# 500 shirts w/ Yudu Machine?



## Dead Wrong (Aug 2, 2009)

Realistically, is it possible to do 500 shirts w/ the Yudu machine? I do alot of custom work and most are heat transfer or plastisol. I do have one of the Yudu Machines at the house that I still haven't even opened. I was wondering if anyone has tried doing a large order w/ one. I have an offer for 500 shirts and was thinking about using it instead of the plastisols, as the shirts are navy blue. Any feedback is good. Thanks.


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

I would think you would have the same color issues with ink on a navy garment, regardless if you used plastisol or yudu waterbased inks.

If you have a screen printing press setup, it will be much more efficient than the yudu.


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## Dead Wrong (Aug 2, 2009)

Thanks for the quick response Joe. I'm sorry let me clearify. I have a heat press setup, not screening materials. For dark colors I usually order plastisol transfers. I the essence of price I was wondering if it were possible to use the Yudu that I own, or order the transfers elswhere. Since I haven't used the Yudu, I'm not sure on the time and cost.


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## muneca (Sep 30, 2008)

Hey Dre, 

I'm not sure about that...I'm sure someone w/tons of experience will chime in w/some advice for you. Good luck to you & welcome!


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## charles95405 (Feb 1, 2007)

I do not have the Yudu but I have seen a guy using it...there is no way I would even attempt 50 shirts, let alone 500 shirts with this. It is barely a hobbyist unit and not the most effective in registration for more than one color. Once you open the box and do your first shirt with the Yudu let us know what you think


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## Dead Wrong (Aug 2, 2009)

charles95405 said:


> I do not have the Yudu but I have seen a guy using it...there is no way I would even attempt 50 shirts, let alone 500 shirts with this. It is barely a hobbyist unit and not the most effective in registration for more than one color. Once you open the box and do your first shirt with the Yudu let us know what you think


Lol, I've seen the horrible videos online. That's why it's still downstairs unopened. I was just wondering if anyone has used this thing more than a couple times. I initially purchased it so my daughters could make their own shirts for the store. Just been to busy to even open the thing.


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## InkedApparel (Mar 18, 2009)

I also have seen the videos on youtube...in my opinion by watching the videos...there is no way I would attempt a 500 shirt order with the yudo machine.......with that said you should outsource the screen printing 

Inked


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## dodank (May 4, 2007)

i use my yudu for small one color orders. i outsource my large one. but it's a nice little machine for someone who has space challenges. i use permaset and matsiu inks with mine. i love it for what i can do with it. made money back first order i did.


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## Dead Wrong (Aug 2, 2009)

@inked, my first choice was to outsource but the profit would be lost. The customer was only willing to pay $2.50 a shirt. I think I may pass on the deal because with the cost of darker shirts and having someone print them I'm only looking at maybe .10 a shirt profit. You win some, you lose some. But I will add you.

@dank, that may be just what we use it for. I think I will set it up to handle our promo logo tees. I would love to know more about the inks you use, because of course the yudu inks are outrageously priced. 

Thanks everyone for the feedback.


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## scottyjr (Sep 12, 2009)

$2.50 for the print or for the print and shirt purchase? - Scotty


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## dodank (May 4, 2007)

Dead Wrong said:


> @inked, my first choice was to outsource but the profit would be lost. The customer was only willing to pay $2.50 a shirt. I think I may pass on the deal because with the cost of darker shirts and having someone print them I'm only looking at maybe .10 a shirt profit. You win some, you lose some. But I will add you.
> 
> @dank, that may be just what we use it for. I think I will set it up to handle our promo logo tees. I would love to know more about the inks you use, because of course the yudu inks are outrageously priced.
> 
> ...


sometimes we have customers that only wants 12 shirts no more than 25 we will do with the yudu. could probably do more but we don't. the inks i use are by permaset. they'r really nice vibrant inks. i also use matsui from time to time but my preference is permaset aqua. 

i get my permaset aqua from buypermasetinks.com and my matsui from ryonet or westix


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## dodank (May 4, 2007)

scottyjr said:


> $2.50 for the print or for the print and shirt purchase? - Scotty


 
i know that's right. i could see the print 2.50 alone with a 500 shirt order but not with the shirt included with pricing


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## Dead Wrong (Aug 2, 2009)

scottyjr said:


> $2.50 for the print or for the print and shirt purchase? - Scotty


 $2.50 for the print and shirt w/ the image on front and back. He told me the company that he usually orders from he requests irregulars. I'm not happy w/ delivering a subpar product.


