The customer says, ” I sent you the color, why doesn’t it match?” and then it starts… Here are probably not all, but many of the reasons color matching for screen printed t-shirts is so difficult. Customer’s Dream and Aspirations for the Color 1. We have customers that send us computer images and expect t-shirts…
Back in the day there were cotton and 50/50 t-shirts and everything was either screen printed or embroidered. Those days are long gone. Now you need to educate yourself and your customers in order to give them what they want. You need to understand your substrates, your inks and the wide variety of decoration techniques…
Ink Kitchen is sponsoring hand-done poster printing at the Impressions show in Long Beach. The posters produced will be sold (suggested donation $10) to benefit a non-profit called Care Closet serving unhoused folks in Long Beach. You can watch them being printed and purchase one at the walkway between the main hall and the back…
The Impressions expos, particularly Long Beach, have become the main shows to attend. Originally more in the direction of garments, now they are where you go to see new equipment and supplies. However, that doesn’t mean garments are diminished. On the contrary, it is definitely a big show to see what is out there, talk…
It seems like a very opportune time to highlight the brand Chromaline as we are going into the Long Beach Impressions show. The Chromaline booth is #2324 if you are attending the Long Beach show. I’ll get to what it means in a moment but the focus in Long Beach for them is an…
Just because you can’t print a specialty item in your shop, that doesn’t mean you can’t sell it to your customers. Membership in promotional product organizations like ASI and PPAI is inexpensive and gives you access to suppliers, education, discounts, networking, marketing resources and more. This Shop Talk from the 2022 Impressions Expo Fort Worth…
One reason to attend the Impressions Expo in Long Beach is to see equipment in person. This show has plenty to see. Here are some things worth checking out and some folks that I think it is advantageous to meet in person. In general, most folks will benefit from checking out all the transfer options both…
The Long Beach Impressions Expo (formerly called ISS) is coming up January 20-22. It feels like there is quite a buzz about it and probably a dozen people who I thought were not going decided to go in the past couple days. It feels like everybody’s autos and dryers are worn out and they want…
Let your interests drive your niche and you’ll find customers you love to work with. John “Johnny Bomb” Herrera tells us how he became the go-to merch guy for Texas barbecue shops and how you can find your niche and be excited about your business. He doesn’t have the biggest shop in Texas or the…
Best piece of equipment in the shop in terms of bang for the buck is my folding safety box opener. The opener has a nub to split the tape on the top of the box, so you don’t cut the shirts. (We once did work for a big retailer and they made us put cardboard…
