Today, many of us work at jobs we hate (if you're even lucky enough to have a job.) In many areas of the country the job market has become so tough that many people wonder what can I do to help myself? Is it possible to acquire a skill that will not only provide personal satisfaction AND could pay the bills? Yes, it is possible. Screen printing could be the career path you've been looking for.

Screen printing is an ancient craft. In fact, if you decide to learn how to screen print, you'll be learning one of the oldest skills in the book. Learning how to screen print is to learn a skill that is fundamentally the same technique as it was a thousand years ago. Sure, some of today's equipment is automated but the one thing that remains the same is that a rubber blade is used to force ink through a stenciled screen to produce a printed image–that's screen printing.

If you want to work at home, screen printing is one of few remaining crafts today where you can do just that. Starting off with a small print shop in your basement or garage is very common for screen printers and won't cost you a fortune to get started. Many printers have started off in their home and have grown to become large businesses. Even if you want to stay “small”, you'll find there is plenty of print work to be had in your local community. If you just get a small slice of the available print jobs out there, you'll find that you'll be busy and can make a decent living.

So do want to start making a living with your hands and learn how to do something that you always wanted to do? Learn how to screen print.

So no one’s hiring? Create your own job–as a screen printer.

It's been written that we're heading toward a world in which most workers will be in effect contractors or temps, and self-employment will become the norm.

Millions of jobs in the United States have been outsourced to China, Mexico, and India. Outsourcing does not have to be a problem that has to effect you. Starting up and operating your own screen printing business provides a certain "immunity" to the outsourcing problem.

Why? Here's just a few reasons… Reason #1: Logistics. It's not practical to produce small to medium size orders of custom printed shirts (or other custom printed goods) and ship them to customers thousands of miles away. The cost of shipping is prohibitive. Reason #2: Delivery time. Most customers need to have orders in their hands quickly. Overseas production simply cannot deliver the orders in a timely manner. As a a result, being a local or regional supplier of custom printed products will continue to be a line of work that will be largely unaffected by globalization for the foreseeable future.

Moreover, becoming a self employed screen printer, sign maker, or apparel printer does not require extensive (or expensive) training. For just a fraction of the cost of a college education, you can be up and running with your own screen printing business. If grow your business sensibly, you won't be saddled with a large debt burden and you will have built yourself a lifetime, money-making business.

Many "right out of high school" unskilled manufacturing and construction jobs are a thing of the past. They aren't coming back because the U.S. can't compete in a world market cost-wise. Good jobs are still here in America, but many refuse to acquire the knowledge and skill set to get started. Instead of waiting for the "good old days" to return, why not instead obtain some new credentials? Learn a trade that will serve you for life. Screen printing is one of these trades.

If you want a better life for yourself and your family, get your mind right and get started in screen printing. Those that work harder and smarter than their peers, usually succeed. Determination and persistence is key. True motivation leads to success and this comes from within, whether you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth or somewhere in the ghetto. The most important thing to remember is don't let anyone tell that you can't–because you can. You just have to believe it and no one can do that but you.

Purchasing and/or building your start-up equipment is probably one of the most exciting steps in starting a new t-shirt printing business. Depending on your budget, there are several options from which to choose. The space you have available in your home is also something that needs to be considered. Do you have a room in your house to use or an entire basement or garage?

To start your new business, you will need to purchase certain pre-production and printing equipment, inks, and supplies.  Please note that this article is limited to apparel screen printing related equipment. 

Heat Transfer Press Printing
If you are on the lowest budget possible or have very little space available, you can start out printing t-shirts using custom transfers. All you need is a heat transfer press—and of course some customers. 

If your start-up budget for equipment is less than $1000 (this assumes that you already have a computer) for your new t-shirt business, the most inexpensive way to get started in the t- shirt printing business is using a heat transfer press.

Custom transfers are a great way to get started if you have very little money because all you really need is one piece of equipment–a heat transfer press.  Thanks to modern ink technology, the quality of today's custom transfers are so good that they equal direct garment printing in quality as an apparel decorating solution. Expect to spend from $450 to $1000 for a heat transfer press.

