Hey everyone! I am pretty new to all of this and to the forum so I apologize in advance if this has been asked already or seems dumb. I am having some trouble deciding on a system, specifically when it comes to heat presses. I have been lurking around on this forum and google for a few weeks now and am finding it a bit overwhelming so if anyone can help a complete newbie out, I would totally appreciate it.
When it comes to what I want to print, I am thinking to start off with, I will be doing tshirts and mugs, but want to eventually do shot glasses, bottles, small interior signs, jewelry, every and anything, really. From what I am learning, I will need to purchase a flat bed heat press and from what I have been reading, I think I would prefer a swing away press. From what I have been seeing on this forum, brands like pressmech, adkins, and stahls seem to be a favorite around here.
I was looking at the possibility of purchasing a George Knight DK20 as that is a little bit closer to my budget. What are your thoughts on that paired up with a Sawgrass SG400 printer? I am assuming I cannot do mugs, bottles, etc. with that press, correct? If so, what would you recommend for a mugpress that would be a good compliment to the Sawgrass SG400 printer? I don't have a printer yet, but am really considering the SG400. Good choice? Bad choice?
Here are some things that I am a bit concerned with......Besides wanting to make sure my prints are of high quality, I want to make sure that I am getting quality equipment without breaking the bank. Having said that, I don't want to buy something cheap that I will need to replace in a year or less. I would rather buy something of quality and learn that equipment to the best of my ability that will last me for years to come. But don't want to spend money on something with a ton of extra bells and whistles that I may never end up using. I am also a bit weary about buying used or from ebay because one of my major concerns is having access to technical support if something were to malfunction. This is very important to me being that I am extremely inexperienced.
I already have a pretty decent laptop that I plan on using and a copy of Photoshop 6.0 (I know. LOL. but figure its good enough to get me going, right? Or maybe even for the long haul....I dunno?) I know I have mentioned the SG400 and George Knight DK20 in this post as those are two things that I am ONLY CONSIDERING, so I am 100% completely open to more suggestions and recommendations.
I have plans to go to a trade show here locally in a few weeks to try and get a better understanding and possibly purchase some equipment there, but would really like to hear some of your suggestions and recommendations in the meantime. I think it will also help me ask the right questions when I do attend this trade show.
I know I've asked a lot in this post, but again, if any of you more experienced folks could lend your expertise to a complete newbie or give me some kind of direction, I would so so SO appreciate it.
Thanks in advance!