[Buechee]

I would like to know what do I look for in a screen company? What should I ask and how much should I pay ( ball park figure) ? If there is a post on this, please list the link.

 

[Fluid]

Re: Info help

pricing will vary from printer to printer. I would go to the shop, ask to see sample fo their work. Discuss what you want, look at simular samples and discuss pricing. then go to a dif printer and do the same.
dont forget you get what you pay for.

 

[Buechee]

Re: Info help

I've called a place and they told me this:
$20 set-up fee and $5.75 a shirt sm-xl. Add 1.50 2x and 2.50 3x.

 

[RAHchills]

Re: Info help

I've called a place and they told me this:
$20 set-up fee and $5.75 a shirt sm-xl. Add 1.50 2x and 2.50 3x.

$20 set-up is pretty good. Make sure that you still own your art. You should call around and see what other printer's are charging and then go with the best one.

If you go to online T-shirt wholesaler sites you'll get a ballpark of what your printer is actually paying for their shirts. Once you get an idea of how much each place is charging you to print, you'll be an informed consumer.

 

[Rodney]

and $5.75 a shirt sm-xl.

The pricing on screen printing jobs will vary based on:

1) Quantity ordered of the same design
2) Garment color used
3) Number of colors in the design
4) Number of print locations
5) Garment style/brand used (assuming the printer is supplying the blanks)

You can get quotes from other screen printers locally. Ask them what their policy is on misprints. Ask them what brand garments they can supply. Ask them if they can relabel or refer you to someone who can (if that's a concern of yours).

Ask them any question you can imagine It's better to ask before than to be surprised later.

If you like really think ink coverage (bulletproof ink), then ask them how they usually handle ink coverage. If you like a lighter coverage or a special technique that you saw somewhere, try to describe it or bring in a shirt like it).

 

[Solmu]

Rodney has some good tips there.

Turn around time is something else to ask about if that matters to you (and even if it doesn't this time it might the next, so it's useful to know). If you plan on getting some shirts printed now, and more of the same design later if these sell, ask them if they keep screens on hand (some places will keep the screen for you so you only pay one setup charge, others will charge a setup fee for each print run).

 

[Buechee]

Thanks guys. This helps a lot. I'm looking to talk to them in person at the start of next week.
If anything else comes to mind, let me know please.

 

[pablove]

My friend that is in the industry provided me this list - maybe it helps (Rodney may want to validate):

Company Name (Printer)
Phone
Email
Contact Name
Other Contact

What type of printing techniques are offered?

MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity) per design (per tshirt)

Do you allow me to change the colors ? How often can I make this changes ?

Do you have an Art department ? (If needed)

In what format do you require to provide the designs ? (Ai, Photoshop, Corel ?)

Once I turn the designs to you - how long does it take to complete the sample ?

Once the sample is approved how long does it take to print it ?

How long does it take to deliver on a reorder of the same print ?

What are your terms of payment ?

How do I guarantee that my designs are exclusively owned by my company and these are not reproduces or available to any other customer ?

-----
I am new to this to - and will start to use it.

 

[yourfacetees]

paying a "set-up" fee is rediculous. i've never done it, and will never do it. simply negotiate that if you're going to be a regular customer, then that regular business should more than make up for the "set-up" fee...total crap if you ask me.

 

[dann]

Talk to the guy like you know what your talking about. Know how many colors and sides you need. If it's 2 sides, ask about a gang screen if he tries to hit you for 2 set ups. Have a blank brand picked out. We charge for everything we can when we need to, so know your stuff and there's less room for them to play with

 

[dann]

paying a "set-up" fee is rediculous. i've never done it, and will never do it. simply negotiate that if you're going to be a regular customer, then that regular business should more than make up for the "set-up" fee...total crap if you ask me.

Sort of. Granted, I use maybe 2$ worth of chemicals exposing and reclaiming, a buck for film, but there's time involved, and some people have rent to pay. I'll waive a set up on anything over 24 shirts, but some printers can't afford to. Storefronts are pricey.

And if the printer libraries his screens, that's 25$ at least sitting on the shelf until you decide you want more shirts.

