Most of those who want to realize their dreams of starting their businesses turn to clothe decoration. Clothing decoration is a huge sector that more and more people enter every day.
Owning a t-shirt business is fun and allows you to use your creative side in your business as well.
If you are new to the heat press or are ready to get started right away, here are a few tips that we hope you'll get started with the right steps.
These tips and tricks are good to know beforehand so you don't have to spend time understanding them as you move forward or after some time involved.
This will help you learn from other people's mistakes and move faster on your path to success.
- A Good Start Starts with a Good Hot Press
The heat press is the main equipment you need to heat the print, even if it is not a single piece. Some also prefer to buy a cutter, this advice also applies to the cutter.
However, you don't want to be deprived of the piece of equipment you trust the most to earn money for your business. Because as a business, you damage your reputation due to missing equipment.
Cheap heat presses are not reliable as poor-quality parts are used. You get what you pay for.
A cheap heat press will cause problems in applying any kind of heat transfer.
A good heat press will be able to apply all kinds of transfer types without any problems.
Get the best print you can get.
Note that although it is more expensive, you can cover the cost of your press with your first few orders. The better your press is, the better you will be in the long run.
You will also want to start with a larger size press, 16 ”x 20” plate, or equivalent. On top of a large plate, a press with exchangeable plates is even better.
A large press with exchangeable plates allows you to do any job. Don't squeeze yourself into a corner with a small print.
You will soon learn that if you cannot print the items you want, you need to buy a larger press or a printer with a variety of printing plates. This can be disappointing. So if you want to have a permanent job, start with the right equipment.
2.Follow Transfer Type Instructions
Each type of heat transfer will have its application instructions on how best to apply it.
The transfer type determines the application instructions, not the type of garment or fabric you are printing on.
Many times we have seen heat printers try to change their application instructions for a particular heat transfer depending on the fabric they are applying.
It is not the type of fabric that dictates the instructions. However, the fabric can determine which type of transfer will be used.
If you have a particular fabric, check which transfer type you should use for that garment.
3.Don't Sell Short on Pricing
Pricing your finished custom clothing can be difficult.
But if you want to run a business, you have to set a price for profit.
Most people start a business because they want to be an entrepreneur. But after a while, it can turn into work 7 days a week. Setting the right prices is one way that can help you maintain a healthy business while managing your workload.
Pricing will help you realize your entrepreneurial dream.
Before setting the final price, you should start by knowing your costs.
We see some customers trying to price their T-shirts first, then struggle when they can't profit from their price.
Don't work backward. Know your costs first and adjust your pricing according to your profit.
- How to Save on Printing Costs
One way to make more profits is to lower your costs.
There are several ways to save on your printing costs when using screen printed transfers:
price breaks
group pages
color changes
Price Breakdowns
When ordering, pay attention to quantity price breakdowns. As the quantity approaches a price drop, it may be cheaper to go to the next quantity breakout overall. So you get a few extra transfers for less money.
Group Pages
The screen-printed transfer sheet size is 11.25 ”x 14”. You can fit as many images on this page as possible for the same price. This is called a group page.
When you have multiple images on the page, you can divide the page cost by the number of images to get your 'per image' price, which will be cheaper.
Color Change
If you are making the same design on more than one garment color and your customer wants the ink colors to change with different garment colors, you can order a "color change". This allows you to get the price in total quantity price break for a small color change fee. Overall, you will save money by doing this.
- You Don't Have To Be An Artist To Have Great Artworks
As we mentioned above, you can find thousands of pre-made layouts and thumbnails that you can use to create your designs.
You don't need any artistic talent or complex design programs to create a great design for your t-shirts, hoodies, tote bags.
- Test Printing Before You Start Your Business
Each transfer order comes with an extra transfer for you to use for testing purposes before starting all your work.
This is particularly useful if you are using a type of fabric you have never used before or a type of transfer that you have never used before.
Another reason you might want to test it beforehand is that the heat presses are all made different. As we mentioned in the first point above, we can say that some cheaper printing machines may not be as successful in transfers.
7.Measure Twice, Design Once
Before ordering your transfers, you'll want to know what you are printing to see if there are any restrictions for your design size.
Measure for any obstructions in your print area to know exactly what size you should order.
Hooded pockets, left chest pockets, buttons, collars, seams, etc. It is everything you need to consider when making your design.
For example, if your print area is limited to 9 inches wide, don't order your transfers 11 inches wide.
It seems common sense, but many people forget to measure before ordering and realize that the transfers are huge when they start implementing them.
8.Learn the Product Drawing Properties for the Transfer Type
When creating a work of art, you need to consider the type of transfer you will be using.
It has different image properties such as different transfer types, minimum line thickness for printing areas, and minimum transparency thickness for non-printing areas. This will make your transfer design look great once applied and the drawing is visually legible and clear.
9.Take Yourself Extra Time to Complete the Project
We know that your customers often order at the last minute, but try to give yourself plenty of time to complete orders without a rush.
When you're working on orders at the last minute, you're more prone to making mistakes. Errors will still happen, so with a little extra time, you will be able to correct any errors that occurred.
Most orders can be finished ahead of schedule and you can let your customers know that the order is finished early. This will be a true surprise for your customers.
Even when something goes wrong, you'll likely be able to deliver on time and your customer won't notice the difference.
10.Use Your Resources for Help
As a heat printer, you have numerous resources available to assist you whenever you need it. Take advantage of current education and learn something new every day. This effort will benefit you and your business.
Whether it's blog content or videos, follow one a day or a few a week. Learning the tips of heat stress will help you become an expert.
Whenever you have a question or experience a problem, you can always contact our customer service. Our friendly staff is ready to receive your email or phone call to assist you.
We are here to help you grow your business.