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TrackHawk707

Screen Printing ?

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Hey everyone good morning ! 

So I been poking around here and I know UScutter does not sell screen printing presses or even a small home DIY kit. So I was curious seeing so much information on this forum. Does anyone here screen print ? I know it’s mainly for high quantity orders but I’m extremely interested and would like to hear from some people with first hand experience. Believe me I’m not trying to jump into this but I’m a very curious person and I been on YouTube for weeks now just to see the field itself. I definitely understand it’s no walk in the park and plus I have no room for it. Just like hearing story’s so hopefully I hear back from some of you ladies and gentlemen.  :) 

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Put some Siser easyweed through your cutter and use a heat press to transfer those decals onto T-shirts or hoodies.

Unless you are doing really large quantities, silk screening seems more hassle than it's worth.

Also, the online providers of garment silkscreen work are really cheap enough.

 

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I bought all the screen printing stuff and sold it before I burned my first screen - - I just order plastisol transfers from howard sportswear when I get an order over 25 shirts - quick and painless without the mess and space taken up by all that in my house

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I am like Dakota. I have grown to need high quantities often and use plastisol transfers. There are several outfits that sell them and they make it affordable to compete with the screen print shops. You can't quite get the same hand that true screen print will (which I find sort of rough) but I have had good luck with them and utilizing my now heat press. 

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Playing around with screen printing is what bought me here. Shelled out about $100 on materials and built a couple wood screens.

They work really well and I have 2 screens currently set up to be used on a press I built but it's only for bulk runs of stuff and of course everyone that wants to buy some of my stuff wants it customized, which is what lead me to buy a vinyl cutter.

I'll probably keep up screen printing a little but I'm guessing my focus is going to go more towards cutting if/when I finally have some time to get my cutter running. The trends I see with people right now is customized everything and anything.

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Cut vinyl definitely rules the custom one off market. The only issues I ever have are when someone wants a gradient or distressed flag or something that's just too intricate to be buildable. I have done a few that I shouldn't have. One distressed job took a half hour on the cutter and an hour to weed. Those are work the cost of a screen set up even for just a couple. 

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It’s awesome you guys have some story’s on it. I’m always so curious and find I love making shirts and well apparel all together more then decals. I don’t have the space for screen printing but I did hear of F&M and lately (last 6 months) I caught some orders of 35,50, and working with someone now for another 35. So it starting getting me in trying to figure out the best way to be efficient. Do you guys know of F&M, I’m sure lol .. if so are they good quality enough for me to sell to my costumers or should I just keep doing it the old fashion way? I’m not sure if I understand there process they screen print on a transfer then can then be shipped to the buyer and applied by a heat press? It’s not HTV? I went to YouTube but it was more reviews on them then explaining and it’s pretty much I hear more good then bad but the bad conserns me. Thanks guys for the conversation. I was hoping to hear story’s and get some info with this post. 

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20 minutes ago, TrackHawk707 said:

It’s awesome you guys have some story’s on it. I’m always so curious and find I love making shirts and well apparel all together more then decals. I don’t have the space for screen printing but I did hear of F&M and lately (last 6 months) I caught some orders of 35,50, and working with someone now for another 35. So it starting getting me in trying to figure out the best way to be efficient. Do you guys know of F&M, I’m sure lol .. if so are they good quality enough for me to sell to my costumers or should I just keep doing it the old fashion way? I’m not sure if I understand there process they screen print on a transfer then can then be shipped to the buyer and applied by a heat press? It’s not HTV? I went to YouTube but it was more reviews on them then explaining and it’s pretty much I hear more good then bad but the bad conserns me. Thanks guys for the conversation. I was hoping to hear story’s and get some info with this post. 