Below is a short list of heat transfer press manufacturers and screen printing companies that produce heat presses and custom transfers.  Visit their web sites for more information.
Stahls
George Knight Company
RhinoTech
InstaGraph
Ace Transfer Company
Transfer Express

LOW BUDGET SCREEN PRINTING
If you want to get started screen printing t-shirts without investing a bunch of money, here is a bare bones system that will get you started.  You will only be able to print 1 color jobs, but about 60-75% of your orders will most likely 1 color prints anyway.  And although is takes a lot longer to completely cure your shirts using a flash cure unit instead of dryer–it can be done.  This is a great set-up if you want to start out small to see if the business is really right for you.

Shown below: a Single Color Table Top Press (with a optional equipment stand) and Flash Cure unit. (Multi-color table top presses are also available.)

You should be able to get this bare bones system including supplies in operation for under $2000. If you build your own exposure unit and shop around, you might be able to get started for as little as $1500.  For info on building your own screen exposure unit, see our How to Build an Exposure Unit (an ASPA “How-to” tutorial)

ENTRY LEVEL SCREEN PRINTING
Let's move up one more step to an entry level screen printing system that will speed production up considerably by adding one key component, a textile dryer. For this system, we are also going to move up to a floor model manual printing press with multiple print stations that will speed up production and add more versatility.  This is a good “all-around” system that is typical for most small screen printing start-ups and home-based printers.

The photo shows a typical “garage shop” with a 6 color press and a small electric textile dryer. Also “shoe-horned” into the garage is a vinyl cutter with many rolls of vinyl (on the wall) for team numbering & creating player names for the back of jerseys.

The photo on the right is a 4 color rotary press which will easily fit into a standard door opening or in a confined space like a basement.  Another photo shows a small electrical textile dryer that will easily fit into a basement, garage, or other small work area.

Typical entry level shop:
Floor Model (4-6) color Manual Printing Presses
Flash cure unit
Small electric Textile Dryers

Expect to spend for this level of equipment around $6000 – $7500 to get started.

Here is a list of basic supplies and equipment you'll need at start-up.

Printing Press (single or multiple colors)
Exposure Unit
Flash Unit
Textile Dryer
Set of (4) Squeegees
Six (6) Quarts of ink in popular colors (Red, Royal, Black, White, Yellow, and Green)
Production  Supplies/Chemicals (Screen Opener, Screen Cleaner, Reclaim Solution, Wiping cloths, Emulsion, Tape)
Six (6) 20” X 22” wooden screens (we recommend 140 mesh count for start-up operations)

The content of this article is an excerpt from the ASPA training course The Secrets of Printing T-Shirts and How to Make Big Money!
 

Before you begin setting up your home office, you must make a few decisions. You want to be sure your home office makes working convenient and efficient for you.

The first thing you need to decide when setting up a home office is which area of the house you will be using. Potential distraction from noise should be one of the biggest factors influencing your decision. Set up your home office away from areas that offer a lot of distraction. This will help you increase productivity especially if you have young children at home. You will be spending a lot of your time in your home office, so make sure it is a place you are comfortable with and is suitable for working. Choose a room you that gets enough light and air. Consider the year-round conditions of that particular area of the house.

Next you should decide which equipment you need to operate effectively. Things to consider are computers (either laptop or desktop), printers, scanners, Internet access, telephone line and fax machine. It is good to have a separate phone dedicated for business use for your home office. You should create an email account if you do not already have one. Most business professionals utilize email communication for a more efficient communication system.

A home office has its advantages and disadvantages. Don't be deceived by the idea that you are not working because you are in the comfort of your own home. If your approach is too laidback, you will achieve less. Try to find a balance between work and home life. You need to be able to separate the two.

