Posts tagged ‘seminar’
Top 5 Ways to Maintain Your Bottom Line
This week we are featuring another “Top 5″ article written by Kieth Stevens and published in Impressions:
Recently, my co-workers and I were discussing how important all the screen printing production environment, from tools to processes, are to a shop’s bottom line. After all, a printer’s goal is to make money. With that in mind, here are a few more practical tips that may be helpful as you continue to run your business.
We all understand how important it is to pay as little as possible for any given item. We also understand that selling the finished product for as much as the market can bear — or at least at a fair price — is important. Labor costs in our industry also have a huge impact on the bottom line. These factors, among many other things, impact your pocket book.
But the greatest variable that affects your bottom line is the flow or rate of your production. Put another way, you must make sure you are keeping the shirts or garments flowing through your plant.
If I had a machine in my garage that printed dollar bills, there are a few things I would do:
1. Ensure I never run out of ink — no matter what.
2. Ensure I never let the machine run out of paper.
These two things seem like no brainers right? Well the same should apply to screen printing shops. Make sure your ink is the correct type (not just the necessary color, but also the correct properties, such as special-effects ink, cotton white, low-bleed inks, etc.) and is ready to be used. Also make sure shirts are ready and laid out next to the machine.
3. To keep my money-printing machine running, I also would make sure that my tools are in the best state. Use emulsion that is durable, make sure squeegees and flood bars are clean and sharp, use correctly tensioned mesh and properly adjust the off-contact on your press. In other words, make sure anything you could possibly need is at the ready so you won’t have to stray away to get anything. This slows the production process.
It’s important to note that getting the cheapest item is not always best. If your cheap tool breaks down, your production flow consequently will be slowed.
4. Worker safety also is an important consideration in maintaining production workflow. Establish safety rules for the production floor and be sure to educate your workers on how to run the machines properly. Improper machine use or a defective machine can lead to a major accident, which may result in someone getting hurt, down time associated with the accident, labor loss and possible fines associated with the accident, etc.
5. Lastly, to keep a machine in top working condition, I strongly suggest having spare parts at the ready. If something were to break, you could repair it or substitute that part right away. With my money-printing machine, I would do almost anything it takes to keep it running. To that end, keeping machines in an up-to-date condition involves regular maintenance, repair and overhaul. This also includes preventive maintenance, which involves keeping it in a completely functioning state rather than attending to it when a problem occurs. Machinery maintenance keeps your systems from depreciating and undergoing impending breakdowns.
Constant machinery maintenance or industrial maintenance has many benefits. Getting the machine repaired only when a problem occurs greatly hampers productivity. Check to be sure your machines are in optimal running condition. Here are further benefits to keeping your machines in tip-top condition:
• Increases the efficiency and speed of your equipment
• Saves energy and life of the equipment
• Saves expenditures that could surface during a machine breakdown, like replacing damaged parts
• Keeps the machine speed at the best possible rate and the work is done much faster
• May bring to light defects that can be repaired before they become larger problems
To recap, running the office and selling at the right price are extremely important tasks, but if the overall production is not running smoothly, you will soon be out of business. If you keep your production running at peak performance you can be assured that you will win the race.
Kieth Stevens is the Western regional sales manager for International Coatings. He has been teaching screen printing for more than 10 years and is a regular contributor to International Coatings’ blogs. For more information, visit iccink.com and read the company’s blog at internationalcoatingsblog.com
International Coatings manufactures a complete line of phthalate-compliant screen printing inks, including a wide variety of whites, specialty inks, special effects inks, color matching systems, additives and reducers. For more information on our products, please visit our website at www.iccink.com.
International Coatings: The Intelligent Choice
McLogan Seminar March 27, 2013
Join us for this exciting seminar featuring:
Ø NEW Whites
· 7031 Ultra White
· 7014 Legacy White
· Learn when to use which whites for which substrates
Ø 7100 Series Performance Pro
· How to print on performance fabrics including Polyester, stretch, etc.
· What does the 7100 Performance Pro do?
PLUS: Special Effects Techniques featuring Ed Branigan.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to broaden your product knowledge and hands-on techniques.
Space is very limited, so don’t delay. RSVP today!
A non-refundable charge of $25 will apply.
Lunch and snacks will be provided!
DATE: Wednesday, March 27, 2013
LOCATION: International Coatings Headquarters
13929 E. 166th St.
Cerritos, CA 90703
COST: $25
IMPORTANT: Dress code – Please only wear closed-toe shoes
SGIA 2012 Coming Up!
