Debian t-shirt order

1 view
Skip to first unread message

Troy Davis

unread,
Aug 23, 2011, 10:22:08 AM8/23/11
to golum...@googlegroups.com
There's a guy on the other side of the pond named Steve McIntyre who's
selling Debian t-shirts and polos. These are screen printed and
embroidered shirts, respectively, not the cheaper, lower-quality
direct-to-garment printing process like Cafe Press.

http://www.einval.com/~steve/DebianT/

As you can see on the page, he offers at-cost shirts to other LUGs,
and I've already verified with him that he'll ship to the US. I don't
know of anyone in the US who's offering screen printed shirts (please
correct me if I'm wrong).

Is there anyone else on the list who'd be interested in one of these
shirts? Discuss it on list, but please contact me off-list if you
definitely want one. I figure the best way to go about this is for me
to take a list of orders, collect funds via PayPal, pay Steve, and
distribute orders when they arrive.

--
Troy

awrasman

unread,
Aug 23, 2011, 1:02:54 PM8/23/11
to golum...@googlegroups.com
I'm interested in the one of the polo shirts.

Any idea what at cost would be?

Jonathan Beatty

unread,
Aug 24, 2011, 12:37:44 AM8/24/11
to golum...@googlegroups.com
What's special about screen printing?

I'm definitely interested in one or two of these. What's the going price in USD?

> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> "GOLUM" group.
> To post to this group, send email to golum...@googlegroups.com.
> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
> golum-group...@googlegroups.com.
> For more options, visit this group at
> http://groups.google.com/group/golum-group?hl=en.
>
>

Troy Davis

unread,
Aug 24, 2011, 9:34:58 AM8/24/11
to golum...@googlegroups.com
I have current at-cost prices from Steve; I'll privately email the two
of you who have already responded.

Jonathan, the integrity and color of the print on screen printed
shirts lasts longer than direct-to-garment (DTG) printing processes.
I have screen printed shirts that are a decade old that still look
great, and DTG shirts printed two years ago that have faded. DTG
process is usually used for smaller, customized runs because it's
cheaper on a per-shirt basis. Screen printed shirts are cheaper when
done in large volumes because of the additional setup work it
requires.

I failed to mention the other problem with vendors selling Debian
shirts in the US: They have some pretty strange ideas about realistic
prices.

http://www.cafepress.com/+debian_products_designs_li_dark_tshirt,147058286

$27? Uh, hmm...

--
Troy

Joe Ferguson

unread,
Aug 24, 2011, 9:37:14 AM8/24/11
to golum...@googlegroups.com
Forgive me not googling this prior to asking, is there high resolution art freely available that someone with a screen printing rig could use to make these locally?

Troy

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GOLUM" group.
To post to this group, send email to golum...@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to golum-group...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/golum-group?hl=en.




--
- Joe Ferguson
http://www.midsouthmakers.org
Google Voice - (901) 451-9256

Ed Stafford

unread,
Aug 24, 2011, 9:40:38 AM8/24/11
to golum...@googlegroups.com
There's a place in Collierville right around the corner from my office that does silk screening, trophies, plaques, vinyl, etc and they're prices are REALLY reasonable.  The Awards Place, just across from Schilling Farms on Poplar.
Ed Stafford

Joe Ferguson

unread,
Aug 24, 2011, 9:42:10 AM8/24/11
to golum...@googlegroups.com
The main reason I ask, is Midsouth Makers currently houses a very large screen printing rig (for poster size screens). We could probably very easily do T Shirts.

Troy Davis

unread,
Aug 24, 2011, 9:51:42 AM8/24/11
to golum...@googlegroups.com
On Wed, Aug 24, 2011 at 08:40:38AM -0500, Ed Stafford wrote:
> There's a place in Collierville right around the corner from my office
> that does silk screening, trophies, plaques, vinyl, etc and they're prices
> are REALLY reasonable. The Awards Place, just across from Schilling
> Farms on Poplar.

Are those prices for screen printed shirts, or direct-to-garment
(a.k.a. heat transfer)? I would bet on it being the latter.

On Wed, Aug 24, 2011 at 08:42:10AM -0500, Joe Ferguson wrote:
> The main reason I ask, is Midsouth Makers currently houses a very large
> screen printing rig (for poster size screens). We could probably very
> easily do T Shirts.

It's not enough to just have a "screen printing rig". Screen printing
is more expensive for small batches because of the additional setup
required, i.e. creating the screens. I'm sure interested to hear the
results of your investigation, but I'm not sure you're going to get a
better final price by screen printing locally. Steve's at-cost prices
are quite good.

Also, do Midsouth Makers have an embroidery machine? Steve McIntyre
also offers embroidered polos which I'm interested in.

--
Troy

Joe Ferguson

unread,
Aug 24, 2011, 9:55:09 AM8/24/11
to golum...@googlegroups.com
We do not have an embroidery machine. 