Even when you work at home, you need to deliver the quality work that is expected of you from your clients. When you become your own boss, it can either be a positive or negative thing. Never be too hard on yourself. Create a schedule to become productive when working at home. Prioritize tasks. Find the correct balance between being too relaxed or overworking yourself. Don't forget to give yourself a break to relax. It will enable you to revive and gather enough strength needed to complete the next set of tasks. You will also notice that you produce more quality work. More Information:

Source: http://www.PopularArticles.com/article183084.html

You can go about advertising for employees in the same manner as any business would– placing classified ads in a newspaper, online, or posting a Help Wanted sign on a bulletin board. This will usually bring in plenty of eager candidates seeking employment. As the employer, you must not only assess the prospective employee's skills for the job you are hiring, but also determine if you want that individual in your home.

After selecting the candidates to interview, be up front about the fact that you have a business in your home. If anyone is hesitant about this type of working arrangement, move on to the next candidate. Make no excuses about the business being located in your home, that is how you make a living. If you are in a position to be hiring employees you are doing well and do not have to make excuses.

It would be wise to do a credit and background check on an employee who will be in your house. Remember you are an employer hiring workers. The fact that the business is in your home is secondary. Prepare a list of “rules” for your employees. If there are certain areas of your home you do not wish them to enter, say so. Making your expectations and limitations clear will make a better employer/employee relationship.

Most new employees want to do a good job. You will make training much easier if you have a dedicated work area for your employee as well as any necessary supplies and materials needs to perform their duties.

There are well qualified hardworking people out there who will be an asset to your business. Do your homework and you will find the right employee for your home based business.

The expression silk screening is a carry over from the early days of the screen printing craft but is still commonly used in many parts of the country. In case you are interested, screen printing, silk screening, and serigraphy, all refer to the same printing process.

ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO SELL “TEAM” WEAR?

If you are one of the many people who enjoy sports and think that getting into the screen printing business to print athletic apparel will be a great way to make money, let's discuss some of the realities first. Sure, there is money to be made printing team wear and athletic jerseys, but you are usually going to be dealing with a type of customer who is usually less than ideal.

You will find that most team shirt orders are usually small and complicated involving personalized names and numbers with each shirt having to be a specific size for each player. Printing team wear for leagues, school teams, and other organized sports groups often involves a certain amount of politics often making it difficult to land orders if you are an outsider.

There are specially formulated plastisol inks that are made for the purpose of athletic printing. You will find these inks are typically very thick and will require two things: a thorough mixing before use and storage at a temperature of 72 degrees or above. If your shop is located in a cold weather zone, be sure to keep your inks in a location where they will be warm the day before the job is to be printed.

For most “t-shirt-based team wear,” it has been our experience that using general purpose and/or super opaque plastisol inks work just fine. It is our recommendation that you purchase a few quarts of athletic plastisol ink to see if it is even needed for your “team wear” applications.

LETTERING AND NUMBERING

You have a couple options for applying custom names and numbers to athletic wear. The options available to you are discussed below.

PURCHASING CUSTOM NAMES & NUMBERS FROM A VENDOR

The easiest solution of garment personalization is to outsource your custom names and numbers needs to one of many vendors who specialize in that service. All you need to do is send them a list of the names and numbers and they will send you back custom transfers that are ready to apply with a heat press. The cost is very reasonable.

If you are operating a small shop, you will find that this is the most cost effective and time efficient way to go. Most vendors that offer custom names and numbers usually create the names with a computer cad cutter using special heat applied vinyl that is durable and will adhere to the garment very well. Player numbers can either be vinyl or most often cold peel plastisol transfers coated with a powdered crystal adhesive so they will transfer and adhere properly.

STOCK NUMBERS

Also consider purchasing ready made stock numbers. They are available in many colors and fonts. They make numbering shirts easy and very cost effective. Ready made numbers are available in single or multi color.

CAD-CUT VINYL LETTERS AND NUMBERS

If you are the “do it yourself type,” consider buying your own cad-cutting machine and you can cut the names and numbers as needed. You will need to keep in stock a certain amount of vinyl for this purpose. However you will find that in the long run, you will save money by doing it yourself. One advantage of doing it yourself is you can turn the order around very quickly and this is important for landing highly profitable rush orders. Having your own cad cutter can also open up new opportunities for your shop, as you will also be able to create custom signs and banners with your machine.

