Chapter 1
Preface And Author Bio With Tips
I decided to set up this tutorial because there are no current editions of any screen printing book that covers a modern and technical look at commercial textile screen printing. Most of this is edited articles from all my websites. I took the time to go through my collection of material and edit it into one cohesive body of text with videos from YouTube that pertain to each section. Many of these videos were made years ago but the informational value is still the same. This tutorial will evolve over time. More content will be added as I learn how to make things happen on the ecommerce site. It is to be considered a work in progress for the time being. I have been making tutorial videos for over 10 years. You will find some information repeated in different sections for purposes of convenience and learning since certain topics may be relevant to more than one section. Let us start with some of my thoughts and tips on the topic of screen printing in general.
I would like to thank Saati for allowing me to use their awesome technical information to help write this text in a simple, easy to read way. Saati’s technical knowledge is immense and they are always eager to help solve problems. My relationship with Saati began when I was a very young child about age 6. I remember going to the Majestic warehouse where my father was already working with screenprinting equipment and supplies. He was a salesman. The company became Mejestech. Later that business morphed into Majestech Saati and today it is now carrying the Saati name alone. Saati has always been a great help to Catspit Productions and the following information would not be possible without their help.
I would like to thank both of my parents. My Mother and Father both played an essential role in my life leading to the culmination of which you are enjoying now. I know some of you may not have had the luxury of having a family with parents. My childhood was not perfect. But my mother and Father never abandoned their children. The biggest advantage I have had in my life has been my family starting with my mother and father. Without the continued support of my parents, I would have most certainly failed in life and you would not be reading this text now. Thank you, Mom, and Dad. Thank you, Mama, and Papa Catspit.
Please remember this is a summary overview. It will be impossible for me to teach you everything through writing text or making videos. Therefore, some of the information is for your edification and awareness. You will need to do further research and studying to screen print different types of artwork. It is best to start small and build yourself up when it comes to artwork. Practical trial and error will also be necessary for many parts of screen printing. The intent of this tutorial is to give you a thorough rundown that will give you the basic tools to expand your knowledge and skills.
With that being said, I have concluded that screen printing is a technical process first and foremost. There is a very simple reason I say that. And the reason is one of the things that many screen printing shop owners do not realize or understand.
Screen printing is very easy. Or should I say it is not that hard to learn but it is very easy to produce a misprint or make other mistakes. It can be a pleasure and provide you with great satisfaction in seeing a print job done well. It can also be your nemesis. You need to have every aspect of the process under control. If you can achieve good working order of every piece of equipment and every chemical process or what we would call pre-press activity, then you can work efficiently and easily. And therefore, be more productive on the press. The more efficient and easily you can work the more shirts you can print per hour. The more shirts you print per hour… well you should get the idea.
In fact, if you iron out most of the bugs and kinks in your screen printing process it is possible to teach almost anyone to print well. This can be a great benefit when running a shop because good responsible screen printers are hard to come by. Yes, you may find a good printer but will he/she show up? Will he/she be reliable? The fact is that many shops experience a high turnaround in the printers they employ. One reason for that is that many shops demand a lot from a printer but pay little and do not offer health benefits. The other is, well… a lot of irresponsible people get into screen printing for some reason. Let us face it, screen printing is one of those businesses that a lot of people get into but not all of them will be successful at it for various reasons. Some printers may just print too slowly. A rare few may show up early but lack the aptitude to screen print. There are people, for some reason, that just cannot do it. And that is just the way it is too. I am not sure why but every now and then I run into someone who just never really gets the hang of it.
I cannot stress this enough. If everything is working properly, almost anyone can print. It only takes super human skills when the process is not up to par. Your printer only needs extraordinary skills if your print shop is deficient in function. Many shops could double their productivity with a little investment in upgrades and improvements. Even the layout of your shop can affect the production flow negatively.
Screen printing tee shirts is all about numbers. It is all about volume. Its’ a cut throat industry and there is always someone who is willing to do it for less than you. In my opinion, success depends on the ability to produce high quality product at a very fast rate. That way you can make money even when the profit margin is low. That is being competitive.
Screen printing tee shirts is one of those businesses that everyone seems to think they can make money at. If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say: “I have a great idea for a tee shirt!” I would not be writing this article right now.
