What do you not print?

[royster13]

I did a quote for 8, 12 and 24 shirts this morning.....24 shirts were 293.76....8 shirts were 250.04....So the client took 16 more for the difference of 43.72.....

[jasonl]

i will not print

hats
jackets, unless I am forced
Reversible basketball jerseys, unless I am forced
Over zippers
Jerseys customer provides
Most things that you can't wear

[Ripcord]

Actually if you have the right equipment, hats are easy to print once you get through the learning curve. I use a hat champ and I've gotten to the point where I can print a run of them without spoiling any. It does take some practice. The first few times I printed hats I was convinced it wasn't worth my time, but now that I'm used to it it's easier than printing shirts.

The process is rather slow, and I don't have a hat dryer so I use my flash cure unit. I've tried sending them through the conveyor but I've never been certain that they're curing properly because of the curved surface...)

So I add a dollar to the print price (1 color) for the slow pace. I can do about 25 hats in an hour for a profit of around 75 bucks.

[Frog]

Actually if you have the right equipment, hats are easy to print once you get through the learning curve. I use a hat champ and I've gotten to the point where I can print a run of them without spoiling any. It does take some practice. The first few times I printed hats I was convinced it wasn't worth my time, but now that I'm used to it it's easier than printing shirts.

The process is rather slow, and I don't have a hat dryer so I use my flash cure unit. I've tried sending them through the conveyor but I've never been certain that they're curing properly because of the curved surface...)

So I add a dollar to the print price (1 color) for the slow pace. I can do about 25 hats in an hour for a profit of around 75 bucks.

Can you cock the panels in the dryer?  In case we have censored "cock" it is the one that means "tilt" that I am using
My current dryer, and old American has a 6" high vertical cap panel, but my old little Scamp from Ranar, allowed an extreme cocking of the panel for this.

[sportsshoppe]

The only stuff we wont print is racist stuff, anti christ, vulgar language.

This is us also.... if they have the money and I have the time its on!

[sweetts]

 Just printed 4 shirts front only one color black, I charged 50 for art 25 for screen and 13.00 a shirt. I usually turn these down but she wanted To pay. Then I upsold her some coffee mugs but usually I wont do less then 10

Sent  from samsung gem(the worst smart phone ever)

[ZooCity]

I'm starting to consider a 48 pc minimum.  Mix/match same material garments allowed within the minimum.  Hoodies and any variant garments are a new run or a setup fee if doable with the same screens.   Anyone done something like this with success? 

[Frog]

Someone must be, hence the success of my "small jobs welcome" niche. Keep it up folks!

[ZooCity]

And well on you sir for making it work! 

I enjoyed that work as a one-man show and abhor it as a slightly larger operation.  I don't think it's sustainable for us to print for most of these folks, they drink up too much time and energy for the faint trickle of revenue the jobs bring and I have a hunch that truly 'correct' pricing for small jobs, when serviced by a larger shop, are too high for most markets to bear.   

[Gilligan]

I can vouch for that!

My last 4 shirt job ate up WAY too much time.  Granted, we are doing it in vinyl and charging $25 a shirt for it (all 4 the same).  But she was a pain.

Here's to hoping she brings in bigger work further down the road!

[Ripcord]

I save myself a lot of time by delivering or shipping all my orders. Since I don't have a staff, there's nobody but myself to deal with customers. Each time someone decides to "just stop by" I need to quit what I'm doing and it can really throw me off. If I deliver, I can do it on my own schedule, and can make it quick.

[Frog]

I save myself a lot of time by delivering or shipping all my orders. Since I don't have a staff, there's nobody but myself to deal with customers. Each time someone decides to "just stop by" I need to quit what I'm doing and it can really throw me off. If I deliver, I can do it on my own schedule, and can make it quick.

I am in a very similar situation as you but I could save you even more time with;

1  A lock on the door
2. A sign that says closed
3. Information about calling for an appointment to pick up

When I do deliver, unless it's to fix a screw-up, I charge the same $40 an hour as I do for any work. So, granted, it would save me money, but most of my local and semi-local clients wouldn't stand for it.
I suppose it could be buried in the total, but, of course, that has ramifications as well, and/or if they merely came by at a pre-determined time,  even that money would end up in my pocket and save me even more time.

[ebscreen]

We get good rates with UPS and the way I look at it having someone come in to pick up
probably costs more in time than it does to pay 'ol brown.

[Prosperi-Tees]

How do you get good rates with UPS? Every time I ship something on their website it says "retail rates were applied"

[ZooCity]

How do you get good rates with UPS? Every time I ship something on their website it says "retail rates were applied"

Get a rep assigned to your account and give them figures on what you're shipping yearly. Once you hit a certain amount you'll get better rates.  If you do at least $10k a year with them you can qualify for a Customer Technology Program where they subsidize some or all of the cost of various shipping equipment and computer gear from a handful of vendors.  They're fairly accommodating so let them know if you have special needs, etc. 

We started doing all in and outbound shipping that we pay for on our UPS account to help get better rates but there are some things, like small outbound packages that it's hard for them to compete with USPS on.   But, they do great on larger packages.