[knowmsayin]

Hello T-Shirt Forums!

I would like to first start off by saying that I have been researching the T-Shirt Printing world online off and on for quite some time now and the people here seem to be the most helpfull and knowledgable on the subject I look forward being in a position that I can someday share my experiences as well... But for now I am looking for advice from the pro's!

Let me tell you my story...

I currently have a fulltime job making great money and a TON of free time, sound horrible I know... Sometimes it really is worse than it sounds though I promise... Anyways I am currently looking for ways to occupy some of my free time and I keep finding myself looking into T-Shirt / Garment Printing.

I currently spend over $1000 (very modest) minimum a year on high priced printed t-shirts, shorts, warm-ups, bags, you name it... Usually athletic type garments or plain t-shirts as my kids are extremely involved in wrestling, baseball, football, etc. Usually a piece of artwork and "blah blah Wrestling Club" for example... worn by the kids, parents, grandparents, siblings, etc.

I can't help but think that it could not only be more cost effective for myself to print garments myself, but maybe make enough money selling garments to the clubs and teams to at least pay for my own apparel each year? And most importantly I think I would enjoy it. Make my own t-shirts designs, logos, etc.

So here's my dilemma... Where or maybe the better question is What do I start with!?

Screen Printing seems to be the preferred method - but despite what some say it would seem to me that it is the most time consuming, extremely messy, and need a large amount of space and equipment and I just cant seem to talk myself into being the right choice for me..

DTG and Sublimination honestly seems expensive and probably out of my start up price range.

Heat Transfers or Ink JET concerns me in that it might produce the "cheapest" quality results? I would hate to put my name on the line with my sons teams or clubs and have the design fade or peel off in 8 months.

I guess what I'm looking for are a quick recommendation on where you guys think I should start, get some consolidated ideas all in one place... What method should I be leaning towards and a quick tidbit on why? I am absolutely not asking that you teach how I am confident that I can find those answers on these forums!

Lets start with a $1000 budget with everything I need to print lets say my first 25 shirts? Or if my budget is extremely unrealistic please let me know be blunt I do not take offense easily!

Thank you in advance for all your help...

 

[Sunjoa]

With your budget I would suggest a good quality heat press and have your designs made into transfers by one of the preferred vendors listed. Good quality transfers will last a long time with vibrant colors. You create the design and have someone else create the transfer, probably plastisol. This should give a good quality product with flexibility to respond to your market changes. Hope this helps. Dane

 

[phatdaddy]

Yea, you can get a decent heat press for under a grand. Barely. Screen printing, you're not even close to hobby setup. I'm extremely cheap and resourceful and I'm constantly spending and upgrading. Not to mention the 50 grand I spent on art school...

Heat press is your cheapest and easiest, that's why it looks the cheapest and easiest...

Welcome.
Good luck, have fun.

 

[BidsMaven]

Consider talking a class from someplace like Ryonet or T-Biznetwork before investing in equipment.
Here's links to the info on the classes.
T-Shirt Screen Printing Classes |
Ryonet Corporation - Screen printing equipment and supplies.

 

[Fuzzyfreak]

Don't do i man!!! There are a ton of things you should do with the $1000 you have. this world is not for you. I will say this as I have spent almost 3 million dollars to almost make that back and on top of that, I am stupidly starting another screen printing business. Ok, to be truthful, I have my money back, but the fact is, it does cost a ton of money to make money in this business, if your not ready to spend then walk away and call yourself lucky, as you didn't fall for all of the false promises showed to you from the sales staff and product reps! I started printing in 1979 and have survived all of the changes and still own my company.Run away!

 

[knowmsayin]

Thanks again for all of your advice! Unfortunately I think you might be talking me out of it! I may have gotten carried away with the "online deal" I found...

It seemed to be a great way to get started and save some money at least on my own cost of custom apparel, but it sounds like the equipment just probably isnt going to produce the results I am looking for... I really want a plastisol type screen print strength but the ability to quickly and easily print out on a printer and heat press , of course I do, I'm sure we all do!

Here's the list of equipment in the deal I was referring to, although I'm sure you've all seen it before it wasn't hard to come by haha...

1) 1 15x15 Heat Press
2) 1 set Epson C88 printer
3) CISS C88 1 set
4) 20 sheets A4 dark inkjet transfer
5) 20 sheets A4 light inkjet transfer
6) 4 bottles C, M, Y, K inks
7) 4 pc T-shirts for you try (2 black and 2 white)
8) 2 vector graphic art collections

$650

 

[knowmsayin]

Oh I almost forgot, Thank You for the link to the class as well, that actually has some promise for me as it looks like it is available in Vancouver, WA and I am constantly up in Portland and surrounding area for wrestling and baseball maybe sometime in the future I can give that a shot while I am up there!

 

[knowmsayin]

also found a similar "kit" with the epson workforce 7150 for around the same price

 

[Fuzzyfreak]

We all wish it was that simple to do plastosol printing, but it isn't that simple, years of work and practice at it will be the only way to get it done! The only way to be a screen printer with plastisol is do it the way we all did. Time and money and not to mention all of the equipment we had to buy.Sublimation process is maybe your best investment, although it doesn't work on darker garments. It is still a very costly business to get into. Good luck with all you do!

 

[knowmsayin]

Thanks guys and gals I appreciate all of the feedback... Still browsing the forums I can't seem to shake it... Whatever info I find or experiences once I have decided what or if I will get into this at all I will share with others back on the forums because I am sure there are many others on the fence and with questions just like mine!

Fuzzy, BidMaven, Sunjoa, and phatdaddy thanks again!

 

[selzler]

with that kind of money I would talk to some one that has the equipment and see about getting wholesale prices for the printing embroidery or what ever you need to start with and do the designs and sell your product. You may never want to get into doing the work I have 8 people that we do this for. We decorate and they sell and they make money at it.

 

[knowmsayin]

I'm not exactly sure that making money necessarily is my primary goal, more of a hobby I guess maybe sell two to three orders of 50-25 shirts a year at a much cheaper price than we get them made at the local sign shops here to support our wrestling club, football team, allstar and traveling baseball teams? For several years to come because my oldest is only 8... Maybe make a few shirts for myself here and there with my picture on it that says "Yea Dude, I'm Awesome." haha

 

[Sunjoa]

If you want to actually make the shirts yourself and can live with simpler, one-to-three color designs you could do the shirts using Heat Transferred Vinyl. You should be able to purchase a "Hobby Level Cutter" and Heat Press for right at $1K or so. Just another option for you to consider.

 

[phatdaddy]

also found a similar "kit" with the epson workforce 7150 for around the same price

I think these "kits" are a ripoff. I'd look for a good large heat press. Here a decent h/p runs 850.00. The stuff in these kit's is junk and weird...

 

[Rodney]

I would suggest start reading here: start related topics at T-Shirt Forums