So many decorating options.

Brown did some recent DTG print testing and I had some thoughts.  This particular test involved a print run of about 72 shirts ranging from youth medium to adult 3xl.  It has a white crest print and a multi-color full back on a dark shirt.  A typical order for a community printer.  And a profitable one if handled correctly for your shop.  

What is correctly?

DTG

This run was done with a digital printer and our Synergy pretreat and FireFly cure systems.  At 72 shirts with a white under-base, this job took almost 2 hours.  The image quality was fine but it did look like a digital print. They are clean but they do not pop.  The estimate on the cost of each garment includes time and materials.

Shirt $2

Ink $0.95

Pretreat $0.30

Shop time cost  $1.66

Labor $0.83

Total cost per shirt $5.74     

The positive to DTG  printing is that once the art is approved there is no additional processing of the art to print.  A quick conversation from the PNG and it is ready.  Also, employee training is minimal.  Everything is determined by the Linx program within the machines and the operator only loads and unloads.  Additionally, the software will resize the art to the size of the garment, the job is easily repeatable and there is no clean up at the end.

Screen Print on an automatic

So, what would happen if it were printed on an ElectraPrint auto press?  Front and back, this job would be finished in less than an hour.  The look would be crisp and it would pop off the shirt.  The size of the print on the youth would be the same size as on the 3XL, which is a negative.  There is set up and clean up.  The art needs to be separated and screens need to be made.  Presuming that this design could be printed with 6 colors, this is the estimated cost per garment.

Shirt $2

Ink $0.06

Films/screens $0.08

Shop time cost $0.83

Labor $0.42

Total cost per shirt $3.31

Screen Print on an manual

So, what would happen if it were printed on an MasterPrinter manual press?  Front and back, this job would be finished in about 2 hours.  The look would be crisp and it would pop off the shirt.  The size of the print on the youth would be the same size as on the 3XL, which is a negative.  There is set up and clean up.  The art needs to be separated and screens need to be made.  Presuming that this design could be printed with 6 colors, this is the estimated cost per garment.

Shirt $2

Ink $0.06

Films/screens $0.08

Shop time cost $1.66

Labor $0.83

Total cost per shirt $4.63 

Is cost the only factor in the production path?

Well, we can all say "no" to that answer.   But there is $2.50 per shirt here in profit.  So COGS cannot be ignored.

COGS is a significant factor.  That calculation has to include machine time, shop time and labor time.  However, judging the flow of your shop, the availability of your staff and their skill sets, and the print preferences of the final customer will sway the final production decision.   If they want "pop" then they will want screen print.  If they prefer a soft feel, then DTG is a good plan.

So the real answer is that there is not a "correct" way to do this except to follow some basic guidelines.

1. Is the customer happy with the finished product?
2. Did you deliver on time?
3. Did you make a profit margin that you would want repeat the job?
4. Did this job delay other jobs that were more profitable?

If your answers are yes, yes, yes and no, then you have chosen wisely within the parameters of your production facility.  If any other answer comes up, then reconsider for future jobs what needs to shift.  Was the print accepted, was job late, or did you not make enough of a profit margin?  Because in the end, it is a happy customer with a solid bottom line that we are all striving to achieve.

Set-n-Go. Go where? No, go faster.

Every manufacturer of printing equipment touts a pre-registration system.  This is not one of those "do you want fries with this" kind of items.  It is a serious tool and we think that it is a necessary piece of equipment whether you are printing manually or on an automatic.  Old school printers and many do-it-yourselfers will say that this is unnecessary because they are so fast in set up, but experts disagree.  These systems have gotten so elaborate that you can purchase printers to put the art exactly on a screen so that press registration upon set up is perfect.  These high end systems would not be developed if they did not have major benefits that offset the costs.  They will cut your screen set up time on a multi-color job down to 5 minutes.

Time is money

Speed and accuracy, my friend.  Speed and accuracy.  Hypothetically, if artwork were always placed in the exact same spot.  If screens were loaded into the press in the exact same spot.  If artists registered the art to the final garment each time.  Then job set up would be so perfect that press adjustments would not happen.  Imagine the speed.

• Little to no micro or macro adjustment of the press
• no platen adjustment
• no checking of the artwork location on the garment and adjusting to fit
• straight prints all the time without hassle

Yes, some of you will say that you never do any of these things.  Seriously, we know you do.  That is why we put all of these adjustments on a press.  However, we know that all of these adjustments will cause set up for every multi-color job to be a minimum of 15 minutes.  