PAPER STENCILS

Although they are getting harder to find, there are still a few manufacturers who make paper stencils that will allow you to direct screen print numbers on apparel. The better quality paper stencils are usually made of a heavy gauge “parchment” paper that can be used over and over again if you handle them carefully. Using paper stencils is easy. All you need is a screen that has been taped off around the edges leaving a large open area.

Place the paper stencil on the garment and with the screen filed with ink, lower the screen, pull the squeegee and you have a custom printed number. Once the number has been printed, simply peel the paper stencil from the bottom of the screen send it through the dryer and it is ready for reuse. Paper stencils are a viable solution only if you anticipate doing a decent volume of custom shirt numbering.

One advantage to using paper stencils is that the ink that you use for the numbering will match the color that you printed for the team's name or logo. The ink used in the numbering system is the same plastisol ink that you would use on the front of the shirts. Moreover, because the numbers have been directly printing onto the garment there is no chance that the ink will come off when laundered.

MAKING YOUR OWN HOT SPLIT AND COLD PEEL NAMES & NUMBERS

A cost effective, but not exactly a time saving solution is to custom print your own cold peel or hot split transfers for names and numbers. The method for producing hot split and cold peel transfers is covered in another tutorial, however we will go over the basic concept here.

Cold peel transfers are typically applied to dark garments where you want a complete ink deposit to achieve an complete opacity.

Hot split transfers are usually applied to light and pastel colored garments and are peeled hot to produce a soft handed, direct screen printed look. Printing custom team names is easy, but time consuming. All you need is a bunch of coated screens with the players names all ganged together so you can burn as many names as possible on one screen. Simply print the transfers and apply with a heat press and you're done.

If you want to create custom transfers for player numbers, be prepared to burn at least (10) screens to cover all of the number combinations. As you can imagine, you will have many ink color changes if your intention is to create a stock pile for future use. It is this authors recommendation that for numbering, there are better solutions. Namely, purchasing ready made stock numbers from a specialist–they are very low in cost.

NUMBERING MACHINE

If you anticipate doing a large volume of custom athletic jerseys you may want to consider purchasing special equipment just for that purpose. There are screen printing frames and presses made just to print numbers. You will find that these machines can be a cost effective and time saving solution if you are doing a large volume of custom numbered jerseys.

PRINTING ON SPECIAL MATERIAL SPORTS GARMENTS

Not only will you be asked to print the usual softball, volleyball, baseball t-shirts and more, but your customer may come to you and ask if you are able to print mesh jerseys, hockey shirts, nylon, spandex and other types of special material. This author's recommendation is never take on a print job on material that you are unfamiliar with. Many types of apparel including nylon, require specially formulated inks. It is recommended that you experiment and test before committing to any job.

Many times, customers may bring you shirts that they have purchased elsewhere and ask you to print them. They may be expensive athletic jerseys that will be very costly for you to replace if you ruin them because they were printed improperly. It is tempting to take on what you think may be “easy print job,” but think carefully before delving into uncharted waters.

Because of the numerous types of ink formulations that are available for printing special material, we recommend that you always consult with a knowledgeable ink vendor to obtain as much information as possible before committing to any print job that will require special inks.

According to recent publications, consumers spent more than $100 billion online at U.S. based e-commerce sites last year, which does not include online auction sites, travel spending, or corporate purchases. That’s a significant increase over last year of more than 20%. There has never been a better time to be on the receiving end of that spending pattern, and the market keeps improving.

Many people start an e-commerce site as their primary business. If you have a brick and mortar store where you sell products or simply operate a business from home, starting an e-commerce site can provide an additional sales channel for you.

Creating a Web site for the purpose of selling products or services online entails a large amount of research and planning. When you start an online business, forgetting one simple step can make the difference between success and failure.

Here are 8 steps to help you get started:    

1. Create a business and marketing plan. Schedule a time to meet with your business partners or team members. Brainstorm together and lay out all of your plans in one document. This plan should incorporate all startup and recurring costs. Set up an overall expense budget and sales forecast.

2. Choose a good Web site address (domain name) to help customers find you. You will need to select a domain name for the site that accurately represents what you are selling and helps brand your business. However, did you consider that the search engines will also be using your domain name as a symbol of what you sell? Give some thought to an appropriate URL and go shopping for one.

