How many t shirts should I print?- A  question that I’m asked on a regular basis.

So I did some searching and came across this post at howtostartaclothingcompany.com and I feel it’s right on the mark, here is what it says:

By Jon Kruse (mediocore clothing)

This question comes up a lot and I think it really needs an article about it.

I remember printing my first shirt, live every week like it’s shark week, and I was asking the same question. I asked people what sizes I should order and I also unwisely asked what size people wanted to buy. I say unwisely because I asked it on emptees and not everyone that answered was my market or would be my customer.

It isn’t as simple as someone telling you how many shirts to buy. It depends on your market the design and a lot of factors that are really hard to calculate when you are buying your first print.

TEST THE WATERS!

I recommend buying the minimums. Most times this is 36-50 shirts sometimes even lower. The worst thing you can do is order shirt sizes that don’t sell and you have tons of stock left. Whatever you do don’t print more shirts because you get a discount. When you have the customers and know the sizes they order this is fine but it is disastrous if it’s your first time printing.

Do the research

I think your best bet is to talk to similar clothing companies. A lot of them might not respond but a lot of it is how you talk to them. Talk about how you like their clothing line, how you are printing your first shirt and don’t know what to get, how you are doing something similar and want their expertise, and I think most importantly give them a reason to help you. I send out shirts to a lot of people that have helped me and it’s always great to get gifts. Make them want to help you!

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This is a breakdown of small to extra large that a lot of people use. They get twice as many mediums and larges as smalls and xl’s. I find that what I sell is usually more on the smaller side.zz,. so I get more smalls and mediums, and less larges and xl’s then this breakdown. Really every market is different so you have to test and use your data to reorder.

Another thing is I always like to order 1 or 2 2XL’s or x-small. These don’t sell very well but your customer will appreciate you for carrying their size.

I would just like to add that the figure of  36 – 50 units is a good number to start with.  At Lava Ink we suggest minimum orders of 30 units because it offers a reasonable distribution of the set-up charges over the amount of garments. So the garment cost per unit remains low and more profitable to our client.

Selling t shirts can be a satisfying and lucrative exercise  but you need to prepare well or things will go wrong.  Here are a few points to remember when getting your design to print:

1. Design the artwork in the correct format.

When designing for screen printing one has to consider the end result of what the print will look like or what you want to achieve. Communicate with your printer for guidance before you start designing or you will end up paying  more or having to redesign. Screen printing is not like digital printing as it is done in stages, thus the artwork needs to be prepared differently. More info can be found in this post of which software to use.

2. Convert all fonts to curves.

If your design includes fonts and you’re using a vector program, always covert to curves. This will ensure that the artwork will look exactly like you intend it to. Please note that this will prevent later editing so it is best to save a copy that is not converted to curves as well.

3. Do a print out or computer mock .

Get a set of t shirt models/ drawings and place your designs before doing your positives.  You will get an idea of what your end result will be. Use it for scaling and positioning your artwork. If you have a physical sample of the t shirt, do a print out and position it on the actual t shirt. You can send either of these to your printer as a reference. More guidance = better results.

4. Provide your artwork in the correct size.

Do not expect the printer to be your desktop designer and scale things for you. Ensure that you scale the artwork yourself and state that the scale provided is as is.

5. Work with Pantone Colours.

Invest in a pantone colour chart and always design in pantone colours (if not working with photo images) so that you know what the colour will look like before it’s printed.  This will ensure that if you need to do reprints that the colours will be the same as before. It also allows you to have your goods printed at various printers and achieve the same results. Never use the colours on screen as a reference because the printer’s screen may have a different setting/ calibration.

6. Ask for 2 physical sample prints of the t shirt.

You will be charged for setting up and positive costs but it’s always better to do 2 samples. Don’t let the excitement of doing a run make you cut corners. Print 2 samples and if you are happy with both of them, let the printer keep one and you the other. Sign an agreement that the samples is as the run should be.

The Fifa 2010 Soccer World Cup is a great launch period for all you aspiring designers. We will have tourists that are eager to get great gifts for family and friends back home.  Be sure to use anything and everything about South Africa in your designs but of course sticking to the rules regarding Fifa trademarks.

My last post included a video which demonstrated how manual screen printing is done. The actual print in that video had a halftone element in it and used process printing to form the logo.

Process printing is when one uses the colours Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black and sometimes white ink to form the finished print. These colours (which are halftoned) are printed one after the other and the actual blending of these overprints creates the actual image/ colours required.

The print below used the white as a base. Then the yellow was printed. The magenta (pink) is added to form the red and orange sections in the print.

So you’re interested in screen printing as a hobby/ business but don’t know where to start.

There are many companies that can assist you in the preparation process if you have a few Rands to spend. However, if you have a limited budget and only need to do a small amount of printing (say 1 or 2 garments) for yourself you can check out this site.

To those of you who really need a high quality end result and and are serious about making a living through selling printed t shirts, etc, this is what you’ll need:

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