# Price wise.....Screenprinting VS Heat pressed vinyl.



## ffokazak (Feb 23, 2006)

Just a question about pricing. 
Picture this....

A client comes with a text graphic. Needs 50 shirts. 
Regardless of if you would rather print, or rather heat press.....
Which would you charge more for? 
is vinyl transfer cheaper? 
OR would you charge more for Screenprinting. 

Thanks!


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## Robin (Aug 28, 2006)

Im not sure how screen printing works....but I would assume there would be a set up fee right?

So Im thinking the screen printing for only 50 shirts is a bit pricey(but I dont really know)

Being a vinyl heat presser, I wouldnt even consider taking the job to a screen printer. Id do it right there. Its basically a few pennies per text. The cost comes in the time you take to weed it. If you have the time...vinyl heat press I would think would be cheaper.


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## MotoskinGraphix (Apr 28, 2006)

50 shirts with a one color press could go either way but time is the element thats missing. I wouldnt screen print the shirts but I might have plastisol transfers made for the job. Actually I would probably print them with vinyl since ganging would be easy. It really depends on what price you quoted the customer and how fast the client needed the gear.


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## John S (Sep 9, 2006)

I use my vinyl cutter for smaller jobs, or jobs that require each shirt to be unique. 

I have a good contract screen printer, it is much cheaper to pay him than to invest all the time it would take to cut/weed/press 50 shirts. I make money and get a day back to make more sales.

I'm happy to trade a little money for a lot of time.


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## Tenacious (Apr 11, 2007)

I'm with John too screen print if its that many. If you think about it...... you'll be making money by getting the order done. Why not be doing something else while you wait for the shirts to be printed. I sold my press a long time ago, and started taxing on short runs it seemed to be more trouble to me personally.


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## MotoskinGraphix (Apr 28, 2006)

Could go either way depending on how you charged the custimer.
.


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## ffokazak (Feb 23, 2006)

Thanks Guys, 

I personally, would screen print the shirts. That would be done in around an hour and a half. Im new to heat pressing { I just bought a 15"X20 " swing away monster!} and am curious to see about time VS money for both types of decorating. Im sure after a few months of weeding, i will understand the pros and cons of each.
Thanks Guys


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## lauerja (Aug 8, 2006)

For me it would depend on the complexity of the design. If I can weed and cut it quickly, I'd do the vinyl before sending it out to a screen printer. If it looks to complex to do wuickly I would check with Transfer Express and have the transfers done.

Coming from a small town, I try not to send any customer to someone else.


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## Deucex (Mar 18, 2007)

screens cost about $75 each. I tack on about $25 for outsourcing costs to a screen printer. that hits $2 in printing cost per shirt at 50 or around $4 to $5 per unit. so for full color on a colored shirt you have 5 screens (white plus CMYK) which adds up to an extra $8 per shirt for 50. Total cost per unit is $12 to $13. I look at $2 cost per opaque ink jet transfer and since I just got my vinyl cutter I still have to figure out vinyl costs per shirt. Production costs double when doing front and back.

I would say 50 units for the first screen, add 25 for the second screen, etc. Look at it as a pain in the butt versus profit scale. I'd be weeding opaque color transfers at 100 shirts both sides just because at $4 per shirt savings over screen at 6 shirts per hour, I'm paying myself $25 an hour for weeding and pressing (yes I can do more per hour but you get my point). at 150 shirts I am paying myself around $4:50 an hour. weeding can be simplified in smart pre-press to keep the weeding time down.

If anyone can see anywhere where I am going wrong on this or forgetting stuff, let me know.


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## Tenacious (Apr 11, 2007)

$75 per screen is highway robbery! I outsource and my screens cost $15-$22. I just out sourced a run today 1 color front and 4 color back and only cost $2.80 each to print and $75 total with screens (51-101 same price). That is with a 5 day turn. I guess it all depends on who you get to do the work, but *I would shop around printers*. I have cheaper people to print with, but the turn around is longer. Don't use one printer keep your options open. They all want the business!


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## ffokazak (Feb 23, 2006)

If i can charge 75$ a screen, why have I been chargin 25$!


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## Deucex (Mar 18, 2007)

I'm glad I joined this forum. so you say 25 eh?


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## ffokazak (Feb 23, 2006)

Thats what I charge for one screen setup. 
25$
Multiplied by how many colours you got.


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## scuba_steve2699 (Nov 15, 2006)

Holy cow! $75 a screen! Boy do I need to get some customers like that! I would probably screen unless the font / graphic was very easy to weed and then maybe (Time dependent) go with vinyl. Vinyl is still less expensive for me though.


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## mystysue (Aug 27, 2006)

well it would also depend on a couple of factors.. like what color shirts...
for 50 shirts.. if it was a color i couldnt dyesub.. i woule prolly go with a screen printer that is local.. We just had an order for 50 black shirts with 2 colors ( orange and white) with front small logo and large back logo.. and our screen printer charges 25 a screen. so we charged the customer 10 a shirt we paid 5 a shirt plus 50 for screens. so we made a quick 200.oo for no work just writing up the order.. We outsource things like this all the time, the time we would have spent making the shirts we were then able to produce other product and make money..


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## ffokazak (Feb 23, 2006)

well put Susan, 

I charge double if I outsource embroidery. 
A lot of the time, a customer is happy to pay more, as long as they dont have any more work load. 

Great!


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