# Looking for Vendors LIKE FMExpressions



## dAi (Jan 27, 2008)

Good day to my fellow print bros and sisters!! 


Since the beginning of time, I have been ordering my plastisol transfers from FM Expressions. So far, I am very happy and satisfied with their service and quality. Nonetheless, I strongly believe that a real, good heat press plays a big role in the process of the finished product. I myself own the Stahls Hotronix Auto Clam press if you are wondering.

However, FM Expression's 20¢ program($25 set up fee) is indeed awesome *but* they are super-duper strict with their 20¢ program like you are _not_ allowed to gang multiple objects even if it is within the 12"x12" range of sheet and indeed it is understandable because at that price, you can't ask for more but! boy oh boy.

For example, if I wanted to press a small, left chest object and press something on the back of the t-shirt despite if it is within their 12x12 range that is ganging to them and it will get denied so you have two place separate orders.

Mind you, their 12"x12" sheets are really your $35 + $.22 + shipping per OBJECT/art design when you are about to pull out your nice, shiny credit card. 


The 20¢ program is great for one color but man are they are super strict. if you want to press on the left chest and do a press on the right chest, it will get denied so you have to place two orders.


Is there any vendors out there like FM Expressions out there?

I am not complaining but my clients are. 
My clients do not understand when I explain these things and that it will be an additional charge so many of my clients are doing good cause like holiday toydrive. I deal with many non-profit organizations especially during the holiday.

Overall, to me, ganging is when your ganging the same object multiple times within the sheet site yet anything in their eyes is ganging basically.

What do you guys think?


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## Bryan Ultduct (May 10, 2011)

I agree with you, did several jobs with F & M this spring, seems it took forever to jump hoops but maybe because it was my first time. The sgl design is stupid or is it a bait job? Anyway, their transfers (one color) worked out ok, would like to see grid lines on the back for placing the designs square/level like some other companies use.... Found out by the time I gang with another company, just hasn't been worth the effort to order from F & M Again. Should a single print job come up that doesn't need to be level as can be, I'll consider F & M again.


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

The 20 cent transfer price is unbeatable, unless you are ganging a lot of designs on one transfer using another vendor. Complaining about it is petty. If I sold 20 cent transfers I would be super-duper strict with it too.


dAi said:


> I am not complaining but my clients are.
> My clients do not understand when I explain these things and that it will be an additional charge


If your clients are complaining because there is an extra charge to print a 2nd location, then they've never had screen printing done. Everyone charges for multiple location printing.

Next time you get a complaint, get a 2nd quote from another transfer printer for a ganged transfer and let your client decide which one to go with. 



> Overall, to me, ganging is when your ganging the same object multiple times within the sheet site yet anything in their eyes is ganging basically.


Nope. Ganging is placing more than 1 image on the transfer, whether its an identical image or every one one being completely different.


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## gtgraphicsRyan (Jun 17, 2015)

am I reading this correctly? 20 cents for a one color transfer? Do they do quality work with every range of halftones?


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## lkt1954 (Nov 15, 2009)

Don't see the problem here.......... I just ordered two different sized designs 1) on the 12" x 9" & 2) on the 12" x 12" sheets. 100 of each with shipping $ 119.00 or $.59 per design. So it cost me $ 1.19 to decorate one shirt on the front & back.

Priced the same job with another company who has 13" x 23" sheets and ganged the designs if I could get 3 of each design on the sheet $ 1.24 per shirt transfer cost, more realistically it would have been 2 of each design per sheet @ !.37 per sheet. Also this is not including shipping.


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## dAi (Jan 27, 2008)

problem is there colors are limited like you have to pick there colors they offers its good for one color common colors but when clients want like a aqua color is not there.


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## lkt1954 (Nov 15, 2009)

I do get the color availability is rather limited. In re reading the op are you sharing the F&M pricing with them or are they complaining about the final cost of the item?