3. Select the right e-commerce software with a shopping cart. In order to sell products on your Web site, you have a few options. You can hire someone to develop custom online storefront functionality. However, most small businesses who are looking for more cost effective solutions purchase e-commerce Web site hosting software. This allows your customers to select products from your Web site, put them into the shopping cart on your site, and then checkout using their choice of various payment methods.

4. Apply for a business account (merchant account) for processing credit cards. It is critical to give your customers multiple payment options on your Web site. Most customers are accustomed to paying for goods and services online using their credit card. In order to accept credit cards as payment for your products, you must apply for what is called a merchant account. If you do not accept credit cards on your Web site, you are doing a great disservice to your site‘s potential for success, so make sure you apply.

5. Secure your site to let customers know it is safe to do business with you. As an online merchant, security is a key consideration for you. If you are going to accept consumer financial information such as credit card payments, you are responsible for ensuring that data is protected and secure and that you meet credit card company security requirements.

6. Design your site to be user-friendly. Once you have all of the products uploaded to the Web site and you can accept credit cards it‘s time to work on improving the site‘s appearance before you go live with your new online storefront.

7. Test the site. You only have one chance to make a first impression with each visitor, so be sure that you test and tweak your site before going live with it. Plan at least a few days or weeks to do this. Make sure everything is working properly or all of your efforts can be for naught.

You might try inviting a few friends to help you test the site. Ask them to visit your Web site while you watch their browsing behavior. Try not to say anything as they click around. Give them fifteen minutes, and then ask them about their experience.

8. Promote your site online. Promoting your site on the Web can be expensive and complex, but taking advantage of search engine behavior to drive targeted traffic to your site can result in a favorable long-term return on your up-front investment, whether that investment is your time or money.

Using these tips, you can quickly and easily start selling products online. It may seem a bit daunting at first, but is actually quite simple. There are many vendors who can help fulfill the needs laid out in each action step. Simply visit Google and search for a place to buy a domain name (eg. GoDaddy.com), an e-commerce platform, and so on. Follow these steps and in no time at all you‘ll be up and running.

Michael Fleischner is an Internet marketing expert with more than 12 years of marketing experience. To discover how to improve search engine rankings on Google and other major search engines, visit http://www.webmastersbookofsecrets.com and

The content of this article is an excerpt from the ASPA training course The Secrets of Printing T-Shirts and How to Make Big Money!

Are you a home based t-shirt printer (or planning to become one) ? Many screen printers start out by working from the basement of their home or in their garage. As a matter of fact, many screen printing operations live out their entire existence as a "home-based" operation. This is more common than you might think. Having a home based business has huge tax advantages along with the savings you will realize by not having to commute or pay rent.

Working from home can have many advantages, but there are drawbacks as well. Customers seem to think that because you're "working out of your house," they can show up any time to do business. If you like to keep regular hours for meals, you will find that this will be disrupted. There is not much you can do about this as many people call from work on their lunch hour (which also happens to be your lunch hour). The telephone call that comes in at mealtime could be for that important order that you have been hoping to close all week!

There are huge tax advantages to running a business out of your home. Make sure you keep copies of your mortgage payments, heating, electrical, water, sewage bills and so on, as a portion of these expenses are usually tax deductible.

Some of the chemicals and inks used in the screen printing process are solvent based—which means they are flammable. The fumes from some of these inks and chemicals can travel throughout your whole house. If you're planning to print primarily t-shirts using plastisol inks, odor problems are typically a non-issue. If you have small children in your house, you will need to consider the safety aspects of where and how the inks and chemicals are stored. You will definitely want to keep these products out of reach from small children.

One important issue for the "home-based" to consider is children and pets. Nothing can kill a sales call faster than a dog barking or a baby crying in the background when you're on the telephone. Cordless phones go a long way toward solving problems in that they allow for a "quick escape" when problems arise.

