How to Choose a Screenprinting Company - what to look for and what to expect

The screenprinting industry is fraught with companies that are small mom & pop companies all the way to very large companies that can handle orders of thousands of imprinted items per day. How do you possibly choose?

Well, it depends on what type of project you are considering. Just remember you get what you pay for. From a small group of friends that want matching shirts to a school fundraiser to a corporate franchised logo, any project deserves your full attention and best effort to have it shine.

The customer can be the most interactive part of the process. Especially if it is the first time you are endeavoring to do this type of project. Ask a few friends and associates who they use. Ask to see a few finished products that they know have been done by those companies. If none are available then take some time to visit the companies you are considering. (Never take the word of anyone even a friend when it comes to a project like this, in other words, do not just accept one person's opinion and go with it, at least compare two options).

When you visit the companies, ask to see some examples of their work. Any company should have easily retrievable pictures of their work. Ask if they will show you something that has recently been completed. Anything will do, you are looking for the quality of their work. Notice if their work is clean or if it appears to have smudges anywhere on the garment you are shown. Also hold it up and look to see if it appears straight to you. A good screen printer rarely has a garment that is crooked because they do it manually every day. The majority of the actual mounting of garments is still hand done by the screenprinter even if he/she is using an automatic screenprinting machine they still have to put the garment on the boards and remove it to send it through a dryer.

Any credible company even a mom & pop will have the ability to give you a proof of some sort that mocks up the finished idea. Discuss with the sales person or artist what you want on the garment. If you don't know what you want then ask to speak with the artist yourself or have them call you to discuss the project.

1. If you have been looking on the internet for ideas save the url address of the page you saw your idea on and take a screen shot (save image as ) of the art you like. This same procedure goes for fonts. I, myself, have been presented with the picture of a font many times when the customer did not know the name of the font. Most people do not realize the vast amount of fonts on the market both free and licensed (pay for) that need to be sifted through in order to fulfill their wish of having a certain font. It is always advisable to write down the names of fonts you like as you research* and to save the url address of the page you were on when you saw it. In this way, if you cannot provide the printer with the font and they do not have it, they can find it more easily. Since some companies charge more for extra research, it can easily cost you a lot more if a font 'scavenger hunt' is initiated.
2. Or better yet, bring your ideas with you (including url addresses) but be open to using something similar that the company can offer you. Most screenprinting companies can offer you a variety of graphic images to choose from and can incorporate them in a way to make your item look fresh, new or different than what they started out with.
3. Also be aware that most companies will charge an art fee if you do not commit to an order quantity. The fee is generally subtracted from the order total, but do not assume, ask. You do not want to pay a fee up front and then have to pay the full price of the order. Also be aware that an art fee is not refundable. It is charged in case the customer backs out of the arrangement and covers the cost of artist's creative time.

*names of fonts vary even in the 'font' family so Arial reg will be different than Arial con reg, and City D will be different than City BolD . Keep this in mind when writing down the font name.

It should take about two weeks to complete your order. This is assuming that you approved the art within 3-4 working days, and that the items you wanted (i.e. shirts) do not have any portion on back-order. This generally only only happens if you order an unusual color or non-standard sizes. Larger companies will have stock on hand for most of the popular colors & sizes of tee shirts as well as some hoodies or sweats (either crew or pants). However, if you are ordering 100 string bags to pass out to your church youth group then commit to the item you want right away or make sure you stay in the loop (check your messages and e-mail frequently) and don't drag your heels if you are on a deadline.

And finally, give yourself a couple days leeway. Occasionally accidents or mistakes do happen. If you don't give yourself a couple extra days the company will not be able to fix any last minute errors in production. A missing item can always be shipped in overnight (at their expense) to fulfill their commitment to, but not if you cut the time frame for delivery to the day of your need for those items.

Even though I have listed a link to an internet source, I do not recommend that you order through this type of company. If you plan on doing the same types of projects, even occasionally, you should establish a working relationship with a local company or graphic designer.