Lally221

Well I know there are a lot of noobie threads around here and I've tried to read through as many as possible but I would appreciate any feedback anyone can give me.

My situation is:

I would like to make some high quality custom t-shirts in pretty low quantities - maybe 20 per shirt.

I recently bought a vinyl cutter and have been making decals and such for a little while now.

so initially I thought - heat transfer - I would just need some material and a heat press. Then I got into it and found that a decent heat press was pretty expensive and I don't want garbage shirts.

Then I read into screen printing. I always thought you needed expensive machines and stuff to do it but you just need a screen some hinges and table. So I could buy some supplies and be printing shirts for pretty cheap plus the quality of screen printing seems to be better.

Then I find out that there are different kinds of inks and that even screenprinting requires a heat press to cure the inks.

So now I'm sort of back where I started!

I guess my real question is - what is the best way to go about making quality t-shirts in some quantities on a totally bare bones budget?

Sorry if I'm repeating earlier questions again, I will continue to research other threads for knowlege!

 

Reply With Quote

funtimesx

What kind of designs are you doing on your shirts? They may largely determine what your best low budget option is.

For single colour designs, I'd seriously look into PhotoEz (http://www.ezscreenprint.com/). You can "cure" the inks using a home iron, or you can buy a fixer additive that will make the ink air cure.

For multi-colour designs on light coloured garments, heat press is probably your best bet. Unlimited design/colour potential for the same base cost.

Tell us a little more about exactly what you are doing, the kinds of designs and your target market.

__________________
Parents and Pumpkins - Up-beat gear for down-to-earth families

 

Reply With Quote

Jasonda

Adam,

Since you already have a vinyl cutter, you should look into using vinyl for your shirts. It will produce a good quality print, and it is very good for small quantities.

See these threads for more info:

Making my first custom t-shirt with cut vinyl, a vinyl cutter and a heat press

A little help with some of the basics? Vinyl Transfer?

A heat press doesn't really have to be that expensive, you might even be able to find a used one in your local classifieds or Craigslist.

 

Reply With Quote

John S

One other approach is to us a screen print contractor to make your first run of shirts. The starting Qty's are around 24 pcs. The price goes down if you make more of each design.

That will give you some shirts to sell and generate some income to buy the equipment on your wish list.

 

Reply With Quote