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How to Build a Darkroom for a Screen-printing Shop With Limited Floor Space

How to Build a Darkroom for a Screen-printing Shop With Limited Floor Space

Can you suggest some approaches to building a darkroom for a screen-printing shop that has a limited floor space? This was a question posed by a Printwear reader, and here is Kieth Stevens’ response:

A booth can often be constructed of black plastic sheeting, which is relatively cheap to purchase. Choose a location close to the washout area to minimize exposure to light. Simply construct a 1′ x 3′ wooden frame and determine where to place the entry to the dark room. Staple the plastic to the frame and overlap some plastic to create the “door.” By overlapping the plastic sheets, it will minimize the light coming through during entry and exit. Also, be sure that the plastic cover reaches to the floor to block out light completely.

Friday, December 16, 2016/Author: Anonym/Number of views (1578)/Comments (0)/
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3 Polyester / Performance Production Secrets

3 Polyester / Performance Production Secrets

New article from Marshall Atkinson & atkinsontshirt.com. What is one of the number one growth area in the decorated apparel industry?  Performance and Athleisure wear.  The good news is that your shop can benefit directly from this boom by decorating on these trendier tech apparel blanks.  Maybe you already are, and that’s great.  There is better margin in them too; as they prove to be more difficult for some lesser educated or experienced shops to handle.  I’ve talked to plenty of new customers over the years that left their previous decorator because the white ink turned pink on some red polyesters shirts (see the picture above – does this look like your handiwork?), and the printer didn’t take responsibility for the challenge. 

Monday, December 12, 2016/Author: Anonym/Number of views (1436)/Comments (0)/
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Expert Apparel: Integrating Your Production Systems

Expert Apparel: Integrating Your Production Systems

Going back to the basics can do wonders for your shop’s efficiency.

Let's stop for a minute and think about all the moments our presses have come to a halt in production. I’ve been in the T-shirt business some 30 years, and the list of reasons hasn’t changed much. You’ve got pinholes, ghost images, ink buildup, ink hangup, mis-registration, uneven ink coverage, poor color balance, and dot gain – to name a few. Now take it a step further and estimate the amount of downtime these disruptions cost you. Better yet, ask your staff to start recording this information, because real data is far more revealing than a casual estimate. What you’re going to find is that you have downtime that can be avoided and it’s costing you money.

Thursday, December 8, 2016/Author: Anonym/Number of views (1322)/Comments (0)/
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How to Calculate the Cost of Your Screen

How to Calculate the Cost of Your Screen

Is it important to really know the cost-per-screen for your business?  This was a question posed by a Printwear reader, and here is Kieth’s response:


Tuesday, December 6, 2016/Author: Anonym/Number of views (1456)/Comments (0)/
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Automatic Results

Automatic Results

If you've recently expanded your operation, you're probably aware of the many recent high-tech advances in screen printing: faster, more sophisticated presses at lower prices; direct-to-garment printing; LED exposure systems; advances in preregistration systems; and more. Even if you haven't added any new equipment in the last decade, it would be hard not to notice the headlong drive to automate. 


Monday, December 5, 2016/Author: Anonym/Number of views (1201)/Comments (0)/
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Adjust The Sails

Adjust The Sails

New article from Marshall Atkinson & atkinsontshirt.com.
Pessimist.  Optimist.  Realist.

If you had to characterize your business personality into one of these three types, which would you choose?
Did you pick one?  
Why do I ask?  Well, I stumbled on a fantastic quote the other day that I thought would make a great focus for an article.  Have you read this before?
“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” – William Arthur Ward
When thinking about your company and your business strategy do you find yourself complaining about forces that are thrust upon you?
Wednesday, November 30, 2016/Author: Anonym/Number of views (1164)/Comments (0)/
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Printing Tips for Today’s Fabrics

Printing Tips for Today’s Fabrics

Popular, profitable, and often a pain in the neck to print, the latest fashion fabrics can present quite a challenge to shops accustomed to printing standard plastisols on all-cotton garments


Wednesday, November 23, 2016/Author: Anonym/Number of views (2208)/Comments (0)/
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Simple Strategies to Grow T-shirt Sales

Simple Strategies to Grow T-shirt Sales

Tips for obtaining additional sales using your current customer base.

Monday, November 21, 2016/Author: Anonym/Number of views (1321)/Comments (0)/
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Curing shiny, metallic inks

Curing shiny, metallic inks

In an article recently published by Images Magazine, Kieth Stevens gives us some tips on how to best cure shiny inks:
When glitter or shimmer inks fade after washing, it’s easy to blame the ink, but curing is often the culprit: under-cured ink can wash off the fabric during the wash cycle.
Thursday, November 17, 2016/Author: Anonym/Number of views (1223)/Comments (0)/
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Handling Holiday Orders

Handling Holiday Orders

If your business is anything like mine, you’ve been assailed with orders for stockings since before Halloween. Even so, as we enter the headlong slide into the biggest gift-giving season of the year, you’ll probably be stuck taking up the slack for the poor souls who didn’t spend their first fall days planning for Yuletide festivities. Luckily, I have a veritable sleigh-load of tips for how to handle customers, keep production on track, and handle those specialty holiday items and last minute requests that will make the end of the year not only productive but profitable.


Monday, November 14, 2016/Author: Anonym/Number of views (1220)/Comments (0)/
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