Printavo PrintHustlers Podcast

Printavo University returns for its fourth session featuring Jess Strainis from Printavo. She's led implementations and workflow discoveries for hundreds of shops across the US – and now she's sharing her secrets to creating a workflow for your screen print shop. Matt Marcotte will cover Standard Operating Procedures, a must-have for any print shop. Try Printavo: https://www.printavo.com Join us a...

What if you started a print shop with your best friends – and printed for your favorite bands, companies, and celebs? That's Upstate Merch. Join owner Dylan Gilligan as he shares the story of a tight-knit shop in rural New York: "All of my core people are people I have known since I was 12 years old." Read more: https://www.printavo.com/blog/upstate-merch-a-fun-print-shop Between two podcasts – th...

Learn about art for screen printing with GraphXsource and Printavo in the third episode of Printavo University, held October 1st 2020. -Questions and topics discussed- Click a time to jump straight to that topic: 1:55 What is GraphXsource? 3:55 Tell us about your workflow. How do you make a piece of art ready for printing? 7:15 What hardware do you need to make good art? 9:20 What you need to ask...

Should you automate your print shop & outsource artwork? Warrior Printing in Hawaii thinks so – and shares why. Read more: https://www.printavo.com/blog/outsourcing-artwork-and-automating-your-print-shop From Facebook Marketing to using GraphXsource to free up time, Warrior Printing's Caleb Spencer has made a serious effort to revamp his business in the face of a shifting market. Try Printavo:...

"The riches are in the niches." Big Printing's Dawaud Muhammad explains how his shop has used Instagram to build a following 158,000+ strong. What started as Big Pimpin' Turf Clothes in the early 1990s has become a launching pad for thousands of entrepreneurs – even if it's not for everyone. "Whoever does find us and is into what we do...they’re going to love it." Read the full story and see some...

Learn about making better screens for screen printing with Kiwo’s Mike Ramirez in this episode of Printavo University! Mike has more than a decade of experience meticulously managing screen rooms and working with Kiwo in their Houston, TX facility. Click a timestamp to jump to a topic that interests you: 1:40 Introduction to Mike Ramirez – his background and working experience. 5:30 What kind of e...

What's it like to buy a screen printing business? Lantern Ink, founded by Heather Searcy, grew significantly when they purchased another print shop in 2017. Read the full story and see inside Lantern Ink's shop: https://www.printavo.com/blog/buying-a-screen-printing-business Screen printing was that calling: "I found some equipment, called my husband, took $5,000 and drove to Austin." After dilige...

Join Printavo's Matt Marcotte in this exclusive Printavo University webinar. Featuring live Q&A and an in-depth discussion about what it takes to run a successful screen printing business, this webinar was held September 2020. Want to sign up for the next Printavo University? Join in here: https://www.printavo.com/blog/printavo-university-101 Try Printavo: https://www.printavo.com Join us at P...

The funniest couple in screen printing, Barrel Maker Printing's Justin and Erin Moore, join us for Printavo's PrintHustlers Podcast (aka "Printavocast," according to Justin and Erin). They've grown a print shop from an operation in a drafty apartment to a modern print-on-demand experience backed by a formidable live printing operating. What does it take to be a close-knit family, raise children, a...

Why is there a t-shirt shortage? What happened when COVID hit Bella + Canvas? What's next for the screen print industry? You've got questions, and Bella + Canvas President Chris Blakeslee has answers! In 2020, the screen print industry has been hard hit. From the lack of events to shortages in common t-shirts and larger sizes, it's been a struggle. And for the 1,000+ people team based out of Los A...

If 80% of your screen printing business is walk-in retail, what happens when customers can't come into your store? You pivot to online sales and fundraisers like Rockford Art Deli (RAD). But this wasn't easy! "It's almost worse to have too much success and not be prepared for it," explains Jarrod Hennis from RAD. By joining the 50-state-wide Here For Good campaign, Jarrod and his team took part in...

Family Industries hosted hundreds of live printing events every year. But that's over for now. The Family team isn't stopping, so what's next for live printing? Companies are still desperate to hold some kind of event! Family's Max Hellmann joins us to discuss how they pivoted their print shop on a dime to virtual events, pick-and-pull fulfillment, and a unique slant on their position between busi...

