About to buy screen printing equipment. What do you think?
So... I'm about to take the next step and buy my first press equipment. Just hoped that you print experts could tell me if I'm making the right choice(s).
I'm doing everything in my house. I will start by suppling my service to small business and local bands. Hopefully move up to schools and churches and so on.
I roughly have about $5000 to invest.
Should I buy everything or make some things like exposure/washout booth?
Heat press or textile press? OR both?
I use to run a screen printing company in NC and honestly today I just do the heat press and transfers and love it. So much easier. I would go heat press and save the headaches.
I use to run a screen printing company in NC and honestly today I just do the heat press and transfers and love it. So much easier. I would go heat press and save the headaches.
I thought the same way. But the more I talk with people the more I hear that the bread and butter in this business is 1 or 2 color shirts. I thought it would be easier to do it on the press instead of the transfer.
I also thought to make my own pastsol transfer and heat press them as I need the shirts. Maybe if I do an event or festival I could set up the heat press and press them on site. That way I dont have many left over shirts.
I guess it depends on what you want. The Screen shop was a bit much for me to handle with anything less than 3 of us in the shop on any given time. However the money was decent...then again I make 5 times my money on every shirt I sell with the press and I never have left overs because I do everything on demand...beats having to create a design every time. I just contract out custom transfers if I ever need them.
Re: About to buy screen printing equipment. What do you think?
I purchased a package from SilkScreeningSupplies.com in between the quality of the 2 packages you posted. I would not buy from them again, or recommend anybody buy from them. Their customer service has been terrible. The press they sent me was a 6-color 2-station and one of the station arms was warped so bad I could not use it. I've been trying to get a warranty replacement for about 3 months now, and they won't even answer my emails. The flash dryer that comes in the package #1 is a piece of junk. It's like something they built in their garage. It will not level, and the electrical switch on mine just fried today. All of a sudden it started smoking terribly and you could smell something electrical was melting on the inside.
I got the upgraded exposure unit and it's been decent. The press has got the job done, but has terrible workmanship. I've had to rig a lot on it just to get it to work.
As far as Screen Printing vs Heat Press, you can make money doing either. I do both. Screen Printing produces better quality shirts, which is why I started with that, and then branched out into heat press so I do some small runs. It's hard to accept the quality of heat press stuff when you begin with screen printing, but its better than just turning down business.
Re: About to buy screen printing equipment. What do you think?
MB,
If you are going to work out of your house and do mostly 1 & 2 color jobs, you should check out XpresScreen: Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies you don't have to use chemicals, or wash screens. But you can burn a screen and be printing in about 10 minutes. The dispoable screen mesh costs about $5.00 per screen, and I charge $25.00 for a new screen and $10.00 to set up for a repeat order. I use this system every day and have been in business for 13 years. For quick short runs in few colors, it is the way to go.
__________________ 350tees.com Home of the $3.50 custom printed T-Shirt
Re: About to buy screen printing equipment. What do you think?
Thank you all for repling. Im still looking for the best press to buy.
What about used stuff?
Companies that ship worldwide. (I live in Japan)
Pastisol transfer?
Other heat presses?
Re: About to buy screen printing equipment. What do you think?
try ebay. i purchased a package deal that retailed for about 15,000. picked it up for 7000. alot of people think it will be easy and later find out it takes hard work. they end up selling almost new equipment for about half off. the screen printing packages you have on your post are not ones i would recommend. i would rather get used equipment that is quality, rather than new junk. i would also get a dryer and not just a flash dryer, you will be wasting time trying to cure them on a flash dryer.
Re: About to buy screen printing equipment. What do you think?
Quote:
Originally Posted by rusty
I purchased a package from SilkScreeningSupplies.com in between the quality of the 2 packages you posted. I would not buy from them again, or recommend anybody buy from them. Their customer service has been terrible. The press they sent me was a 6-color 2-station and one of the station arms was warped so bad I could not use it. I've been trying to get a warranty replacement for about 3 months now, and they won't even answer my emails. The flash dryer that comes in the package #1 is a piece of junk. It's like something they built in their garage. It will not level, and the electrical switch on mine just fried today. All of a sudden it started smoking terribly and you could smell something electrical was melting on the inside.
I got the upgraded exposure unit and it's been decent. The press has got the job done, but has terrible workmanship. I've had to rig a lot on it just to get it to work.
As far as Screen Printing vs Heat Press, you can make money doing either. I do both. Screen Printing produces better quality shirts, which is why I started with that, and then branched out into heat press so I do some small runs. It's hard to accept the quality of heat press stuff when you begin with screen printing, but its better than just turning down business.
I have had an opposite experience with Silkscreeningsupplies. I've been super impressed with my equipment as a starting package and any time I've had a question I've simply called and they've helped me within minutes. In fact, I e-mailed them a question and they called 10 minutes later with a response. That's good service! Rusty, you should try calling them if you've had e-mail problems.
Re: About to buy screen printing equipment. What do you think?
Did you get one of the better packages? I think the higher-end packages include some name brand equipment and would probably have been better. The package I got was the stuff that looks like it was homemade. Yeah, I'm going to have to call them again. The last time I talked to them, they said my warranty part was on its way. That was about 3 months ago.
Re: About to buy screen printing equipment. What do you think?
Quote:
Originally Posted by amp267
i would also get a dryer and not just a flash dryer, you will be wasting time trying to cure them on a flash dryer.
I would not recommend spending thousands of $$ on a dryer until you are sure you are going to be screen printing regularly. I've cured thousands of shirts with a flash dryer, and they work just fine if you are careful. I've only had 1 shirt that didn't cure properly, and that was early on when I was still figuring it out. It slows you down, but sometimes it's ok to go a little slower when the the flash is $500 and the dryer is $3000, especially if you are not sure you are going to be in it for the long run.
I just bought me a dryer, and am excited about it. I spent a year with just a flash. I'm picking it up on Saturday!
Re: About to buy screen printing equipment. What do you think?
Quote:
Originally Posted by rusty
I would not recommend spending thousands of $$ on a dryer until you are sure you are going to be screen printing regularly. I've cured thousands of shirts with a flash dryer, and they work just fine if you are careful. I've only had 1 shirt that didn't cure properly, and that was early on when I was still figuring it out. It slows you down, but sometimes it's ok to go a little slower when the the flash is $500 and the dryer is $3000, especially if you are not sure you are going to be in it for the long run.
I just bought me a dryer, and am excited about it. I spent a year with just a flash. I'm picking it up on Saturday!
Yeah! I see why I would want to buy a dryer.... But I need to start small at first. I think I should spend my money on a good press before I go for the dryer.
About to buy screen printing equipment. What do you think? 
