Gripe of the Week

[ebscreen]

Not a week goes by that I don't get a call from some hobbiest asking
me for supplies or information or to coat and burn screens or to sell them ink.
And chances are, these folks clicked on advertising that costs me money
to call me about something that I obviously do not provide or advertise for.

I don't mind talking shop, on my schedule. If you're keeping me from the
the actual work that keeps me in business I am going to hang up on you.
If you're going to question me as to why we don't coat and burn screens and tell
me how easy it is to do and "all I need you to do is..." then I am going to hang up on you.
If it's so easy why can't you do it?

I guarantee that if you can't figure out the difference between a screen printer
and a screen printing supplier you're not going to do very well at this craft.


Footnote gripe is the people who order the absolute bare minimum and then
demand the absolute maximum from you. I spend more time hand holding the
24 piece ladies then I do the 5,000 pieces guys. Maybe I need to concentrate
more on contract work but that has it's own ridiculous headaches. Maybe
I'm expecting too much from human beings.

[mk162]

I always expect the worst from people, that way I will never be disappointed.

[Shawn (EIP)]

I use to make screens for a guy that wasnt set up yet but after awhile it became a headache, kept me here late or interupted what I was doing. Once let a very hot college chic that would melt anyones heart borrow a few newman frames with her art burned for an art project. She never came back... Gotta watch those blue eye devils. Damn she was a hottie! 

[Shanarchy]

Not a week goes by that I don't get a call from some hobbiest asking
me for supplies or information or to coat and burn screens or to sell them ink.

I get the screen burning all the time.

My answer, "I'm sorry, we do not offer that service. But if you decide to have the tees printed elsewhere, we would love to do them."

[mk162]

yeah, i get the college project types all the time, i tell them to do a search online for how to expose screens in the sun.
i have better things to worry about...like a piece of broken glass on my exposure unit.  Ugh

[ebscreen]

I've always found that the smallest things like coating a screen or printing films
or selling blanks will be the most pain in the ass to deal with when it comes to
it. Every damn time.


A friend of mine's girlfriend at the time wanted to start a screen printing business to
supplement her trust fund income. Tried 20 times to get a screen burnt correctly and
failed miserably. As a favor for my friend I said I would help her out and let her use my shop to
print this job she needed to do. Next thing I know I have my entire shop taken over and
all of my supplies being used to help out someone that is trying to be in direct competition with me.
I did all of the hard work (pre-press, setup) and let her do the fun stuff (actually printing).
the whole time she's in there with her friend they're talking about what they're going
to name their company, and what sort of work they are going to do and how much they are
going to make. Ignoring the entire time the fact that it wasn't for my hard work and knowledge
they'd be staring at a screen they couldn't burn.

Needless to say it didn't work out.

[mk162]

The best way to make a small fortune in the screen printing industry is to start with a large one.

[Shawn (EIP)]

The best way to make a small fortune in the screen printing industry is to start with a large one.

I guess so... I have no small fortune to speak of and I started this buiness with 100.00     

[spotcolorsupply]

I guess so... I have no small fortune to speak of and I started this buiness with 100.00 

Wow... I thought we were broke when we started with $1500.00... Nice..!! 

[mk162]

I started with the bank of the parents.  Actually, my dad started the business, and I am buying it from them as I go, only 7 more years left!

[Shawn (EIP)]

I guess so... I have no small fortune to speak of and I started this buiness with 100.00 

Wow... I thought we were broke when we started with $1500.00... Nice..!! 

100 bucks worth of speedball stuff and some shirts from Walmart! Printing shirts for my band and the rest is history. Didn't get a real floor press and belt dryer until 3 years later. I guess I could say that's when I really started the business 

[tpitman]

I started with a very used Hopkins 6/4, a $75 flash and a homemade halogen exposure unit. Paid for the whole mess with the first job.

[blue moon]

huh, I guess I am the only one here that actually spent some money upfront!
We did $6k to start, than added another $15k six months later and have put in another $50 over the last two years. With the auto payment it took about $100k to get where we are.

What did this buy us? Three years to repay the out of pocket investment and five years to pay of the auto. Two and a half years into it we are printing almost 200k impressions per year, have an award for the work we do and are growing at a stupid rate (up about 65% this year). We should pass a mil in sales within five years of starting the co.

pierre

[Shawn (EIP)]

huh, I guess I am the only one here that actually spent some money upfront!
We did $6k to start, than added another $15k six months later and have put in another $50 over the last two years. With the auto payment it took about $100k to get where we are.

What did this buy us? Three years to repay the out of pocket investment and five years to pay of the auto. Two and a half years into it we are printing almost 200k impressions per year, have an award for the work we do and are growing at a stupid rate (up about 65% this year). We should pass a mil in sales within five years of starting the co.

pierre

No one likes a bragger! 

[blue moon]

huh, I guess I am the only one here that actually spent some money upfront!
We did $6k to start, than added another $15k six months later and have put in another $50 over the last two years. With the auto payment it took about $100k to get where we are.

What did this buy us? Three years to repay the out of pocket investment and five years to pay of the auto. Two and a half years into it we are printing almost 200k impressions per year, have an award for the work we do and are growing at a stupid rate (up about 65% this year). We should pass a mil in sales within five years of starting the co.

pierre

No one likes a bragger! 

I still feel like I have to prove myself and waaay to often take things to seriously. So yes, you are right, but you know, the others are bragging with how little they spent!!! 

pierre