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Contents:
#01 Stretch Test
#02 Screen printing pricing
#03 Screen printing on hats or caps
#04 Marketing
#05 Printing pockets
#06 Paper towel test squares
#07 Graduation shirts
#08 Yellowpage sales for those who hate sales
#09 Signs and Stickers
#10 Customer Information
#11 Referal Program
Tip # 1
Stretch Test:
After curing plastisol ink, stretch the fabric where it is printed. If the ink stretches
with the fabric then it is properly cured. If the ink cracks then it needs to be cured
longer. Cure the ink longer and perform the test again on a different portion of the image
until you get a proper cure. Once you find the proper curing time/temperature you only need
to do occasional stretch testing.Tip # 2
Screen printing pricing:
There are 4 points to consider in pricing: setup fee, blank shirts, actual printing, and
discounts for large orders.Charge a setup fee. This covers your artwork preparation and burning screens and ranges from $0.00-$100.00. This can be a flat rate or vary with the number of screens used.
Markup blank shirts 2-3 times the cost of the shirt. This drops to a 40-60% markup for specialty shirts like polo shirts with collars which cost a great deal more.
The actual printing is priced by the colors in the design. The first color in the design can cost more than the additional colors. I.e. $1.00 for the first color and $0.25 for each additional color in a design; in a 2 color design this would be $1.25 per shirt.
Front and back are treated as two separate printing jobs.
Pricing can vary greatly from city to city and business to business. Adapt the pricing to fit your business. Here is a sample pricing structure.
$50.00 setup fee
2 times of wholesale cost of shirts
$1.00 for first color
$0.25 for each color after first.
For 50 shirts with a 3-color design on the front and blank shirts at $1.75 wholesale this
works out as follows:
$50.00 setup fee.
$175.00 for the shirts(50 shirts at $1.75 per shirt times 2).
$75.00 for colors ($1.00 first color, $.50 two additional colors = $1.50 per shirt times 50
shirts). $300.00 total($50.00 + $175.00 + $75.00)
Finally, give customers incentives for buying more. You get more business and customers are happy when they get a bargain. Depending on the number of shirts ordered offer percent discounts, wave setup fees, offer buy 12 get 2 free, etc.
Tip # 3
Screen printing on hats or caps:
There are a number of hat attachments and stand-alone hat presses for silkscreening. These
work, but there is a much easier way to print hats without buying this extra equipment.Setup your regular screen printer as you normally do. Separate the colors and burn the artwork on the screens in reverse. It is important for the final design to come out properly that the artwork be burned on the screen in reverse. Using a regular sized screen, about 20" x 24", it is possible to fit up to 6 hat designs on one screen to speed up production.
Screen print the image in reverse color order, dark to light, onto transfer paper. Transfer paper can be purchased at most screen printing suppliers. Flash dry for a few seconds between colors and for a few seconds at the end. Do NOT completely cure the ink.
Cut out the designs and iron them onto the hats.
If you do a lot of hats you will want to invest in a heat press for hats instead of ironing the artwork onto the hats.
This method is easier than any hat press or hat attachment.
Tip # 4
Marketing:
Earn money and help charities.Here is a great way to get your t-shirt business going. Approach charities, churches, etc. and tell them that you will print them a two color t-shirt with their name and logo on it.
Make a flyer for this and take it to charities in your neighborhood or call them.
The charity and its members can presell the t-shirt for $16.00 and you will charge the organization $11.00 they make $5.00 on each t-shirt.
Offer prizes like a pizza party for a certain amount of shirts sold or gift certificates. For smaller organizations offer them a pizza party if they sell a total of 250 shirts. For larger organizations offer them a pizza party if they sell a total of 500 shirts.
At this price the church or organization will make $1250, they have advertiment for there group, and the kids will get a pizza party. You will pay for the shirts $500.00, the screens $40.00, the pizza party $250.00, supplies at no more than $50.00, and you will make $1910.00.
Use your judgement to give the charity a fair deal for their work. If they almost make it give them the party or $100.00 in gift certificates split up among them.
Make this a cool flyer and pass it around town you are bound to get orders that will make you lots of money and support your local charities.
Tip # 5
Printing pockets:
An easy way to print pockets is to cut a piece of cardboard the same size as the pocket.
Tape this to the printing board where you intend to print the pocket. When you put the
shirt over the printing board you can feel the cardboard through the shirt to quickly line
up the pocket on the board for printing. This way your artwork gets printed exactly where
you want it on the pocket every time.The artwork and screens are prepared as usual.
Tip # 6
Paper towel test squares:
Test squares are great for testing a print before you print on shirts and potentially ruin a shirt.For a quick substitute or just to save some money you can use non-lint paper towels bought at any commercial janitorial supply store. These come in long rolls of white or brown. Test your print on this and if it looks good start printing your shirts.
Tip # 7
Graduation shirts:
A great way to make money printing t-shirts for graduations.Take a piece of paper and have everyone in the class sign it. Print a great design on the front of the t-shirt saying class of 2007. Then make a screen with all the signatures and print them on the backs of the t-shirts. You will have made a great original t-shirt for everyone in that class to enjoy. Sell the shirts for at least $15 or more. Everyone in the class will have to get one.
This also works great for family reunions, plays, and concerts.
Tip # 8
Yellowpage sales for those who hate sales:
Start with the "A"s in your local yellow pages. What you are going to try to do is get
10 people to say "no" to you in under three hours. Sounds easy doesn't it?Make sure you have either a card or a flyer with all the information you want to send them. Only send it if they ask for it, but also be prepared to take their order.
If you can manage to get 10 people to say "no" they don't want your shirts then your sales day is done. You do not have to spend a lot of time convincing them to buy your product. You are just looking for them to say "no" so you can move onto the next one.
Give this a try and write us back with your results.
Tip # 9
Signs and Stickers:
Expand your product line to include real estate signs, political signs, bumper stickers and more.
All these can be printed with your screen printing press.Signs and stickers do not take heat well so you will need to use an air drying ink. Vinyl air-drying ink works well and is available from most screen printing suppliers. Air-drying ink does not need to be flash dryed or passed through a conveyor to dry. Instead, you will stand them up in racks to dry.
Sign and sticker material does not absorb ink as well as shirts so you will use a much higher mesh screen, 280-320 mesh, which will allow less ink to pass through. For stickers you will use a screen sized to allow you to fit 6 to 8 stickers on one screen.
Spray adhesive does not work well on sign and sticker material. A vacuum table is recommended or you can make standard size jigs and only print signs/stickers in those sizes. Vacuum tables are available from many screen printing suppliers.
Air-drying inks will dry in the screen so leave yourself plenty of uninterupted time to complete the run to prevent ruining screens.
Once you get the hang of printing signs and stickers it can be a profitable addition to your screen printing business.
Tip # 10
Customer Information:
It is very important to keep customer information so you can keep track of marketing,
special needs, keep your customers informed of specials and in communication. In 6-months if your customers have not re-ordered it is good to call them and find out how they are doing. Let customers know you keep their screens for 6-months and if they re-order within that time they will not have to pay to have the screens re-made.
A customer information sheet should have at least the following information: Name address phone e-mail referred by screens/designs last order notes:
This is a valuable sales tool to help you keep track of customers and keep them happy.
Tip # 11
Referral Program:
After you have a client base it is a great idea to do a referral program. This will give you new costumers.Offer your costumers 10 percent off their next order if they refer a new costumer to you that purchases your services. Give them 10 percent off their next order each time they refer a new costumer.
This is a great way to keep in touch with your clients as well as giving them a great reward for helping you out with your business.
This month grow your business offer referrals.