No matter where you intend to set-up shop check out the electrical service that is in place. You will need to run at least one or more 240 volt line for operating a textile dryer and it is recommended that you operate each flash cure unit, exposure unit, and transfer press on a dedicated electrical circuit of 15 amps or greater. It would be a good idea to have an electrician look things over.

Before you purchase any equipment, be sure to take plenty of measurements to make sure that the equipment will fit through the doorway of your home. Much of the equipment made today factors in home-based operations. Bottom line–check first, then buy.

Working from home is becoming more and more popular with those looking to earn a decent wage without having to disrupt their lives too much, but it is not as easy as you think. The ability to work from home is a dream for many, but now that dream can become a reality. The internet and a home computer have enabled people who would never have dreamed of working from home to fulfill their dream. Working from home is increasingly becoming part of a balanced working schedule for many traditionally office-based workers, along with people who are setting up their own businesses.

At one time you needed to buy or rent premises to set up your own business and carry stock but times are changing. You must remember though working from home is a business and a proper job, and should be treated as such or you will fail. If you set up your own business from home it doesn't always mean more money than working for someone else, but it can indeed provide freedom from the commute; flexibility, as generally if you have a laptop and internet connection you can work anywhere in the world; an ability to choose the projects and type of work performed; and to set working hours that fit the needs of the family. In order to be successful in your venture you must choose something you enjoy. Working from home gives you such a sense of freedom, but it also requires you to be self-motivated. How easy would it be to always say I will do that later with no boss pushing you.

The ability to work from your own home can bring about a great business opportunity as well as improve your lifestyle and during the past two years there has been a 65 percent increase in the incidence of working from home according to a study by The Dieringer Research Group. Some of the reasons why it might have become so popular are that it allows you to witness firsts (for example the first steps your child takes), spend more time with your family and be where you need to be. It also costs less than working outside the home in both terms of finance and time. No longer do you need to set the alarm clock three hours before work starts because of the commute, or miss putting the kids to bed because traffic was bad. But don't be mistaken, working from home requires a lot of hard work and yes, a certain kind of person. You need to be self-motivated and driven to achieving your goal.

I know myself that I frequently don't put my laptop down until the early hours in the morning as I know I want to quit my fulltime job and just work from home. At the moment I combine both, until my income from my home business outweighs my income from my full-time job. It's not as far-fetched a dream as you might first think, but it requires a medium to long term plan of action that will ultimately free you from the shackles of working for someone else. Working from home encourages diverse forms of enterprise and entrepreneurism. Set your work hours and communicate accordingly to family members and friends.

To make full time pay, people who work from home need to work full time hours, especially when just getting started working from home. Just because your working hours are not rigid when you are working from home they need not be so flexible that you lose the distinction between work and home life. Your family is the most important thing to you and working from home allows you to be at home with your family all hours of the day. One of the perks with working from home is you can work whatever hours you want. Having a separate office in your house that you rarely go into after hours gives some home/work separation. Various tax incentives allow you to offset part of the costs of running your business against profits, and being home-based means you can fit work around your other responsibilities, work the hours that suit you best, and so on. The more hours you put in, the more money you will make.

Family and friends may not realise it but working from home requires more dedication to the work than working at an actual place of employment, and it's very easy to be taken advantage of, asked to run errands etc, and to hear that death phrase, "Well, since you don't really work." People who work from home tend to be more productive, relaxed and less stressed out, which also has implications for quality of life and health. Working from home is still seen as a perk by many and in some quarters is regarded as being just a short step up from having the day off. Working from home is not for everyone, if you get lonely easily, are easily distracted, or are a huge procrastinator – go to the office. A lot of the "business opportunities" floating around on the Internet are just plain scams.

The only requirements are access to a computer with an active connection to the internet. Telecommuting is easier than ever because of the penetration of high-speed Internet access and the movement of work to the Web, where employees can collaborate whether their desk is in the next cubicle or the next country.

With broadband internet, mobile phones, PDA's, web based training, conference calling, email, voicemail, etc., why not work from home? About The Author Rachel Harding is a qualified nurse and mom of 3. She has a great deal of expertise with children and offers valuable support and free resources including stories, forums, recipes, article's, gifts and books.