I am sure this has been asked 1000 times here. Want to print my own shirts for my business. I own a business card printing company and we want to expand to tshirts. What is the best way for us to print our own shirts on site and not have to rely on any other company. I want to be able to make basic 2 or 3 color shirts. Do I want to get into screen printing or do I want to use a heat press. What are the pros and cons of each. Which one has more start up cost. Which one is harder to learn.
Thanks everyone. I am sure your answers will spark more questions from me
Re: I want to start printing for myself ... HOW???
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigyellowsigns
Do I want to get into screen printing or do I want to use a heat press.
Unfortunately my attempts to read your mind have told me that you're a dog person and want a turkey bagel for lunch, but not whether you desire a screen printing or a heat press based business.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigyellowsigns
What are the pros and cons of each.
Screenprinting: Better. Heat press: Better for short runs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigyellowsigns
Which one has more start up cost. Which one is harder to learn.
Definitely screenprinting for both of those.
But it's kind of like saying "What should I use to print business cards? An offset printer, or a Canon bubblejet?"
Re: I want to start printing for myself ... HOW???
Okay , what would the startup cost to get a small screen printing setup going? Or a better question would be what is the best startup equiptment to buy. I would only maybe print 10 shirts at a time and then do a different design.
Re: I want to start printing for myself ... HOW???
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigyellowsigns
Okay , what would the startup cost to get a small screen printing setup going?
Roughly: About $3000-$20,000. Preferably at least $8,000, ideally at least $12,000. (you can buy a kit and print for $200, but that won't suit a business)
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigyellowsigns
I would only maybe print 10 shirts at a time and then do a different design.
Those kind of numbers would be really pushing it for screenprinting. There are overheads that need to be portioned out per shirt, so your cost on 10 shirts is going to be pretty high. Depending on what you can get retail you might be able to do it, but those kind of small orders are where heat pressing comes into play.
Re: I want to start printing for myself ... HOW???
Well, someone here is someone else fixing to ask all the same questions, but here goes.
I currently own and operate a t shirt booth in a local market. I airbrush and fiddle with a bit of transfering. I currently have a person who does my prints for me, creatiing and mailing them to me for pressing; it is working rather well. However, 1. competition is rough here and doing this eats into my small profit margin. 2. I would like to learn more about it any way (screen printing). My family has now sparked a bit of an interest in doing screen printing as a combo business with my airbrushing. I figured this would be the place to ask these dumb quetions in the hopes you guys would take pity on me.
I guess the biggest questions will go first.
What is the "average" start up cost to get into screen printing. Ball parks are fine, I don't expect mind readers. lol.. Looking for something that a one person operation can handle with the ability to increase if necessary. For the machinery needed, software and equipment for the designing and of course the inks (or whatever).
Is it difficult to start up and run with? I guess what I mean is can someone read enough and practice quickly to get the business up and running ???? even at a limited run?
Other than these big questions, I don't know enough about to ask the smaller questions yet. Just Where do we start?
I met someone a long time ago that did shirts for me. She had a shirt station ( I guess that is what it was called) that handled four shirts at a time. She had a computer set up that she designed the art and created the screens etc. Other than observiing, she did not give me much more information.
I want to thank you all in advance for any help or suggestions you can give.
Re: I want to start printing for myself ... HOW???
Quote:
Originally Posted by bluporcelain
Got the part about the money end.. but where does one find the equipment ? and what equipment is needed? In addition to the other stuff?
Where do you live? You want to stay as local as possible in the beginning. Yesterday I gave advice on where to buy supplies in New Zealand.
Beat us to the answer and Google "screen printing equipment" and "screen printing supplies".
Seriously consider farming the work to an existing printer until you know the techniques used. Learn how to sell and collect your charges first, that's where the money is, not in printing. Do you print your envelopes yourself, or do you farm it out to Triangle Envelope in Tennessee?
Then learn to:
Buy bulk shirts
Make art separations
Output positives
Coat screens
Expose screens
Setup up print jobs
Flash procedures for dark shirts
What extra work it is to print darks
Mix and color match inks
Cure ink
in your spare time.
You have what everybody wants - sales. You do not want to teach yourself screen printing as you learn to sell.
Seriously consider a Direct To Garment print (for which there is a whole section in this forum). It can handle small quantities, print full color on light colored garments and just requires learning how to clean the printer twice a day to maintain a clean print. This requires much less training and does NOT look the same way that direct printing or transfer printing looks.
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How are you measuring? Ulano Technical Product Manager - NYC
Last edited by RichardGreaves; July 24th, 2007 at 12:13 PM.
Re: I want to start printing for myself ... HOW???
"Seriously consider a Direct To Garment print (for which there is a whole section in this forum). It can handle small quantities, print full color on light colored garments and just requires learning how to clean the printer twice a day to maintain a clean print. This requires much less training and does NOT look the same way that direct printing or transfer printing looks."
After doing some research and stewing on this for a short time, I believe you are right. Pinting is not for me. I will most likely stay with the farming out. It is not that I am unhappy with the person doing it, just that I crave learning. Maybe later. IN MY Spare time.. HA
I am going to check out the "Direct to Garment Print" since I don't know what that is.
Before I head off of this subject; I want to thank everyone who replied. I will continue to do research and think on it, but right now the airbrush and my printer is enough to handle. THANK YOU
I want to start printing for myself ... HOW??? 
Re: I want to start printing for myself ... HOW??? 
