[D3L0C4T3D]

Got a order for 200 one color prints, customer supplied shirts, customer dropped off shirts today and here is when the job turns crazy. I was thinking customer was going to drop off new one style shirts in different sizes, ok no problem right? What the customer dropped off was a bunch of thrift store shirts not only of different sizes but different styles, from mens polo to ladies tank tops, spaghetti straps and toddler clothes. I was like what the hell? Since the customer is in a crunch and needs them by this week and I agreed over the phone to do them I feel obligated to tackle this hill of a mess.

New printers words of wisdom if your customer ever agrees to supply their own shirts in a way to lower cost make sure this is not the route they are trying.

 

[headfirst]

Explain to him that this is not what you had agreed to print over the phone. separate out the items you are comfortable printing and tell him that those are the only pieces you can do.

Do you have a toddler platen? Are you using CPSIA compliant inks? Who knows if the shirt is compliant... Dont mess around with that.

The strongest word in your business vocabulary is NO. Use it if you need to.

 

[D3L0C4T3D]

I will only print what I can, Some of the shirts cant even be printed. Like there are a bunch of lady shirts with ruffles on the front and the back is cut so narrow that I dont even think a crest will fit on it.

Saying no right now is not a option, Screen printing is my only source of income and this has been a slow month so the cash is needed.

 

[headfirst]

Make sure the client knows up front that you're only printing some of it. Dont tell him when he comes to get it. Make sure he knows this before you pull the first squeegee.

 

[D3L0C4T3D]

Just emailed her and will meet with her today, I think she tried to save cash but to e honest new shirts would have been the same price but the average guy just doesnt know this.

 

[Naptime]

i make certain my customers know they are not saving by buying elsewhere.

i just printed for a lawyer running for judge recently. he figured he would save by buying his shirts online in bulk. 100 shirts. they were printables, but he got off brand, irregulars. and in the end he paid 25 cents MORE for each piece, that he would have paid for gildan from me.

i tried to tell him. he learned the hardway. now he knows to buy from me.


i lost a job for contract customer a few months ago because he told his customer (mexican restuarant) that it would be ok for them to supply their own hoodies.

they bought a real plush microfiber northface type jacket. and wanted them printed, with some very fine halftones.

when i told him that wasn't possible, the result would be garbage, they got mad him and told him they would get them printed elsewhere.

lol. no you wont!



money was tight for me too... but, i would rather NOT get the money, than to print on unknowns or have crap come out at the end, and lose the customer AND their potential word of mouth.

at least if i walk away from the job for the right reasons, i know it. and while the customer might be upset, eventually they are going to realize they were wrong and you were right.

 

[goodtease]

I refuse to print on tshirt that people bring in. Never have and never will. Just don't want the trouble. And they expect a discount for bringing in their own stuff. I quote them the same price I would charge if I bought the shirt and let them decide.

 

[dhoffroad]

not sure on your print and ink, but check lables for poly so you know your using the right ink on the right shirts....

 

[ScreenFoo]

Honestly, you think it's bad now, wait till you start smelling what comes off of this stuff--especially if they are 'thrift store' items that have been worn and washed, you will wish you were broke...

And I totally agree with the above statements on CS goods--you should NEVER charge anything close to what you charge for your own sourced garments, unless you know they are of quality, and it's a large (2+ case) order. These people are almost invariably a PITA, and will usually waste much more of your time than they will be worth.

 

[Celtic]

Honestly, you think it's bad now, wait till you start smelling what comes off of this stuff--especially if they are 'thrift store' items that have been worn and washed, you will wish you were broke...

And I totally agree with the above statements on CS goods--you should NEVER charge anything close to what you charge for your own sourced garments, unless you know they are of quality, and it's a large (2+ case) order. These people are almost invariably a PITA, and will usually waste much more of your time than they will be worth.

Totally agree!
And, ohh, what a can of worms not only with the smell possibilities, but you never know......worst cases could be used to wipe up chemicals, bugs infested in the clothing.........gesh....this is literally making me itch now.
Run!!!!!!!

 

[printingray]

Hello, You must have to contact with him again and tell him about the problem that these shirts are not same and very difficult to print, increase the rate and do this job.

 

[D3L0C4T3D]

Well The job is done, and to be honest it wasn't that bad even with a second curve ball. I went to the store to pick up a Gallon of Batman black and a plastisol additive for synthetics so I can print the order and when I get to the shop she calls and tells me she want's to use a greener ink, water based. I had never printed with water base before, well I did try with that speedball crap and hated it. So she went to the store and picked up a gallon of clear base and black and blue Matsui pigments. Let me first say I was scared, I thought sure i was going to screw this order up but the Matsui printed great, i had a lil issue when my off contact was to hight but when I print with no off contact it was flawless. I like Matsui so much I might be switching most of my work to waterbase and discharge now.

 

[Celtic]

Congrats and that's great that it's behind ya now.
All that and you got to experiment with waterbased.
Sounds like a good day.

 

[GraphicGuy]

Been there, done that, never again...

 

[aspliz]

I turned down two contract jobs and had one that walked, in the past two weeks. The last one was a fancy expensive brand BB jersey. They already had numbers on the back (one was wrong) and they wanted the logo on the front. There were two numbered with 5 so they also wanted me to add a 2 beside the 5 one one of the jerseys. I explained the chance of a misprint although odds were slim could happen and I would not replace the jersey. He left the jerseys but came back the next day and picked them up. They bought just enough!!!! There again, like someone else said, if he would have come to me in the first place he would have spent probably the same and never seen a misprint or had to take the chance.

 

[aspliz]

Beware of the cheap shirts that are dyed. I can usually tell because the colors are odd. They are not always colorfast and if you have to spot them the color goes out with the spot. Check on inside seam before taking or warn your customer what can happen.

 

[tpitman]

I did some customer supplied shirts as part of a regular t-shirt job. The regular part was red 50/50s with a white ink imprint front and back. This was for resale through an offset print shop owned by a friend of mine. I told them to warn the customer about dye sublimation on the red tees, and no guarantees on the supplied shirts. He said they wanted 50/50s and understood about the others.
The red tees printed well, kept the temp to barely above 300, and the ink was still white two days later, so I think I dodged that bullet. Used a bleed-resistant white.
The customer supplied shirts were all polos, and a couple were some material with a weird texture, not just pique. The tags were still on the shirts, and the guy bought them from some mall store. There were all in the range of $35 a shirt. I printed them. They looked presentable. The two with the weird texture were borderline, but he was warned. The thing was, they smelled like he'd broken a bottle of cologne in the bag. My shop smelled like a whorehouse, to the point where I was almost gagging. I'm not sure but what BO would've been preferable.
I got paid with no complaints from by friend, so I guess his customer was happy. His red shirts looked better than the old sample he provided anyway.