7 Things To Look For In a Screen Printer

There are tons of screen print shops in Los Angeles and it’s hard to distinguish between Johnny printing on his 4-color press in his garage and a full-scale printer that might be overcapacity and won’t meet your deadline.

Make sure you follow these 7 tips to ensure you align your brand with a merchandiser capable of growing with your brand.

MINIMUM 6 COLORS

It is ideal to work with companies that can print more than 6 colors per design because a lot of the screen printing industry is still operating out of garages and small shops. There's nothing wrong with that, but if a screen printer can only do 4-6 colors, it is most likely that they either only have manual presses or have a relatively small automatic press. This means that they will have more inconsistencies over the course of a run than an automatic press due to the differences in pressure. Down the road, you'll want to grow and experiment with your art. So, why start with a company that can't handle more?

IN-HOUSE GRAPHIC DESIGN

Why does it matter for a company to have in-house artists? Well, for the companies who take the time to invest in an in-house artist, they make it a point to produce films/screens on-site and because of this, it allows them to have an operational familiarity with the whole production process. This also means that they have a strong dedication to the overall quality and results. In-house artists in a company can help speed up the process when there's a mistake on a film or if a screen needs to be re-shot. This allows them to act on it promptly rather than waiting on an external partner.

SCREEN FEES, FLASH FEES, INK CHANGE FEES?

In most print shops, there are separate charges for art changes, film printing, screen burning, and Pantone color matching. It is always a good idea to ask if these are taken into account in the price per shirt, or if they are charged separately. Keep in mind that every order is unique and requires different needs which can lead to different costs. Make an excel spreadsheet to figure out the true cost for each bid you receive. Here’s an example of one we made that compares us to 4 similar tshirt printers.

QUALITY CONTROL

No matter how good a print shop is, a lot can happen to your shirt. Whether minor or major damages, a good shop will make it a point that you will never notice that there was anything wrong in the first place. You will want to find a printer who will catch these mishaps and clean them up or replace them before they even get to you.

PRINT CAPACITY

Finding out a company's monthly print capacity will give you a good idea of how they run their facility and their level of efficiency and productivity. And above all, look for a printer in a similar business cycle as yourself. I’ve seen it time and time where a small brand begins working with a huge marketing partners only to not get the attention they need. Or a brand outgrows their printing partner and must move on to the next level. Recognize this early and be adaptive to change.

TURN AROUND TIMES

ask what their turnaround time is. Keep in mind that the period of time begins on the day approval has been received, the number of garments, and once payment is received. Giving a new print shop a test order that isn’t too time sensitive is a great way to ensure that the printer is capable of delivering on their deadline. We have a big problem of ‘over-promise, under-deliver’ in this industry.

SELECTION

A shop that offers a wide variety of garment options, styles and colors from a variety of manufacturers and suppliers is always a good thing. Most printers work with only a handful of manufacturers or suppliers, so it is best to find one that can focus on working with its customers in order to deliver the right blend of garment style and function.

WRAP IT UP

To sum it up, do your research, make an educated decision, and give them a test order to see how the process goes. Building a strong relationship with your suppliers and tshirt printers is hugely important to the success of any brand. When done well, errors and mistakes can be minimized, your customers receive the quality and service you expect from your brand, and everyone can make money in the mean time :)

I'm, Chadd Gorney, the owner of Pixel Print. After developing a success brand marketing agency, we began vertically integrating to fill in gaps in industries we worked with. It was frustrating ordering shirts from a screen printer only to have them miss your deadline or provide a poor product. We spent the last 10 years learning the industry and growing into a massive 5,000 sq foot warehouse with over $200,000 of the best screen printing equipment.

Not only do our laser-guided machines achieve perfect prints, time after time, we match this with superior service and quality that we’ve proving year after year for mainstream social influencers and brands with 10+ million followers.

Check out our pricing calculator below and let us show you the quality and service your brand deserves.

Chadd Gorney Owner sales@pixelprint.la 562.661.9611