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## Dead Wrong (Aug 2, 2009)

dodank said:


> sometimes we have customers that only wants 12 shirts no more than 25 we will do with the yudu. could probably do more but we don't. the inks i use are by permaset. they'r really nice vibrant inks. i also use matsui from time to time but my preference is permaset aqua.
> 
> i get my permaset aqua from buypermasetinks.com and my matsui from ryonet or westix


 Thanks for the info. It's starting to peak my interest in using the yudu. Have you come up with a solution to the screen and emulsion cost yet? I'm thinking if I do use it, I'll just use the 40-50% off coupons I get from the craft stores.


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## lizziemaxine (Nov 14, 2007)

Dead Wrong said:


> Thanks for the info. It's starting to peak my interest in using the yudu. Have you come up with a solution to the screen and emulsion cost yet? I'm thinking if I do use it, I'll just use the 40-50% off coupons I get from the craft stores.


Check your coupon. Most of the time the Yudu is excluded from the coupon use.


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## Dead Wrong (Aug 2, 2009)

I asked about that before, from what they told me it only excludes the machine. The products you can still purchase with the coupon. I hope.


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## dodank (May 4, 2007)

Dead Wrong said:


> $2.50 for the print and shirt w/ the image on front and back. He told me the company that he usually orders from he requests irregulars. I'm not happy w/ delivering a subpar product.


 
i don't use irregulars either. that's terrible. i think i would past on that one too.


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## dodank (May 4, 2007)

i purchased mine off ebay for 175.00 shipped. i have used the ryocap film from ryonet with excellent success. i am presently learning to use the liquid emulsion which is soooo much cheaper. i used my coupons for the screens at michaels.


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## droskem (Aug 26, 2009)

Dead Wrong said:


> Realistically, is it possible to do 500 shirts w/ the Yudu machine? I do alot of custom work and most are heat transfer or plastisol. I do have one of the Yudu Machines at the house that I still haven't even opened. I was wondering if anyone has tried doing a large order w/ one. I have an offer for 500 shirts and was thinking about using it instead of the plastisols, as the shirts are navy blue. Any feedback is good. Thanks.


The Yudu is obviously not a machine you want to use for large orders, if possible, but you work with what you have when the orders come in. I processed an order for about 150 shirts (one-color back design w/ pocket logo on front). It was a major pain, but I got the job done, and the customer was happy. Here are some of the challenges you will face:
- The screens that come with the Yudu (110 mesh) are flimsy, not tight. Because there is such "give" in the screen, you will experience problems with ink migrating under your tape and onto your shirts (the tape pulls up with so much "give" in the screen). On a large order, you will have to check the back side of the screen for ink migration often.
- It is very time consuming to use the platen that comes with the unit. I tossed it to the side and opted for some cardboard shirt platens. Again, you are working with inferior technology, but it can be done.
- Using the cardboard platens can cause other issues when you remove the shirt to cure the ink. Since you can't flash dry using a Yudu, you have to move the shirt around while wet. Occassionally, you will have wet ink touch a part of the garment you don't want it to touch. Then, you have a lengthy shirt-recovery process.
- Some would argue that since you are going to have to fire up the heat press to cure the ink anyway, that you should simply order transfers. I can't say that I would disagree completely. It just depends on how determined you are to earn as much for yourself as possible. If you are just starting out and time is not so much an issue, I'd advise you to work through the difficulties of the Yudu and try to keep as much of the money for that job as you can. With the money you could earn by sucking it up and working with the Yudu, you could buy an entry-level 4-color manual press. If, however, time is money, and this isn't just a part-time gig, I'd go with transfers or outsource the job.

I hope this helps.


