New Part Time Business!

[tinman2207]

I want to start a part time business and have decided I want to do T-Shirts to begin with.

What I want to know is if you could start again with all the knowledge you have gained what system and equipment would you go for?

With this, I mean heat press, printer, ink system, software etc!

Look forward to hearing from you guys. This forum is the kind of forum I like, polite, helpful and informative!

Regards


Shaun

[Paul]

Hi! do tyou wat to print full colour pictures? or slogans and simple logos? as there is 3 system available on the market at this moment.
sublimation (full photo quality printing: white tess only)
Vinyl. And DTG. It all depence of your budget too.

[tinman2207]

Hi Paul,

I am still to make my mind up.

I need to take in cost, speed, how easy, etc.

Cheers

[John G]

There's also laser/inkjet transfers for light and dark garments

[Paul]

I need to take in cost, speed, how easy, etc.

Cheers

well.. yo have 3 choices: quality, quick and cheap.
pick only two of them

[bms]

If I was only going to do t-shirts then this would have to be colour laser. You have choices of TTC for light coloured cotton tshirts, OBM for full colour block print onto dark coloured tshirts and the option of WOW for complex colour reproduction to dark tshirts. The materials range in cost with WOW being the most expensive per sheet of A4. I would also invest in a small cutter such as the Craft Robo for cutting flex or flock. You will also need a decent laser printer with a straight paper path. In total you're probably looking at around £700 + vat for the laser printer and the cutter, plus materials which range in price. You'll also need a decent flat bed heat press.

Before you invest though pop along to one of the trade shows at the NEC to get to see all this in action.

[accdave]

Maybe better trying it from a different angle. From what you know of your research on here and elsewhere, tell us what you decided was the best option and then people can tell you any pitfalls

[tinman2207]

Hi Guys, and thanks for taking the time to reply.

These are the kind of Tee's I want to be doing : http://tshirtplace.co.uk

What I like about it is the choice of colors. I will need to create Tee's with different colors.

Martin@BMS I have been looking at cutting tools, the Silhouette SD looks amazing. Can I ask what TTC OBM, and WOW mean... Very new at this.

Now, what kit will I need to reproduce the kind of Tee's in the link shown?

My budget is around £1000

Thanks again guys


Shaun

[John G]

Take a look on ebay - not trying to put you off your part time business but there's people selling personalised t' shirts for just over £6.00 including postage. These sellers are your main competition and it will take you a good few years, if ever, to pay your £1000 investment off.

Looking at the shirts you have mentioned I'd suggest a plotter + heat press and just use flex (vinyl that's cut on the plotter then heat pressed) on the shirts. For colour photos you'd need to use the transfer papers Martin from BMS has suggested (WOW TTC OBM) which go through a oki laser printer (starting at around £500.00 + heat press)

I'd work out how much you think you can sell these shirts for and this will give you an idea as to which system you want to invest in.

[Matt Quinn]

These are the kind of Tee's I want to be doing : http://tshirtplace.co.uk

What I like about it is the choice of colors. I will need to create Tee's with different colors.>>>>

>>>>Now, what kit will I need to reproduce the kind of Tee's in the link shown?

My budget is around £1000

NOt about the nuts and bolts I know but one of the main pieces of 'kit' you'll need to reproduce most of that material is a licence from the copyright owners for each and every design you sell

... OR the talent/budget to produce your own 100% original designs!

Be aware that celebrity faces/slogans/logos etc are all subject to strict copyright provision. -Especially when incorporated into another design. In recent years, as the means of reproducing material has become more accessible, rights owners have become more litigeous...

- That's one of the most obvious pitfalls!