What printer should I get? Where do I purchase the films? Thanks in advance for any information! Any other helpful info would be greatly appreciated!

You may want to separate your questions into separate threads, as the people with the answers to other questions may not read every post and may not know you have screen printing questions in a thread about graphic design

[TSF VIDEO HELP] How to post a question in the forums :)

Corel, Photoshop, Illustrator, Inkscape are all good graphic design software programs that have been recommended here. You can read more about people's software preference here:

best software related topics at T-Shirt Forums

Also, if you use the search box at the top of the page and type in screens, screen printing equipment, film printers, you'll find all sorts of great suggestions that have been posted recently.

Also check here for all types of equipment and supply vendors:
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HollyMarie · April 21st, 2009

thanks for the reply. I do have a screenprinter...I only need to do the artwork. I digitize embroidery and I'm a little familiar with corel. Do I need photoshop and illustrator ALONG WITH corel? I would be willing to train either online or teach myself. I go annually to Atlantic City SSI conventions.

miktoxic · April 21st, 2009

no, just photoshop (and even that's not necessary depending on what graphics you are going to output). corel and illustrator are comparable to one another since they are both vector based programs.

since you are familiar with embroidery and corel you probably know what a vector file is. photoshop is different whereas it's raster based. go thru this forum and search, there are a hundred topics/threads explaining the differences. it would be a good idea to both talk to your screenprinter (because you will have to give him/her specific files setup certain ways AND take a couple of classes at your community college and learn hands on training.

basic equipment: computer loaded with your graphics software, scanner and printer capable of printing films (if you don't want to send out). -good luck.

innothread · April 21st, 2009

I personally use Photoshop and Illustrator. Illustrator is a vector based program just like corel draw, so you don't need both just one...Illustrator is just the most popular.

I misunderstood your question and thought you were getting into the screen printing side also.

Printer - Epson 1400
Films - 11"x17" or 13"x19" ink jet film (purchase at any supplier)

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