I use F&M exclusively at this point. They have various products and their website will walk you though most of your questions. Order a sample kit and it will give you samples of all the stuff they do. I was originally concerned with product lifespan but I used them on some of my construction guys tee's and paid attention to how they wear and they held up really well. Probably not quite as lang as HTV but it's a close second and the price saving for clients is really impressive. On any kind of volume I actually do less work and make more per shirt so I basically doubled my output in the same amount of time.  You already have a press so you're good to go. HTV will always have it's place and things like specific numbers or any kind of custom work or higher quality work like on nice jackets or polo's is probably better with HTV. 

I'm a small mom an pop shop and work from my living room so being efficient is key for me. I do my designs in AI but they will accept PS or Corel Draw as well. Basically you pick your product (I mostly use the Athletic formula because it resists dye migration the best). Pick your color count and size of transfer sheet. If single color you basically get two choices for the cheap deal. Can't gang two images on the $0.15 program but it's so cheap it doesn't matter anyway. If you are doing 2,3 or full color then you have to decide if it's priced best to go with a certain size sheet or gang a bunch up on a larger sheet. I build an AI file with the different sizes offered and decide by crunching numbers which one makes the most sense bearing in mind gang sheets with ,utile logo's you will have to cut apart yourself. Leave enough room that you can cut several at once with a paper cutter board and it goes pretty good. Sometimes a lot of little ones are cheaper than a few large sheets (min order on gang sheets is 8 I think) Most of the time it's cheaper to use the XL sheet and stack a bunch on there when doing 2 or 3 colors. I have done some full color work and it turns out great too. 

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8 hours ago, Wildgoose said:

I use F&M exclusively at this point. They have various products and their website will walk you though most of your questions. Order a sample kit and it will give you samples of all the stuff they do. I was originally concerned with product lifespan but I used them on some of my construction guys tee's and paid attention to how they wear and they held up really well. Probably not quite as lang as HTV but it's a close second and the price saving for clients is really impressive. On any kind of volume I actually do less work and make more per shirt so I basically doubled my output in the same amount of time.  You already have a press so you're good to go. HTV will always have it's place and things like specific numbers or any kind of custom work or higher quality work like on nice jackets or polo's is probably better with HTV. 

I'm a small mom an pop shop and work from my living room so being efficient is key for me. I do my designs in AI but they will accept PS or Corel Draw as well. Basically you pick your product (I mostly use the Athletic formula because it resists dye migration the best). Pick your color count and size of transfer sheet. If single color you basically get two choices for the cheap deal. Can't gang two images on the $0.15 program but it's so cheap it doesn't matter anyway. If you are doing 2,3 or full color then you have to decide if it's priced best to go with a certain size sheet or gang a bunch up on a larger sheet. I build an AI file with the different sizes offered and decide by crunching numbers which one makes the most sense bearing in mind gang sheets with ,utile logo's you will have to cut apart yourself. Leave enough room that you can cut several at once with a paper cutter board and it goes pretty good. Sometimes a lot of little ones are cheaper than a few large sheets (min order on gang sheets is 8 I think) Most of the time it's cheaper to use the XL sheet and stack a bunch on there when doing 2 or 3 colors. I have done some full color work and it turns out great too. 

Wow that’s amazing I’m going to have to order a sample sheet and start looking into it more now. I work a 9-5 so after work when I have big orders it takes me a few days to get it completed that’s if the design isn’t so crazy. I’d worry about selling this product cause your basically trusting another company for your self but I’m hearing more good then bad and it dosnt  hurt to order some for myself and wash test it and all and go from there. Thank you for your feedback with this company I’m definitely going to try them out.. I also use AI so I shouldn’t have any problems with sending them over my files so that’s awesome to know as well. 

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I'm a Howard Custom Transfer guy, plus the fact they are only 30 minutes from me, I have the option of picking them up if need be, and great customer service if you ever need it

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1 hour ago, mfatty500 said:

I'm a Howard Custom Transfer guy, plus the fact they are only 30 minutes from me, I have the option of picking them up if need be, and great customer service if you ever need it

New to me !? I’m assuming I can find them at howardcustom.com or along that? Lol will check them out also. My eyes are wide open I didn’t think these companies existed. To me it’s like how do they actually make money themself. But that’s a whole other topic. What matters is I might of just found an awesome solution for big orders and appreciate all the feed back guys ! If anyone else out there sees this and has even more to add I’m hoping this thread can keep growing with ideas to share! :) 

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9 hours ago, mfatty500 said:

Here is a proper link, https://www.howardct.com/

Have you tried any of the Howards "Shimmer" colors? Those look like something that I might try out. The silver shimmer in particular. Just wondering if they are at all reactive to light like a mild reflective? 