Are you too busy to do everything you need to do in your screen print shop? Tune in for an insightful conversation between Printavo’s Bruce Ackerman and Campus Ink’s Steven Farag about hiring the right people in your screen printing business. “The breaking point is when you have a to-do list that’s 50 things long...and by lunch it’s 75 things,” Steven said. Think carefully about hiring an assistan...

Music merchandising isn’t an easy game. Neither is fulfillment for major bands, brands, and businesses. But Night Owls Print in Texas have mastered their craft: “We make things your customers WANT to wear.” Their vibrant water based screen prints are a testament to how seriously the team has dedicated themselves to putting quality first. Now the game has moved beyond screen printing – jumping to v...

Where should you buy screen printing supplies? Every print shop – even the biggest ones in the world – struggle with this question. From inks to emulsion to screens to simple things like tape and ink cards, your supplies are how you turn a customer’s idea into a paying order. Read more: https://www.printavo.com/blog/where-to-buy-screen-printing-supplies You don't want to overpay, you can't stockpi...

Stoked on Printing in Las Vegas has shifted from bulk screen printing to a print-on-demand business model. They've purchased 9 GTX DTG machines and hired 3 full-time developers to make their print shop into a future-focused print-on-demand machine. "The model of selling bulk t-shirts to people is saturated," says Stoked on Printing's Kevin Oakley, "We saw a potential moat around our business by fo...

Before you buy a DTG printer, you need to watch this video. DTG (direct-to-garment) printing has immediate appeal to most entrepreneurs. It’s sold as a fast, easy, and affordable way to print infinite colors onto t-shirts and other apparel. Supposedly, the prints sell themselves and simply purchasing a DTG machine sends your business into the stratosphere! READ MATT'S ARTICLE ABOUT BUYING DTG PRIN...

Should you lease or buy your screen printing shop? This is a huge question that lots of shop owners face as their business grows. We talk to Dru Dalton from Real Thread in Orlando, FL about the challenges print shops have to overcome. "What do you invest in? Real estate or the business?" (17:50). Check out Real Thread: https://www.realthread.com Dru breaks down how he uses key performance indicato...

QUESTION: How do I let my team communicate with customers in my print shop? ANSWER: People typically need patience, empathy, and a level of emotional intelligence that lets them understand how to interact with customers. Not everyone has these skills, and that’s okay – but you can help your team develop these skills and improve their customer interactions. Tip 1: Have the right people. Without the...

Feeling shocked by 2020's turbulence? Screen printing has changed dramatically in just a few months, making a shift toward e-commerce and masks while moving away from events. Ryonet founder Ryan Moor joins us at PrintHustlers Conf 2020 in this incredibly informative and transparent look at the screen printing industry's future. Ryan compares the industry's current predicament to the Great Recessio...

Before you buy your next screen printing equipment – watch this video about screen printing's hidden gem: the CTS machine! “If you’ve got enough volume to automate the screen printing process, you’ve got enough volume to automate the screen making process," Graphic Elephants’ Lon Winters explains. Going from film outputs and your trusted Epson inkjet printer is a big step – so why is computer-to-s...

“Delegate and elevate.” This crucial leadership skill is how you can grow your business. Don’t get stuck in the business! Stay on top of it. Watch TRACTION expert Tom Bouwer at PrintHustlers Conf 2020 here: https://www.printavo.com/blog/printhustlers-conf-2020-tom-bouwer Entrepreneurs hustle hard. From the beginning, we train ourselves to do everything. But the attitude that took you from Step 1 i...

What software do you need for a screen printing shop? Here are 27 essential software tools to make running your screen printing business easier, faster, more fun, and more profitable. ALL SOFTWARE MENTIONED LINKED BELOW: PART 1: Management/Communication If you think of “where the work in your shop happens,” you probably think of your production floor. That’s what these platforms and apps do: they’...

The perfect print shop workflow? Lon Winters from Graphic Elephants joins us at PrintHustlers Conf 2020 to show HOW you can solve one of screen printing's riddles: what makes for a great workflow in your shop? Showing real screen print shop layouts and floor plans, Lon shares decades of experience consulting with print shops to improve their operations and make big strides toward the perfect print...

Learn how to price heat transfers with Supacolor's Rum Walia and Mike Modgill on this episode of the PrintHustlers Podcast! Download the Supacolor Price Calculator and learn more here: https://www.printavo.com/blog/how-to-price-heat-transfers The Basics of Pricing Heat Transfers: You can price heat transfers with a very simple formula. You simply add together: -Your desired margin -Your press char...