When you need a large number items printed with the identical design, screen printing if often the perfect solution. It’s inexpensive. It’s quick. It has a wide variety of options (t-shirt, hoodies, bags, towels, etc). It offers a rainbow of colors for both garments and ink. It offers unlimited choice of designs. With all the possibilities, what’s a person to do? To transform your screen-printed vision into reality, you’ll need the help of an experienced and reliable screen printing company. There are dozens of screen printing companies from which to choose. Which one is the best fit for you? The following guidelines and suggestions will help you find a good screen printing company.
Ask for recommendations. Recommendations are a great way to find a reputable, reliable professional. Whether it’s a lawyer, house painter, babysitter, or plumber a personal recommendation is hard to beat. Ask your friends, family, and co-workers which local screen printer they’ve used in the past. Did they have a positive or negative experience?
Online reviews. These reviews are a great way to learn what others outside your circle of influence have to say about prospective screen printers. Look for a company that has multiple review instead of just a few. Check out our more than 85 – 5 Star Google Reviews online.
Look for experience and reliability. Experience is critical. Look for a company that has been printing for years. With years of experience under their belt, they’ve figured out what works and what doesn’t. What is their record for making customer deadlines? How easy is it to work with them? Are they organized?
Take a tour. Taking a shop tour is a great way to learn how a company really feels about quality. Here are few things to look for while they are showing you around.
- Is it clean? Do your shoes stick to the floor? Are there globs of ink tracked all over the shop? Is it difficult to navigate through the shop?
- The equipment doesn’t have to be the latest and greatest. However, is it clean? Is ink smeared all over the machine? Does it appear to be well maintained? Does it look like the equipment actually works? Does it look like it’s held together with baling wire?
- Does the shop look efficient and orderly. Is it neat and uncluttered or does it look like an episode from the TV show “Hoarders”? Are there pieces of old, unused equipment sitting around covered with stacks of boxes and other pieces of equipment?
- Is every flat surface covered with lint? Are dust bunnies multiplying in every nook and cranny? Does the top of the dryer look like a shag carpet due to a thick layer of lint?
Screen printing shops are notorious for being less than neat and clean. Sure, a dirty, cluttered shop might be able to produce a nice printed t-shirt. Anything is possible. However, you can be assured that if a shop cares enough about keeping their shop neat, clean and well organized they will be sticklers about the quality of your t-shirt order. Take a look at the photo above our shop. We would love to show you around our facility.
Browse portfolios and services. Screen printing is visual. Be sure to ask for samples of their past work. Judge the quality of their products. Look at their past designs. Many screen printing companies have examples of their work online.
Ask questions and assess their customer service. If you haven’t done so already, give the company a call. Ask questions via email. Schedule a meeting. Explain what you want and ask how they can help you accomplish your goal. Look for a company with a friendly, knowledgeable staff. Here are a few questions you will want to ask:
- What brands do you carry?
- How many colors can you print?
- Do you have in-house graphic designers?
- What is the turn around time for your order?
- How much will your project cost?
- Do you require down payment?
- What are your order minimums?
- Do you have art and/or screen fees?
You’ve now passed Picking a Screen Printer 101. To get started with your custom screen-printed apparel order, check us out at Greek Corner Screen Printing and Embroidery in Springfield, MO. Since 2009, we’ve never missed a hard customer deadline for screen printing. As a result, we have over 115 – 5 Star Google Reviews. In addition to offering full-service screen printing, we provide free art service and no screen fees. You can call anytime to set up a shop tour. Our experienced, friendly staff would love to work with you on your next tee shirt, bag, hoodie, short, and screen printed sportswear order for your school. Call us at 417.865.8011 or get a free quote today.