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| masonmayhem |
 Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2006 12:01 am |
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 1376
Location: Redneck Riviera, AB
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i finally got into screenprinting. it was a long time goal for me to put graphics on to clothing. although i'm not a graphic designer and line art/vector art is still beyond my mental capacity, i have been doing the actual screening. i started march 2006.
i work at a sports wear store in oil country (alberta, canada). so the majority of work i do is either on jerseys or promotional items/work wear for oilfield/welding/electrical companies. i do a fair share of other stuff like local band shirts, a motocross company, a snowboard clothing company, a local skateboard company (salvation skateboards).
i love what i do but i get paid peanuts. i make $11/hour CAD. does this seem fair? am i getting paid for what i'm worth? the latter question is what i constantly ask myself. i love what i do, even if it's some money grubbing oil-soaked company's logo, and i'd love to keep doing this but will i ever make a living at it? i'd like to think that i'm really good at what i do. i've done up to 5 color graphics no problem. will i ever pay off my student loan or am i going to have to sell out to the oilfield?
how many people are actually making money on this? i do want to start a clothing company using screenprinting as an art form. original art, limited edition prints and what not. i do have the education (2 years of business administration with a major in management) but getting paid $11/hour makes it hard to get my starting capital together.
i'm not saying i want to make millions or even hundreds of thousands of dollars at this but i would like to be able to afford gas for my car, or maybe a car that doesn't look/run like a piece of shit.
thoughts? ideas? |
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| Earwick66 |
| Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2006 1:14 am |
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Joined: 27 Oct 2005
Posts: 3565
Location: Grand Saline,TX
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making serious money at screenprinting(by starting your own company)is going to be quite difficult in my opinion...
many factors lead me to this conclusion(ive been working at a screen shop for 9 years and dont make much but i enjoy the work and get to do my own thing when not doing "jobs")
..start up costs of just the equipment alone is a major hurdle.
you would need a location/building to start,press(6 color press at the minimum)inks,screens,squeegees,money for stock(shirts,etc. unless you plan on getting people to order their own shirts beforehand)oven/dryer,etc. etc.
and this is just the stuff you need to actually do jobs for people.
building up a client base to keep you going is also hit or miss...without a constant flow of work coming in you couldnt survive/pay rent.
we do many jobs for people that go out and get print orders from friends/business associates/churches/schools/etc. with the intent to try and be the "middleman" to make money, but there just isnt enough room to mark stuff up after paying us to do the printing( and they realize that its not enough to actually make this their prime source of income)
having said all this(after a few beers mind you and i apologize for the "wordiness")dont let me discourage you from trying to have a go at it..lots to consider but..it wont be easy by any means(and i would love for you to prove me wrong and be a success!!!)
you could always start small(1)buy a used 4-color press(2)get your screens coated and burned at a print shop so you dont have to buy certain equipment for screen prep(3)buy a flash unit to cure your shirts or small oven..in other words..start small and see if you can make more money than youre making now and go from there! 
thats my novel for the evening...good night  |
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| sheltered |
| Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2006 1:22 am |
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Joined: 16 Sep 2005
Posts: 86
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Pulling someone else's squeegee is a losing situation, unless you're doing high end work (electronics, etc...) It was good for me for summer work while in college.
Unfortunately screen printers are unskilled or semi-skilled labor for many employers (no matter how much you beg to differ) in the textile industry.
If you really love this, sharpen your art, tech, and printing skills on "the man's" time. find some space and start small. A lot of people stared with a simple one color plywood press and flock adhesive for ink. You can do alot with a flash unit and a small press. |
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| Stranglehold77 |
| Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2006 1:55 am |
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ORDER OF THE SKULL
Joined: 10 Apr 2002
Posts: 5437
Location: Victoria BC CANADA
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I've been doing this a long time. The first time I picked up a squeegee was 19 years ago and I've been working in the industry for 10 or so.
Mason, Screenboys don't make shit. Never have, never will. The only times I've ever done good with it is when I was running the show myself. Unfortunately, I hate the business end of things so it loses it's enjyment factor very fast.
