# how does contracting screen printing orders work?



## Palaprints (Dec 31, 2009)

I am starting a screen printing business with two of my friends. We are in college, and we are hoping to monopolize the t-shirt buying market on campus and maximize our profit. We have been set on buying the equipment ourselves and making shirts ourselves for fraternities, sororities, and other organizations, but recently, we have received advice that we should just contract our orders with a local screen printing company. In terms of screen printing ourselves or contracting, what would be best for us just starting out?


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

*Re: What's the deal with Contracting??*

Do you have the money and space to set up your own shop? Experience?


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## Palaprints (Dec 31, 2009)

*Re: What's the deal with Contracting??*

We have both the money and the space to set up our own shop. The only thing we are lacking is experience, which is why we were wondering if we should contract for the first couple months until we become efficient at making shirts ourselves or if the process is not too difficult that we can just jump into the process of making and selling ourselves after only a couple weeks of working with the machines without sacrificing quality.


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

I would at least take some silk screening classes or seminars. What city are you in? A lot of screen print supply companies offer classes. Then, you'll know what equipment you need to buy and how to print.

Meantime, start marketing your company, and arrange for the printing to be done by a local printer.

PS: its not necessary to post the same question more than once in the forum. Just pick the section that most closely relates to your question.


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## Palaprints (Dec 31, 2009)

So merely researching online about how to print and reading about what a start-up shop needs to function would not suffice?


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## DavidRobison (Dec 30, 2009)

I am one of the more experienced screen printers I know in this industry, I'd be happy to walk you through the contract broker-printer process if you like before you learn the same hard lessons many have to undergo. Knowing the best way to price your sales and the best way to provide the orders and blank goods to the printer will determine how profitable you are. As a printer and designer I jump through hoops for my clients who care enough to cross their t's and dot their I's because it makes the process easy and dependable. Bad communication, slow payables, and confusing composite requests slow everything down and make it more difficult for the broker to get decent pricing and reliable delivery.

Dave robisonart


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

Palaprints said:


> So merely researching online about how to print and reading about what a start-up shop needs to function would not suffice?


That won't monopolize the t-shirt market and maximize your profits, no.

That will make you like any other college-aged group of students who think they can monopolize the market by watching youtube videos. They tend to last as long as their first order when they realize they have gotten themselves in too deep and end up delivering an inferior product. Bye bye reputation and creditability.


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## Palaprints (Dec 31, 2009)

David, I would love to hear what you have to say about knowing the best way for us to price our sales and the best way to provide the orders and goods to the printer.

and Joe, so basically it's a really bad idea to try to do it ourselves from the beginning without a lot of experience?


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## TshirtGuru (Jul 9, 2008)

Palaprints said:


> David, I would love to hear what you have to say about knowing the best way for us to price our sales and the best way to provide the orders and goods to the printer.
> 
> and Joe, so basically it's a really bad idea to try to do it ourselves from the beginning without a lot of experience?


Palaprints, I'm assuming you think it's as easy as running a squeegee against a screen. If so, I would contract the job out.


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## Palaprints (Dec 31, 2009)

No, not at all. I understand it is an extensive process that is quite difficult if you've never done it before, but I also understand that once you start to feel comfortable with both the equipment and process, you can become rather efficient at it. I'm just wondering how long it actually takes for you to make a shirt that, in terms of quality, you feel good about selling.


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## TshirtGuru (Jul 9, 2008)

Palaprints said:


> No, not at all. I understand it is an extensive process that is quite difficult if you've never done it before, but I also understand that once you start to feel comfortable with both the equipment and process, you can become rather efficient at it. I'm just wondering how long it actually takes for you to make a shirt that, in terms of quality, you feel good about selling.


That will highly depend on your skills. I know printers who have been printing 15 years and they still don't know more then when they started. Some printers start printing great stuff 6 months down the road. It just depends.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

*::thread note::* some posts have been moved out of this thread because we do not allow self promotion or offering your own services in the forum threads. Please try to provide educational/general information on how the contracting process works without trying to sell the member on your services ​


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## Palaprints (Dec 31, 2009)

Thanks for the info. Also, is there a big drop-off in profit margin if you contract compared to making shirts yourself(assuming you can make them skillfully)?


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## wiggle (Nov 7, 2008)

It can definitely be done. I bought my equipment and started my shop with zero experience. I just learned as I went and did a lot of studying. 

It takes a ton of persistence and chances are it will take you a while to get to the point where you can consistently fill orders.

Whatever you do, make sure you get 50% down, especially when dealing with college-age customers!


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## Teamwear (Mar 12, 2007)

We are a middle sized shop-never took a class just watched the Ryonet video.

The majority of what we do is 1 color or 2 color spot jobs and they are pretty easy. The full color or fades, etc-we still outsource or heat apply.

Just account for mis prints-a lot of them in the beginning. I still think cheaper than paying a contractor $300-$400 on every order. 

It is not rocket science if you stick to the things you learn to do and have the equipment to do. 


We outsourced the first year and realized that we had spent $10,000's and our contractor really did not care about us-our orders were the last thing on their mind.

Once we were able to own the process we became profitable. 

I do not have a link to the thread-but look at some of the outsourcing vs. heat press vs. printing yourself. Lots of good conversation between some of us that have done this for a while.


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## DavidRobison (Dec 30, 2009)

I posted a new thread in the tutorials about contract screen printing advice check it out it represents what I feel are the six golden rules of contract screen printing.

Talk to you soon


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## Palaprints (Dec 31, 2009)

I'm still not sure what I am going to do. I will have to discuss with my associates to determine our best option. There are a lot of good opinions on this thread, and I thank you all for your advice.


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## acetransco (Jan 2, 2007)

How about Heat Transfers, They are durable as direct screening, low start up costs, extra transfers when they come back for more, you can screen print your own, with training and equipment, or you can order custom transfers from a company that can produce them for You. Then you would need a heat transfer press, and the blank garments, along with the transfers, and you are in the t-shirt business, and you can continue to expand your offering's as you grow your business. Being able to do your own artwork is crucial, that where it all starts.

Good Luck, David


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## mikelmorgan (Nov 1, 2008)

I have said all along that you are good at selling or good at producing. It is difficult to be good at both. If you are good at selling, find a printer that will work with you, one that understands that if you succeed he will succeed. 

If you sell you need to work on your customer relations, if you print you need to work on quality and efficiency. Can you do both? Absolutely. But it takes a long time to establish that business. Work on your strengths and go from there. 

I do both retail and contract printing. Contract printing, we have about 3 different pricing schedules. All depend on the volume the salesman produces. I have one customer that we print 8,000 to 10,000 shirts a week. He gets really good prices. Others that we print around 100 to 500 per week and others that are seasonal. They all get discounts but are not all equal. So to answer you question you would need more information. Remember if you are living in a college town and you walk into a printer's shop and ask him about contract printing, you may be talking about business he is already doing and thus lowering his profit so you will have make it advantageous for him to work for you.

Good Luck


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