We've looked into screen printing supplies and there is a definite start up cost to get any project going. If there was enough interest, it may be cheaper, however it doesn't appear to have enough interested to overcome the initial cost.

Troy

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GOLUM" group.
To post to this group, send email to golum...@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to golum-group...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/golum-group?hl=en.

claudio donndelinger

unread,
Aug 24, 2011, 9:57:23 AM8/24/11
to golum...@googlegroups.com

I'd be interested in a screen printed debian shirt.

Claudio

Troy Davis

unread,
Aug 24, 2011, 10:00:53 AM8/24/11
to golum...@googlegroups.com
On Wed, Aug 24, 2011 at 08:55:09AM -0500, Joe Ferguson wrote:
>>> The main reason I ask, is Midsouth Makers currently houses a very
>>> large screen printing rig (for poster size screens). We could probably
>>> very easily do T Shirts.

>> It's not enough to just have a "screen printing rig".

> We do not have an embroidery machine. We've looked into screen
> printing supplies ...

Sorry, I didn't pick up on the fact that you're actually in Midsouth
Makers yourself.

I've sent you and Ed the at-cost information privately.

--
Troy

Ed Stafford

unread,
Aug 24, 2011, 10:20:01 AM8/24/11
to golum...@googlegroups.com
On Wed, Aug 24, 2011 at 8:51 AM, Troy Davis <troy...@gmail.com> wrote:
On Wed, Aug 24, 2011 at 08:40:38AM -0500, Ed Stafford wrote:
> There's a place in Collierville right around the corner from my office
> that does silk screening, trophies, plaques, vinyl, etc and they're prices
> are REALLY reasonable. The Awards Place, just across from Schilling
> Farms on Poplar.

Are those prices for screen printed shirts, or direct-to-garment
(a.k.a. heat transfer)?  I would bet on it being the latter.

You'd lose the bet :)  They've got a very nice setup for screen printing.. I don't remember them doing any DTG printing in there.
 
On Wed, Aug 24, 2011 at 08:42:10AM -0500, Joe Ferguson wrote:
> The main reason I ask, is Midsouth Makers currently houses a very large
> screen printing rig (for poster size screens). We could probably very
> easily do T Shirts.

It's not enough to just have a "screen printing rig".  Screen printing
is more expensive for small batches because of the additional setup
required, i.e. creating the screens.  I'm sure interested to hear the
results of your investigation, but I'm not sure you're going to get a
better final price by screen printing locally.  Steve's at-cost prices
are quite good.

Also, do Midsouth Makers have an embroidery machine?  Steve McIntyre
also offers embroidered polos which I'm interested in.


If necessary, I have a friend that does embroidery (she's got a REALLY nice little setup) as well.
 
--
Troy

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GOLUM" group.
To post to this group, send email to golum...@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to golum-group...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/golum-group?hl=en.




--
Ed Stafford

Troy Davis

unread,
Aug 24, 2011, 10:39:58 AM8/24/11
to golum...@googlegroups.com
> I don't remember them doing any DTG printing in there.

http://www.theawardsplaceonline.com/apparel/heat-transfer/

> You'd lose the bet :) They've got a very nice setup for screen printing..

> ...


> If necessary, I have a friend that does embroidery (she's got a REALLY
> nice little setup) as well.

So we have two options:

1) We buy product at-cost from someone who has it already.
Additionally, we pay for them to be shipped.

2) We create product from scratch, which will include paying for (or
doing) the artwork prep for both the screen printing and embroidering,
paying screen charges, paying for the setup of and time on the screen
printing and embroidery machines, and paying for the
printer's/embroiderer's overhead and profit.

The only way I can make option 2 make sense is if the shipping cost
from the UK, to be split among all participants, is going to be more
than all the other costs mentioned in option 2. Since he quoted me
GBP 5 to ship a couple of shirts just to me, before I floated the idea
on the list, I can't see that being the case.

--
Troy

Chris Mohler

unread,
Aug 24, 2011, 10:51:42 AM8/24/11
to golum...@googlegroups.com
I have extensive screening knowledge, and would be happy to provide
the separations needed to make any screens (just the files - I don't
have a printer capable of handling transparency at the moment), or
help out with the screening itself.

Maybe not for this time (I can't see myself pitching in to cover the
setup costs just to run some Debian shirts), but if down the road we
wanted some GOLUM stuff screened, I did do 10 years in a print shop ;)

In fact, it might be time to make a write-up of the state of the
process using FOSS software in 2011 (although sadly, using Adobe's
stuff is still much easier most of the time).

Chris

Dan Hess

unread,
Aug 24, 2011, 10:56:36 AM8/24/11
to golum...@googlegroups.com
Chris,
If you can get all the separations taken care of and get those to me, I'll take a look at getting the screens exposed.  I too would like a shirt, and have possible connections to get the screens made up cheaply.

Thanks,

Daniel H.
Google Voice:  (901) 214-5326

- Copying one is plagiarism, copying many is research.




