So... I guess I am getting into screen printing

[showcase 66]

I was at the SGIA Expo on Wednesday and Thursday and saw a lot of cool things. I took my wife on Thursday to show her some of the things I was looking at purchasing in the near future. She does all the business management part for me so I dont have to. Anyways, She went on her own for a while to look at all the screen printing stuff which she has done in the past but not in about 7-8 years. So on our trip home last night, we got talking about how long it will take before I will be able to get the couple of things I wanted and then she hit me with it. She purchased a 4 station machine business in a box pretty much.

She could have told me this on the straighter roads, but no, in the winding roads of the mountains. She told me all about it and I think it will be beneficial in a lot of ways. I haven't had a chance to look at the info too much today, but the best part I saw on the info I glanced at was the fact it had a 6 month money back guarantee.

[Gino]

:thumb:

[threeputt]

Good luck with the venture.

Hope you do a whole lot better than me. Had three machines, one a six color, conveyor dryer, etc. in the 80's. Lots of people working for me, but never made any money.

Not to rain on your parade. We may have been set up all wrong. We were printing for re-sellers (large box stores) and cut-piece manufacturers. Low margins, I guess killed us.

[FrankenSigns.biz]

A year and a half ago we jumped feet first and added screen printing to our business. 6 color press, exposure unit, Epson 4660 for film, oven, spot dryer, washout booth, the WORKS. Then as weeks turned to months, we learned the hard way, that this marked is nothing less than OVER-SATURATED. Then to add insult to injury there are individuals who end up with systems (like the one I'm unloading, for pennies on the dollar), open shop in their garages, have no business sense what-so-ever and pound the market down even further by underselling the product.

I think your wife is a wonderful woman and loves you very much and wants you to be happy in your work. This may seem a lot more than just my 2¢, but if you can back out, do it. Now.

[houseofgrafix]

where did you get it from?

[James Burke]

Congratulations....

Don't forget to fine-tune the business plan and marketing plan.

Then to add insult to injury there are individuals who end up with systems (like the one I'm unloading, for pennies on the dollar), open shop in their garages, have no business sense what-so-ever and pound the market down even further by underselling the product.

I think this has been common place across the market...I've seen some stuff on ebay lately that stand testament to this...printers, cutters, and software. A buyer's market for sure.

[showcase 66]

Not sure what type it is. I am told it will be here next week. I am not going to start offering anything until we can can figure everything out. My wife is all excited about getting back into doing it. I still plan on outsourcing some of the work, but the smaller orders will start being done in house.

[CheapVehicleWrap]

How much did you have to lay out?

[GypsyGraphics]

i'm not sure who i'm more impressed with...
your wife for going off all by her little bad-self and scoring some equipment...
or you... for not leaving her on the side of the road when she dropped the bomb.

[iSign]

I have a lot less screen printing experience then many others on these boards... but I do have quite a bit of experience with silk screening, in the sign business.. every other day for about 3 or 4 years until I transitioned into all digital printing instead...

..anyway, if this is that free-standing unit with a little exposure unit, a little print station, and a little flash dryer.. RUN FOREST, RUN!!!

I have to agree with the above, regarding an even more over saturated market then vinyl cutting... but that business-in-a-box is all about ONE business in my opinion... the business of dialing in an impressive little trade show demonstration to sell the business-in-a-box!! It's NOT good for a real professional.. if your business already operates outside of the box.. you don't need the "in-a-box" aspect of that unit... it's only benefit is trade show demo's...

[showcase 66]

i'm not sure who i'm more impressed with...
your wife for going off all by her little bad-self and scoring some equipment...
or you... for not leaving her on the side of the road when she dropped the bomb.

It crossed my mind but then I remembered she let me get my season tickets to the Cardinals again. I think this should get me a couple more years of tickets.

I guess it is the same stuff my SIL has and does craft shows all the time with it. She love is it and does really well at the shows she goes to. My SIL paid something like 10k for hers. My wife got the same setup for $6,500.

Here (http://www.xpresscreen.com/equipment-packages-new-business.html) is the info on it.

I am curious to see it when it arrives.

