# Which is the CHEAPEST way to get my prints made



## FAMOUSclothing (Jan 12, 2014)

Im looking, and talking to companies that can make prints for me.. wondering which would be easier/cheaper...

if i should go to a company and have them print them for me. and then buy in bulk from them. Or if i should just purchase my own set up, or perhaps build my own. 

some one who has done this before would be nice to hear what you did/would recomend 
Thanks <3


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## BandPrints (Feb 4, 2007)

That question has many answers depending on what your designs are like, how many units per design you initially thought of producing, what blank you are using, and what you want the print to feel like when it is complete.

Many times we suggest clothing lines stick with their core component and that is sales of the brand. If you get caught up in a hands on aspect of the clothing line to try and save money the sales will not be the core focus. The larger the volume of your sales the more influence you have on pricing from your supplier.


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## treefox2118 (Sep 23, 2010)

Releasing a new brand is not about profit, it's about brand recognition and building a customer base.

Don't worry about making money at first. Just sell shirts. If your price point is $25 a shirt, starting out means selling shirts, even if you have to pay $22 a piece to get them made.

Once you have built a customer base, you can then start looking for the least expensive solution.

What kills most brands dead is a lack of movement. You need great service, great quality prints and new designs regularly. Movement leads to momentum leads to brand recognition leads to volume.

And until you have the volume, profit will be minimal.

My #1 brand needs to move 66 shirts a day in order for me to earn $100,000 a year profit. The first 3 or 4 months for me meant LOSING thousands of dollars a month in giveaways, contests, and advertising. I didn't care because I was building a brand.

I meet people every day who want to start a garment line. I ask them: do you have thousands of dollars in savings to build your brand name? I spent about $10,000 out of pocket to do it. $0 of that was for hardware, ink, cotton blanks. All of it was for getting the word out.

It is a hypercompetitive market. 500 new brands come into existence every week. 495 of them fail. You can spend 100-200 hours making 5-10 new designs. All 10 of them will be old news in 90 days. That means spending 1-2 hours a day, every day, making new designs. Another 1-2 hours a day advertising and marketing. Another 10-15 hours a week meeting your customers where they go. Another 10-15 hours a week communicating with old customers to ask for comments and criticism.

But, there is a lot of money to be made. Like in any business, going cheap is going to kill your brand.


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## FAMOUSclothing (Jan 12, 2014)

thank you. it's nice to hear from some one who has experience in what I'm looking to get into.


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## treefox2118 (Sep 23, 2010)

If it was easy, everyone would do it. If everyone did it, there'd be no profit.

Anyone can print a single shirt cheap. Anyone can design a shirt cheap. Anyone can sell a few dozen cheap designs on cheap shirts to friends and family.

Getting past that stage takes determination, perseverance, and focus. It takes savings. I talked to a guy last week who is quitting the business after just 6 months. He decided that partying with friends every week and weekend was more important than putting that time and money into his business. I have no sympathy for him, good riddance. I talked to a young lady last month who still isn't making a profit. Her designs are over a year old. She's married to old artwork. I doubt she will last another month before calling it quits.

I am sitting at my desk right now, looking at over 500 amazing designs that other companies released in the past 2 weeks. They're all so good! It gives me an idea of what else is out there. These 500 designs took thousands of hours total to make. Maybe ten thousand hours. I see new garment brands where a designer spent one hour playing with a font. Boring. Won't go anywhere.

Invest your time. Save money instead of blowing it on beer or video games or new toys. Create fresh designs and market test them, over and over and over.


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## FAMOUSclothing (Jan 12, 2014)

you don't know how motivational reading this is. being a high schooler with ambitions of starting/making something. it's really hard to work with people once they know that I'm only 16. and even though you didn't know that when typing everything. just. first person that has given me any type of advice guidance in the field. compared to ignoring my emails so thank you. 




treefox2118 said:


> If it was easy, everyone would do it. If everyone did it, there'd be no profit.
> 
> Anyone can print a single shirt cheap. Anyone can design a shirt cheap. Anyone can sell a few dozen cheap designs on cheap shirts to friends and family.
> 
> ...


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## treefox2118 (Sep 23, 2010)

I made $100,000 from 13-14.

Then I lost $250,000 over the next 4 years haha.

Don't get overexcited about work. Work is hard. If you want to make money, make it feel like you're working. Otherwise it's a hobby.


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