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WHY PRINTING 6 COLORS IS SO MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE THEN 2
Printing 6 colors is more expensive for 3 reasons: 1) The graphic artist has to setup the image in 6 different seps (separations). This is more time consuming/costly. 2) You have to burn 6 screens to print the design, instead of 2. This takes anywhere from 5-15 minutes per screen. 3) The actual printing
of the 6 colors is very time consuming, even on an auto press and takes a lot more technique then a simple 2 color job.
Posted by: Michael D'Elena - Reckless T-shirts Tempe, AZ - 12/5/08 11:11 AM
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THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SCREEN PRINTING & DTG (DIRECT TO GARMENT) PRINTING
The number one phone call we receive is from people looking to make 1-10 shirts for a group/team/event. Unless they are looking to get those shirts embroidered (there is no minimum for embroidery), they should be looking for a different type of printer, and here is why:
Reason #1 - Screen printing involves a time consuming setup process. It takes the same (long) time to setup for a job of 5 shirts as it does 1000. Thus, it is not cost effective for the screen printer, or customer for that matter, to do jobs less than 2 dozen, sometimes even more. If low quantities is what you want, DTG printers (direct to garment) are what you should be looking for. They have no minimums and can customize, either with letters or numbers, mostly anything you want.
Reason #2 - If you are looking for very few shirts, more than likely the design work will not be extensive. We, however, cater to those who need truly custom work made from scratch.
Reason #3 - If you want small quantities, you probably want them done fast. DTG printing call usually be done on the spot, where as screen printing usually can not.
I hope this clears some things up. Feel free to email or call me for any clarification.
Posted by: Michael D'Elena - Reckless T-shirts Tempe, AZ - 11/5/08 10:46 PM
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4 TIPS TO HELP YOU SAVE MONEY ON CUSTOM T-SHIRTS AND APPAREL
I have many people call and ask, "I need to get some T-shirts made, but I don't have much to spend. How can I save some money?" So I officially dedicate this entry to all those in this situation. Here are some things you can do to keep costs down:
Tip #1 - Order white or light colored shirts: Colored shirts are ALWAYS more expensive than lighter shirts, sometimes almost $1 more per shirt. Doesn't sound like much at first, but if you are ordering a large quantity, it adds up quickly.
Tip #2 - Limit the amount of colors: The more colors you want on your shirts, the more expensive it is. Don't underestimate what we (or any designer) can do with just 2 colors! In fact, some of the most impactful designs we have created have been only 2 colors.
Tip #3 - Limit the amount of printing surfaces: When you print on multiple locations (i.e. front chest & the back of the shirt) you basically double the printing costs. It's better, and cheaper, to add more colors to one printing location then it is to add another location all together.
Tip #4 - Ask the printer for advice: If the printer you use is a decent human being, they should help you to keep down your costs if you ask for help. For example, many clients request Hanes Beefy Tees for their orders. After using these T-shirts for many years, I know their quality is sub-par, and yet they are more expensive then most regular T-shirts. If the customer had asked for my advice, I would
most likely have recommended a Gildan T-shirt. It's much cheaper (in price) and in my opinion, of better quality.
There are other various forms to save money, but most have to do with the creation of the custom art. Feel free to email or call me for further details.
Posted by: Michael D'Elena - Reckless T-shirts Tempe, AZ - 10/24/08 8:27 PM
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THE SCREEN PRINTING PROCESS - IN FULL
For those of you who are interested in actual process, here is quick (OK it's long) explanation. Many details are left out, but these are the main elements.
1. Artwork. Using a vector art program like Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw or Macromedia FreeHand, we create or reproduce art for an order. Although it is more difficult, taking a non-vector image and manipulating it into a vector image (a mathematically defined image with no pixels) is very possible. The complexity of the design is a factor. If you have multiple colors, registration marks are needed so you can line up the colors later in the printing process.
