April 3rd, 2015 Show Notes – Its Not Me, it is…
Please find some links and notes from the 2 Regular Guys Podcast. This week we talked troubleshooting tips for problem solving across several decorating method, including screen printing, vinyl transfers, direct to garment and sublimation. We will discuss how to look at all of the variables are realize it might not actually be the ink, vinyl, substrate or printer, but maybe the process.
Sponsored by: WholesaleGraphix.com (Use Coupon code SUMMER)
Our regular listeners know this, but 2 Regular Guys is all about garment decorating, a bit of fun, and no rants or lectures or selling. We are not doing this for our employers, but rather for our industry. For the past two years, 2 Regular Guys has been the first and the most listened to garment decorating industry podcast on this planet! We are humbled by all of you tuning in each week. We work hard to bring you information that will make your business better, and our industry better. Take a look at our incredible weekly guest list and you’ll understand where this industry goes for news, interviews and the heartbeat of garment decorating. Thanks for listening today!! We have another great show for you!!
SPECTRUM DESIGNS
Patrick was born in England and went to high school in Wales. He gained his bachelor’s degree from Birmingham University, UK. He then worked as a camp counsellor at Camp Huntington NY before completing his Masters in Special Education at Long Island University. He is President of Spectrum Designs Foundation, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Nicholas Center for Autism, and Co-Founded both organisations in 2011.
Spectrum Designs Foundation under Patrick’s leadership has gone from an operation with 2 employees in a barn in one of the co-founder’s back yard to over $600k in net sales for 2014. More history!
They have a Viper and an M2 DTG Machines, 2 manual Vastex Screen printing presses and 2 Melco XTS embroidery machines.
It’s the ink… it’s the shirt… it’s the vinyl… it’s anything but me
Trouble Shooting Tips
Screen Printing
- Ink cracking – proper cure
- Could be dryer malfunction, could be moisture in your garments
- Test your garments with #5 temp strips
- My colors washed off the shirt and only left the underbase
- White speckles in my ink/rough surface
- This is one of my favorites. It’s not the ink, it’s your screen!
- Thinning inks
- Once told by an ink manufacturer to stop telling students they can thin inks
Vinyl
- Vinyl Peeling Off
- Are you layering
- Does the garment have waterproofing
Direct-to-Garment
- Dull or less than acceptable prints
- Pretreating – #1 variable and most common mistake when it comes to DTG
- Too little pretreat
- Too much pretreat
- Garments
- Not all garments are created equal – no amount of pretreat change will fix it
- 100% ringspun combed cotton
- Blends – 50/50 sweatshirt customer
- Pretreating – #1 variable and most common mistake when it comes to DTG
Sublimation
- Blank isn’t coated right
- Has your heat press been checked for cold spots?
- Do you have even pressure (Clam Shell)
- Colors don’t look right
Shows
- DAX Chicagoland – April 24-25
- ASI New York – May 5-6
- ISS Nashville – May 7-9
- NBM Arlington – May 14-16
- NBM Indy – June 4-6
Other News/Events
- Complete Screen Printing Business Course – Atlas Screen Supply in Chicago – May 16-17
Terry’s Books
Screen Printing: A Practical Guide to Starting Your Own T-Shirt Business Just $4.95 as an e-book.
Direct to Garment: A Practical Guide to Starting Your Own T-Shirt Business Just $4.95 as an e-book.
Scheduling and Estimating Production Time for Garment Screen Printing Just $2.99 as an e-book
This show is brought to you for a full hour by: WholesaleGraphix.com, As a screen printer or direct to garment printer WholesaleGraphix.com knows that you occasionally get asked if you make banners, signs, magnets or adhesive material. Instead of turning these customers down, or spending thousands of dollars on new equipment, you can now offer an array of new products to your customers with the click of the mouse. WholesaleGraphix.com is a wide format and direct to substrate printing service. Login to their website for instant wholesale quotes on all of their materials. Mark up the price, sell it to your customer and then upload the artwork to their servers. They print it and send it to you. It’s that easy. If you go to wholesalegraphix.com/2regularguys and use the discount code HAPPY before the end of the month, you will get 25% off of your first purchase. Check out Wholesale Graphix .com now.
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