Why is it so hard to get started? :(

[brightday83]

Deleted as this was a bit of a vent
(having a bad day that's all; my printer's faulty!)

[Skarekrow]

Hey, we all have em from time to time. Hope you got it sorted.

Paul

[brightday83]

Cheers Paul

[Justin]

It's a shame you've had this experience and i do hope it doesn't put you off sublimation. Unfortunately it's a fairly common story, so many people think you can start up cheaply in sublimation and this is rarely the case.

My first press was quite expensive many years ago but I still couldn't get decent results pressing ready made transfers. I packed it all in and came back several years later. Went to Xpres and spent a few thousand getting all the right kit. I've learned over the years that spending more on equipment wherever possible certainly pays.

Support is something else that's invaluable, obviously we're always here 24/7 to help but having a good supplier int he first instance can be beneficial.

When it all comes together (and it will) it's very satisfying :-)

[brightday83]

It's a shame you've had this experience and i do hope it doesn't put you off sublimation. Unfortunately it's a fairly common story, so many people think you can start up cheaply in sublimation and this is rarely the case.

My first press was quite expensive many years ago but I still couldn't get decent results pressing ready made transfers. I packed it all in and came back several years later. Went to Xpres and spent a few thousand getting all the right kit. I've learned over the years that spending more on equipment wherever possible certainly pays.

Support is something else that's invaluable, obviously we're always here 24/7 to help but having a good supplier int he first instance can be beneficial.

When it all comes together (and it will) it's very satisfying :-)

Hi Justin,

I knew that I wouldn't be able to start up cheaply. But after researching into the best printers, I found one on the forum (Ricoh SG3110DN) and made the mistake of buying one second hand. Because it said that it was in 'perfect working order'. I paid £90 for it, so I hoped that it would work. Sadly it doesn't.

It's true, investing in new equipment and more expensive equipment is a wiser investment. But sometimes people don't have a lot of money to begin with, and so look to save money where possible.

The mugs that I bought that turned out to be faulty, weren't from Ebay but a big supplier. So either their mugs aren't up to scratch, or I very unluckily wound up with a faulty batch.

Yes support is invaluable, but the printer that I bought (second hand, yet only four months old) was initially from CityInk, yet they are baffled as to what's wrong with it. If I'd bought it new, maybe I would have been able to send it back to them to get it fixed, as I would have had a warranty? As it is, it looks like I'm going to have to buy a new printer .

When it does come together, I know that it will feel satisfying I'm really excited about it Justin, I have lots of ideas. Right now it just feels like I've hit a brick wall.

I'll not give up on it though.

[mr-gobby]

Bad days do happen, worse when self inflicted and unable to point fingers at the kit! Wonky or misaligned output being one! Second user equipment is a chance you take and can pay off, I've done it though had a new subli printer but even they can have problems, I have the same model and used eBay sourced inks with little issue. Press wise if you get used but well known makes like Adkins you will have good success rate and spares availability and it will sell again for similar money if things don't work out. Materials problems can happen though I haven't had many myself I read others have. Mugwise xpress have for me so far been reliable for mugs. Obviously honing techniques with the equipment is something that takes practice and time and so still learning and occasionally goofing up. we all want to save money though but doing so can sometimes be costly. Keep plugging away.

[brightday83]

Bad days do happen, worse when self inflicted and unable to point fingers at the kit! Wonky or misaligned output being one! Second user equipment is a chance you take and can pay off, I've done it though had a new subli printer but even they can have problems, I have the same model and used eBay sourced inks with little issue. Press wise if you get used but well known makes like Adkins you will have good success rate and spares availability and it will sell again for similar money if things don't work out. Materials problems can happen though I haven't had many myself I read others have. Mugwise xpress have for me so far been reliable for mugs. Obviously honing techniques with the equipment is something that takes practice and time and so still learning and occasionally goofing up. we all want to save money though but doing so can sometimes be costly. Keep plugging away.

Thanks for the reply.

Yes I know how it feels to cock up with misalignment (not with the printer, but when I've tried cutting around the outline of the prints with a scalpel, and managed to veer-off course. Super steady hands are needed!) I also wasted a couple of mugs by misjudging the space between the two images on both sides of the mugs, so that it wasn't centred. I see this as a learning-curve though .