[jiarby]

you guys should have done ALOT more research.

At least now you get to go buy a new bass boat or motorcycle without telling her!

[CentralSigns]

Isn't eco solvent tranfer decals the new form of screen printing technology?

[Flame]

Isn't eco solvent tranfer decals the new form of screen printing technology?

Please tell me you're kidding. Those things are JUNK. Tried countless, countless brands. Do hundreds of jerseys every year. Nothing touches screen printing EXCEPT for DTG printing IMO.

[CentralSigns]

Was at an Imprintables trade show in Calgary today and a couple of equipment suppliers kind of implied that Flame. Did see some direct to fabric printing that looked good. Also saw a flatbed laminator I showed pic of in another thread. Not exactly SIGA but some cool stuff.

[Patrick46]

My wife got the same setup for $6,500.



So...what you're saying is that your wife spent $6500 without even discussing the idea with you first?????? :omg:

I'm not saying that there's something wrong with her spending money without 'consulting' with you, or getting 'permission' first...but $6500??????
That's an aweful lot of money to a working stiff!!! A couple hundred bucks is one thing, but that's a pile of bills there!!!! (or...are you guys loaded???$$$)

I'd have locked up the wheels, and thrown up in the ditch!!!! (and she wouldda followed it!!!) :frustrated:

That's definately NOT the way we run our marriage.


The BEST of LUCK to you & your wife on your new business venture. Hope it works for yas!!!

[reximages]

I got to admit I like this post. I haven't participated much with signs 101 but I wanted to chirp in my condolences and best wishes. We (my wife and I) have been doing so well with our screenprinting business and to read a post like this is so fun and laughable. Your work is cut out for you! Wow! Thanks for sharing.

[Flame]

Was at an Imprintables trade show in Calgary today and a couple of equipment suppliers kind of implied that Flame. Did see some direct to fabric printing that looked good. Also saw a flatbed laminator I showed pic of in another thread. Not exactly SIGA but some cool stuff.


lol. Yes, they sure want you to buy that equipment don't they?

Take it from someone who uses a heat press every day. Tried every printable product I have found on the market, from sihl, cheapo stuff from imprintables.... over time, they crack or fade in the wash, MUCH sooner than screen printing. Substantially more.


Thought I should add.... if you want to make $ screen printing, charge a healthy price and do short runs. Huge runs, you'll never score the job unless you're dirt cheap, and it's very, very labor intensive.

My average run is 2-3 dozen, and I make enough money off a lot of misc. jobs like this to actually enjoy and profit from screen printing. :)

[OneUpTenn]

IMO.....I do a lot of work for sports teams, school teams, baseball, etc. My average order is under 50 garments. If it is a simple design not more than 2-color...I cut, weed and heat press those suckers. I have been doing this for 5 years without a single complaint. People love the fact that the set-up fee is small with heat press and that they can always come back at a later date and add one or two or five that they forgot.

My favorite word in this business is "outsource". If I get more than 50 or so or it is a complex design or more than 2-color, I outsource them to a local screenprinter and sometimes never have to touch them and just make a profit.

Flame says heat transfer materials crack. I believe just the opposite. My 3 girls have tshirts and sweatshirts GALORE and the only ones I EVER see cracking are the screen printed ones. The heat pressed ones look as good 5 years down the road as they did when they came off the press.

I have certain customers who request heat press over screen printing because of that reason and because they like the way it sits on the fabric better.

I have been back and forth with myself as to whether or not to break down and buy a screen printer but I always come back to the question "how long will it take me to make back the money I spent on the equipment" and then I come back to the infamous "if it aint broke dont fix it"

Just my humble opinion.

[royster13]

"Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder"......

Some jobs require heat press vinyl....Some jobs require dtg.....Some jobs require screen printing.....etc....etc.....They are all "right" when they are "right" for the job at hand.....

PS....I find the quality of shirts to be where the product breaks down.....Most imprint methods outlast the shirts......