How does it help?

By starting back at the art department, a set of predefined art locations will cause the artwork to land on the correct location on each garment without adjusting the platen or the garment upon load.  

If the Horizon line of your artwork represents the collar of the garment, the the artist has a good starting point of knowing where to place the art.  General rule is that there is a 3" gap between the collar and the top of the art.  Also, if the Horizon line is also the top edge of the platen on the press, then you can say that all garments load so that the collar just falls off the platen.  If the artist and the printer match, then the operator only needs to load the screens a to the preset stops and the platen will not need adjustment.  This is the same for all art locations.  Preset the location of the pocket or the back print and allow the collar to always just fall off the shirt board.  This simple rule of preregistration systems saves time on every job.  No more guessing of platen location.  No testing of shirt load location.  No wondering this run will match the previous run of the same job.

How do you get the screens exposed correctly.  

Let's think through the next steps of the process.  The artwork comes from the art room with horizon lines and registration marks on each film.  The platens are fixed in location.  Now if every screen is burned using a fixture that matches a fixture on press, then set up is a breeze.  And by fixture, we do not mean a t-square.  We are looking to speed things up, not slow them down.

The screens go on a jig, the art matches the jig.  Process the screens and then load them against the jig that is on the press.  Sounds clean and simple, right?  Ok, let's slow this down and list this out.  The artwork is set against a standard registration template so that template should be affixed to the screen box.  In some systems, there are pins that the artwork sits on.  In some, the fixtures are on the exposure glass.  In ours, the template is adhered to the yellow box.  The screen seats agains the guide pins and then the art is taped on while matching the template.

Once the screen has been processed, the screen is set into the press against a guide pin bracket.  This bracket flips down so that it stays on the press but is out of the way of the operator.  Check out this video for a quick "how it's done".

Yes there will be some short term time spent on learning new steps.  However, if the press set up time drops to under 5 minutes, then the value of the system is justified.  The faster we move a job through the shop the higher the profits.

Everyday conversations with our customers

We are a bit old school.   When you call Brown Manufacturing Group you get people.   No voice mail.  No phone extensions.  No "press 1" commands.  It isn't because we are living in 1970, but because we prefer human interaction.  Customer connection is a priority for us.  We are a family business and we want to know our customers, not just take an order and move on.

This direct contact comes with both positives and negatives. One negative is that, sometimes, we are a bit overloaded.  Our apology if you have been on hold or caught us juggling a few conversations at the same time.

It is those conversations that are the positive.  

AP-67J ElectraPrint Junior

As an example, today, a customer called to order a sleeve platen for his manual Masterprinter.  I had the opportunity to chat with him about the job he was printing and learned that he needed to print 200 shirts in 3 locations by Friday.  Well, as a sales person, this was an opportunity for me.  But is was also a learning conversation for him.  He had not looked at our ElectraPrint machines and did not know their capabilities or how reasonably priced they could be.  Though he ordered his sleeve attachment and will be printing 600 prints by hand, he is now armed with information on how to improve his business and that he can afford the upgrade.  No online order system can do that for a customer.

Additionally, if he had taken the time to peruse our web site, this kind of machinery can be confusing to configure to your shop.  A little bit of casual conversation and we determined the right number of heads and features that fit his shop and his production needs.  And it was in his price range.

As a sales professional, I can always wish for a sale.  But most sales people know that business is build upon relationships and need fulfillment.  Did I expect a sale?  Only for the original sleeve platen.  Do I look forward to future conversations with this customer about expanding his business?  Absolutely.

We prefer you call us and ask questions.  Send us an email, if you prefer.  Our family likes to meet yours.  We believe it is better service.  And, for the record, that sleeve platen will ship today.

Manual printing options

There are so many options available to screen print a shirt.  The different machinery levels can be confusing and the options available are essential to some but unnecessary to others.  Let's break down the machinery levels and what all of those features can do for the press operator.

CP-42R ClassicPrinter

There are some basics to begin.  Beginner presses are typically designed to be mounted on a bench or table.  They also only allow for a maximum of 4 colors to be printed.  And they do not have features for micro-registration or rotary load platens.  However, they print shirts and have a low initial investment which means that the ROI is quicker and higher.

