How long to guarantee a print?

[Mr Tees!!]

...We did and order of about 350 black tees, 4-color print for a wholesale client in November '13. The end user is now claiming that the inks are "cracking and peeling'....yeah, that's right, TEN MONTHS LATER. These are for a wait staff at a local sushi restaurant, so I would imagine there is a lot of laundering going on here.

...I'm not sure if I'm asking advice or venting at this point, but I guess for my own peace of mind, I will ask: what guarantees do to guys offer on your work? I know a properly cured print should, in theory, outlive the fabric....and I have NEVER had a cure issue (gas dryer, 20' of heat). This whole thing seems "fishy" to me (see what I did there?  ), like an attempt to get more shirts for free or a discount or something.

...My thoughts are to tell 'em to take a hike, but lookin' to you guys for verification, or perhaps how to word it as such.

[Gilligan]

Tell them to bring them in.

[GaryG]

Yeah see if they were commercially laundered with aprons or such.
More than normal abuse.

Never had that request, but I'd say-
Depends upon how good a customer and how many are doing that.
You might only have to replace a dozen or so.

[mooseman]

tell them to bring in fresh washed tees only. Smell the tees if the laundry fragrance on the shirts is all different meaning home washed by each wearer you have a problem. If they all smell the same then they have most likely been commercial laundered and the story changes.
One tip, I often print used  laundered tee shirts for my son and my grandkids. There is absolutely no doubt the shirts have been laundered when they run through the dryer, it drives the perfume , soaps etc right out of the shirt.
mooseman

[screenprintguy]

tell them to bring in fresh washed tees only. Smell the tees if the laundry fragrance on the shirts is all different meaning home washed by each wearer you have a problem. If they all smell the same then they have most likely been commercial laundered and the story changes.
One tip, I often print used  laundered tee shirts for my son and my grandkids. There is absolutely no doubt the shirts have been laundered when they run through the dryer, it drives the perfume , soaps etc right out of the shirt.
mooseman

I know what you mean moose, we just did some for a softball team a week ago. Man the place smelled good for a few mins, lol. It made me worry though since they were poly and you could smell fabric softener so I had my wife make a note on the invoice that supplied garments that may have fabric softeners in them , "may" affect the longevity of the print. Just in case. But in this case Mr. Tees is referring too, I'd want to see a variety of shirts. Some customers have 1 or 2 issues, that they may have caused themselves and then want to have the whole batch redone, but also here you are almost a year later. Good ink, properly cured should last a few or more years without that, so I bet it's isolated, or commercial laundered with some serious heat, or Perc dry cleaning chemical reaction with the plastisol if they dry clean them. Either way, that's a stressor nobody needs to have to deal with at their shop. Hope it works out for ya!

[mk162]

and that is why we don't accept customer supplied goods unless they are direct shipped from a vendor.

We no longer handle worn goods.  We had a bad experience with some jackets from a customer and they made the embroidery room smell like overpowering BO.  We had to buy air fresheners just to be able to work on them...they were charged accordingly for it.

back to the print...they are probably having them laundered.  that will destroy the print quickly.  also, 10 months for food service seems fine to me.  that is about 44 weeks, and if they wash them weekly that is 44 washes...nothing to scoff at.

[screenprintguy]

beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH 

[Frog]

Told it before but I love this story;

About a half dozen of a local High School wanted to add a cad-cut design to their existing Cross Country tanks or singlets.
Knowing they were not new, I gave them my usual spiel about worn uniforms, and to damn well launder them first.

Well, a couple of the guys snuck in some funk, and since I had already cut and weeded the designs, I held my nose, and pressed, vaporized BO sweat notwithstanding.
Apparently, my dog didn't find the odor nearly as offensive, and later in the day, went through the box and proceeded to chew up the two stinkers.

I delivered them as-is and made no apologies. 

[GaryG]

Now there's a...

beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH 

[dirkdiggler]

When I have a customer ask how long will the print last I always tell them, "If you want it to look new forever, put it in a frame and hang it on the wall"  If not it will wear according to how you abuse it.

[Colin]

I know Union has had a long standing policy that their inks will last for 20 NORMAL washings.

I have multiple shirts that have lasted 20+(++) washing with several different ink companies inks on them.

Some have cracked.  Some have not.

Also, ask them how often each shirt gets laundered.  If they are washed in bulk once a week, that is 40-ish washings.  If more often....

[blue moon]

I know Union has had a long standing policy that their inks will last for 20 NORMAL washings.

I have multiple shirts that have lasted 20+(++) washing with several different ink companies inks on them.

Some have cracked.  Some have not.

Also, ask them how often each shirt gets laundered.  If they are washed in bulk once a week, that is 40-ish washings.  If more often....

printed shirts should be washed INSIDE OUT on gentle cycle. If washed differently, it is their fault (most likely the case). Did you tell them how to wash the shirts? Did they follow the instructions?

Now that we know there's nothing wrong with the print, you have to decide how important is the customer and what you are willing to absorb to keep them.

pierre

[prozyan]

I won't "guarantee" and print very long after it leaves my shop.  I have no idea what the customer does with the items once they leave my shop, and since I cannot guarantee they will be washed and cared for correctly, I won't guarantee the print.

[tancehughes]

Yeah, we don't really own up to it if it's longer than about 6 weeks. At that point you don't know where the shirts been or what it's been through.

[kirkage]

You could put an instruction sheet to wash in cold water and hang dry. I know a washing machine with the agitator call stretch the heck out of a print.