T-Shirt Design Business (part 1)

As the peso continue to strengthen against the US dollar, hi-tech and imported technology becomes more affordable for the local aspiring designers. Their increasing purchasing power even makes it possible to produce small quantities or even individually designed printed T-shirts.

A T-shirt design business can be a part-time venture for an additional source of income. It can also be a full-time career where you are in charge of your own work, and prosperous work at that.

But how do you ensure that your T-shirt design venture is a success? That is what this article will try to tackle.

What Types of T-shirt Printing Are Possible?

There are several methods of T-shirt printing to be considered depending on the business strategy the designer wants to adopt. Each has its benefits, and each is preferred for certain circumstances. Choosing the right printing method is absolutely crucial.

Heat Transfer printing is arguably the most popular choice for small businesses. The process involves heat transfer to press an existing photo or design on to a fabric. While it certainly is not as lasting as other methods, transfer printing is great for small quantities and is much faster compared to screen printing.

Heat transfer provides a smooth feel when the fabric is produced. One thing that is noticeable about heat transfer is that the feel of the texture. The problem is that it has a tendency to crack more often. The machinery required is relatively small and a good option for small scaled production.

One of the most important things to remember with transfer printing is the restrictions of pressing on to colored garments. In general, most forms of transfer printing will focus on white T-shirts. The reason for this is that problems arise when trying to press certain colors on to darker garments. For instance, transferring yellow on to a blue garment would traditionally leave a greenish tone.

Fortunately, there are now several options available that serves different colored fabric printing.

Vinyl Transfers are one of those additional options. Focused primarily on offering support for color layering, vinyl pressing allows designers to use multiple colors and produce high quality final prints.

The process is centered on embellishing a garment. To use it will require a vinyl cutter which allows you to cut out a logo or design from a specific sheet. The design is then pressed through usual heat transfer means.

The process is not really geared towards mass production, and is actually better suited for single print T-shirts. It is a fairly new method, and not the cheapest, but the quality of output is high – perfect for lettering. Vinyl transfer print is suitable if you’re looking for a one-off print with distinct contrasting colors.

The third process is known as Sublimation Printing.

Sublimation is typically used to print on to light colored synthetic surfaces. It is the process of ink turning directly in to gas under heating, and this makes for a relatively improved output as opposed to traditional heat transfer printing. However because of limited availability and demand for synthetic clothing, it is advisable not to use this method unless demand for sublimation printed T-shirts are exceptionally high.

T-shirts printed through sublimation usually does not feel the same as transfer printed fabrics because the toners used are applied below the surface of the substrate.

The major difference which separates sublimation printing lies in the way that the inks are sensitive to heat. To achieve the desired effect, special toners are used and a transfer sheet will be produced. This transfer sheet can be applied to a variety of different fabrics. However, it is advisable that sublimation printing be limited synthetic fabric such as polyester and acrylic.

Choosing the Right T-shirt Printing Equipment

The heat press is arguably the most important component of any T-shirt printing business. Without a high quality model, final prints usually lack color and/or clarity. It is very important to gauge both the heat and pressure of the transfers. Picking the right heat press will ensure consistency throughout. So what are your options?

For the absolute beginners and those with space to consider, the Clam Type Press is a great choice. It has a small frame ideal for small spaces and for those who does not want to utilize half of their living room. On the next step up is the Swing Press, which is a modified design. This improves speed and accuracy of printing by allowing easier access to the T-shirt you are printing.

For mass production, it is suggested that Pneumatic Press be used. These machines are more expensive but they work more efficiently with precise heat and pressure application. Companies such as Xpres and Target Transfers supply full ranges of heat presses.

Once a quality heat press is secured, the next step would be to invest in an efficient printer. The questions would be – ink jet or laser?

Both printer technologies have their pros and cons. Ink jet devices are much cheaper to buy than their laser counterparts. The advantage of ink jet printers is that they produce bright colors with vibrant contrast. The downside is that the ink can be expensive. The texture of the print from an inkjet printer is different to T-shirts that have been commercially printed

If the option is to accept a slightly less professional texture, in exchange for a reduced set up cost and brighter color, then ink jet brand is the preferred printer for business.

Laser printers, on the other hand, are renowned for producing prints which will last for a much longer period of time. They are not blessed with the same bright color output as ink jets and they are also more expensive.

The huge incentive of laser printing is that the fabric will retain a more natural feel. In other words, it will not feel as if a design was pressed on to it. For professional output, this is extremely appealing.

In terms of brand names, the major printer brands (Hewlett Packard, Canon, Epson) will have a printer in their range that will meet the business requirements.

For sublimation printing, a different kind of printer with special inks will have to be considered. Xpres produce their own brand of Subli-Print sublimation inks. These are specifically catered for the heat sensitivity that the sublimation process requires. It is possible to buy a low budget printer from a dealer like Epson, and by making use of the sublimation inks, but it can serve only for a limited purpose.

Finally, for vinyl manufacturing option, an actual vinyl cutter is necessary. These can be pretty expensive to obtain, but a good cutter is absolutely paramount to the success of a business in the vinyl market.

Roland and Stika provide a large range of cutters, from the absolute bottom range of the market – usually for hobbyists – to those who require giant 24 inch cuts.

Obviously, if the focus is only on T-shirt printing, then the widest cut size is not necessary. A vinyl cutter with an 8 inch range should fulfill the basic needs – providing that you the business will not dip into the XXXL market.

Finding the right T-shirt Supplier

Putting a ‘wanted T-shirts or polo-shirts supplier’ into Google and dozens of suppliers will be give you a call. However, how to decide who to buy from?

Generally speaking, it is best to stick to the products from tried and tested manufactures. Companies such as Hanes, Fruit of the Loom and Gildan are all proven distribution outlets and you can view their catalogues online.

You do not have to take the online route to managing your suppliers. But there is no doubt that the convenience of being able to order when its convenient for you, day or night, can be very useful.

Make sure that you’re working with an established wholesaler or distributor. There are plenty of web sites that offer cheap T-shirts but the absence of a telephone number, hastily written content and difficult to use web sites often say a great deal about the business behind the web site. One will need a service that meets their standards on a regular basis - not a one hit wonder company.

The important think to remember is not to be drawn in to any snap decisions when choosing supplier. Many dealers will offer competitive prices but expect large orders.

Buying in bulk has its advantages, but it certainly is not the way to go for those who are just starting their business. One may want to try to find a supplier which offers competitive prices without the obligation to buy a minimum quantity at once. Stock that cannot be sold is a stock or return that will not earn any profit. It is not a sound business practice of having a house full of unwanted T-shirts – no matter how good the deal looked on paper.