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Getting into screen printing coro signs

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Nathans

New Member
I never screen printed before but we are starting to get more and more people asking for screen printed signs.. I researched around and this is what i am looking for..

http://www.signwarehouse.com/p-SCP-BR-ENDSCRN-1824C.html

or something similar, We would only do 18x24 yard signs one to two colors and dont have much room, i was considering building something but with no experience i rather purchase something ready to go..

Signwarehouse is way over priced and im sure that's just a re-branded unit, is anyone selling there setup or what type of equipment should i get??
 
wildside

wildside

New Member
as you just said "limited space"

i would sub them out, we do them all the time and sub them out and we have plenty of room in the shop for the equipment, just no room for the headache of it all, especially with the prices that some can do them for

in house ability is nice, but is it really practical at this point?
 
Pat Whatley

Pat Whatley

New Member
Getting into screen printing coro signs
Click to expand...
Why? Do you hate money?

If you know what you're doing you can make a basic screen printing setup, including an exposure unit, for a couple of hundred bucks.

One thing you may want to consider is how many screen printing shops have closed their doors lately. It's awfully hard to make any money printing the occassional set of yard signs. If a customer orders 50 18"x24" single sided, one color signs I can buy them from a wholesaler ready to go for $2.60 each. If I make them myself I have to sensitize a screen, wash it out, set it up in the press, print the coro, clean up the ink, and reclaim the screen. My material cost (coro, ink, emulsion) on doing them myself is about $1.40 each meaning I only make $60 extra for doing them myself...if everything goes right.

Nope, we shut down our print shop, I sub it all out now, and we make far more money.
 
WhiskeyDreamer

WhiskeyDreamer

Professional Snow Ninja
you can do a DIY table printing table, but that thing looks like it's an all in one....which if you're on limited space...you can't really beat it....

if you've never done it before, know nothing about the inks/emulsion/exposing/thinners etc etc, and don't really have the room.....i'd suggest subbing it out too.....it might be in your best interest for right now....see how things work out doing it that way and if you can justify purchasing the equipment....

there are a lot of great merchant members on here that do screen printing...i personally deal with keith at i45 signs....excellent work, excellent turn....
 
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Nathans

New Member
I have been subbing them out, there is not much room for marking them up.. since the customer can do a quick google search and find places willing to do them for the same price im paying. I just though if i can get a small setup and run a deal on a hundred or so signs they would be inclined to use me and not have the shipping charges to pay.. it also gets customers in the door (we also do printing) so i might not be making the money on the signs but getting new customers might be worth it
 
TheSnowman

TheSnowman

New Member
Sub it to Keith. It's cut throat pricing, and only the ones set up for volume are keeping their heads above water from what I can tell.
 
txsurfer

txsurfer

New Member
get yourself a set of screen hinges and any table, not worth doing it yourself unless you do it all day everyday!!
 
TheSnowman

TheSnowman

New Member
I don't know why you asked what we thought, cause every single person that has delt with this decision gave you the same advice, but since it's not what you wanted to hear, you are just ignoring it.
 
Gino

Gino

Premium Subscriber
I think you should buy several of them and do what no one here can do........ sell them by the cartload. Get lotsa customers and just sell the living snot out of them and don;t forget to go cheap, so you can keep your machines running. That's the name of the game today, buy as much as you can and then sell your wares for next to nothing.

Let's say you have three machines going at once. Your profit will be 300% better than by subbing them out and you have all the work and clean up afterward. Don't pay attention to any of this advice. Go big or go home !!

Also, buy a flatbed while you're at it and knock the socks out of the industry with that bad boy !!
 
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Nathans

New Member
:Oops:I was just asking, I was not ignoring... but just cause someone says it wont work doesn't mean its not going to work for me.. i just wanted opinions to see what i was getting into.. some said yes some said no i need to weigh the pros and cons.
 
Gino

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Think about it.

Are you doing a few hundred a week ?? If not, subbing is definitely the way to go. Also, that machine kinda locks you into a size restriction problem.... if you'd wanna do a 3' x 4' or something slightly larger you're done. Then you'd be wishing you bought something larger. If ya have to.... do what tx suggested.
 
"Deposit Please"

"Deposit Please"

New Member
I heard of some local sign guys getting out of the screen printing biz because of the smell. They probably didn't have proper ventilation, but what do i know, never did it so i'm not sure what it's like.
 
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