Big order... What would be the best way to handle this...?

[Homer]

54" or larger to get the best choices in media. that fella up in the shout box can help with the emblems if needed.

[farmboygraphics]

54" or larger to get the best choices in media.

+1
We like the Solutions Opaque from Imprintables. Nice hand and prints well.

If you go the way of the new printer be ready, because you just became a sign shop whether you like it or not. :-)

[jvanick]

those PrisimJet units are only printers.. you have to transfer the material to a cutter in order to cut it.

not sure I'd want to go through the hassle of re-registering the material each time.

for 5000 pieces, the weeding alone would cause me to want to shoot myself in the head.

[Sbrem]

Here is what I had 3 people tell me for what it is worth...

I was going to pick up a 20 at SGIA. Apparently the media for a 20" machine is more expensive because the suppliers have to cut down a full size roll of media which there is more demand for. Unless you are extremely cramped for space the 20" unit doesn't sound like a great move

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

I had also heard about the 20" roll problem last year when we were considering one of the BN-20 as well...

Steve

[mimosatexas]

Unless you want to start printing on the machine A LOT, I would just outsource these.  While it would be awesome to own a solvent or latex printer, for me it doesnt make sense because the thing would be idle far too often.  Those machine, like DTG, want to be used every day or so or else you will end up with clogs and issues down the road (based on everything I have read).

[Nitrox73]

There is a lot of media available for the BN-20. It's more expensive but the bigger issue is that it is SLOW as hell. I owned one and it did pay for itself but I sold it and bought a Roland VS-300i. I wish I'd have bought the 540 or 640. Speed and lower priced media makes up the difference pretty quickly.

[im_mcguire]

Everything I am reading makes me want to pass on this order all together.  If I order through stahls it will be about $5,200 just for the transfers to be made.  If I buy a Roland, I still have to weed it after it "slowly" prints then cuts them.  Then I still have to press them. 
We might be looking at giving the client "CRAZY" pricing to kind of make them lean toward screen printing.  But who knows, I have had clents accept my "CRAZY" pricing before...

[Wildcard]

I recall you said it was full colour, but would plastisol transfers be an option? Much faster to press and cheaper to buy at that quantity than printed vinyl...

[3Deep]

I'm confused which is normal, but somehow some way your still going to have to put ink on those shirts whether it's direct plastisol of inkjet, heat press etc if embroidery is out, so whats the stick about not printing then on press, is it the make of the shirt is pique Polo's and pique is not nice to screen print.

[im_mcguire]

Looks like it will be pique polos. And it will be a 4 color image with a underbase at a 4" wide by 2 1/2" tall image. The client is very picky about it being a damn near perfect.
Expectations vs Reality is something I might have to instill in their head...

[Homer]

past experience, heat transfers don't really look that great on pique knit. but that's my opinion. Sounds like this customer knows just enough to be dangerous. Time for some schooling on the processes.

[royster13]

Maybe PVC labels?

[farmboygraphics]

Do they have a previous shirt to use as reference? We're they happy with it? Might help narrow things down.

[mk162]

i find direct printing on piques can be troubling.  I'd say throw out the high price, order a random sample to test the transfer for look and then order a small order of the transfers to get you started.

That way you've billed your high price, and you've gotten approval every step of the way.

[Frog]

1. If it's the pique that is getting on the way of a nice screen print, point out that pique polos are really meant for embroidery, and since that's not feasible, perhaps they need to re-think the garment itself. As I mention when I direct folks to the catalog on my website, not everything is appropriate for the same decorating processes.

2. Though I hate direct screening onto pique, it always ends up better than I thought it would, but, of course, I'm generally just printing a one or a few spot colors of simple logos.