Why every company should do a Marketing Plan – Big or Small – by...
to be a Pulitzer prize winning coffee table document that takes thousands of dollars to produce, but it does have to be something that...
Basic Screen Printing Techniques 101 by Scott Fresener
Stop! Don't put this article down just because you a few years of experience. I teach beginners who can print better with ten minutes...
Speeding up Manual Production by Scott Fresener
During the busy months it is important to get as much production as possible off of a manual printing press. This article details some...
Improving Poor Photographic Images in Photoshop
Always take time to improve photographic type images in Photoshop.
Adobe Photoshop is the defacto standard raster/pixel based program that the world uses for...
Six Common Screen Printing Mistakes
Over the years I have given thousands of classes and been in hundreds and hundreds of shops doing consulting.
I use to joke to...
Finally…. a Digital T-Shirt!
This might be huge - or not. A Digitial T-Shirt called thirt OS 2.0 (that displays images of your choice like a neon sign)...
Heat Transfer as a start to Direct-to-Garment
Direct to garment printing has come a long way since it first hit our industry as a decorating method that is here to stay...
What to Look for in Curing Units/Dryers by Scott Fresener
If you are going to print T-shirts then you cannot live without a curing unit. Whether it be your oven at home or a...
Using Special Effects Inks
No matter where you are in the world today, when you walk into any sporting goods, department, or specialty clothing store you see a...
Adobe Creative Cloud and Photoshop CC REVIEW – Updated
Every few years companies like Adobe, Corel and others feel the urge to bring out new versions of their software – whether you want...
Nine Lies You’ll Hear About Screens by Terry Combs
There are a handful of common "misconceptions" about preparing your screens that are repeated often enough that they appear to have a life of...
Coating Screens by Terry Combs
Direct Coating Screens - Step by Step.
Direct coating of screens, the simple act of filling a scoop coater with emulsion and coating each side...
Screen Printing Equipment & Supply Startup Checklist by Terry Combs
During screen printing classes, I regularly get the question, "What do I really need to get started in this business?" Here's my list to use as a guideline.
Color Separation Tips in Corel Draw
Over the years I have learned that one of the major secrets to good screen printing is good color separations. As you become a...
All About DPI, LPI, PPI & More
Quick Glossary:
Halftone - A series of large and small dots that represent image areas of a continuous tone image. Continuous tone artwork can be...
Understanding White Ink Options
White plastisol is white plastisol, right? On the surface it all seems simple, but there are a variety of whites on the market and...
Moving Up to an Automatic Press
Over the years I fielded hundreds of calls from customers and students asking if I think it’s time for them to get an automatic...
It’s Not Always the Ink’s Fault
By Jeff Proctor. When I worked for an ink company, we spent most of every day talking "ink." And you wouldn't believe some of...
Why I smoke cigars
OK, this has nothing to do with business..... or does it? I first started smoking cigars in high school.
They were called Swisher Sweets...
Third Party Inks for Film and Direct to Garment
Someone quizzes me on this subject three or four times a week. So here’s the scoop on those third party...
The Confusion over RIP Software by Terry Combs
If you’re a screen printer, and you make your own film positives, chances are you own RIP software.
The Work Order Flow Through Typical Production
I talked last week with printers in Florida, discussing how a physical work order progresses through a production shop. Here's how it works for...
That Thing You Do With One Hand by Pat Fresener
I’ve been trying for some time to get around to writing on my blog. I’d like to say my excuse for not getting around...
Maximum Production
MAXIMUM PRODUCTION20102015
Probably 15 years ago, one of my sons was working on that report all our kids have to write at some point in...
Jacket Printing in 12 Steps by Scott Fresener
This is a short article about printing on jackets. You know, those tricky little guys that can't even be used to...
Four Rules of Management for Each Department
Sometimes in the heat of battle, we forget there is a customer involved in this process. If every department has the attitude of pleasing the customer, your business will prosper, guaranteed.
Wall Street Journal Article and Video – Finding the Perfect T-Shirt
On June 4, 2014, The Wall Street Journal had a great article and video titled Finding the Perfect T-Shirt. It was very informative and...
Finally… a T-Shirt that can read your body!
This is what we have all been waiting for - a shirt that monitors key body indicators. The shirt is called the D-Shirt (for...
Who is printing Super Bowl shirts? UPDATE
Every year T-Shirt printers in certain regions of the country gear up to print Football Championship shirts and then - if the stars are...
New Profession
My wife, Pat, and I spend part of our summers in Bowling Green, Kentucky to be near our son Mike and family (grandkids!). We...
How to get Great Results with Direct Film
Although I have probably made my "millionth" screen using the Direct Emulsion method, I have had good results with Capillary Direct...
Shop Tour – Part One
Mike Fresener takes you on a tour of Surf and Ski - a well known large shop in Mesa, Arizona. Watch it here:
Shop Tour – Part Two
Mike Fresener finishes his lengthy tour of Surf and Ski in Mesa, Arizona. Watch video here:
The Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act and You
This one has been bouncing around for a few years and was stayed a year ago pending review and defining the guidelines better. This...
All About QR Codes
Get your QR Code on. They are fun, cool, and cutting edge. By Scott Fresener.
You’ve probably seen those little box “maze” graphics in ads...
The Four Day Work Week
Terry Combs talks about going to a 4-day workweek. Good ideas!
Twitter 101 – Time to “Get It” by Scott Fresener
As more and more people use Twitter in their business and more and more people are confused by it.....I thought I would post an...
On Doing Business in Changing Times by Mark Coudray
The industry has been through economic fluctuations in the past. We've seen ups and downs based in the general economy. We've also see the disruptive impact of new and emerging technologies. Times have changed and almost everyone I know and talk to are challenged with a serious impact to their business. Here are some ideas to help you position yourself for more business in hard economic times.
Examples of Good Marketing Tools by Aaron Montgomery
This article was written back in 2010 by our good friend, Aaron Montgomery, and the information is timeless. Enjoy.
After a long break from writing...
Don’t we all want to work with professionals?
Commentary by Aaron Montgomery......I continue to be surprised by how some people stay in business. I do my darnedest to make sure that my...
Some thoughts about working from home
So as I sit here in my office which is less than 20 paces from my bedroom, I think about the ups and downs...