# Numbers just don't add up on plastisol transfers



## pjonnalagadda (Jun 20, 2011)

Hi All,
I did some basic math since I wanted to heat press some plastisol transfers. For 25 t-shirts the cost of one plastisol transfer per one side and one color comes to about 2.39 $ with transfer express. Add to that $3.5 on garment. The total =5.89. Add to that shipping cost the total comes to about $7. Now my local screen printers are selling at that cost. 

Basically my manufacturing cost is their selling cost including their profit margin. So if I want to sell I would rather want to make a profit of about 3-4$. The selling price comes to $10-11.
To expect 3$ on a T-shirt is it expecting too much?.


I was planning to go to local chruches/schools trying to sell my printing services but the numbers just don't add up to the competition.

How to cut into the market in this kind of scenario. What Am I missing?

Thanks,
PJ


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## jean518 (Sep 23, 2009)

Where are you getting your garments and what brand/style are you buying? Are you buying true wholesale? The competition may be buying more than you are and therefore getting a better price on the shirts. They may be buying a different quality also.


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## Flash Gordon (Mar 28, 2011)

Are you actually printing or pressing the design's on yourself?


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## royster13 (Aug 14, 2007)

Check out FM Expression 12.75 x 19 sheets where you can gang images....If you can get 2 or 3 designs on a sheet, your costs will come down.....And are you pricing shirts from a true wholesale supplier?...


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## pjonnalagadda (Jun 20, 2011)

Flash Gordon said:


> Are you actually printing or pressing the design's on yourself?


I'm only heat pressing. I'm not gonna print them. I will be ordering printed plastisols directly


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## Naptime (May 19, 2011)

then your local screen printer is always going to be cheaper than you.

you are paying, essentially retail, for your transfers. you are paying another screen printer to make the trasnfers for you.

and at that low of a quantity, its going to cost you.

your price on shirts sounds high, what type are they.

i assure you, your screen printer is getting something to the effect of a gildan, for far LESS than the price you are paying.

you can not try to compete against a local screen printer for actual print services, if you are paying for someone else to make the transfer for you, then ship to you, then heat press them.

for print services, you would be better off getting a contract printer, not transfers.


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

Like Jay said, you can't make a head to head comparison between transfers and direct printing. Direct printing will always be cheaper. Transfers do have their advantages, but competing in price is not one of them.

Basic rule of thumb; if you're going to print a specific design on a specific number of shirts at one time, direct printing is the way to go. If you are going to print a specific design sporadically on shirts over a period of time, transfers are the way to go.


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## wormil (Jan 7, 2008)

pjonnalagadda said:


> Hi All,
> I did some basic math since I wanted to heat press some plastisol transfers. For 25 t-shirts the cost of one plastisol transfer per one side and one color comes to about 2.39 $ with transfer express. Add to that $3.5 on garment. The total =5.89. Add to that shipping cost the total comes to about $7. Now my local screen printers are selling at that cost.


TE is really only affordable for selling custom work if you use their Easy Prints Layouts; otherwise you should be looking at someone like Semo Imprints or F&M Expressions.

At $3.50 a shirt, you're either buying a premium shirt or not buying at wholesale. Tip: Sanmar has the lowest shipping charges on garments of any company I've used although there are a few others like Heritage and Virginia T's that are very close. Of course this will depend a lot on your location.

Make sure you are comparing apples to apples... your local screenprinter is pricing out the cheapest t-shirt possible, probably white. Also make sure they are including all the set-up, art & screen charges. A few months ago I had a previous customer call me up in a rage... he had taken his business elsewhere because he thought I was too expensive but *the local screenprinter* dangled a lower price and he took the bait only to end up paying about 30% more for lower quality shirts (I sold him Beefy-Ts, they sold him Gildan) and their print wasn't as good. So I don't agree that local screenprinters are always cheaper.


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## pjonnalagadda (Jun 20, 2011)

royster13 said:


> Check out FM Expression 12.75 x 19 sheets where you can gang images....If you can get 2 or 3 designs on a sheet, your costs will come down.....And are you pricing shirts from a true wholesale supplier?...



Thanks for pointing me toward FM expressions. The website offers 4 colors to begin with. That's cool. However, it's not possible to gang up in all the situations since the art work demanded might be more than the image size which is much diminished when ganged up


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

25 transfers at $2.39 is competitive but your shirt cost is too high. You need to be a buck less for those. 

Look at ace trans co (best prices) and heat transfer warehouse (great product and turnaround times) for custom transfers. You can do pretty well with these. 

We print 100's of shirts a year with these and compete with in house screen printers all the time. Price is not always the top selling point. Consider service, artwork, turnaround time, connections (being on the inside) and so on.


