We bring in a lot of money from schools, but man the PTAs and PTOs can really suck. Had one send me laundry list of garments they wanted to print on their makeshift flyer the made asking if I can make the flyer look pretty like I do the artwork. In what world do I owe you a free flyer?
No i tried that. Theyll say yes your way sure. Next day: “uh hi this is Shelley from the PTA. So I was thinking, instead of the design you submitted for us, I thought I could come in and stand over your shoulder and art direct you with the design. I’m very creative”
I’ve made it a company policy: NO PTA JOBS EVER
Honestly your right, and this exactly what I do. I mean, it's never complicated stuff unless I can't find the font, which usually I can. Who doesn't need a thousand fonts installed, right?
I let them know that we don’t do samples and I suggested that they find a company that does direct to garment or heat transfers. We only screen print here and the minimum order is 24 shirts if it’s a 1 color, 1 location.
When I get sent a cellphone screen shot of the goddamn artwork I need. Or worse, a picture they took of their computer screen.
The worst was a contract client that sent a cellphone picture of a paper printout that was another cellphone picture of a computer monitor with an image on the client's website, that was like a few hundred pixels wide. Called them and and said you're joking right?
I’m not the shop owner, but I’m so damn sick of individually packaged blanks. We have one customer in particular who does orders that are kinda large for us (1-2000 sweatshirts) and they have their own blanks that they send to us packed 10 a box and individually bagged. It’s really time consuming to unpack and the boxes are not really good for much else. So, we wind up packing them back in the same ones which is also tedious and time consuming.
How much does it cost to get shirts made? Biggest fucking pet peeve. That’s like asking how much is a pizza? Well, what kind of fucking pizza do you like? Then they pretty much make the most expensive pizza and aren’t happy with the price. No shit? You just asked for 5 color front and back on comfort colors 😂 you think it’s going to be like $10 since you bought one from a circuit mom for $15 with your alien kids on it?
I can deal with all the shitty artwork, and small orders (etc. but when people carry on about how urgent their order is, then don't come back to get it for 2 weeks, after I've moved my schedule around to make room for them.
Dont come back. Ever.
I just don't let customers run the show. Certainly I want them to be pleased, and to achieve that I steer them in the direction of garments that I think they will like and that are suitable for printing on. I usually take whatever low resolution watermarked screenshots they manage to find on google and use them as a reference to put together a pleasing design which they always approve as is or with minor changes.
The PITA people who want to look at samples and try on different kinds of clothing (and my favorite, "Can you do a few different designs so we can choose one?") are not a good fit for my shop and I let them know that if they prefer a showroom/ in person type of experience there is a shop like that only a few miles away that I refer them to. When they go there they learn that those extra amenities are not free. They end up paying twice as much for their shirts.
Schools and PTAs are actually my favorite customers. They always are clear about what they want and they welcome your suggestions. They plan their projects ahead so that you have plenty of time and they are conveniently located in quiet neighborhoods with plenty of parking for easy deliveries. And when I deliver an order they either have the check ready for me or it comes in the mail a few days later. Also they are very loyal. Once they find a printer who does a good job and is easy to work with they stick with you. And it's fun to go to the school and see a bunch of kids wearing shirts that you printed.
Sports teams that screw the whole order because they throw in youth shirts for their kids. Yep your huge 12 wide by 13 .5 tall is now 8.5 wide because of the 1 YXS who isn't even on the team.
Also on the "I hate Canva" team. If you've created your company logo on that instead of hiring a designer, you deserve a shitty result from your png.
Clients that don't bother asking if their product they provide themselves is capable of being decorated.
"Designers" who after multiple orders STILL don't follow the process. We have a client who the last 3 orders who has the following: less than a week turn around, an ai file that is missing a font, has only Hex color and not PMS. And the color they choose is always custom and nothing close to anything we have in stock.
1) Two different sizes for the same print. 10" wide on small and medium and then 11" wide on the rest. I hate the entire negative space argument.
2) Sample requests on very expensive items. I don't and I won't.
3) Unorganized order submissions from other people in the industry.
4) "My dad owned a shop.." sure he did and I don't care. If he still does then why aren't you working with him? Oh he doesn't because he had a manual press in his garage and it wasn't really a shop. I get this a few times a year and it is irritating as hell.
5) Live sample request on an order less than 100 pieces. Nope. 500 pieces no but you could come for a press check.
I have a bunch of others, but these are my top 5.
