# Looking for a company to screen print my t-shirts



## Violent_J (Mar 8, 2010)

I am doing a t-shirt selling business online. I want to open around the summer when I make my first grand opening. The problem is I am slightly tight for money. I have all the major equipment but still lack stuff like paint, emulsion, and shirts. I am getting a new job to support it but until then I would like another company to make them for me. A site like zazzle would be great except the base price is 16 dollars. I would have to sell them for $20 just to make a $4 profit. So I was thinking for starters I could have another company make them and charge me $5-$8 as an example so I can sell them for $15. The problem is I can't find this said company. Maybe I am using the wrong key words on Google? Has anyone heard of my situation?


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## kimura-mma (Jul 26, 2008)

*Re: Any site offer this service?*

Sounds like you're looking for a screen print shop. Try your local yellow pages or Google screen print shops in your area.


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## Violent_J (Mar 8, 2010)

*Re: Any site offer this service?*

Well, not exactly. I am sure they would charge me $15 or whatever. I can't afford to go bulk and I was thinking 10 shirts for each product for starters.

Yeah, I looked up my locals on google and just for the shirts (not the designs on them) and one of them was $8. 

I live in sacramento, california


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## kimura-mma (Jul 26, 2008)

*Re: Any site offer this service?*

The problem is volume. Any which way you slice it, you can't get 10 shirts for the per piece price of 100 shirts. So you have to understand that you are going to pay premium prices to start up at such a low volume.

That said, for 10 shirts per design, your best value is probably direct to garment or heat transfers. It may also be a good idea to find a place that offers printing on demand.

Northern California is chock full of print shops. Keep doing some local searching, you will find a place that suits your needs. You can also post a thread in the referrals section of the forum.


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## Violent_J (Mar 8, 2010)

*Re: Any site offer this service?*

Well, I could buy 100 but I am only using 10 shirts per design. I have more than 1 design.


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## kimura-mma (Jul 26, 2008)

*Re: Any site offer this service?*

Yep, that's my point. 10 of each design will be expensive. 100 of each design would be cheaper. You can't expect to get cost effective pricing at the volume you are doing.


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## DOOOM (Apr 20, 2011)

*Re: Any site offer this service?*



Violent_J said:


> Well, I could buy 100 but I am only using 10 shirts per design. I have more than 1 design.


The problem is you want such a low volume of each design. 

The screen printer would have to create screens for each design, and then print them on 10 shirts, this will be very expensive and hardly worth it. 

I think it will be hard for you to find a printer for such a low minimum, especially at the price you are looking for.


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## kimura-mma (Jul 26, 2008)

*Re: Any site offer this service?*

Exactly. Screen printing just isn't cost effective at that volume.

DTG or heat transfers is the better way to go. Printers will be more receptive to taking on jobs at that volume per design.

But you still need to understand that you will pay premium prices due to the low volume. If your business grows and you start ordering higher volume, then you will start seeing better price breaks.


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## dptk (Aug 14, 2009)

*Re: Any site offer this service?*

sounds like very poor planning if you bought all the equipment and didn't have enough money to produce any shirts with the equipment


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## Violent_J (Mar 8, 2010)

*Re: Any site offer this service?*

Not poor planning but keep in mind I buy each thing little by little. I was emerging from highschool at the time. 
I was doing it for fun. I only had $100 a month to spend. 

Okay, I will look into the other alternatives.


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## chobay (Aug 4, 2009)

*Re: Any site offer this service?*

If you can put together a website, there are DTG companies that's will print and fulfill your orders. You actually don't have to have any inventory, as they would be printed on demand..


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## foot print (Jun 2, 2010)

*Re: Any site offer this service?*



Violent_J said:


> Not poor planning but keep in mind I buy each thing little by little. I was emerging from highschool at the time.
> I was doing it for fun. I only had $100 a month to spend.
> 
> Okay, I will look into the other alternatives.


Not poor planning at all..I did it same way..I nickle and dimed my way til I had everything I need to consider myself a business...FYI in screen printing we use INK not PAINT to print shirts


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## Violent_J (Mar 8, 2010)

*Re: Any site offer this service?*

Yeah, I know. Ink. I just forgot at the time. 

DTG companies do what type of syntax? Do they do it the way I want in my post?
I have a website up.


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## psptees (Apr 27, 2011)

*Re: Any site offer this service?*

Violent J I can take care of you...I was in your shoes 10 years ago when someone helped me. so now its my turn... hit me up at [email protected]


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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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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

> DTG companies do what type of syntax? Do they do it the way I want in my post?


Direct to Garment (DTG) companies will print your designs on demand.

Since you are doing small quantities, you can expect to pay more per design. That's just the reality until you can start ordering more per design. As the designs sell, you can save up and place larger orders.

With a DTG service, you can put the designs up for sale on your website, and when you get an order, you can forward that order to the DTG printer. They can print up the t-shirt and ship it out under your name directly to the customer and bill you for the order.

You can find local companies that offer DTG printing here: California - USA - Direct to Garment - Find T-Shirt Printers - custom t-shirt printers reviewed at PrinterListings.com

threadsafeinc.com is in El Dorado Hills not too far from you.


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## Violent_J (Mar 8, 2010)

I was just about to register when on the field it wasn't my resellers permit number. I was told by a person who does ebay selling that I wouldn't need one. Do I? How much is it? And where do I get one? 
As well as a tax i.d number? 

How good/fast is DTG?


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