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I have, they were good except the image that I used it on was kind of small, and I had to re-heat the transfer, because I added another type of decoration to the shirt, but I would use it again.

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I got a free sample sheet coming in tomorrow from F&M.i know it’s a sample but 2 day delivery? I will definitely take that lol. Keep you all posted on what I think. I will check Howard’s out after I do a few test with the F&M ones first. Thanks again guys for the feedback and information. 

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Hey wildgoose do you have to mirror your designs when sending it to F&M or do they automatically do that for you? Or is this type of transfer not need mirroring? 

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21 hours ago, Wildgoose said:

They mirror it on their end. 

Yeah I ended up finding it .. sorry it was small print under everything lol. I do have another question that I can’t seem to find a straight answer for. 

There stock transfers come in a minimum of 25, but can we resell those designs ? I’m sure they own the rights to them and allow us as clients to resell if there minimum is 25 or is it technically for “personal use”? I also noticed some of there stock has copyrighted over it and some do not. What’s up with that ? 

I could totally be looking at this the wrong way so my apologies if it seems like I’m trying to take someone else’s design I just don’t understand at all on the stock transfers what it’s for and they don’t really give much information on it. Also the prices don’t change when you click on design with shirt compared to just design. So wouldn’t they lose a tone of money selling with shirt? 

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44 minutes ago, TrackHawk707 said:

Yeah I ended up finding it .. sorry it was small print under everything lol. I do have another question that I can’t seem to find a straight answer for. 

There stock transfers come in a minimum of 25, but can we resell those designs ? I’m sure they own the rights to them and allow us as clients to resell if there minimum is 25 or is it technically for “personal use”? I also noticed some of there stock has copyrighted over it and some do not. What’s up with that ? 

I could totally be looking at this the wrong way so my apologies if it seems like I’m trying to take someone else’s design I just don’t understand at all on the stock transfers what it’s for and they don’t really give much information on it. Also the prices don’t change when you click on design with shirt compared to just design. So wouldn’t they lose a tone of money selling with shirt? 

You need to ask the company for "their" license info.  Bet they would direct you right to it.  They have a "Contact Us" link. 

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15 minutes ago, MZ SKEETER said:

You need to ask the company for "their" license info.  Bet they would direct you right to it.  They have a "Contact Us" link. 

I understand what your saying. So it don’t matter if they have copyrighted over the image or not before you purchase you really should contact them about reselling that design? 

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Any design is copyrighted as soon as it is created.  It does not have to be registered, just created. Anything you already see done is copyrighted/trademarked.  And you cannot make it like someone else.   There are items available in the public domain library to use, because the copyright limit ran out. 

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3 minutes ago, MZ SKEETER said:

Anything is copyrighted as soon as it is created.  It does not have to be registered, just created. Anything you already see is copyrighted/trademarked.  And you cannot make it like someone else. 

Yes I do know all that it’s just weird how F&M sells stock and some they sell have no watermark over it and some they do. If you have to contact them for permission why even allow people to add it to their carts?

Sorry for confusion I’m sure I didn’t explain myself correctly. 

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possible those watered marked are designs that they made. Maybe others are designs that they purchased and can resell. Or from the public domain library. 

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TrackHawk, for example, let's take your own Forum image here (the car front). Where is that from? Did you create it? Do you own the rights to it?

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You might be surprised that the people who come here and  post up a design with a watermark on it from Shutterstock and want someone to vector it for them.  

The watermark is protecting the image. We have seen a lot of copyrighted images come thru here, that people want someone to vector for them.  

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