We reveal two secrets to anyone who is taking their start in screen printing
Two Things Beginner Screen Printers Need to Know to Be Successful
Getting into screen printing is an easy thing to do. Whether you are a hobby printer looking to set up shop in your basement, or looking for a full professional screen printing operation, there are great start up screen printing shop packages. No matter which of these fits your business profile, it is important that your screen printing ability is on-point. To this end, here are two essential things beginner screen printers should know to be successful.
1. Become Friends with Your Competition - Having screen printing friends can help you out of a jam. For instance, if you suddenly run out of ink on a Saturday and you have a job due out Monday morning. Do you know if your customer would mind waiting an extra day or two? What if this is for an event that can’t be pushed back, or the customer cannot accept a late delivery? If you have made friends with another local printer, they could really save you. Ask nicely to borrow that gallon of ink you need. Pro tip: buy your friend a new gallon of plastisol ink, AND a hand squeegee for helping you out of a jam.
2. Learn as Much as Possible - There are a lot of opinions in the screen printing industry. As you gain experience, it becomes clear that there is no “perfect” or “right way” for screen printing t-shirts or any other garment. Screen printing is an art and a science. That doesn't mean you should throw the necessary steps out the window, but take advice on the experiences another printer has had. Just make sure to test the advice given for yourself first. This is true even for Lawson’s printing coaches. Combined, we have been printing for over 100 years, but you should make sure it works in your particular situation. Luckily, no one at Lawson is paid on commission so there is no reason to up-sell. Learn….but be mindful of online advice. Screen printing groups started as a great way for printers to share information with one another. It still can be helpful for basic information, especially in your early days. However, many of these groups and posts have a tendency to turn into a disguised marketing arena. With paid promotional posts and salespeople posing as regular users, it can sometimes be hard to determine helpful information from a well disguised paid advertisement. Take things you read online with a grain of salt. Knowing these two things will set any new screen printer on the right course to success. Make sure to sign up for Lawson’s newsletter for other great tips on screen printing, as well as equipment and supply deals.