I only give my clients the price for finished goods, not anything else. As a rule of thumb I do tell them that each color adds between $ 1.00-$ 1.50 to the price depending on quantity, etc.

If I needed enough transfers to do say 50 tees with a left chest & back: the 15/20 program cost me $ 1.29 and using their 12.75" x 19" sheet it cost me $ 2.20. That's less than a $ 1.00 difference. If I were to do the same job with Dowling and use their 13" 23" sheets (one color) 25 sheets would give me at least 50 of the left chest/back and cost $ 1.98.
We deal with several non-profit groups and a cut them the best deal I can without me becoming a non-profit business. The one thing that gets me about them is they seem to think we should work for free because they are non-profit. Do they get a discount on anything else they purchase-- fuel for their cars, electricity for their building..................
Not trying to be petty- just don't like the tail trying to wag the dog.


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## Bryan Ultduct (May 10, 2011)

I'm not a big player in the transfer world like some, had a college job that I was going to do with F & M but a couple of things forced me back to another company again. Design was only 5.75" x 9.95", then they wanted some small neck tag or arm designs: .90" x 3", 1.25" x 3", 1" x 2.5" so much cheaper to go with another company and gang this job, plus had room for other larger designs that where in the works like a 3" x 10". I think F & M single color especially for larger designs is good, but with designs sizes getting smaller, need for arm patch's and able to gang other company might just be a better value, just something to consider!
Other thing that is nice (especially for med/small designs is) some companies transfers have grid lines on the back which makes it much easier for placing for folks like myself. 
I do intend to use F & M on a spring job since it's a larger design, but should something come up that needs a lot of small transfers between now and then, might have to scrap another F & M job...


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## JIMMY34 (Jan 20, 2010)

I had good success the few times with F&M but has anyone been able to get true neon colors from them...they keep asking me for the pantones and they will custom make the colors at a minimal charge but I don't want to experiment and pick a wrong color...

If anyone has ordered neon with them, can you let me know what color pantones you used...


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## surferkai (Jun 24, 2010)

I had a similar experience with F&M, but my design was actually one single print and i guess they thought it looked like two. They didn't even ask for an explanation, just said it was two designs and told me to change it. I didn't know exactly how to go about that, since it is what it is, and that's what I needed printed and they needed to be lined up together so I didn't want to have to make two orders and line them up manually. 

Needless to say, they lost my business. I understand their whole keeping costs down and stuff, and agree with their right to maintain strict rules. but that was my design. I don't know what else to tell them. Was planning on using them for some big jobs if the print quality turned out good on this small one, but they didn't even want to discuss it. No sweat off my back, but just seemed like an odd business practice, especially for a first time customer.


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## franktheprinter (Oct 5, 2008)

Hi. The best thing I feel to do is to compare pricing,quality, and durability of the transfers from venders you are interested in. Of course most vendors do or at least should (in my opinion) offer you free samples of their work for you to check out. 

In regards to F&M's 15/20 program...The transfers are not 15/20 cents per transfer when you take into account that you have setup fees associated with either program you choose. Their pricing is good but of course it can be "beat" and it has by numerous companies...even some that posted earlier examples in this thread. Ultimately what I believe is needed is for you to determine for yourself who makes a quality transfer that meets your expectations
then take each job you get and compare those companies according to what the needs are to complete that job then choose what best suits your needs


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## koldkutta (May 11, 2017)

Honestly, FM Expressions is the cheapest I could find, would also love to find another supplier as a backup.


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## RadarOH (Aug 22, 2019)

Reach out to Clyde from ABC Custom Prints. He does a great job and doesn't charge for ganging. To him, if it fits within the sheet, then it all costs the same.

http://www.abccustomprints.com

Silly isn't it to charge more whether it is a single image on a 12x12 sheet versus 4 smaller images on the same 12x12 sheet. It will generally use the same ink and will use less screens, meaning the vendor is saving money on screens. The hassle in on the one who placed the order to cut the images.


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