Hey this thread is to help you guys start your own apparel company.
1. Find a GOOD screen printer
Finding a good screen printer is a very essential thing because most of those online companies screw you over and change 3 to 4 times as much as good printers. Here are some printers that are good.
---Contagious Graphics, great customer support
---Printmytees.com, they are especially good at complex designs with a lot of colors
---Inkscreens.com, they are good too, havent used them but i hear that they are good. (feel free to correct me if they are not good
A LOCAL PRINTER IS MOSTLY CHEAPER BECAUSE OF SHIPPING.
2. Different Shirts:
Chosing a good quality shirt that stays comfortable is key, so you want to pay attention to the different ones. ( it took me and others trial and error to figure out, but for different climates and others it varies)
---The better quality the more expensive---
Just staring out---Hanes 50/50, they are comfortable and cheap
---American Apparel (AA), they are super comfy but on the expensive side, i think $6 and 7.50 for a Tee (the AA's price is worth it though)
---Alstyle (AAA), never used them but i hear they are great, have tear away tags but they cost 6-7 dollars
3. Personal Tags
Like more professional brands have their own tags. You can use them, defanately makes your Brand look better.
Here is a place, ever used them but here is it any ways:
Clothinglabels4U.com---(dont know anything about them, +k for someone to fill in)
4. Photoshop/Illustrator/ or any other design software
Make sure your design has the following:
-Original graphic
-300dpi is REQUIRED for most printers
-I recommend using photoshop, or Illustrator because some printer will only take .psd .png and other adobe stuff
5. Website-E-commerce
-Set up paypal
- Bigcartel.com is a good pre made store that you can compleatly change the Domain and everything. Somewhat free and calculates everything for you in order of selling products
-And if you are really good at CCS/HTML then make your own i guess, but dont look very good in my opinion
-iweb and Adobe DreamWeaver is great too, both make excellent sites.
6. Shipping
DONT be a dick and charge hella for shipping
$4 for canada or two shirts in US
$2.50 for one shirt in US
NOW FOR SOME UNCOVERED STUFF:
Stickers:
Oracal looks great have no idea how to order or anything
---standoutstickers.com
---123sticker.com
---Sticker Robot
---Sticker Giant
Hats:
Flat Fitty: basically what everyone uses if they cant get a deal with New Era
(moment used them)