Visit us at SGIA in Las Vegas next week, October 18 – 20, 2012, Booth # 3259. We have lots of new products to show you!
Check out live demos at our booth throughout the day. We will be featuring our innovative AXEON line of Non-PVC, Non-Phthalate special effects inks as well as our GEN IV Non-PVC, Non-Phthalate high-solids water-base inks. In addition, we will also be showcasing our 7100 Performance Pro Series, specifically formulated for athletic and poly/stretch fabrics.
On Saturday, Oct. 20th, don’t miss Kieth Stevens and Ed Branigan’s live seminars and demos at the Screen Printed Apparel Training Zone (Booth # 3624) at 10:00 am, 11:00 am, and 1:00 pm.
Come by the booth and check out our new products. Ed Branigan has some great print effects lined up. We’d love to see you there!
Register for FREE here (use VIP code 2112 if prompted).
BC Supply Seminar Follow-Up
Art supplied by ODM Art and BC Supply, Inc. Printed using GEN IV Series Non-PVC, Non-Phthalate Inks
Last week we had another successful seminar. “Thank You” to all who attended. To recap, we showcased our Non-PVC, Non-Phthalate GEN IV Series as well as our Axeon line of special effects inks.
A special “thank you” to our distributor, BC Supply and their staff as well as ODM Art for supplying the artwork we printed with the GEN IV and for Murakami and Ulano for supplying the screens and emulsion.
For more on the GEN IV Series, please go to: http://www.iccink.com/screenprint/waterbase.htm
To reach BC Supply, here is their website: http://bcsupply.net/
International Coatings manufactures a complete line of phthalate-compliant screen printing inks, including a wide variety of whites, specialty inks, special effects inks, color matching systems, additives and reducers. For more information on our products, please visit our website at www.iccink.com.
International Coatings: The Intelligent Choice
Eagle Rock High Seminar
Recently, Kieth Stevens and Ed Branigan conducted a mini-seminar at Eagle Rock High School and introduced the students to some simple discharge printing methods using just one screen. Kieth and Ed both love teaching and interacting with the students. Thank you, Eagle Rock High and instructor Glenn Laird for letting us participate in your class!
For more on International Coatings’ Discharge, here is a link to our flyer: http://www.iccink.com/pdfs/Discharge%20Brochure.pdf. We also have a video on our IC TV YouTube channel on how to print with Discharge: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzP4fCaLweU&feature=plcp. Read our blog for more on Discharge: http://internationalcoatings.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/insights-on-discharge/.
International Coatings manufactures a complete line of phthalate-compliant screen printing inks, including a wide variety of whites, specialty inks, special effects inks, color matching systems, additives and reducers. For more information on our products, please visit our website at www.iccink.com.
International Coatings: The Intelligent Choice
Thank You For Visiting Our Booth At ISS Long Beach
GEN IV print. Art by XIIISF.com
This year’s ISS Long Beach show was a great success thanks to visitors like you! We enjoyed the opportunity to meet you and introduce our newest products and screen printing techniques. We appreciate your interest in our screen printing inks and related products. Read more….
ISS Long Beach Show, Jan 20-22
ISS Long Beach 2012 is upon us! Come by our booth, #1613 and see the latest product demos and techniques. We will be showcasing our non-PVC line of products as well as our new Performance Pro inks for today’s athletic and performance fabrics.
Continue Reading January 4, 2012 at 10:48 am Leave a comment
SPSI Tech Seminar Nov. 18, 2011
John Levocz, our North East Regional Sales Manager, will be at SPSI’s Kansas Branch to conduct a screen printing seminar on Friday, Nov. 18th, 2011 from 1-4 pm in the afternoon. Don’t miss out on this chance to learn new skills or sharpen your print technique hands-on.
Continue Reading November 2, 2011 at 4:45 pm Leave a comment
Reminder: ISS Fort Worth Seminar Sept 29 & Oct 1st
Don’t miss out on Kieth Stevens’ Special FX seminar at the upcoming ISS Fort Worth show next Thursday and Saturday, Sept. 29th (1 pm-2:30 pm) and Oct. 1st (8:30 am – 10:00 am). Kieth’s seminar, entitled: Adding “Wow” Special Effects Screen Printing, will incorporate live demos as well as in-depth teaching on easy-to do special effects techniques that will give you the most “bang for the buck.”
Continue Reading September 23, 2011 at 5:12 pm Leave a comment
New McLogan Seminar July 20th, 2011
Our next exciting McLogan Seminar is coming up July 20, 2011. Don’t miss out on this informative session covering color concentrates and color mixing.
