Banner Printing

[Crazy Mike]

The sign company in town that we friendly with is now screen printing t-shirts.
So if they dig into our business too much I'm thinking of doing banners.
Anybody have suggestions on banner printing?

[farmboygraphics]

How long have you been printing shirts? You should already have a leg up on them. Unless they've hired someone with experience chances are it's going to take them awhile to get up to speed. Don't let them dictate your business model. Get better at what you do. Beat them on turn around, quality and service.  DO NOT get into a price war with them.

[mimosatexas]

Hell offer them contract printing and suck up their business.  Wait for them to get a tough job, experience the headaches, and let them know outsourcing to you will make their lives easier.

[mooseman]

Farmboy is right DO NOT fight them in their arena, (banners).
Competition is a good thing, it will show you what you are doing wrong, force you sharpen your skills and business approach and on the other hand could do you in.
Fine another source for your banner supply and take the advice of George Patton....."you don't win a war by dying for your country (cause), you win by getting the other son of a bitch to die for his"
Sharpen your screen printing skills and take your battle ready energy and refocus it on what you already know.
Think about this....what are you doing that sent the message to your now competitor that there is money to be made printing tee shirts....think like your competition
mooseman

[lrsbranding]

We print banners in house and if you have a large demand for banners then it may be worth while. But I certainly wouldn't do it just to get even. Printing banners is a whole different can of worms. It requires a fair amount of room. Not just for the printer but table space too. We have a 12' x 8' table and could be bigger. The printer has certain environmental needs and they don't like to sit idle for too many days. Artwork is another, if you think people submitting crappy art for screen printing is bad try enlarging it to fill a 10' wide banner. Then there are different color profiles for all the different media requirements. Its not plug and print like a desktop printer.

[Crazy Mike]

I've just been venting. You love it when you help people and they
stab you in the back.

[royster13]

One needs to pick their battles (niches) and be really good at them....I see a lot of folks here that want to be everything to everyone and tend to be mediocre.....Pick a few things and be real good at them....

[mimosatexas]

I tend to do lots of weird stuff and I like having no niche. I guess maybe my niche is "all the stuff other shops say no to" which is fine by me.  Keeps it interesting and I tend to get paid well for the weird stuff, and as a manual only shop it honestly tends to pay better than standard shirt orders.  I definitely agree though that if you have an auto and can keep it busy with shirt orders there isn't much need to diversify.  I only bring this up because sometimes saying yes is enough to be successful rather than being the best at a single niche.

[GaryG]

Yeah along with the paper printers now doing t-shirts. 
It wasn't that way here 10 years ago. Learning that we are busy enough
to just take care of our apparel customers with business cards, and such,
we send out banner work to Signs365. Can you believe how inexpensive some
banner companies are? One day turn and NEXT DAY shipping anywhere in the country for $10?! 
Gotta love efficiency!

[Racer Tees]

I can attest to Signs365.  I send them a lot of work.  Always great quality if you send them a quality file.  Order Wednesday morning, have it Thursday.  Can't beat it!

[Crazy Mike]

Signs365 looks like a way to do it.

[Racer Tees]

$1.49/sqft and $10 overnight shipping is hard to beat.  I blind drop ship straight to my customers.  Very dependable company.