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## midwaste (Apr 8, 2008)

$2.50 a shirt is a ridiculous request for price at a qty of 500. I wouldn't have given him the time of day after he requested irregulars, either.
Check out yuduforums.com for more info on alternate options for the official Yudu supplies.


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## kboyte (Apr 19, 2009)

I have done an order of 100 shirts using my Yudu machine. It was time consuming and had to wash the screen about every 10 shirts. But I really don't know any difference because I have never used any other screen printing machine. I had a few problems with smears but it was mostly my fault. A large design on the back is very hard to do with one pass. 

I agree with the price. I charged 8.00 per shirt for a one color two sided design. The people I sold them to turned around and sold them for 10. 

I have purchased my platens, screens and emulsion with the 40% coupons from Michaels. I have ordered some different emulsion but have'nt tried it yet. I have used teh permaset paint and loved it compared to the Yudu paint. With my order of 100 shirts I bought some of the foam board and cut it the shape of the Yudo platens but wider. I also cut out the top with the part that attaches to the pegs for stability.

Hope this helps

Kim


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## Dead Wrong (Aug 2, 2009)

midwaste- i agree the price is super low ball. 
micheal- my first intent was to order transfers but at that price im losing money
dodank- thanks you are so much help. i'm going to stay tuned to see how the emulsion works for you.
kim- thanks for the input. the foam board is a good idea for a platen. for the 100 piece order, how much ink did you go through?


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## tgrafix05 (Mar 26, 2010)

Dead Wrong said:


> Thanks for the info. It's starting to peak my interest in using the yudu. Have you come up with a solution to the screen and emulsion cost yet? I'm thinking if I do use it, I'll just use the 40-50% off coupons I get from the craft stores.


 I just purchased a liquid emulsion. Have not tried it yet, but it brings emulsion cost down to about a buck per screen.


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## Ed M Rogers (May 7, 2010)

Dark colors are great with transfers. Why reinvent the wheel. I am VERY sceptical about YUDU


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## Greatzky (Jan 28, 2009)

I wouldn't take that job unless I could get a huge deal from my distributor/manufacturer for blanks.
I pay about $2.04 for dark 6.1oz shirts right now So I'd have to try to get them down to the $1.50 area in order for the job to be worth it for me.
I have no conveyor dryer and only a 4/1 press so It takes me a little longer to do shirts than others. I would need to be making $1 per shirt to make it worth my while until I could start doing more than 40-50 shirts per hour.

As for the Yudu... I don't know that much about it, but I would imagine it would take you Days an Days to make 500 shirts.. IT would probably take me about 2 full days to do 500 with my 4color/1station press.


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## ratdaddy (Sep 25, 2009)

I did an order of 100 shirts with my Yudu back when I first started. What a nightmare. Like others have said the Yudu is barely even useful for a hobbyist. The screen will start to fail after about 60-80 shirts. Not the emulsion the screen itself. The tape and glue that they use to hold the screen to the frame is weak.
I set up with 5 homemade plattens and 5 store bought ones. We did our best to set up all the shirts the same but after final inspection we found that the prints varied so much from shirt to shirt that it looked very un appealing.
I now use my Yudu for a tracing table.


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## carl1979 (Aug 9, 2010)

Yudu is probably not real practical for 500 shirts, but I love mine for small runs. I found a place with pretty good prices on supplies too, and they do coupons.  Yudu Ink


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## sjidohair (Apr 9, 2008)

I have a Yudu machine and I have a 4 press station.

The Yudu gave me a great passion for Screening, but I have Graduated into a full press.
The reasons are the screens are tighter, and the ink flows threw them better.
There are after market screens from ryonet being made that are tighter,, i would suggest trying

The ease of getting a shirt on and off the press saves me so much time, I screened 50 shirts one color in less than a hour. using my big press

My screen when i washed it was perfect, i could have kept going, 

I still use my YUDU for exposing my large screens, 

I use Capillary Film and now want to go to emulsion, for better coverage on both sides.

The Yudu was a great starting tool and i will still use it, 

I would suggest opening it and start using it to see if you love to pull ink,, 

Sandy Jo


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