Screen Printing Start up Part 2 - Don’t Buy New Screen Printing Equipment Unless…

A.) you’ve seen it, used it, love it, or B.) are prepared to be stuck with equipment that you’re not ready for, or - for lack of a better phrase - just plain sucks.
(Go ahead and Read Part 1 If you haven’t already)

I chose B. Did I say that I love this business? I leased another $5,000 worth of equipment - sight unseen. At this point you’re probably thinking, this guy is not smart. That’s true about a lot of things. But in this case I think naive’ would be a more accurate description. I believed that, with the right equipment, even a novice like myself can make this business work. I had a lot of faith then, and even more now, that this is going to work out for the best. I could argue that it already is, given that you’re now reading a detailed account laid bare, of my many, many mistakes, so you may avoid them yourself. But I was wrong about the equipment. Even with great equipment I’m still a dillweed when it comes to printing. I’ve got a long, long way to go.

Nevertheless I made a $5000 lease-to-own mistake. On top of the $5000 privately purchased mistake in order to meet promises I had made. I can’t say enough by the Riley-Hopkins press. I’m sure in the right hands this machined piece of… wizardry can crank off shirts like nobody’s business. In my hands it sucks. I still haven’t figured out why my jobs keep losing registration. But it’s mine until death, or until the lease ends at which point it will be the problem of my great grandchildren.

Don’t choose B. Go to the vendor’s location. Test the equipment. If you’re a newb, like me, most vendors provide training classes on the equipment they sell, usually for around $400-700 per class. Take them. Yeah I know, it’s $700. Better than $10,000. Especially if you’re not sure this is for you.

Great equipment does not make the great printer. I have a friend who has been doing this for 14 years (Thank God for Randall), and he has a homemade 2 color press which he forged 12 years ago out of 2 lazy-susan spindles, some spare wood, and spring clamps. He refuses to upgrade, not because he’s behind the times, in fact his print results are faster, more dependable, and more consistent than mine. His press cost him $54 to make. In today’s dollars it would come out to about $120.00. I paid $1800 for mine. If you’re keeping score I’m already behind him by about $9,880. His Dryer is awesome though. I’ll tell you about that one in another post.

Don’t think, like I did, that the latest and greatest equipment will help you. It won’t. In fact. It will probably hurt you more than it helps. You need a foundation of knowledge first, which is why I suggest visiting the vendors to give the equipment a test drive.

“But I don’t have the money to take the classes” you say, “and gas is too expensive for me to drive all over the countryside in search of the perfect press. What do I do now?”. Read my final post on the subject and take every word to heart. it’s probably the most sobering and important thing I’ve learned in this process.