Custom Ink | Contract T Shirt Printing & Custom Ink
As a contract screen printer, I would love to be able to do a blog post on how terrible custom ink is. But the truth of the matter is that they aren't all that bad. I have to say, they did a pretty darn good job of creating a national brand for a business that we've been in for 26 years. I just wish that we came up with that idea.
One of the great things that custom ink has done for custom t shirt printing is bring awareness to the forefront that there are so many decoration options available. Like many other middle-men custom ink contracts out the vast majority of their work to regional screen printers across the United States, so it's very likely that if you live on the East Coast that a local screen printer vs. custom ink is actually producing your work. That screen printer is contracted by custom ink to do their contract screen printing work. (for those initiated, yes, Custom Ink does do some in-house printing, but the vast majority of their work is subcontracted out)
This t shirt printing arrangement is great for the consumer. Custom ink takes a lot of the worry out of working on a new t shirt printing project by offering money back guarantees, 100% satisfaction guarantees and one place to go to manage your whole project.
You're probably waiting for the "but" in this post, but in reality, they are a great company with a fantastic offering.
If I'm going to try and list some benefits of working directly with a contract screen printing company vs. going through a middle man like custom ink, they would be this:
Cheaper T Shirt Printing Costs
You may be able to get a cheaper price for your t shirt printing because you would be going direct to a printer.
Custom Ink Customer Service
While custom ink does have a call in number, you're not going to get to talk to the person that is actually printing your job, remember in most cases they are your middle man. So if you are very particular with your work, and you are a details oriented customer, you will likely get better access to the people actually printing your t shirt if you work with a contract screen printer directly.
Access to T Shirt Artists
Custom ink wants you to upload your T Shirt read artwork. That means that you can either use their clipart library of stock designs, or upload your original works. If you are not artistically inclined, but you have an idea of what you want, custom ink isn't going to hold your hand. But working with a contract screen printer in your area or over the phone can give you access to their in-house creative art department that will hold your hand, send you proofs of concepts and work with you to get you the best t shirt for your project.
Custom Ink is a great company, and they contract out a lot of work, making contract screen printers across the country very happy. But if you are looking for a more personalized experience, access to different price ranges and the ability to talk with the artists working on your project, you may want to consider using a local contract screen printing company.
If you have any questions, please give us a call (908) 806-8337.