Due to the fact that I'm very far from making ends meet at the shop I'm at now, it looks like I'm starting a shop again. This time I've got a couple of partners to deal with the business, and I can just push out the cotton.
It's a curse, but I love screenprinting.  |
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| Fool's Gold |
| Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2006 7:58 am |
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Joined: 10 Mar 2005
Posts: 284
Location: Ontario Canada
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You are getting payed well for what you do. If all you really know is how to print a shirt, and have little knowledge of the rest of the process, you are probably getting a fair salary. Pulling a squeegee is probably one of the most basic and simple parts of the process (of course its not easy, especially for highend work)
It's hard to make money at screen printing, especially when there is some douch three blocks down who will undercut you and print 24 shirts for $12 profit. |
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IRONCLAD GRAPHICS: Custom screen printed posters, apparel and stickers. |
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| masonmayhem |
| Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2006 1:39 pm |
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 1376
Location: Redneck Riviera, AB
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i guess the problem i have with it is i compare the amount of work i do with other jobs. up here, people who work full time at McDonalds start off at $12-13/hour. i hate the fact that i make less than a acne filled burger flipper drivin a new vw jetta.
today i start my vector art 'training'. ha. i'm getting my graphic designer to give me a crash course on using corel programs and adobe streamline.
i do want to go back to school for digital graphics communications and possibly try and make a living doing that.
why do all the good jobs pay crappy? i worked at a skatepark and i was responsible for the childrens safety and i only made $10.50/hour. someone in that position should be making at least $5 more. ah well. i guess all i can do is keep on keepin' on. |
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| masonmayhem |
| Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2006 1:41 pm |
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 1376
Location: Redneck Riviera, AB
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Fool's Gold wrote: You are getting payed well for what you do. If all you really know is how to print a shirt, and have little knowledge of the rest of the process, you are probably getting a fair salary. Pulling a squeegee is probably one of the most basic and simple parts of the process (of course its not easy, especially for highend work)
It's hard to make money at screen printing, especially when there is some douch three blocks down who will undercut you and print 24 shirts for $12 profit.
i'm not sure if you're thinking that all i do is print shirts. i, of course, do the whole process ASIDE from the graphic design. i clean, coat, burn screens as well.
i'm also the only screenprinter in our warehouse, we have 4 embroidery workers who i'm sure make more than i do. |
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...if it ain't insane then you can't get rad... |
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| newrepublicsteve |
| Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2006 2:14 pm |
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Joined: 13 Nov 2004
Posts: 674
Location: Birmingham
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I make a living,
it's not a great one but we get by
I figured out what I made last year after taxes to be just about the same as my employees
but I get to run the show...and put up with the headaches
but if I don't want to work today
then fuck it we're closed....
try that working for somone else...
every job has its ups and downs....
you just have to find what you love and make it work for you
the only people getting rich pushing ink have giant shops that have 10,000 piece min orders |
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| sheltered |
| Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2006 7:20 pm |
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Joined: 16 Sep 2005
Posts: 86
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| Sharpen those vector skills. You'll need them! A natural in for screen printing is cutting vinyl syns, etc. Yes its more capital, but the profit margings seem pretty high. |
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| stu |
| Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 7:15 am |
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Joined: 07 Jun 2005
Posts: 59
Location: London,England
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hey man, I agree with the guys above, i was working for 'the man' for 3 years. It was a bit of a drag but what i learnt, alot from making mistakes on 'the man's' stock, was invaluable and set me up to start my own thing. This (doing it yourself), in my opinion is the only way you can make a decent living and still get a kick out of screen printing. In the last year, 2 years into completely working for myself, i have found that the the best jobs with the best pay are the niche jobs...Someone wants a 1 off roll of cream cotton drill with a repeat pattern for a fashion show, or a small amount of t's for a propmotion. The sort of stuff that no big company would consider is where the Gold lies and it will build you a reputation as 'the man who can', often with those creative types who are good to work with a bit more flexible than ya big corporate giants.
Good luck brother. P.s. Dont be put off by not having the right equipment for the job. You can print sticker sheets on a t-shirt board using a bit of sticky spray instead of a flat bed, and rolls of fabric too. all is possible with a bit of determination!
stu |
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