Whoa... some technical terms were tossed about there.  Slow down, what do those mean?

• Micro-registration is an adjustment feature on each color head that keeps the screen secure in the clamps but the operator has dial adjustment to move the screen small amounts.  This comes in handy when registering multi-color jobs.  Though, this is not a require item on a press, it makes the press faster to operate so jobs are produced quicker.  Time is money.
• Rotary load platens is also referred to as speed tables.  The print boards rotate as well as the print heads.  This allows for flash curing between colors while you are still printing.  It also gives the opportunity for additional people to load and unload shirts while the press operator is printing.  

PP-64 PonyPrinter

Moving up the ladder of printing machines, we add some basic items.  First, these typically are mounted on a stand.  A stand designed for the press tends to make the whole operation more stable.  Unlike bench models, the entire design of this level press is heavier and designed for a longer life span.  These units may start to have some extra features like more colors,micro-registration and rotary platens but they are typically rear clamping.  The micros are usually not as tight as higher end machines and the platens are made of wood.  Again, the initial investment is lower so the ROI is quick.  They tend to be more durable than table top types so they will provide that return for years.

Stop!  Another new term!  

• Rear clamping refers to how the screen is secured into the printing head.  Rear clamp machines typically have 2 knobs that hold the short side of the frame.  This positioning is quick for screen load but can offer issues during a print run.  Off-contact and screen warp are two of the most common.
• Off- contact (yeah, we snuck that one in) is the distance between the substrate and the print side of the screen.  The screen should not sit directly on the shirt and the distance should stay stable across the print area.  In rear clamp situations, there is nothing to support the nose of the frame so off-contact shifts from back to front as you pull the squeegee.

MD-64 MidLine

Mid-line presses are the next level.  This is where you will see refinement in the design and durability of the machine.  Stands become bases, support shafts get stronger, micro registration adjustments get finer, and pivot mechanisms are more durable.  These machines are designed for community printers and for full shifts of printing.  They will be offered with 4, 6 or 8 color options and 4, 6 or 8 platens. Some of the presses are still rear clamp, while some have moved to side clamp for more stability. The price starts to shift upward but their set-up and features make the ROI still within a year.

See what we did there?  

• Stand versus base.  A stand is a table designed to hold something.  In this case it is a durable steel structure designed to hold a 4 or 6 color printer.  A base is integral to the printer itself.  Often the design of the platen support hub is part of the base.
• Finer micro-adjustment.  You just learned what micros are and now they change too?  Sure, like all tools they can get better.  The amount of movement with each turn is smaller and tighter on mid line machines.
• Pivot mechanisms are what the print heads go up and down on and the print/platen hubs spin around.  In starter machines, these are usually wear parts made of bronze or plastic.  As the durability of the machine goes up, these parts become more solid.  At this level the presses start to have sealed bearings and hardened parts.
• Support shaft is what all the hubs spin around.  The starter machines usually have some bot together parts with lazy susan bearings or a hardware spindle for the print and platen hubs to rotate around.  Again, these are wear parts.  In mid line machines, you will see a solid shaft that moves through the full mechanism of the press and some sealed bearings for everything to rotate on.

MP-666 MasterPrinter

Premium machines is where all these features come together.  This level of machine offers sealed bearings on all applicable locations, solid shafts, side clamps, tight micro registration, aluminum platens, heavy construction and extra options such as preregistration systems and interchangeable platen.  The price on these can get as high as $8,000 but they are designed for full shift production and long life spans.  One of these should last 20 years with the same quality print as when it was first produced.  ROI takes longer but the press will still be a profit center long after the depreciation is over.

Last call.

• Aluminum platens are covered in a screen print resistant rubber.  These platens do not warp or burn and are a life time investment.
• Interchangeable platens for what?  For the automatic printer that you know you want.  
• Pre-registration systems speed up set up starting in the art room all the way through screen processing and press set up.  These systems cut set up time down to seconds for multi color jobs.  As we remind you, Time is Money.

So the final question is, "what do you do"?  That is all dependent upon money, space and function.  We have often suggested starter presses to big shops because of the function it will be used for.  And, if there is a premium press available on the used market, anyone should buy it if they have the space. Most machines on the market will produce quality printed shirts.  Stick with your budget and your space, because when you grow you will add new presses.  If you go in debt on a press then the ROI will take too long.