# how do i find a good printer for my small order needs?



## mikewozowski (Mar 3, 2010)

hey guys - 

i get asked a lot to make tshirts for people. usually they are fairly small orders and are not complicated designs.

i have a guy i have used and his printing is good but his communication is AWFUL!

and of course, his prices are great!

i would like to find someone that will print shirts for about 7.50 each. is this unreasonable?

for example, my last order was 12 shirts - 3 colors on a jerzees 5.3 oz. cotton tshirt. 

i would like to expand my business, but i need to find a reliable printer that won't break the bank.

also, i do my designs in photoshop. some printers require AI files. do i just need to find a printer who will work with my photoshop files, or do i need to learn AI or coreldraw.

can i do my design in photoshop and convert it to AI? or is that a bad idea.

thank you for your help.


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## dd2 (Sep 15, 2010)

I might be able to help you out. My target market is the smaller orders so PM me, would love to discuss.


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## tjolley2000 (Sep 23, 2010)

I do small orders... but I am not going to pitch you on my services.

Honestly< I think you got a good deal with the guy your working with... In all things you get what you pay for and if your getting great prices and a good product, the deal with the bad communication its worth it, over time you will learn to anticipate how he works are plan a head for it / work around it. 

Part of the reason for the the poor communication may be that he see it as more of doing you a favor than anything. He is not making any money off 12pc orders. He is proably paying 3- 4 dollars for the shirts, then you have the set up time, inks, and chemicals for making and cleaning the screens. 

I tell everyone (I work with a lot of small apparel lines, ex. Rock and Ride — FREE SHIPPING on all orders (for a limited time) * ) find a printer that you are comfortable with and develop a good relationship with them. Do try to screw them over or be demanding, over time when they see you are a loyal customer (even if you are a really small business) they will hook you up one way or another. 

The last thing you should ever do is say, "Hey I am starting a t-shirt line, can you help me out now and I will bring you a lot of business in the future." I hear that several times a week, and if you have been printing for more than a few months you know most of those lines don't work out and the ones that do want even bigger discounts because they are bringing you "alot" of work. 

Hope that helps.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

:: Service request post moved to the proper Service Referrals/Recommendations section of the forum. Read more here  ::​


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## red514 (Jul 21, 2009)

tjolley2000 said:


> I do small orders... but I am not going to pitch you on my services.
> 
> Honestly< I think you got a good deal with the guy your working with... In all things you get what you pay for and if your getting great prices and a good product, the deal with the bad communication its worth it, over time you will learn to anticipate how he works are plan a head for it / work around it.
> 
> ...


well said and good advice!


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## mikewozowski (Mar 3, 2010)

i am not trying to twist anyones arm for low prices. i just find that there are some that charge in the range i mentioned and some that will quote three to four times as much.

i don't always order just 12 shirts, but sometimes i do. i just like to have the capability of doing so. : )

i wish i could make it work with the guy i have used the most in the past, but it is just too unpredictable. : (

thanks for the advice. : )


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## tjolley2000 (Sep 23, 2010)

I understand what your saying... I had a guy that took a few months to print the order and was charging a lot... I decided to just buy the equipment and learn to do it myself.

I wasn't saying you are twisting arms... But there are a lot of people that do or want favors out the gate. As a printer you get tired of it real quick, it make that person look very naive and unprofessional as well. 

as for the .ai files. Printers like those as you generally get a better screen from them especially if you need to change the size of the graphic.


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## mikewozowski (Mar 3, 2010)

another thing - i would want to try any new guy with a pretty small order - especially if i haven't seen his work. so there's that, too. don't want to waste either of our time and money for work that won't be up to par.

this exact thing happened to me last week. : ( started with a new guy with a small order. didn't twist his arm to do it. when i went to pick them up they were not up to par AT ALL! would hate for that to have been 50 - 100 shirts instead of 12!


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