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Manster · May 1st, 2008

I am very close to making my first purchase of screen printing equipment.

I really don't know what companies out there offer complete business packages other than silkscreeningsupplies.com. I am looking at their $999 business package. It seems to have all I need to get started (I will add some additional screens to the order as well).

What other companies should I look at for my startup package?

Although I have garnered a wealth of information on screen printing I do like the option of calling SSS for their 'technical support' if I am experiencing problems.

Initially I will not be getting a heat press but I will purchase one this year and all the supporting equipment needed for sublimation.
Thanx

Matto · May 1st, 2008

The press is the key to the whole process. Spend the money and get a good press, if you are going to give this a serious attemp it will pay off in the end. I speak from experience and currently am awaiting my new press that I should have just bought in the first place. My cheapo press got me by for 6 months and pait for itself in the first month. It also limitted me to 4 color jobs and cost me a few good paying jobs due to capacity.

fdsales · May 1st, 2008

Went to their website & looked up this package, as it's very, very BASIC. You can probably do single color jobs on white/lite shirts, but if you plan to do dark shirts, you will need to position the flash so it can move over the pallet to "flash dry" the first coat of ink, & then print another coat on top for a bright print, then move the flash over the pallet again to cure the print.
Multi-color jobs will be a "bear" to line your screens up as there is no micro-registration, so screens will take more time to line up.
Probably what's going to happen here is that you get this setup, begin printing, and decide if you like screen-printing, or not. If so, most likely within 6 months to a year, you will begin upgrading this equipment, beacuse you will quickly find that if you're going to be in this business anymore than an just a hobby, this pacakge will be just too basic, and if you're lucky, you may get .30 on a dollar for this equipment used.
OR....you'll decide that screen-printing is just not for you, and within the same time frame you'll be selling the entire package for for less than half of what you paid for it.
I know this is a really tough call, but if you are more than "hobby" serious about screen-printing, please consider spending more on good startup equipment that will get you going PROPERLY in this biz, and won't have to be upgraded any time soon.
If you intent is just to "step your toe into the water" then this setup will at least get you started into the basics. If you can, get to a trade show & walk the floor before you purchase. There's a Printwear Show coming up next week in Ft. Worth Tx. Like I said, if you're more than just "hobby" serious, it will definately pay you to attend before you purchase.
If I had to purchase, based on my 23 yrs in this biz, & was serious about screen-printing, then at the very least I would choose the Premiere Shop for $7,000. Yes, I know it's $7,000 but you have everything you'll need to do very good printing on lite & dark garments, and a very good press. I would upgrade the exposure unit w/ the compression lid for the extra $200 (betcha they would throw that in if asked). The only thing I would see that you would need to upgrade in a few years would be the conveyor dryer, but then the dryer included would still fetch a decent used price. Also, everything is 110VAC, so could work in your home as long as you have some extra elec. circuit for the dryer.

Matto · May 1st, 2008

Listen to FD and let his experience work for you. I just punched 4gs out the door to upgrade from one of the starter setups. That was for the press only and that was a deal. If I had just gone for it from the beginning It would be paid for by now. Let us be your hind sight. Serious printing requires serious equipment. Once again good luck my friend.

Manster · May 1st, 2008

I guess I should have specified more about what the setup will need to do.

At this point it is going to be something that I do out of my home. I live alone and feel pretty confident the 4 color 1 station setup could work for years for me.

What I am considering now though is the youtees setup. I hope to have a price-list for those setups soon. I like the idea of micro-registration and the price is supposedly much lower than SSS.com

Most of the designs I plan on right now will be 1 color and I do like the way the SSS.com setup allows for quick printing on a run of shirts. Maybe I will just look at their single color setup instead.