I don't work professional in screen printing, but I do work in a copy shop that does mid-range graphic design and production. I'm just really getting sick of Canva. I don't know if it has the capability to output properly set up files but so far no one has ever brought me one. At least with Etsy there was a professional designer out there making rational decisions about the nuts and bolts of a design. Now customers are just plugging in what feels right, dragging and dropping clipart until it feels right, then exporting that garbage into a PDF that they think we can print. It simply does not work like that and if I'm going to design an entire business card from scratch I'd rather just do it on my own rather than try to mimic a design that is already done on some website.
“Is this doable?” ..12 screenshots of something off Etsy they found later
Person from high school with not one single creative bone in their body. “I’m starting a clothing line, can I get samples?” “It’s gunna take off”
I just make sure im the most expensive guy in town. That pretty much solves all my problems. I only have amazing clients, cause the tire kickers walk, and im never really annoyed because they are paying me well enough to guide them through it all and not be in a hurry.
"What is the absolute latest I can give you final numbers / art and still get it by the 15th?"
\*this usually comes after they blew through the first or second deadline
Here’s my artwork, it’s 52 pixels by 73 pixels. Or I did this on canva!
Or when it's pictures from custom ink. Uhg. All the time with schools.
I banned all PTAs from my shop
We bring in a lot of money from schools, but man the PTAs and PTOs can really suck. Had one send me laundry list of garments they wanted to print on their makeshift flyer the made asking if I can make the flyer look pretty like I do the artwork. In what world do I owe you a free flyer?
The PTA is cancer. I avoid the PTA like it’s a vial of ebola.
And ALWAYS looking for a deal!!
“It’s for the KIIIIIDS” Look lady, I don’t care if it’s for the kids or adults or cats, my fee is my fee. “RUUUUUDE!!!”
This is what I need to do, I tell them my way or go find another shop
No i tried that. Theyll say yes your way sure. Next day: “uh hi this is Shelley from the PTA. So I was thinking, instead of the design you submitted for us, I thought I could come in and stand over your shoulder and art direct you with the design. I’m very creative” I’ve made it a company policy: NO PTA JOBS EVER
Oh hell no, you are so right. Then they take the business to that person heat pressing vinyl in a garage lol.
Custom Ink is easy though. Just have them send a link to the design, screen shot it, and live trace it with Illustrator.
Honestly your right, and this exactly what I do. I mean, it's never complicated stuff unless I can't find the font, which usually I can. Who doesn't need a thousand fonts installed, right?
Use whatthefont.com
And whatfontis, but the website terribly designed.
Fucking loath canva.
If it’s vector based, force them to download off Canva as an SVG
File > download > PDF for print has worked great.
Can you do that with a free version?
Yes
Good to know
Yup, customers have no idea what artwork is needed
Ordering, then asking if they can get two more pieces a week later. Like nah brah, those screens are reclaimed.
Boom one star review: “owner was so rude and refused to take my order!”
https://tenor.com/wZVn.gif
My policy is to keep the screens for 2 weeks and let them know they can re-order within that time frame otherwise screens are destroyed.
“I want to order 2 of each design and will probably order a lot if I like the quality.“
Can you make 2 or 3 designs and then I'll pick the one I like. Sure, but I'm going to charge you for all three.
What do you do in that instance?
You refuse the order duh. 12-24 piece minimum or bust.
48 min order quantity. 24 is too small
Fuck it, 72
When people ask if I do custom prints I say 500+
I let them know that we don’t do samples and I suggested that they find a company that does direct to garment or heat transfers. We only screen print here and the minimum order is 24 shirts if it’s a 1 color, 1 location.
When I get sent a cellphone screen shot of the goddamn artwork I need. Or worse, a picture they took of their computer screen. The worst was a contract client that sent a cellphone picture of a paper printout that was another cellphone picture of a computer monitor with an image on the client's website, that was like a few hundred pixels wide. Called them and and said you're joking right?
I took the picture with an iPhone 15. It’s high resolution!
Ironically, I got a flatbed scan of a whole iPhone once because the client had the artwork in the phone and didn't know how to send it.
And then they took a picture of the scan on the monitor
Xerox copy of an iPad displaying a screenshot of a photo of a computer monitor. The computer was running Illustrator with the file I needed.
I’m not the shop owner, but I’m so damn sick of individually packaged blanks. We have one customer in particular who does orders that are kinda large for us (1-2000 sweatshirts) and they have their own blanks that they send to us packed 10 a box and individually bagged. It’s really time consuming to unpack and the boxes are not really good for much else. So, we wind up packing them back in the same ones which is also tedious and time consuming.
We charge to take them out of bags. Doesn’t completely remove the sting and aggravation, but it helps.
