I thought this would shed some light to starters and those who may have interest in screen printing. I also need encouragement and insight from those who have been in the business for years. I know others may have different opinions.
Mine is,
1. -- designing -- some customers would just sketch, others give a picture, etc. You have to make it colour separable & make films.
2. -- setting up the screens -- no less than 1 hour in a dark area. If you mess up the screen coating, you start afresh. Washing out the image needs tactfulness,... you mess up, you start afress.
3. -- mixing colors --- mixing the axact color from a sample is no joke, you add this pigment the color is messed up, you put another, you mess up the colur.
4. -- knowing the material to print on -- not all materials use the same type of color.
5. -- setting the print hourse & screens -- one color should sit where its suppost to be, if its four colours, you may spend more than an hour setting the screens.
6. --- Printing -- the easier part but -- neatness, positioning the t-shirts, art of printing are crucial. Its not just pulling the squeenge but more. do it such that the inks print solid on the garment.
7. --- Curing the inks --- I use an iron. Some inks dirt the garment when I iron and I need to wash the print area after curing so that its clean for the customer (what do others do?).
8. --- packing --- Having handled the garment several time, it needs to still look as new when you deliver to the customer.
I feel this is not for lazy people. Sometimes I feel I do too much and often find may fares too little. Well, because of competition around here, I just charge as the market tells. Recently I did two colors to 190 tracks and t-shirts and I think the money I got from there is not as much as the work I have done.
I'm considering to print my custom designs only, .i.e. Christian, nature & Culture t's mybe it'll be worth the effort.
i have been wanting to make a post similiar to these one, all the information around here is great and i help out when i can but lately it seems alot of people are asking questions and want to know ho to do things simple, easy and cheap as possible without having to do any work and that does not happen with screenprinting, it takes alot of work, trial and error, and blood sweat and tears of frustration, like i said i'll help out around here when i can and answer questions but the only way to be a good screenprinter is to get in there and get dirty, real ****ing dirty
You have 2 choices: do the work yourself (labor) or contract it out (money). My business partner does strictly screen print and he's VERY good at it, but it's a lot of work especially for anything under 25pcs. But he enjoys it, so I'm not complaing.
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people are asking questions and want to know ho to do things simple, easy and cheap as possible without having to do any work and that does not happen with screenprinting
I think there's a lot of different business needs and views on the forum
Some people will want screen printed merchandise, but they may not want to do the printing themselves. That's when it's worthwhile to outsource the printing.
Some people are interested in actually becoming a printer and they want to learn all the different types of printing and what's involved. For some, screen printing may be the way they want to go, for others, a DTG machine may be better, for even others, a heat press and outsourced screened transfers might be the way.
Everyone will have different needs and goals. It's just about finding out which one is the best for your business
I find the printing process very demanding, however I find pleasure looking at the works of my hands on someone holding the mic, dancing, going to school, etc. but it take courage. I'm glay you agree, ... for some funny reason I thought its hard in Africa but abroad there are simpler methods,... thak you for acknowledging.
Hi if some one like to see the steps to get a allover shirt please see our allover printing video on youtube
allover screen print YouTube - pacificsplash's Channel
Screenprinting is a low-entry level business, but it requires a degree of craft. There are a lot of starters at the moment but I don't think that they'll compete, there are too many things to go wrong.
I agree. Screen printing is a craft, but good screen printing skills are definitely achievable if you put in the time and effort to learn. I have been doing this for a year now, and I still have a lot to learn, but I have to say that with help from sites like tshirtforums and help from suppliers, I have made great progress. Sometimes I'm amazed I'm doing as well as I am as soon as I am. In some ways, screen printing is easier than you think if you have the right equipment and simply follow instructions and good advice from people in the know.
Being in the business of screen printing is not like working a 9-5 behind a desk with a miserable boss breathing down your neck (no offence if you do,) in most cases anyway.
If you are a screen printer chances are you made a choice to do so. I'm not sure a lazy person would make a choice like that. Weather your doing it as a profession, doing it to pay bills or just doing it as a hobby, the bottom line is, you want to do it.
Anyone can apply for a desk job, and with a little work get the job, but it takes real desire to work in the wonderful world of screen-printing. JMO
Screen Printing not for the lazzzzzy! 
