Were to get blank shirts? Also printer question

This is the place to talk about what it takes to get started. This would include what equipment to buy, space requirements, electrical needs and anything related to getting ready to begin screen printing. Have a question regarding what it takes to screen print tee shirts? Please post them here...

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superdecals
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Were to get blank shirts? Also printer question

Post by superdecals »

I have watched almost all of your videos.

I am getting ready to get the startup kit from ryonet for $1000 plus a conveyor dryer. My question is, were do you get your shirts at and how much do they cost a peice? A local business in town does them for $5/each front design and I just don't see how its profitable when the shirts I have found are $3.50 each + shipping.

I also have a question about printing transfers. Can I use my laserjet or inkjet for this or do I need to buy a special printer?
Thanks for your time.
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Catspit Productions
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Re: Were to get blank shirts? Also printer question

Post by Catspit Productions »

Hey there, thanks for watching my videos. I appreciate the support!

Can I talk you into buying your kit from Catspit Productions? ;) No pressure but I’m here if you ever need me and I appreciate the business more... LOL. I too offer free shipping on a purchase like that.

You have to remember that some shops have volume buying power. They get lower per piece pricing due to the volume of shirts they buy each year. So yes, you will find it difficult to compete with larger screen shops. So if you are buying a lower volume of shirts you’ll tend to pay more for each piece.

I buy my shirts locally to eliminate shipping costs. That makes it not too bad for me since I pick them up myself. So you can look for a distributor in the nearest big city to you. If you’re in a bigger city then chances are you can find a local dealer.

Everyone feel free to share your favorite online shirt distributor. If I have a recommendation for online I would check out Superstores wholesale shirt distributors. They have several online stores and competitive pricing as I understand. Check out the links toward the bottom of their webpage. You can click through the links here:

http://www.catspitproductionsllc.com/sc ... plies.html

The Catspit code does not work on their tee shirts sites.... yet ;)

You can print digital inkjet and laser transfers with standard printers but there are limitations:

http://www.catspitproductionsllc.com/sc ... icles.html

http://www.catspitproductionsllc.com/fo ... ?f=38&t=13

I hope that helps some.
Jonathan Monaco
Catspit Productions, LLC
Learn how to screen print tee shirts!

http://catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/CatspitProductions
superdecals
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Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2013 9:40 pm

Re: Were to get blank shirts? Also printer question

Post by superdecals »

Jonathan,

I was talking about the transfer sheets to burn the image on a screen, not for use with a heat press. Sorry for the confusion.
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Shamax
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Re: Were to get blank shirts? Also printer question

Post by Shamax »

For shirt blanks, so far I've used both shirtspace.com and Sanmar.com . With shirtspace, you can buy from them without having a business license in your state so they're great for someone that's looking to buy as a "hobbyist" or is you haven't gotten all the proper forms filled out in your home state. You can even get coupon codes for 10 or 15% off, adn there's free shipping on orders over $200 (occasionally they'll do free shipping on anything over $75) and all other orders can be shipped for a flat rate of $9.95. Sanmar on the other hand is a wholesaler, and you need to call them to setup an account and give them your business' tax info. As a true wholesaler, though, their prices are better than places like shirtspace (even after the coupons) and Sanmar also offers free shipping on orders over $200 (and their shipping seems to be a LOT faster, too).

The "transfer sheets" you're referring to are usually called "transparencies" or "films" for making film positives. Jonathan has some great 8.5"x11" ones that he sells via the CatSpit site or you can also check his vendor links from there, like Screen Printing Superstore. If you're looking for larger format ones (11x17 or 13x19) I personally like the films from fixxons.com - you can get 100 13x19 transparency sheets for $77. You'll need a wide-format printer for the larger transparencies, though. In lieu of that, FedEx office can do 8.5x11" transparencies for $1-$2 each, or you could check your local area for a blueprint shop which may be able to do the larger ones for you (my local shop charged $12 for a single 11x17 though).

If you've got any other questions, don't hesitate to ask! And if you still have yet to get your shop kit, definitely speak with Jonathan, he's in good with the guys from Ranar and can get ya hooked up :mrgreen:
Andy Barker
Owner/Operator of Fragile Branch
Store: http://fragilebranch.storenvy.com
Site/blog: http://www.fragilebranch.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FragileBranch
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Shamax
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Re: Were to get blank shirts? Also printer question

Post by Shamax »

I was going to edit my last post, but too much time passed, so here's a little addendum:

I also saw the other part of your question about the films: Just to clarify, yes, you can use any any standard inkjet or laser printer to make your film positives. Which type you have (ink or laser) will determine what kind of films you should be purchasing though. The ones Jonathan sells and the ones I mentioned above are both for inkjet printers (and should work fine for both dye or pigment-based printer inks). I've not looked into laserjet films myself, but if you *do* have access to a good laser printer, you may want to consider the RhinoTech dry stencil system. Leadfoot uses it, and it's a great alternative to making screens with the emulsion/exposure method, though it does require a heat press.
Andy Barker
Owner/Operator of Fragile Branch
Store: http://fragilebranch.storenvy.com
Site/blog: http://www.fragilebranch.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FragileBranch
ApeShirt
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Re: Were to get blank shirts? Also printer question

Post by ApeShirt »

Andy's got this 8-) Great post's Andy. I just want to add that if you want to do halftones and gradients you'll need a postscript printer and appropriate software.
Greg
If you're not going to go all the way then why bother going at all.
ApeShirt Apparel Printing, LLC
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Catspit Productions
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Re: Were to get blank shirts? Also printer question

Post by Catspit Productions »

You guys have it covered, thank you so much! :)
Jonathan Monaco
Catspit Productions, LLC
Learn how to screen print tee shirts!

http://catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/CatspitProductions
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Leadfoot
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Re: Were to get blank shirts? Also printer question

Post by Leadfoot »

I use TSF Sportswear http://www.tsfsportswear.com/ almost exclusively. You do need a business license but that is fine with me.

Here is some pricing for Gildan Ultra Cotton Tees as of today:
White S-XL: $1.70 each
Colors S-XL: $2.53 each
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