Hey Lou...Transfer Express has some excellent design in their idea book. all you have to do is change name of school. color or clipart.
Of course you can. However if you learn more about how to use the design software like Illustrator and Coreldraw then you should be able to duplicate a lot of the designs yourself and go with companies that offer lower prices. keep in mind prices are based on number of colors and quanitity order. I don't know your compitition prices for schools and I am sure you can find out. You need to set yourself up a scale to work with for transfers and then add the cost of the tee shirt or apparel. As indicated many times I did my largest order of 700 tees and it was one color and 6 different designs. I averaged about 110 sheets per design but my cost averaged less then 70 cents.(Ace transfer Co.) The shirt was $2.00. I charged $5.75. How much lower would a screen printer have charged? The good thing about transfer express is they have the template ready for you. You change the name, font and color and that is it. Also you can get quick turn around. By the way Ace has a layout book as well for schools. call them and ask for the their layout book. LouHey Lou...
Using Transfer Express, do you find that you are able to compete with the local screenprinters that print in-house?
I keep finding myelf drawn to their program but can't seem to justify the cost of their product against the competition.
John
Ahh, I love it when one of my students is successful.. I also know Lisa does a lot of her own art work.. LouI have not had any problem getting business. I believe people think my prices are good.
Hey Lou,The shirt was $2.00. I charged $5.75. How much lower would a screen printer have charged?
Yes, but you have the screen printing equipment I would gather. So yes that is the direction you would go. many of us do not nor do we want to buy equipment, make the screens, work the ink, dry the shirts. Many of us work out of our homes and have no room for such equipment. The use of plastisol transfers gives us the opportunity to do what you do, assuming you do your own screen printing.Hey Lou,
At that volume screen printing would be less expensive. With your shirts costing $2.00, I assume they were color shirts with light color ink. My price for screen printing that order would have been $4.75 per shirt. That is a 17.5% difference per shirt. When the final numbers are compared, there would be a $700.00 difference.
My point is not to disparage plastisol transfers. They are great and I use them myself for some applications. But in volume, direct screen printing is considerably less expensive because a couple of steps, some material, and one vendor are eliminated. On smaller orders that price difference is reduced or eliminated entirely and the prices are comparable.
I have worked with several schools in my area, but I plan to hit them hard for business next year. I have never really marketed to the shools, but have taken what comes in. I look forward to hearing tips and suggestions on dealing with this segment of the market on a larger scale. No matter the printing method, most of the marketing ideas will apply to all of us.
There are other companies that would have done the design and for less.I 2 use transfer express and am looking into getting the schools on board.I also just ordered my first screenprinting machine.1 color,1 shirt press. I am hoping 2 to have a fast turn around on simple designs and use transfer express on my complex designs.I also came across a situation when a school here has the same mascot as penn state and transfer express would not do it. I had to end up emboiderying it myself on my table top machine and raised the cost little.If I had my own screenprinting equip. I could have done it myself and made a better profit and fast turn around
Hey Lou,Yes, but you have the screen printing equipment I would gather. So yes that is the direction you would go. many of us do not nor do we want to buy equipment, make the screens, work the ink, dry the shirts. Many of us work out of our homes and have no room for such equipment. The use of plastisol transfers gives us the opportunity to do what you do, assuming you do your own screen printing.