I did buy a cheap paper cutter from ebay and that broke on the first day. I guess that was self-inflicted lol, but it did have good ratings.

I will keep at it, thanks for the words of encouragement .

[froggy]

If people are considering doing sublimation to make money then they have to invest in professional quality kit. Sublimation is still probably the "cheapest" digital printing method for someone to enter, but I have read so many posts asking is this a good printer set up for £10 etc etc.... no its not, if it was quality kit it would be much much dearer.

You are paying for machinery which produces consistent quality results, so that you can get on with "making" stuff rather than tinkering with your kit and throwing poorly sublimated product in the bin.

I appreciate that money is tight for most people, so instead of buying "*rap" kit use a trade printer to get you going. Sales are much more important than owning machines, get selling...invest your money in some quality samples produced by someone with the right tools, the once you have done your sums GET OUT AND SELL.

The internet is a tough tough place to trade with sublimation goods, the established volume sellers have most of it. Dont try to compete on their terms, as a new business you need profit. Put some shoes on and go get some sales, try to get 20 mugs from 1 sale rather than 20 mugs from 20 different people (if you are customising) otherwise your profit will be eaten away by time.

Its a tough slog, but it can be done, just not in your pyjamas working for 2 hours a day.

[webtrekker]

Thanks for the reply.

Yes I know how it feels to cock up with misalignment (not with the printer, but when I've tried cutting around the outline of the prints with a scalpel, and managed to veer-off course. Super steady hands are needed!) I also wasted a couple of mugs by misjudging the space between the two images on both sides of the mugs, so that it wasn't centred. I see this as a learning-curve though .

I did buy a cheap paper cutter from ebay and that broke on the first day. I guess that was self-inflicted lol, but it did have good ratings.

I will keep at it, thanks for the words of encouragement .

I bought a cheap guillotine from ebay and it cuts my prints just fine. I print from Photoshop and add my own crop marks at the edges (nowhere near the actual print) and this serves well to line up prints exactly in the guillotine. This setup ensures my final transfers are parallel with the bottom (or top, in the case of the spoon mugs I use) with the mug.

If I ever needed to cut a non-linear print then I'd use my contour cutter (Silver Bullet from Thyme Graphics).

[brightday83]

If people are considering doing sublimation to make money then they have to invest in professional quality kit. Sublimation is still probably the "cheapest" digital printing method for someone to enter, but I have read so many posts asking is this a good printer set up for £10 etc etc.... no its not, if it was quality kit it would be much much dearer.

You are paying for machinery which produces consistent quality results, so that you can get on with "making" stuff rather than tinkering with your kit and throwing poorly sublimated product in the bin.

I appreciate that money is tight for most people, so instead of buying "*rap" kit use a trade printer to get you going. Sales are much more important than owning machines, get selling...invest your money in some quality samples produced by someone with the right tools, the once you have done your sums GET OUT AND SELL.

The internet is a tough tough place to trade with sublimation goods, the established volume sellers have most of it. Dont try to compete on their terms, as a new business you need profit. Put some shoes on and go get some sales, try to get 20 mugs from 1 sale rather than 20 mugs from 20 different people (if you are customising) otherwise your profit will be eaten away by time.

Its a tough slog, but it can be done, just not in your pyjamas working for 2 hours a day.

Firstly Froggy, I do appreciate that it's important to get the right equipment. I did my homework about which printer was best to buy, and it cost £90 (not for 10). This was from somebody on the forum so I trusted that it would work. Yes this appears to have turned out to have been a mistake, but one that I will learn from.

Outsourcing for mug pressing for my niche isn't viable. I did look into it.

I have all of the other equipment ready and working, it's just the printer issue that I need to resolve.

With regards to selling mugs, thank you for your advice, but I don't need help with that side of things. I have a large facebook following, and experience with marketing. I disagree that money can't be made selling sublimated products to individuals, and that the only way to make a profit is to sell in bulk. Perhaps if the products aren't unique, but if you have a good niche and your designs are unique, and you market your products well, I believe people will buy them.

As for working in pyjamas for 2 hours a day, I think you are jumping ahead of yourself there; that does come across as rather patronising.

Thanks for your sharing your opinion, however.