More OT: Shirts- Where To Get Small Custom Orders?

jrazz wrote on 12/21/2008, 5:51 PM

It's like pulling teeth trying to find someone to print a small quantity of shirts (<10). I have some guys I have working for me on repetitive shoots and I need some shirts made up. I met with a printer tonight who was going to work with me on a small quantity doing screen printing. The screen printing cannot capture my logo correctly so she wants to change some colors and remove the "depth" from it and make it flat so one color will be used (thus the nature of screen printing I am told). It just doesn't look good to me (I am biased though as I made my own logo).

I also looked at transfers that would get it accurate but it is so much more expensive and the order quantity is way more than I would ever need.

Cheap iron on transfers will not work as I have white in the design and the shirts have to be black.

Just looking for ideas.

Here are the designs if that will help you help me :)

j razz

Comments

Jessariah67 wrote on 12/21/2008, 5:53 PM

www.graph-tex.com

They are based in central NY, but they have no problem doing smaller orders.

HTH

TheHappyFriar wrote on 12/21/2008, 6:30 PM

i might know someone. I'll try to get his info for ya.

jrazz wrote on 12/21/2008, 7:36 PM

Thanks guys.

j razz

StefanS wrote on 12/22/2008, 7:01 PM

CafePress.com

JackW wrote on 12/22/2008, 10:21 PM

Try the Queensboro Shirt Company

The have a four piece minimum, do excellent full-color embroidery, have a wide range of products (shirts, caps, bags, jackets, etc.,) and excellent prices. Their customer service is very good, too.

We've dealt with them for the past ten years with never a complaint.

Jack

DrLumen wrote on 12/23/2008, 6:37 PM

You might check with some local costume shops. They may be able to make them or have some suggestions for local companies that will do small runs.

You also may want to check with someone else about getting them silk screened. While you, or they, would have to do a color separation, silk screening can get some fairly accurate colors (more than 1) by making multiple passes with the different colors.

If nothing else, find one of those people that do airbrushing of t-shirts. They may be expensive but possibly less than silk screening a few shirts.

Jim H wrote on 12/23/2008, 9:20 PM

I've been using an outfit called Bluff City Sports for almost 10 years now for my Wakely Dam Ultra t-shirts. They are easy to work with, will do some art work for free and would probably not sneeze at any size job this time of year.

By the looks of your design you might get away with 4 screens, two red, two white at $25 per screen just for starters. Add the cost of the shirts and you could guess pretty close at what they'll cost you. You could also look at a full color screen which is done like an inkjet... now sure how they price those. Avoid the application transfers, they don't hold up at all.

http://www.bluffcitysports.com/

reberclark wrote on 12/23/2008, 10:46 PM

Cafepress.com

jrazz wrote on 12/24/2008, 7:09 AM

Thanks again for all the suggestions.

I checked locally before I posted (and have been looking for a while). I have not found any places locally that will do small orders. However, I did get a cheap price at Vistaprint.com. I called and spoke with them before I placed the order (they do one-offs) and they say they print directly on the material with inkjet ink and then somehow "cure" it so that it stays even after washing. You upload your artwork, place it on the shirt where you want it and hit submit. I will let you know how it goes. I also liked what I saw at cafepress.com. If I am not satisfied with it, I will definitely be checking them out.

j razz

J_Mac wrote on 12/25/2008, 1:56 PM

http://www.texas2stitch.com/