I do not mean to be insensitive or sound like some pretentious know it all. It is just the fact of the matter. And we all know very well that many successful screen printing shops have started in someone’s garage but many screen printing businesses also have failed in someone’s garage. I suppose it really comes down to people’s preconceived ideas and beliefs regarding screen printing. To many, it seems, think it is an excellent business to start if you have very little or no money at all. Now we all know that is not the case. That does not mean it cannot be done, because it has. It means that sometimes it takes more than good business and sales skills to be successful. Many screen print shops fail due to inferior quality work or the inability to produce product by set deadlines.
Another very important reason people are interested in printing tee shirts for profit is all around us. Tee shirts are everywhere. The next time you are out at the local mall or supermarket look around you. Chances are that many of the people you will see are wearing some type of printed garment. So, there is a false impression that it is easy to produce and market a brand of logo wear. Just like it is sometimes faulty print work that can sabotage a screen printing business, so too can jumping into a branding project without doing your marketing research and making sure you have the capital to push the product line. Many brands of logo wear are successful and very profitable only because of the marketing behind the product.
It is important to understand that it takes a balance of printing skills, business skills and marketing that will ultimately determine the level of your success. It may be obvious at this point that having money to invest into the business at the time of startup will be of the greatest help. It is true that it takes money to make money when it comes to manufacturing a product for consumer use. If you have the right tools to do the job and the right tools to promote your business then most anyone can build a profitable screen printing shop.
It is the nature of the printed garment industry that there always seems to be room for one more printer. That may be another factor in the popularity of starting a screen printing business. Try to Google screen printers in your local area. If you are in a city of any substantial size, I would bet there is a pretty good amount that will show up in the search results. And let us not even mention all the Google ads you will see for online screen printing services. Today’s printed garment market is more competitive than ever with the introduction of online printing services.
The custom printed garment industry is basically a cut throat business. There will always be someone who is willing to print for less than you. In any economic state the screen printing business is such that there will always be a lot of talk. A lot of inquiries and price quotes with few that go anywhere. You will give price quotes on jobs only to be told later that, “although you’re pricing is very competitive, we have found the product for less with another printer.” This is normal.
So be forewarned moms and dads, brothers, sisters, and strangers alike. Screen printing for profit is much more than a hobby or a home project. It is an endeavor that requires dedication and determination.
The choice of the tee shirt brand you print on can be an important factor in the satisfaction level of your customers. It is important to know exactly what your customer wants in a tee shirt. Some customers may be purchasing tee shirts for their own company or for a company they work for. They may be used as a promotional give away or they may be for the company’s image and/or corporate identity purposes. Some people are attempting to create a brand of logo wear. It is a must to know this information when suggesting a particular brand or style of garment.
When a customer is purchasing shirts for their own personal business, they can tend to be more discriminating in their choices. This will be true in all aspects of the process. The customer has a much more personal attachment to the project and more invested in the business as an entity. This person is trying to create an identity and cares greatly about what kind of image they are creating. It is important to be patient with this type of customer. It may be their first time purchasing custom printed garments. They might not know about the choices of garments available to them.
Some customers may be buying shirts for a company they work for. Usually, this type of client is a bit easier to work with. There may be some standards or guidelines set forth by the company itself but once those criteria are met, this customer will be more relaxed to work with. You should be able to guide this customer through the shirt printing process a lot quicker. This customer may be required to request a certain brand of shirt. If not, they too may not understand the scope of garments available to them either.
There are those that will buy custom printed garments for resale as well. People who are creating custom printed garments for a brand of logo wear may be the most difficult of all. These people will push the limits of what you are able to do for them. You will need to have great patience with this person. Be careful not to be pushed into a print job you are not comfortable in doing. This customer most often will have a particular shirt they know they want or at least they will know exactly what style or quality garment they want. This person will often request garments that are difficult to print on.
Once you have determined these factors and you understand the customer’s needs, you will be in a better position to recommend or suggest a particular brand of shirt. As a rule, it is best to sell well-known, high-quality garments. Selling a shirt that the customer is familiar with is easier and less wrought with risk. Hanes, Fruit of the Loom, Anvil, Bella, Jerzees, Outer Banks, Jonathan Corey, and Gildan are well known by many. Your customer should be familiar with these brands.
