2008 Woodie Awards
Students make T-shirts digitally
Jessica Slosberg
Issue date: 1/11/05 Section: Business
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The world of custom T-shirts has arrived in the 21st century and two DU students are going to reap the rewards.
Casey Schorr, a junior majoring in finance and marketing and Kevin Materi, a sophomore majoring in computer science, met last year and are now business partners in Printfection.
The company makes T-shirts using digital images uploaded by customers. Purchasers can buy a T-shirt in one of two ways.
First they can go to the Web site, choose the product they wish to order and select a picture or design to put on it.
Then customers can see what it will look like on the shirt, mug etc.
Once they order, the image is downloaded at the office and then printed on the t-shirt with a heat printer.
It is then mailed. Customers can also go to an online store that has contracted with Printfection. This could be any Web site with all types of content from dog lovers to sports leagues.
These images would be the Web site's selection.
"If someone already has a Web site, but they want to add a store section this is a great way to do it because they do not have to get inventory or anything. Instead they contract with us and then mark-up the prices. We then send them a check with the profits every month," Schorr explained. There are already two web sites interested in contracting with them. They are waiting for the final Web site which will be ready in five weeks.
The images are in photograph-quality colors with no size restrictions and images can be manipulated.
The only restrictions involved in this process are that light colored T-shirts have to be used because the technology is not that advanced. Printfection offers a choice of white or light blue and pink. They offer more clothing choices than shirts. Products include thongs and boy shirts.
The company uses one printing technology for hard surfaces like mugs and cutting boards known as sublimation.
"It heats up the object to so that the pores open up. At 400 degrees the ink jumps in to the pores. As it cools the ink stays in the pores as the close. So the photograph is preserved in coasters for example," explained Schorr.
Casey Schorr, a junior majoring in finance and marketing and Kevin Materi, a sophomore majoring in computer science, met last year and are now business partners in Printfection.
The company makes T-shirts using digital images uploaded by customers. Purchasers can buy a T-shirt in one of two ways.
First they can go to the Web site, choose the product they wish to order and select a picture or design to put on it.
Then customers can see what it will look like on the shirt, mug etc.
Once they order, the image is downloaded at the office and then printed on the t-shirt with a heat printer.
It is then mailed. Customers can also go to an online store that has contracted with Printfection. This could be any Web site with all types of content from dog lovers to sports leagues.
These images would be the Web site's selection.
"If someone already has a Web site, but they want to add a store section this is a great way to do it because they do not have to get inventory or anything. Instead they contract with us and then mark-up the prices. We then send them a check with the profits every month," Schorr explained. There are already two web sites interested in contracting with them. They are waiting for the final Web site which will be ready in five weeks.
The images are in photograph-quality colors with no size restrictions and images can be manipulated.
The only restrictions involved in this process are that light colored T-shirts have to be used because the technology is not that advanced. Printfection offers a choice of white or light blue and pink. They offer more clothing choices than shirts. Products include thongs and boy shirts.
The company uses one printing technology for hard surfaces like mugs and cutting boards known as sublimation.
"It heats up the object to so that the pores open up. At 400 degrees the ink jumps in to the pores. As it cools the ink stays in the pores as the close. So the photograph is preserved in coasters for example," explained Schorr.