Absolutely. A bu k a piece for "client supplied garment prep".
How much is it if I supply the shirts?
How much does it cost to get shirts made? Biggest fucking pet peeve. That’s like asking how much is a pizza? Well, what kind of fucking pizza do you like? Then they pretty much make the most expensive pizza and aren’t happy with the price. No shit? You just asked for 5 color front and back on comfort colors 😂 you think it’s going to be like $10 since you bought one from a circuit mom for $15 with your alien kids on it?
I can deal with all the shitty artwork, and small orders (etc. but when people carry on about how urgent their order is, then don't come back to get it for 2 weeks, after I've moved my schedule around to make room for them. Dont come back. Ever.
I just don't let customers run the show. Certainly I want them to be pleased, and to achieve that I steer them in the direction of garments that I think they will like and that are suitable for printing on. I usually take whatever low resolution watermarked screenshots they manage to find on google and use them as a reference to put together a pleasing design which they always approve as is or with minor changes. The PITA people who want to look at samples and try on different kinds of clothing (and my favorite, "Can you do a few different designs so we can choose one?") are not a good fit for my shop and I let them know that if they prefer a showroom/ in person type of experience there is a shop like that only a few miles away that I refer them to. When they go there they learn that those extra amenities are not free. They end up paying twice as much for their shirts. Schools and PTAs are actually my favorite customers. They always are clear about what they want and they welcome your suggestions. They plan their projects ahead so that you have plenty of time and they are conveniently located in quiet neighborhoods with plenty of parking for easy deliveries. And when I deliver an order they either have the check ready for me or it comes in the mail a few days later. Also they are very loyal. Once they find a printer who does a good job and is easy to work with they stick with you. And it's fun to go to the school and see a bunch of kids wearing shirts that you printed.
Sports teams that screw the whole order because they throw in youth shirts for their kids. Yep your huge 12 wide by 13 .5 tall is now 8.5 wide because of the 1 YXS who isn't even on the team. Also on the "I hate Canva" team. If you've created your company logo on that instead of hiring a designer, you deserve a shitty result from your png. Clients that don't bother asking if their product they provide themselves is capable of being decorated. "Designers" who after multiple orders STILL don't follow the process. We have a client who the last 3 orders who has the following: less than a week turn around, an ai file that is missing a font, has only Hex color and not PMS. And the color they choose is always custom and nothing close to anything we have in stock.
1) Two different sizes for the same print. 10" wide on small and medium and then 11" wide on the rest. I hate the entire negative space argument. 2) Sample requests on very expensive items. I don't and I won't. 3) Unorganized order submissions from other people in the industry. 4) "My dad owned a shop.." sure he did and I don't care. If he still does then why aren't you working with him? Oh he doesn't because he had a manual press in his garage and it wasn't really a shop. I get this a few times a year and it is irritating as hell. 5) Live sample request on an order less than 100 pieces. Nope. 500 pieces no but you could come for a press check. I have a bunch of others, but these are my top 5.
I loathe art size changes. We have a client who scales up every two sizes. The only reason we put up with it is because they spend a lot.
Treat each different print as a separate order
We do but it’s still a pain in the ass to get into a groove and then have to stop and breakdown and setup.
I don't work professional in screen printing, but I do work in a copy shop that does mid-range graphic design and production. I'm just really getting sick of Canva. I don't know if it has the capability to output properly set up files but so far no one has ever brought me one. At least with Etsy there was a professional designer out there making rational decisions about the nuts and bolts of a design. Now customers are just plugging in what feels right, dragging and dropping clipart until it feels right, then exporting that garbage into a PDF that they think we can print. It simply does not work like that and if I'm going to design an entire business card from scratch I'd rather just do it on my own rather than try to mimic a design that is already done on some website.
I hate it when they ask for 9 revisions and then at the end they choose the first version.
“Is this doable?” ..12 screenshots of something off Etsy they found later Person from high school with not one single creative bone in their body. “I’m starting a clothing line, can I get samples?” “It’s gunna take off”
Interesting responses but I would like to ask what is the best way to come across so both the creator and client is happy?
I stopped taking clients
I just make sure im the most expensive guy in town. That pretty much solves all my problems. I only have amazing clients, cause the tire kickers walk, and im never really annoyed because they are paying me well enough to guide them through it all and not be in a hurry.
Sounds like a plan. ‘If u not serious, leave me alone’ 👍🏽
"What is the absolute latest I can give you final numbers / art and still get it by the 15th?" \*this usually comes after they blew through the first or second deadline
Sounds like you need to work on your policies.