[showcase 66]

So...what you're saying is that your wife spent $6500 without even discussing the idea with you first?????? :omg:

I'm not saying that there's something wrong with her spending money without 'consulting' with you, or getting 'permission' first...but $6500??????
That's an aweful lot of money to a working stiff!!! A couple hundred bucks is one thing, but that's a pile of bills there!!!! (or...are you guys loaded???$$$)

I'd have locked up the wheels, and thrown up in the ditch!!!! (and she wouldda followed it!!!) :frustrated:

That's definately NOT the way we run our marriage.

The BEST of LUCK to you & your wife on your new business venture. Hope it works for yas!!!


I should have mentioned that we just sold her business about 4 months ago and we have been talking about it for a while.
Now if she told me she spent that on clothes or something like that, then there might have been two more crosses on the side of the road from flying off the side.

She mentioned on the way up about looking into it more while we were there. Her sister was here two weeks ago with her system and got my wife even more interested in it. I figured she would find what she wanted and come home and find the best price and would probably be at the beginning of the year before she decided.

As for being loaded, ahhh no. We have been able to save quite a bit and with selling her business, we now have a pretty good nest egg.

[DNeeld]

Flame says heat transfer materials crack. I believe just the opposite. My 3 girls have tshirts and sweatshirts GALORE and the only ones I EVER see cracking are the screen printed ones. The heat pressed ones look as good 5 years down the road as they did when they came off the press.

This is because there is an overabundance of screenprinters, but only a small handful of good ones. Really drags down the industry standard. A properly set up and executed screenprint will out live the shirt itself.

Here is the info on it.
I am curious to see it when it arrives.

Personally, I would strongly encourage you to return the Xpresscreen equipment. Not to sound negative, but it is pretty much junk, designed and built for a hobbyist at best.

If screenprinting is something you and your wife are serious about adding to your business, contact a name brand, such as Vastex, Antec, or M&R and get one of their setups. The initial cost will be about twice as much as you paid, but it will be worth every penny. You'll get equipment that can handle about anything you want to do, can grow with your business, and if things don't work out, has incredible resale value (you can resell a Vastex 2000HD press easily for 85% of what you paid for it, even years after you purchased it).

If this does take off for you, you will quickly outgrow the Xpresscreen equipment. If it doesn't, you are going to have a tough time unloading the equipment.

Best of luck to you.

[WildWestDesigns]

I have been back and forth with myself as to whether or not to break down and buy a screen printer but I always come back to the question "how long will it take me to make back the money I spent on the equipment" and then I come back to the infamous "if it aint broke dont fix it"

Just my humble opinion.

I'm in the same boat at times as that above. I do heat transfer and sublimation on shirts and have always had good results and people actually have come back and bought more of the same shirt(personal purchases, not bulk ones) because they liked how it turned out.

I might get it eventually just to be able to offer that service when I do need to instead of turning away some business, but I get more of the heat transfer and sublimatin for sure. I even do heat transfer vinyl, that seems to be another big order that I do. I'm having to do an order of 50 promo products, 2 color heat transfer vinyl right now.

[fmg]

:thumb:

[jiarby]

you should go visit teh Workhorse factory & showroom in Phoenix...

[gaterspit]

I have been a screen printer for 35 years. I bought the book by scott and pat fresner's How to print tee shirts for fun and profit. I started in my 10x20 garage and built a 4 color press out of plywood and a boat swivel seat. I was off to the races!! I have been blessed with a artistic talent and can pretty much draw, illustrate and design just about anything. I have enjoyed this labor intensive living, maybe for the attention. I have a 6 color automatic that can churn out 400 pieces per hour, being the owner I can slut the work out cheap which is usually what happens. Four years ago I jumped into digital printing, vehicle wraps, signs ( I am also a sign painter since the early 70's) which makes more money than screen printing. I will advise you to send that junk back. I just sold a complete shop (a soccer coach friend) for 2300. Never buy any manual under 6 colors. With a four color press you are limited with colors to print especially if printing on darks when a underbase is necessary. It is hard to make a design look colorful when you have already used black and white ink and there are only 2 heads left. I know she was just trying to help, maybe someday digital shirt printers will become as fast as an auto when printing on darks. Usually one every 10 to 15 seconds.