If you want a professionally done screenprinting job, you should hire a qualified company. One reason for that is it allows you to focus on your chore duties of running the business. Additionally, why spend more money and time trying your hand at something that others can do better?
There are many screenprinting companies across the country and many more worldwide. How do you know if a printer like Thrive can deliver your orders? After all, who doesn’t want a well-done printing job?
First, here are some basics about screenprinting that may assist when choosing a company to work with.
Types of Screenprinting
There are numerous types and processes of screenprinting that can be used to create beautiful artwork on your apparel. It doesn’t matter the type of garment, but different methods will give different results. It is, therefore, necessary to understand the differences in the various processes employed in screenprinting.
Simple Screenprinting
This is a basic method that offers to create custom T-shirts, hats, and business signs with company slogans or logos. Also known as silkscreen printing, simple screenprinting is the most common as it has many advantages. The basic technique facilitates the creation of clean images, yet the time it takes to master the printing craft is minimal.
Direct to Garments
Like the simple screenprinting method, although direct-to-garment is simple, it will require some basic skills and knowledge, and getting some professional help is recommended. It’s very popular among hobbyists.
Heat Press Printing
If you want T-shirts and the order is small, it becomes economical to employ heat press printing. This technique of printing saves you time and resources.
Vinyl Cutting
In this printing method, special soft clothing is first cut into designs or shapes, then transferred to the garment.
Dye Sublimation
A method that works well on light fabrics and shirts. This is professional screenprinting. Although it costs to produce the needed dye-sub, in the end, you get a professional job.
Considerations When Choosing a Printer
When you want to start advertising your business/company with T-shirts or perhaps outfitting your field team with jerseys, you must find a quality screenprinter. Finding the screenprinter for such important purchases ensures your goals are met and money spent well.
Below are ten factors worth considering when shopping for a quality apparel screenprinter.
Valid Garment Printing Licenses
In most countries, it’s illegal to operate a printing company without a valid garment license. Buying or ordering garments from a company that doesn’t have the necessary license means you could be supporting an illegal printing shop. Before ordering, check. The license ensures the printing company complies with laws, including insurance, and other regulating factors such as workers’ compensation and environmental protection.
Printing Options
The printing process is generally seamless, but to ensure you get the kind of customized printed apparel you desire, ensure you work with an all-around printer. Look for a printer that offers several options: simple screenprinting, heat transfer, sublimation, and embroidery. Fine embroidery stitching is particularly great for corporate-level T-shirt designs.
Also, consider the design features being offered. The selected printer should be capable of altering the size, color, font, and alignment of different pictures and have control over the image rotation, texts, and orientation.
Experience
It’s recommended that you consider how long the company has been in operation. An established firm like Thrive has gained lots of experience after many years of service. To find out about the experience and competence of a particular firm you might be considering, visit their website and check for customer reviews. Inquire around from past clients, family, and business friends.
The screenprinting company you’ve chosen must understand what you need with a view to support you and offer helpful suggestions. After submitting your preferred design, they must use their expertise and experience to suggest ways of making adjustments to improve on your concept. Look for a modern company that uses the modern and latest technology in their printing work.
Quality
The screenprinting industry is big and growing. For example, by 2025, the global market for custom T-shirts is expected to exceed US$ 10 Billion. Before you venture into this lucrative industry and commit to working with a specific screenprinter, first, look at samples of what they have worked on previously. Samples of similar jobs to what you want need show you what to expect from the company in terms of quality. Since the work of printing is a process, ensure you’re completely comfortable with the quality before you invest your money and time.
Don’t be afraid to ask if they have samples. Do they have photos of their samples on their social media or catalog? Be very cautious if a shop makes it hard for you to see the quality of their work. A reputable print shop should ideally be proud of their previous work and proud enough to showcase it in their shop, and also use it to market their services.
Reliability
Reliability is perhaps the most important factor when choosing a screenprinting outfit. Company reliability is extremely important as you need to know that your order will be done as per the agreement or schedule. After the ordering process is set in motion, you need to know when the expected due date is and that they are keen on honoring it. This is particularly critical when you have an event or trade show set for specific dates. In such times, the company must show a proven track record of timely delivery. Again, look at what their past clients have to say about their reliability.
Ensure you choose to work with a reliable and established screenprinting company that won’t only take care of the orders, but also mistakes. You might have read or heard of horror stories where the local T-shirt guy or newly established company made a mistake and were unable to fix it or refused to it. Cutting corners to save a few bucks may see you spending triple what you could have initially sent with a reliable outfit. Be careful!
Consistency
If you intend to do multiple re-ordering of the same garment design, then your top priority should be to ensure that the products turn out the same on every order. This is particularly important if you’re dealing with T-shirts or running a commercial clothing line. Any inconsistences in your products could reflect badly on your clothing business, instilling distrust in your brand. Imagine how bad it would look if the T-shirts that were meant to be similar look different while sitting or hanging next to each other in the clothes shop, or when worn by members of one team.
A good screenprinter recognizes the importance of quality products and shipping consistency for every order, irrespective of the order size. This is where a company like Thrive, with a huge database of customer graphics, comes in handy. Such an outfit keeps track of all the relevant details regarding your order and easily replicates them with every new re-order.
Pricing
While pricing forms an integral part of decision-making, it must not force you to make unnecessary compromises in terms of quality. Ensure the company you engage in charges prices that are on par with the best in the industry. Please don’t choose a cheap printing firm that risks getting inferior work, and losing your investment if they fail to deliver.
Regular Communication
This might seem like a pretty straightforward matter, but many things can go wrong during printing. The result could be overdue T-shirts, bad color matches, and shortages. You want a company that gets the printing job done not only on time, but well. While there’s a surprising large number of screenprinting outfits that you can’t rely on, many others are trustworthy.
The shop you choose should be reachable at all times during the whole printing process. They should be available to answer your questions, even outside of official shop hours. They must have a reliable means of communication, whether phone, email, or chat. We’re living in an age of “on-demand services,” and it’s critical to get a response promptly.
Any query not answered in more than one business day raises issues of reliability. The more communication you get about the status of the printing order, the better.
Customer Experience and Reviews
You need a hassle-free buying experience, and choosing a screenprinter that promises that is important. A company like Thrive makes life easier by responding to the needs of the customer. They stay in touch and have customer reviews and testimonials to attest to that.
Customer Support
While designing your customized T-shirts or other garments, it’s necessary to have experts walking with you throughout the process. Look for a company that provides ongoing assistance through phone, email, chat, or social media. Ensure you share all the details they need to ensure you get the work done well, receive the kind of support you deserve, and the best quote.
Image Source: BigStock.com (Licensed)
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