T-Shirt Printing “How to select the right printer?”
Selecting the right t-shirt printer can be a frustrating task. In this post Ink My Tee is going to give you some great tips on how to select the right t-shirt printer.
Here are 6 things to think about when selecting a custom t-shirt printer:
Do they have previous t-shirt printing work samples that they can send you? Work Samples are important to see. To be honest, most t-shirt printers should not be in the business. They do not know how to properly register screens and also do not know which inks to use for various art designs. Seeing a printers work in hand will help visually to see the t-shirt printers quality of work.
Do they pick up the phone when you call and/or answer emails quickly that you send them about custom t-shirts? Good communication is the most important thing in life. T-shirt printing companies are notorious for bad communication. We hear horror stories all day/everyday of customers who choose a t-shirt printer, pay the money and than suddenly the printer does not return calls and/or emails.
Do they offer a wide variety of t-shirt print methods i.e. discharge, water base, DTG, sublimation? 90% of t-shirt printers only know how to print with plastisol ink. Plastisol ink is a very cheap and simple way to print custom t-shirts. The problem is that plastisol is a very heavy ink and is not always the right choice for certain designs. Ideally, you want to select a custom t-shirt printer that can successfully print with discharge, sublimation, water base and a multitude of other ink types.
Do they label themselves as the cheapest t-shirt printers? Your parents always said, “if you pay in peanuts you are certain to get monkeys”. If we got a nickel for every time a customer told us that they went for the cheapest printer on their last custom t-shirt order and were terribly disappointed, we would be billionaires. This is not to say that you should select a printer who wants to charge you $55 for a two color print on an American Apparel t-shirt, however, do not let price be the determining factor. Pay a little more for quality and your customers will notice the difference in your custom printed t-shirts.
Do they offer free advice in helping you determine what is the best custom t-shirt print method for your needs? Business owners can be the most selfish people. This is mainly because funds are tighter than ever for most small businesses. We tell our friends who own small businesses all the time, “give out quality free information and do it often and do not worry about people stealing your ideas. If you do it you will become the trusted source in your industry”!!! If you find a t-shirt printer that will spend 30 minutes on the phone with you sharing what they think will be the best method for your needs than you have found the right company.
Are they afraid to turn away t-shirt printing business? This is a big one!!! Most custom t-shirt printers will take any and all business. This is a very big mistake. The most successful custom t-shirt printers are the companies that know exactly what their skills and specialties are and focus on them. A good t-shirt printer will tell you “NO” we can’t help you. The t-shirt printing companies that take any and everything are the companies that are usually disorganized, miss deadlines, lose orders and screw up jobs.
