"He who marches out of step hears another drum." ~ Ken Kesey
....So, Sparkie, what kind of numbers are you producing with your Electraprint? The simplicity does have certain appeal in some circumstances. Not everyone needs to buy and drive a Mercedes or BMW, and presses are designed to be more practical without the same aura of image generation as cars.
Quote from: Frog on December 13, 2013, 10:54:12 AM....So, Sparkie, what kind of numbers are you producing with your Electraprint? The simplicity does have certain appeal in some circumstances. Not everyone needs to buy and drive a Mercedes or BMW, and presses are designed to be more practical without the same aura of image generation as cars.As a one man operation, for a 1 or 2 color design, I can print an average of 200-250 shirts per hour. I have a 36" x 11' (6' heat chamber) dryer, which is more than enough to handle the workflow. If push came to shove, those production numbers could be higher, but at my age (59), I'm in no hurry. Print some, fold some, print some, fold some......
Let's establish some pretty obvious points to get it back to being helpful and informative.First, let's all agree that the heading is absolutely off base. Kwan is not looking for help buying his press, but obviously desperately needs help and guidance as he enters this industry.
Second, let's accept the fact that he has not decided upon a specific press.
Followed with the information that he has a need for 2500 shirts a week and definitely wants to produce them in house. (That itself is fodder for discussions of the practicality of that versus contracting it out as well)
Given those parameters, everyone has their opinions on presses (in fact, the opinions from another forum seemed to have helped him initially make his decision)Over here, he has learned that he gets different suggestions.
Have you seen these presses at a show?Have you visited shops in your area to both watch the process and see various presses in action?It appears that you did not get to the show in NJ, bummer.
I think we are only seeing half the story.. The nature of their sneaker website and the number of visitors puts them in a special position to have a distribution in place with motivated and receptive customers.. Some of there post are dedicated to matching what to wear with the new kicks.. So why push other peoples shirts when they are setup to push their own.. It wouldn't take a year for them to make back their investment.. To do it right, they need at least 8 heads to be ready for offering any thing.. Some of these sneakers are loaded with colors.. I don't think a site that has come so far, would miss the obvious.
Kwan- What made you want the S.Roque to begin with? Where did you take your screen printing class? Was it by chance through Ryonet? Sorry if the questions are intrusive, it is just a S.Roque press(guess any auto press really) is not something you usually hear of someone looking to purchase if they don't have screen printing experience. Again, I am sorry if you feel offended by my question I mean no disrespect, I am just trying to wrap my head around this whole deal.
I was about to say the same. This all sounds Ryonetish to me.
Ya, but when he said he was working with Alan from TechSupport that threw me for a loop. Actually this whole post has me thrown for a loop.
More power to you Kwan! If you got the demand and backing to make it work that is awesome and you should be proud! You just have to understand all of us are coming from a position where we print(or job out) for more than just ourselves or one client. It is just a whole different dynamic for us.
I say get the Brown, it is going to be the simplest way to get started, no compressor, only one electrical run for the flash and dryer, minimal cost for anything, if you are only going to print 2-3 days per week then keep it simple and if you find you hate the machine or printing in general there is always a garage shop that will take it off your hands.
Kwan, I run a Brown ElectraPrint Jr. and I promise you, 2500 pieces will NOT take you two years to print as ebscreen suggests. Brown may not be the leader of the pack, but it was my choice for many reasons:1. Small footprint2. All electric (110v)3. EXCELLENT SERVICE & SUPPORT4. Easy setup5. Low maintenanceI believe you will be happy with ANY press you decide on. Your success will depend on how well you learn to operate it properly and to it's fullest capabilities. After many years of manual printing, it took me a month or so to get the hang of running an auto. The machine (ElectraPrint) is rock solid, and if you can live without some of the bells and whistles of some other autos, Brown could be the perfect choice for you as a beginner.
As a one man operation, for a 1 or 2 color design, I can print an average of 200-250 shirts per hour. I have a 36" x 11' (6' heat chamber) dryer, which is more than enough to handle the workflow. If push came to shove, those production numbers could be higher, but at my age (59), I'm in no hurry. Print some, fold some, print some, fold some......
what kind of space are you putting this in? warehouse, garage, basement?
Is an 8 color too much press? could you do a 6 color if all you are printing is that 1 design?
That being said, I would look for something that can be packaged together, press/dryer/exposure unit/screens etc. an all for 1 deal.
Your venture though is big and important enough to consider a trip out to the the left coast and visit the ISS show in Long Beach in the middle of January.There. you have a chance to see many of these equipment choices up close and personal, under one roof.You also get the added benefit of meeting me, lol! and my partner Pierre, and a bunch of members with whom you've schmoozed and butted heads.
I do like their clever machines and its Specification, but some how they have many strong negative feedbacks (about their customer services, not on equipment) and I'm having a slight hesitation to move forward with them.@ Mr. Sparkie, How would you describe their customer service experience, specially when you require their attention in emergency?
Did someone tell him not to buy a Brown or that Brown was no good?
...I am not crazy about his self-imposed two week deadline though.
Attending ISS would be most beneficial to you Kwan.
Problem is, you would not get the deduction you are looking for (my guess why you have to buy before the end of the year) as it does not apply to used equipment.pierre