 

[MBrhythm]

Sort of. Granted, I use maybe 2$ worth of chemicals exposing and reclaiming, a buck for film, but there's time involved, and some people have rent to pay. I'll waive a set up on anything over 24 shirts, but some printers can't afford to. Storefronts are pricey.

And if the printer libraries his screens, that's 25$ at least sitting on the shelf until you decide you want more shirts.

Can't agree more. I just finished a run of 25 shirts 3 print locations, 3 different screens... AND there were 11 color changes. You do the math. time is money.

 

[yourfacetees]

You're right...time is money...which is exactly why I wouldn't put that amount of work into a 25 shirt run. If the customer really demands that many locations and that many colors...then perhaps your minimum order should be much more than 25 (or you're charging a ridiculous amount for the run...but if they'll pay, more power to ya). Here's what I'm saying though. I wouldn't pay a setup fee...I'm not saying you shouldn't charge one, I'm simply saying I wouldn't pay it. Luckily for me, there are enough vendors out there not charging one.

 

[Fuzz]

They are charging it , it is just built in to the per shirt pricing. Emulsion, tape, film, ink, printer ink, electricity, water, labor time etc. All these things cost money and they are all used in every order. Unless they get all of the above for free then they are taking money you pay them to pay for these things.

 

[sister1]

You're right...time is money...which is exactly why I wouldn't put that amount of work into a 25 shirt run. If the customer really demands that many locations and that many colors...then perhaps your minimum order should be much more than 25 (or you're charging a ridiculous amount for the run...but if they'll pay, more power to ya). Here's what I'm saying though. I wouldn't pay a setup fee...I'm not saying you shouldn't charge one, I'm simply saying I wouldn't pay it. Luckily for me, there are enough vendors out there not charging one.

I think there are all kinds of printers out there. I'm in a fairly small town, and in the two years I've been in business, I can count on both hands the number of orders I've taken for quantities over 200 shirts. Most of my business is in the 12 - 72 piece range. If you are a returning customer, and you want to change a one or two color design, I probably won't charge the screen prep fee. If you are ordering 200 or more shirts with up to four colors, I not only won't charge the screen fees, I will try to sharpen my pencil and save you some more money. I also run a special early in the summer for family reunion shirts, where for a dozen or more shirts with one-color/one-side, I basically eat the prep fee, and I have done well with this both times I ran it.


However, if you are the guy I never saw before who comes in with a bag of 2 dozen shirts you picked up from the seconds bin at Walmart, each a different size/style/color, and want me to "use my best judgment" on picking 6 different ink colors to suit each shirt, and expect me to eat the screen fee because you'd "like to do business with me in the future," I will give you directions to the printer in the next town north, where I'm SURE they'll be happy to accommodate your needs.

So, if you won't pay a screen fee, I hope it's because you order large quantities on a regular basis, and not for the same reason that some people refuse to leave tips for restaurant servers

 

[Grosiejosie12]

The pricing on screen printing jobs will vary based on:

1) Quantity ordered of the same design
2) Garment color used
3) Number of colors in the design
4) Number of print locations
5) Garment style/brand used (assuming the printer is supplying the blanks)

You can get quotes from other screen printers locally. Ask them what their policy is on misprints. Ask them what brand garments they can supply. Ask them if they can relabel or refer you to someone who can (if that's a concern of yours).

Ask them any question you can imagine It's better to ask before than to be surprised later.

If you like really think ink coverage (bulletproof ink), then ask them how they usually handle ink coverage. If you like a lighter coverage or a special technique that you saw somewhere, try to describe it or bring in a shirt like it).

Thanks everyone for your question advice! All so helpful and a good preparation to understand how things work in the printing world. Just a few questions though. What is misprints and Colour Changes? I need these explained to me in detail because I don't know the process of these.

 

[Roly]

Misprints are when a printer screws up the print. My experience with misprints has been a batch will come out so CROOKED I can't sell them. So what is their policy when that happens? My guy reprints the job for free and pays for replacement shirts.

Color change. Say your design is a circle. You have 24 white shirts and 24 red. You want a blue circle on the white shirts and a black circle on the red shirts. The screener has to do a color change after the first 24 shirts. So what does he charge for a color change?

 

[Tad Tobar]

Thx this helped a lot...=)

 

[Tad Tobar]

thx this helped a lot...=)

 

[muneca]

ummm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!