--

Be Netritious

unread,
Aug 24, 2011, 10:59:58 AM8/24/11
to golum...@googlegroups.com
On 8/24/2011 8:51 AM, Troy Davis wrote:
> It's not enough to just have a "screen printing rig". Screen printing
> is more expensive for small batches because of the additional setup
> required, i.e. creating the screens. I'm sure interested to hear the
> results of your investigation, but I'm not sure you're going to get a
> better final price by screen printing locally. Steve's at-cost prices
> are quite good.

With that being said, maybe Joe could give us a minimum order and price
per shirt? I'm all about spending my money locally, even if it costs a
little more.

Has a price already been posted in this thread and I just missed it?

-Rich Gray

Dan Hess

unread,
Aug 24, 2011, 11:10:26 AM8/24/11
to golum...@googlegroups.com
You are correct Rich, no price has been posted yet for what it would cost Joe, myself, and Midsouth Makers to make them.  I am actually piecing together the costs right now and determining a minimum number of shirts we would need to make to cover everything.  I'll try to have some info back shortly, though I do have a 2 hour meeting coming up so I might be out of pocket for a short stent.


Thanks,

Daniel H.
Google Voice:  (901) 214-5326

- Copying one is plagiarism, copying many is research.



Ed Stafford

unread,
Aug 24, 2011, 11:18:57 AM8/24/11
to golum...@googlegroups.com
Ever look at one of these?

http://www.whatdoyudu.com/
--
Ed Stafford

Be Netritious

unread,
Aug 24, 2011, 11:23:55 AM8/24/11
to golum...@googlegroups.com
I have some hands on experience with the "garage" method of screen
printing -- building frames, setting screens by hand (old school
method), cotton T's and a squeegee. I would be willing to volunteer a
few hours of grunt work, and still buy a T-shirt. I don't want to be the
only volunteer though. :)

-Rich Gray

Chris Mohler

unread,
Aug 24, 2011, 11:38:44 AM8/24/11
to golum...@googlegroups.com
On Wed, Aug 24, 2011 at 9:56 AM, Dan Hess <dan...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Chris,
> If you can get all the separations taken care of and get those to me, I'll
> take a look at getting the screens exposed.  I too would like a shirt, and
> have possible connections to get the screens made up cheaply.
>
> Thanks,
> Daniel H.

All I need is the design in question (preferably vector if possible),
and the shirt location (left chest, full-front, etc.), and desired
number of colors and I can create the seps. I generally go with PDF
for solid designs and PNG for halftones. If there are halftones I may
need to ask what frequency/angle the printer would like the dots to be
(though I can take a reasonable guess). Also the amount of trapping
required is a bit more art than science - it may take some
back-and-forth the first time (but I can make a reasonable guess here
also).

Chris

Troy Davis

unread,
Aug 24, 2011, 11:47:20 AM8/24/11
to golum...@googlegroups.com
> All I need is the design in question (preferably vector if possible),
> and the shirt location (left chest, full-front, etc.), and desired
> number of colors and I can create the seps. I generally go with PDF
> for solid designs and PNG for halftones. If there are halftones I may
> need to ask what frequency/angle the printer would like the dots to be
> (though I can take a reasonable guess). Also the amount of trapping
> required is a bit more art than science - it may take some
> back-and-forth the first time (but I can make a reasonable guess here
> also).

Gentlemen,

Another LUG has already done all this work. The shirts already exist.
They will give them to us at-cost.

What is the purpose of reinventing this wheel?

--
Troy

Chris Mohler

unread,
Aug 24, 2011, 12:32:02 PM8/24/11
to golum...@googlegroups.com
On Wed, Aug 24, 2011 at 10:47 AM, Troy Davis <troy...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Gentlemen,
>
> Another LUG has already done all this work.  The shirts already exist.
>  They will give them to us at-cost.
>
> What is the purpose of reinventing this wheel?

To requote myself:


> Maybe not for this time (I can't see myself pitching in to cover the
> setup costs just to run some Debian shirts), but if down the road we
> wanted some GOLUM stuff screened, I did do 10 years in a print shop ;)

Seeing how there are not any GOLUM shirts in production, producing
them can hardly be 'reinventing the wheel' ;)

I don't see the point of screening Debian shirts either - that's not
what I was talking about. Sorry for any confusion there. I suppose
if a handful of people are interested in ordering Debian shirts, then
I'm in for a medium black tee - but I was thinking more along the
lines of something more unique to GOLUM.

Besides, printing can be fun ;)

Chris

Be Netritious

unread,
Aug 24, 2011, 1:27:34 PM8/24/11
to golum...@googlegroups.com
On 8/24/2011 11:32 AM, Chris Mohler wrote:
> I don't see the point of screening Debian shirts either - that's not
> what I was talking about.
I'm not picky. Just make sure you have 3x and 4x available for us "big
people." Anything related to Linux, Open Source, LUGs, etc I'll be
satisfied with as long as it fits!

A GOLUM shirt would be cool.

-Rich Gray

Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages