customink.com

[ZooCity]

Bodek offers a free one that works pretty well. 

The buzzkill is that they give you .png files.  You know, because a smaller scale, low to middling resolution .png is just perfect for printing.

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I'm most impressed with Customink's little kickstarter type app, very smart way to capture business. 

Customink is perplexing to me.  I can't understand how they are doing so well when the pricing is completely  uncompetitive with local screen printers and, on the other end, many screen printers approached by Customink for contract work speak of policies that are simply too risky to accept.   I just don't get how that's working out for anyone, except Customink of course.

[Binkspot]

They do well because their customers don't have to get up off their couch to order decorated apparel.

We have (I think, it might not be there anymore) the Bodek thing but really not used much.

[inkman996]

They do well because their customers don't have to get up off their couch to order decorated apparel.

We have (I think, it might not be there anymore) the Bodek thing but really not used much.

Brian is dead on. It is all about the ability to sit at home and place your order. Ever try to deal with an awkward 16 year old in your shop trying to explain what they want? Well give them custom ink and viola done!

The one part of the linked article is where the writer said customink has 250 million in sales of a five billion market and as yet only captured a small part. WTF a quarter of a billion isn't enough for them?

[ZooCity]

That makes sense. 

Look at the size of their staff in the articles picture.  That many people are processing a 1/4 bil in revenue?  No wonder they want more, they are likely pulling in a very high net by contracting everything out.   And lord knows they'll have no shortage of print shops enticed by the promise of their work to keep pushing their customer service costs onto.  Just imagine for a minute if a client called asking for "one more Medium" at the same rate as the 1000 pc run they just had delivered and you could just say "sure, no problem" because the printer you contracted with was footing the cost for it.  They're smart, for sure.

I think having an e-commerce equivalent of a screen printing wal-mart will have a positive impact on most of us, it will reinforce the appeal of local, independent businesses.  We'll be the local supermarket that people would rather support and hey, our pricing and often our product is better to boot.  If a group like Customink does expand on the level being brandished in that article our fight will be to somehow offer a similar package of bells and whistles and compete on an apples to apples level.  This is where software as subscription services will become very important for smaller businesses who need to offer "accessories" like that kickstart T-shirt fundraiser portal to clientele but cannot afford to build it from scratch on an enterprise level.  Most of us can easily afford $50-a few hundred a month to add such a perk. 

I would like to see the SGIA put out a report on how ecommerce has impacted the industry over the last decade or two.  I've noticed how prolific screen printing shops are in my relatively low population area and noticed that most are successful generally speaking.  My hypothesis is that, like the ubiquitous micro breweries and distilleries here, we are not primarily competing with each other at this point but with national companies selling online just as the breweries are pulling drinkers of Bud, Sierra Nevada and the like rather than pulling drinkers from each other.  I think something happened in the last 10-20 years where what was once local print work went online/national and the market share us local outfits are capturing now is being pulled back down from local clients using the online/nationals.  Not unlike how local brewers once produced the vast majority of an area's beers.  I think the stories might be similar, just in a different spot on the timeline.  More and more I hear of how many local businesses "get their shirts online" and how we should talk to them and bring it back home instead.  More and more this equates to a lot of increased work for us.  I believe there's a solid connection there.

[Binkspot]

Rumor has it from numerous sources they are adding their own production plant to print in house. Depending on how well they pull it together it could mean the end of contract printers doing the work. Them being at the shows may not only be to recuuit shops to print but also posiably personnel to run their plants.

[starchild]

CustomInk's success is based on giving the average Joe who at first, may not think or care to go through the process of getting garments decorated, the ability to do so with the same effort as composing an email or creating a social media profile and posts..

You see the GUI is the same as far as buttons, check boxes, and menu bars that all of their (potential) customers use on a daily bases, minus the screen print jargon. Their customer's are already gratified by just going through and completing (successfully) a gamified sales funnel to place an order..  The prints could feel like rubber on the shirts, but too late, the customer already feels rewarded for their self made masterpiece that arrived at their doorstep in an awesome trophy case (have you guys seen their shipping boxes?)  We could talk about quality but most of them are not artist and are quite ecstatic about the results.

CustomInk clearly understands who their customers are and so can sell them genuine dinosaur wallets.. It's not about the "screen prints" it's about- who are your customers?

"They" always say give the customers what they want.. Customers don't have a clue about what they want until it is first offered to them..

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[T Shirt Farmer]

Rumor has it from numerous sources they are adding their own production plant to print in house. Depending on how well they pull it together it could mean the end of contract printers doing the work. Them being at the shows may not only be to recuuit shops to print but also posiably personnel to run their plants.

They already have a production facility in Reno Nevada a few miles away from Sanmar

[GraphicDisorder]

They do well because their customers don't have to get up off their couch to order decorated apparel.

This is why IMO our business model works.  All internet basically.  If we had a quality online design software I wonder if it would boost us.  Most still come to us for custom artwork before printing though. 

[3Deep]

Customink should change there name, what's custom about them, everyone can go there there site and get the same art with different text...they should be Just ink, but if does help when a customer has some kind of art and a clue of what they want.

Darryl

[dlac]

I have one person that I freelance for that honestly continuly sends me designs that she gets from her customers.. mostly students... that  are designs they did on custom ink and then send to them to get printed.  Sometimes I am allowed to re-create based on that image and sometimes it says.. Please duplicate EXACT... I just keep on keeping on.. I am forever grateful they can't download the vector..
dlac

[balloonguy]

We bought http://www.productsdesigner.com/flash-tshirt-designer-v4 for several grand. It has never worked and they don't answer email. I would suggest staying far away from this one.
Matt

[kirkage]

At the end of the day, if people design within a program and you get art ready to sep, it would save us a ton of time. I would think that you could tell customers to use the design program to avoid art fees or bring us your cocktail napkin and you'll spend 30 bucks an hour for us to clean it up.

When our app is done I hope some of you will test it out and give your opinion.

[balloonguy]

Count me in! I am dying for a program that works.

[gtmfg]

  Man, I sat in on a meeting with a player that deals with online processing. Some crazy stuff coming down the pipe real soon that could change our industry real fast. Kinda scary seeing whats out there and think what it would potentially do to the mid size guys like me.

[Grumpy Ole Artist]

If I ever (God forbid!) have to go in for brain surgery, am I going to bring some sketches, to which the Doc should refer, while he's working ? Some things should be left to pros...LOL! IMO, the worst thing to happen to my job has been the proliferation of the home computer...Client: "I gots me some software that came on a photo CD from wally world...I made this up all by my little old self ... I've no idea of any of the 37 fonts used names...can you use it?
Me: " 'Can I?'  the question should be...'Should I?' Go away...please...just go away"    oh,noo...Can't tell em THAT! I hafta polish these turds...Grrrr! (Waves grumpy old fist in air) MUCH prefer sitting down with the person making the decision, spending 20 minutes with them, making them feel special, and myself somewhat useful..."Instant artist, just add computer"...feh!
There! I feel better...Thanx!