Be cautious when selling inexpensive, off brand garments. I remember a shirt called the Swing Tee made in Afghanistan some years ago. The shirts did not look so bad but they often tended to disintegrate when washed for the first time. Word of mouth is always the best form of advertisement for shirt printers. Therefore, it is very important to sell high quality merchandise at a reasonable price. Let your product speak for itself.
For the most part, the public does not understand what goes into printing a custom tee shirt. Choosing the garment brand is part of the process. Most people do not realize how much work needs to be done to produce a quality product that fulfills the needs of the customer. At the same time the print job needs to remain relatively easy to print with high quality results for the printer. Remember, the faster you can print a high quality custom shirt job, the more money you make per hour, thus increasing the profitability of your work.
My Top 5 Tips:
Tip #1
Eliminate all variables. This is self-explanatory. Do not work with something like an old, loose wooden screen. Take the time to get a firm, square and tightly stretched screen. You will thank yourself in the end. Avoid costly mistakes and time consuming "work arounds" by getting the right equipment from the get go. This does not mean you have to spend a lot of money. Just make sure you have the appropriate tools for the job. Everything you need for screen printing does not have to be professional grade; it just must work well consistently. Screen printing is fun and easy, when you have the right tools and a little education in its techniques.
Tip #2
Artwork is the single most important step to creating an excellent, high-quality print. If your artwork is not set up properly for screen printing, not only will the print look bad but the job could be very difficult to print. It is important to educate yourself on how screen printing renders graphics and understand how to set up your art to easily print what you want. Take the most time working on your art and be sure of it before you even think about going to screen. If you are unsure of how to do the art, seek out a graphic artist who has experience with screen printing. This will save you much materials and headache.
Tip #3
Not all screen printers understand how to create the art they need for screen printing even though they may know what needs to be done. This is true of graphic designers as well. Not all graphic designers understand how to set art up for screen printing even though they may know the software very well. This is very important to understand and to avoid possible problems with any graphic artist you work with. Make sure the graphic artist has experience with screen printing. If you work in a large shop, the final word on how the art should be set up should go to the printer but in many cases, it will go to the production manager.
Tip #4
Keep your ink under control. Plastisol ink never fully dries until it is cured through an oven. If it gets somewhere, it is not supposed to be, it will inevitably travel. The ink has a mind of its own once let loose. Be very careful with how you handle your ink. The sign of an experienced printer is a clean work area. The printer will also need to be free of any kind of ink. It is never a good idea to wipe excess ink off onto your own clothes. Always check your hands before you handle your shirts in between prints. I cannot stress enough the importance of working clean. There is a little saying I made up to describe this well. Plastisol ink is like Godzilla. It will destroy Tokyo if you allow it to get loose.
Tip #5
Be careful to abide by any local environmental laws pertaining to the usage and disposal of screen printing related chemicals and products. Vendors of screen printing products will be happy to provide Material Safety Data Sheets, (MSDS), for chemical makeup and hazardous materials information as well as precautionary information for human usage. This also means checking into local zoning laws that may restrict or prohibit such semi industrial activities in a residential area. This of course would not apply to a hobby or home craft style of screen printing. At hobby levels of printing, you are usually below the threshold of waste limits for local governments.
About Jonathan Monaco:
Jonathan has a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with Specialization in Photography and Screen Printing. He has over 25 years of manual and automatic screen printing experience. Jon has worked in several screen print shops in New York and Arizona and is well connected in the industry.
During his time at Arizona State University, Jonathan was published in Photographer's Forum Magazine twice. He also exhibited extensively in the Tempe area. After graduation, Jonathan moved to New York and began his career in studio photography all the while working with his brother at his screen printing shop in upstate New York.
Jonathan's involvement in screen printing started when he was 11 years old when he printed his first shirts with his uncle in the basement. They used a handmade, wooden, table top press built by his uncle. Jonathan's family has been deeply involved in different aspects of the screen printing industry since before he was born.
Jonathan has worked extensively in screen printing and studio photography. He has made photographs for such companies as: Fitz & Floyd, Citarella, Sharper Image, Cabela's and more. Most of these photographs were catalog style product shots. He has also done photography work for The New York Marathon. Jon worked with well-known photographer Len Prince during the time he was employed at a catalog studio in Manhattan as well.
"For me, true wealth is about happiness. And I need mental health to be happy. So, I have what may seem to be meager goals and desires. But it reflects my now utilitarianism and minimalist way of life. I am satisfied with sustenance and I am no longer chasing more than I need."