Advice needed for a t-shirt printer

You need to look for screen printing equipment. I used to do this and my father-in-law built a 4 color press for me though you can get a 1 color press to start with for usually $100 or so. You *can* cure the shirts in a regular oven, though an infrared dryer is definitely the better way to go. You also need some method to transfer the design to the screen so a darkroom (or a room you can turn into one) is necessary as well. You'll need photo emulsion, an original on acetate, and a strong lamp to create the design (you can lay it in the sun for a while, but a lamp works better).

Depending on the type of press, dryer, and transfer system you go with, prices can vary a lot. I started up for under $500 originally buying used equipment locally.

There was a really cool, all in one screen printing machine I drooled over at a trade show years ago though cannot remember the brand or name of it. You might do some searches and be able to find something like this. I think it was around $2000.

It really depends on what you're trying to do. Screen printing is the most common to make the largest quantity quickly. There are direct-to-garment machines that will print just like a two outer printer put onto a t-shirt. Lower quantity but cost effective prints. They typically don't last as long as screen printing does.

I would recommend for someone just starting out, expecting to make shirts for companies, organizations, etc, to get a screen printing machine. The entire set up - shirts, treatment, heat source, 4 color screen printer should be able to get for under $5,000.

If you're going to be printing low quantity made-to-order or print-when-ordered from an online store, I'd look into DTG. Check out t-shirtforums.com for more info.

I would suggest that you get a vinyl cutter and heat press first, the vinyl cutter is the only machine that will pay for itself fast and the learning curve is small compared to screen print or DTG.

Now if you need to do large amounts then outsource your screen printing.. Also if you have 50 shirts or more then just have plastisol transfers made and press them on your shirts.

Why not start by loading up your toner on your laser or injet printer at home and buy the printable iron ons from Officemax? Once you get big then maybe start buying printing presses?

Eric

I would go with a 4 colour silkscreen hand carousel to start with. You can pick them up cheap on eBay sometimes.

I'd recommend you go to T-Shirt Forums where people actually know what they are talking about.

Have you watched any screen printing videos on YouTube? It is a lot more difficult and time consuming than most people think, especially on multi color jobs where you have to burn multiple screens and do the micro alignments to get everything set up correctly. There is also a large space requirement for the machine, dryers, screen burners and cleaners and other things.

You also need to take into consideration the space and money needed to keep a stock of blank shirts. That is my biggest problem, stocking every size of every color you want to offer. You can place small orders from your blanks supplier but the shipping costs will eat you up if you don't order in bulk.

I hope you have nothing but success, but make sure you know what you are getting into.

I've read this thread about a dozen times and finally feel like I maybe should say something.

I used to work for a screen print company...trust me...you don't have the balls to do this!

You need a building at least the size of a two car garage...220 power, or better yet 440 for your dryer.

screens need to be stretched with fabric, and then there's coating them with emulsion...
you need a way to get the image onto an acetate and then project or enlarge it onto the screen...
and then you need to wash out the screen and get it ready to register on the press...
a 4 color press is almost a given, and then if it's not a pro press you'll spend hours lining up the screens so that when you print the first color, the next screen is still in register...
and you need at least a 350 degree oven to cure the plastisol ink...
and you need a shitload of shirts to print and a sticky spray for the plattens...
Did I mention the washout sink and all the noxious chemicals that you'll need to reclaim the screens for the next job?

Just do the designs and farm it out to someone that has a pro set-up...trust me!

The fumes from the chemicals that you have to use to reclaim the screens will cause enoughh brain damage to make you doubt your decision!

Steve (been there and done that - and have a sh*tload of shirts to prove it) !

Why not just use Custom T-shirts » Design & Sell T-Shirts for Your Group | Teespring

If you're starting off - there's lots of companies online that will screenprint your designs. I've seen lots and lots of clothing brands so it has to be really special to make sales. It's all about the branding of the range - make sure you never loose sight of your target market because then everything will never quite fit together.