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## pjonnalagadda (Jun 20, 2011)

wormil said:


> At $3.50 a shirt, you're either buying a premium shirt or not buying at wholesale. Tip: Sanmar has the lowest shipping charges on garments of any company I've used although there are a few others like Heritage and Virginia T's that are very close. Of course this will depend a lot on your location.


That's a great tip. I shall check sanmar. That sounds a terrific advice. I have been with jiffy shirts because of their return policy.


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## pjonnalagadda (Jun 20, 2011)

binki said:


> Look at ace trans co (best prices) and heat transfer warehouse (great product and turnaround times) for custom transfers. You can do pretty well with these.
> 
> We print 100's of shirts a year with these and compete with in house screen printers all the time. Price is not always the top selling point. Consider service, artwork, turnaround time, connections (being on the inside) and so on.


I shall look into Ace & Heat transfer warehouse.

Are you saying that you buy from Ace & heat transfer warehouse and yet compete successfully iwith local screen printers?

Can you elaborate what you mean by connections (being on the inside ) ?


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## spankthafunk (Apr 9, 2007)

Question: are you comparing the price of your 25 transfers for the price of their 25 prints or their price of say 100-250 prints?


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

pjonnalagadda said:


> I shall look into Ace & Heat transfer warehouse.
> 
> Are you saying that you buy from Ace & heat transfer warehouse and yet compete successfully iwith local screen printers?
> 
> Can you elaborate what you mean by connections (being on the inside ) ?


yes we do compete with screen printers every day. win some, lose some. 

being on the inside is when you know the person making the decision to purchase. Your prices will rarely be shopped around if you have a good working relationship with the buyers. 

as an example, we picked up a club and the person doing the buying works at a school. now we do all the clubs in the school, either with vinyl or plastisol transfers or embroidery. they come back to us each year for their club shirts, jackets, etc.

we have the same relationship with car clubs and sports teams.


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## brice (Mar 10, 2010)

2011 Heat Transfer Comparison Chart


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## pjonnalagadda (Jun 20, 2011)

brice said:


> 2011 Heat Transfer Comparison Chart


Thanks a bunch!


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## pjonnalagadda (Jun 20, 2011)

binki said:


> yes we do compete with screen printers every day. win some, lose some.
> 
> being on the inside is when you know the person making the decision to purchase. Your prices will rarely be shopped around if you have a good working relationship with the buyers.
> 
> ...


 You gave me lot of inspiration sharing your story. I could see my energy levels soar up reading your email


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## pjonnalagadda (Jun 20, 2011)

spankthafunk said:


> Question: are you comparing the price of your 25 transfers for the price of their 25 prints or their price of say 100-250 prints?


I'm saying that TE charges 2.39$ per side per one color for 25 prints.


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

pjonnalagadda said:


> I'm saying that TE charges 2.39$ per side per one color for 25 prints.


that is not out of line for an image on a single sheet. 

htw offers an 11x17 xfer that may help you gang the prints which could lower your costs.


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

brice said:


> 2011 Heat Transfer Comparison Chart


if you ask heat transfer warehouse will match prices. they also offer free shipping at some volume. 

our normal order with them exceeds $1000. they are great to deal with.


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## wormil (Jan 7, 2008)

One thing to be careful about with Ace is that if you do gang transfers, you get kicked up into a higher price bracket.


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## spankthafunk (Apr 9, 2007)

pjonnalagadda said:


> I'm saying that TE charges 2.39$ per side per one color for 25 prints.


And how much is your local screen printing for one color one sided order of 25 prints?


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

spankthafunk said:


> And how much is your local screen printing for one color one sided order of 25 prints?


Should be no more than $2.


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## mmonk (Oct 23, 2011)

I have found "Dowling Graphics" custom pricing to be way better than TE custom pricing with your own artwork. 

BTW, doesnt anyone use a MAC?? All these spreadsheets wont open for me...dang it!


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## jcprinting (Oct 10, 2010)

try "silver mountain graphics" for transfers, never had trouble with them, turnaround time is next day, sometimes that same day.


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## Dad (Nov 18, 2006)

I just had a wonderful experience with FM Expressions. I would highly recommend them and I will use them again. Pretty quick turn around also.


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## crkoester (Nov 8, 2011)

pjonnalagadda said:


> Thanks for pointing me toward FM expressions. The website offers 4 colors to begin with. That's cool. However, it's not possible to gang up in all the situations since the art work demanded might be more than the image size which is much diminished when ganged up


F&M seems to have a really great reputation overall... however, I've read some negative reviews about their 4-color process heat transfers.... I'd recommend you get some samples from them first.



Chris


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