I'm adding this to my New Year Resolution List

[rmonks]

I have a small High School senior class that wanted a Hoodie with front logo, and a design with 2012 on the back and their signature names within the 2012. I tell them to use a wide sharpie some do some don't. Well I scan the signatures doctor them up in Corel and try to print them white on black hoodie, got to print flash print screwed up 3 out of the 19 hoodies. Signatures too small, shirt shrinking, combination of different things. I stopped and sent them an email. To risky to print. Must revert to placing the names in text. So my new year resolution from now on.  Signatures on t-shirts only, text on hoodies.

[jason-23]

Personally I hate printing on hoodies... I can never get them to look or feel right compared to a shirt.

[Frog]

I'm a big believer, the older I get, in lightening the frustration load, and not dealing with things that give me trouble whenever possible.
That said, your problem(s) could be solved systematically, and both given the custy what they wanted, and you some satisfaction with less aggravation.
I'm sure that you already know some of the advice I will give.

1. pre-shrink your fleece by sending them down the dryer before you even start the run.
2. establish and master your stickum routine for fleece, be it web spray, water-based adhesive, or even those hook and loop style devices upon which I never quite made up my mind .
3. scan and re-size any problem signatures, or even, take the time to ask the offending signees to re-do theirs.
*note - I usually deal with each signature individually to keep control.
4. Charge accordingly to be compensated for the extra work that fleece, and in this case the art, requires.

[royster13]

I know you are a screen printer and want to print, but I use Transfer Express for these.....Works just great and by ordering extra transfers you can make extra sales on other types of garment and/or fix any problems that arise.....But most important, if the art is not good, get the signatures re-done...Crap in = crap out!...

[3Deep]

Rmonk, why in the world would you want the kids to sign there names with a wide sharpie?  I do this stuff all the time I have the kids sign there names on a blank sheet of white typing paper in black pen ink only ( I allso tell them however you sign is what your going to get bad hadwriting and all).   I take the names and scan them into photoshop at about 400 to 600 dpi and adjust in photoshop, then I save them as a tiff file and send over to my trace program which then makes them all vectored.  This way I can do just about whatever I need to do with the names.

Darryl

[Frog]

Yep Darryl, as I just added, keep 'em separate, and keep the control in your hands!

btw, this works great on baseballs for end of year shirts for youth teams.