2. Film Positives. When artwork is ready to print, we print it out on a clear film instead of paper. For every color, there will be a separate film. For example, if you have a logo that is Red & Black, you would separate the two colors from themselves and print each out, changing the red to black and printing and then printing the black. Each of these would be printed on their own film. This is simply known as art separations.
3. Screen Making. A screen is simply a wooden or metal frame that has a fine mesh stretched over and attached to it. This mesh has different counts. Some examples would be 83, 110, 125, 140, 330 and on and various numbers in between. The lower the mesh count, the less detail you can print and the thicker the ink lays down. So it is an art form to say the least in dealing with the correct mesh.
The actual process of screen making is quite simple, just time consuming. Capillary film is stilled used but the most common technique is using a light sensitive liquid emulsion. Emulsion can be used under a yellow light so that you still can see what you are doing, but the UV light is filtered out so as not to effect the emulsion. A scoop coater is needed. You pour emulsion into the scoop coater and place it on a vertical screen. Pressing up against the screen and pulling up, you will lay a thin layer of emulsion on the outside of the screen. Turn the screen around and do the same for the inside of the screen. Turn it back around and do it once more on the outside.
Once the emulsion dries, you can "expose" the screen. The exposure unit is basically a box with a glass top and a lid that has a black matte and a vacuum frame. The light source would be contained in this box.
To expose a screen, taking the film positive you created and place it on the glass top with the right reading being up. Then take the dried screen and place it on the glass top with the film positive under it. When you close the lid, there is a vacuum frame that will suck all of the extra air out of the frame. This vacuum frame will pull the matte close to the screen frame. You expose it for the proper amount of time.
Once the image is exposed into your emulsion, you can take the screen to a washout booth where you will spray down both sides with high pressure water until the burned image appares on the screen. Let the screen(s) dry.
4. Screen prep and registration. If you have a one color design, placing the screen on your press is quite simple. If you have more than one color, this is where the registration marks are needed. After placing your first screen on the press, you would do a test print. Place some ink on the screen and rest a squeegee on the frame close to the head. Pull the ink across the screen and onto the shirt. Next, take your second screen and place them on the next head. Align the registration marks on the screen to the marks on the print you made. Once in place, you can lock them in and adjust the micro registrations (tiny nobs) if necessary. Once locked in, do a test print. If everything is registered, you can tape up the registration marks on your screen and you are ready to print. Proceed with caution and make sure to keep your hands clean of ink. Ink on the hands is cause for inked up shirts!
5. Conveyor Dryer. Once printed, place the shirt on a conveyor dryer which guides the shirt through a heat source set for 320 degrees F. Once it comes out the other end, you are have a completed T-shirt!
I hope this helps!
Posted by: Michael D'Elena - Reckless T-shirts Tempe, AZ - 10/18/08 11:49 AM
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WHAT IS "VECTOR" ART?
Vector art is resolution-independent graphics created with lines, curves, and fills. What this means is that it can be manipulated in any form and never get blurry. It can be blown up by 1000% and still look clear as day. This is imperative for designing a T-shirt because regular graphics like .jpegs and .gifs will not create the quality look that is expected. The most popular vector art program is Adobe Illustrator CS3 (the current version), but there are many others that are just as good.
Posted by: Michael D'Elena - Reckless T-shirts Tempe, AZ - 10/09/08 4:14 PM
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EMBROIDERY AND "DIGITIZING ART"
Before any image or logo can be embroidered onto a piece of apparel, it first must be digitized. This is a fancy word for changing that piece of art into a format that the embroidery machine can read. Also it is something that requires skill and not just a click of the button. What is actually taking place is the artist is figuring out the best way to lay down the stitches so the image appears clear and sharp. Because of this, the price to digitize art can vary a lot depending on the skill of the artist and also the size/complexity of the art.
An inexperienced digitizer may charge $7 per 1000 stitches (which is very cheap), but in the end your saved $20 will leave you with an image that is sub-par and unclear.
Posted by: Michael D'Elena - Reckless T-shirts Tempe, AZ - 10/06/08 7:56 PM
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