[HaterSports]

Hello Everyone,

I'm new here but stopped in because I have several questions and need some help.

I own a t-shirt business. I do not print my own t-shirts. I have 2 suppliers currently. I have a supplier that is far away that does our more intricate designs. He is more of an artist than a designer. I also have a local designer that is cheaper - but does our easier, simple designs.

Most of our shirts are very simple - 1 color print on front of shirt with small logo on the back (just below the neck). We screen print all of our shirts. However, I am in the market for a new printer - hopefully an "all in 1" type printer where I don't have to deal with 2 different printers.

Basically, I've heard mixed reviews on heat transfer. I have heard everything from it being the greatest way to print to how it doesn't last. I don't know what or who to believe. Also, I've heard of laser printers. I don't know the slightest thing about those.

If heat transfer works, I have even kicked around the idea of purchasing my own equipment and trying to print on my own. However, I'm not skilled in adobe or any art program on the computer. That would definitely be a challenge in getting started.

I'm looking for a lot of info. I want to know the pro's and con's of screen printing, heat transfers, laser, and screen print transfers (are those the same?). I would also like to know how difficult it is to get started in the business of printing also.

Thanks for your time.

Blake

 

[Solmu]

Screen printing is definitely better quality, and if you're printing any kind of quantity then it's cheaper as well.

It sounds like your business is working... I'd be reluctant to take on inferior processes that are unfamiliar to you. It seems like you'd be better off looking elsewhere for cost-cutting and efficiency, or spending your time concentrating on scaling up the size of your operation, rather than trying to be more profitable through getting rid of the personnel that have got you this far.

In terms of degree of difficulty to start in on the print side... it's not too bad. It will take time. To do it properly, you'd want a period of overlap where you are learning to do things in-house while still hiring people to actually do the work. My belief is that anyone who has the money to afford that, is probably successful enough that their time would be better spent concentrating on their strengths, rather than acquiring entirely new skills that ultimately you won't have time to exercise if you are successful.

 

[BroJames]

Hello Everyone,

I'm new here but stopped in because I have several questions and need some help.

I own a t-shirt business. I do not print my own t-shirts. I have 2 suppliers currently. I have a supplier that is far away that does our more intricate designs. He is more of an artist than a designer. I also have a local designer that is cheaper - but does our easier, simple designs.

Most of our shirts are very simple - 1 color print on front of shirt with small logo on the back (just below the neck). We screen print all of our shirts. However, I am in the market for a new printer - hopefully an "all in 1" type printer where I don't have to deal with 2 different printers.

Basically, I've heard mixed reviews on heat transfer. I have heard everything from it being the greatest way to print to how it doesn't last. I don't know what or who to believe. Also, I've heard of laser printers. I don't know the slightest thing about those.

If heat transfer works, I have even kicked around the idea of purchasing my own equipment and trying to print on my own. However, I'm not skilled in adobe or any art program on the computer. That would definitely be a challenge in getting started.

I'm looking for a lot of info. I want to know the pro's and con's of screen printing, heat transfers, laser, and screen print transfers (are those the same?). I would also like to know how difficult it is to get started in the business of printing also.

Thanks for your time.

Blake

You heard right. But the best person to believe is yourself. Try to have some personal shirts printed using heat transfer. A shirt you can sleep with should be fine so that it will be washed often. The heat transfer shirts our staff wears weekly is on their 8th-1/2 month of weekly washes and is really still fine. Fine because the photographic image is still there although the colors have faded a little(since their 210th wash I think).

Lewis is right that heat transfers is an inferior process to silkscreen and not quite an ideal product line to include in an established business. Its main advantage is custom designs and designs you can print on the fly. Whether you have this market or not, and whether you want to tap it or not, considering that it is less durable, is a difficult business decision you have to make.