Screen Printing Forum

I am interested in knowing what those who are checking out this forum are thinking.

I like the idea of digital printing..but for fast turnaround of large qty orders, I still prefer to use my automatic press.
We have talked about using a digital printer for the smaller multicolor jobs we get in. Everyday I have at least one customer asking for a full color print on one or two shirts, this to me is where the digital printer would come in very handy. No one wants to pay the art and setups for screen printing a full color design on just a few shirts. But the price of a digital printer would have to become more reasonable before I could justify the expense.

Advance Screen Printing
Pasadena, Texas

evo,

first timer here.

what would that price point have to be for it to be viable for you? i am in the digital business and really want to stay plugged in with the whole industry so any help would be greatly appreciated.

tom

FuturePrint wrote:what would that price point have to be for it to be viable for you?tom

I made the mistake of getting into sublimation in the early stages and I have regretted it ever since.

I think the digital prints could be the future of small run production but the prices have to come down to a point that the average consumer wont have one in their home and smaller shops (like mine) can afford them without breaking the bank.

I get about 4 customers a month that want full color prints on less then 24 items
Those #'s dont warrant another $600 a month finance payment

JUST MY OPINION

Considering the problems many people run into with clogged nozzles on desktop printers I would hate to drop a load of cash on a T-Jet and have the same issues.

Sorry to let this out. I was getting pretty close in buying one then I had to get 3 shirt printed and I sent them out to someone that had a T-jet. I was not very satisfied with the print on just an ash color shirt. The color of shirt was coming though the print. Then I sent it to somene that had the t-jet that will print white but again I wasn't impressed so I ended up eating 6 shirts and printed them my self I showed my customer the three different prints and they took the ones I printed on the press. When they perfect it to print on other then white t-shirt I will look into it again.

it's just my opinion but i think the t-jet is more like a hobby tool not a production tool. it is older technlogy that can give good results but only after hours and hours of working through the kinks that are inherent to the way it is made. digital direct printing is here to stay though. i don't agree with many who say screen printing is on it's way out. there is just no way this is happening. they can go hand in hand though with small runs, custom work etc. just my opinion though.

tom

I haven't really checked into those, but can you do sweatshirts on them, I've only ever seen t-shirt being done?

i have printed a hooded sweatshirt on the flexi-jet. it worked great and didnt' have to pop a snap ring around it or anything else.

tom

I have been looking into digital for a while.
If you read between the lines most of the digital printers are having a lot of trouble getting up and runnning.
Clogged nossles, bad whites on black, slow printing times, etc.
The Kornit looks good, it's a machine that was designed from scratch to be a digital printer, not a converted Epson or something like that. It's very expensive for a small shop that thinks that by having the printer he'll get the work
Digital is for printers who already have a lot of work doing small runs (the internet suppliers, etc). The cost and problems in prodution make it hard for a small printer to maintain.

Heck Yes! We hooked up with a excellent digital printer close to us and are very happy with there work and prices. We have been printing on a manual press and can only do 6 colors. So the orders that require full color, digital works great. We have been doing very well and people seem to not mind paying extra for the option of doing full color or realistic photos.

Andrea