SCREEN PRINTING

If you’re reading this, it’s time to move up to a larger manual screen printing press, add one to your screen printing arsenal, or replace an older, worn out model.

In screen printing, as in most businesses, the faster you can get your work done, the more jobs you can take on and the more money you stand to make. One common bottleneck in the screen printing shop comes in art creation.

When shopping for a screen printing press, there are many variables you’ll have to take into account. One of the most important decisions to make is how many colors and stations you want.

Even for established screen printers, opening your business to online sales can help you to boost your profits. Opening an online store can attract new customers and create a new source of revenue to help you through normal seasonal lulls.

Custom garment makers often line up on each side of the debate: Screen printing versus heat transfers. While the issue is one that can divide, the reality is that both types of garment decorating have their merits.

During the day to day operation of your screen printing business, it’s easy to get so busy working in your business that you forget to work on your business. As a business owner, if you have a team of employees working under you, it should free up time for you to step back from the fine details and take a look at improving the big picture.

Screen printers know that there’s an ebb and flow to the business; each year, business seems to pick up in the spring and summer and into the fall, as sports teams, schools, festivals and special events seek custom apparel. Though you know busy periods happen, knowing how to prepare for them can be more difficult.

For all of the work that goes into creating the perfect screen print, perhaps the biggest element that determines the success or failure of a print is heat. The right flash temperature determines the integrity of your underbase, or whether a heat transfer will, well, transfer. Getting your ink to the ideal curing temperature for the correct amount of time determines whether your finished print will crack, peel or wash out. 

In order to grow your screen printing business, it’s important to keep an eye out for new products you can add to your list of offerings. One customizable item that continues to grow in popularity is the reusable canvas tote bag.

Are you doing everything you can to keep employees safe in your screen printing shop? While our previous blog shared tips for protecting employee health and safe handling of screen printing chemicals, there’s one more danger to consider in your shop: Your screen printing equipment.

Screen printing shops are full of dangers. Screen printers work with flammable substances, toxic chemicals, high-powered heating units and heavy machinery.

Screen printing is all about personalization. Your clients use custom-printed products to make themselves or their businesses stand out. Are you following their example?