3 Things Everyone Should Know About Screen Printing
So you’ve done your research, and opted for screen printing your custom ultimate gear over sublimation. Maybe you’re on a tight timeline or a tight budget. Maybe you just like the pared-down look of screen printing compared to the razzle-dazzle of a full sub.
Regardless, there are a few things every captain should know before she starts designing her screen printed ultimate uniform. In this post, we'll address a couple of classic questions, such as:
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What exactly is a screen?
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How does it affect your budget?
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Why are we asking rhetorical questions, when we could just straight to the point?
All great questions. Let's get to it! Or, just follow click here start your team order!
1. One screen = one color in one location
Here’s a visualization of how we print a single screen on a jersey:
If you choose Five to customize your uniforms, each screen will cost you $4 for the first color and $2 per additional color. Pitt’s classic logo is made up of three screens, as you can see below:
Three screens at $4+$2+$2 means that Pitt’s logo costs them $8 per jersey. If they had decided to get just one of the three elements pictured above, they would have saved $4 per jersey!
Hokay. We’ve covered color, now we need to talk location.
Ready? A screen’s maximum size (for a Five Ultimate jersey at least) is 12.5 x 16 inches. Any logo or logos within that area can be completed in one screen, provided that they only use one color of ink. That means that each of the designs below cost $3, despite the difference in size and complexity of the design!
If you want to add a screen outside of that area (like the sleeve, hip, or above the neck in the back), you’ll have to add another $3 per jersey.
2. You can save money by using fewer screens
Each screen costs $3, and now that you know exactly what a screen is, you have all the necessary tools to come up with a custom jersey design that is both awesome and cost-effective! If you'd rather leave the designing to the experts, simply ask us to help you save money by keeping the number of screens down. We never charge for art assistance, so you should always take advantage of our (free) expertise!
3. A note about hidden fees
When we create a screen, we’re physically burning your design into a sheet of silk, then spread ink over the area.
That piece of silk is permanently marked with your design, and most printing companies hold on to their screens forever. Creating and storing an ever-increasing number of screens results in a pretty significant cost, and that's part of the reason why some companies will charge you fees for creating or setting up the screen.
Five never charges hidden fees for set-ups, screen changes, or color changes, but we do require that you order a minimum quantity of 15 items for new designs and 10 items for reprints. The reprint costs a little less because the screen is already made. That’s why the minimum order is lower!
As you can probably imagine, customizing the screen is the most expensive part of this process. This is why screens for player names, which have to be custom-made for each and every player, are more expensive than logo screens, which can be used across the entire team's jerseys!