A Newsletter from Screenflex Inks Canada Ltd. & www.screenprintcatalog.com

Screenprintcatalog.com, the online service of Screenflex Inks, is pleased to announce that it has launched in the U.S.

Screenflex started out in Canada 20 years ago with Wilflex ink and recently struck a deal with manufacturers to offer an online service in the U.S. Take a look at the web site for the selection of quality products that we are offering. See the link to the site on the right of this page under “Links”.

Our focus in the U.S. is the smaller, independent shop that is tired of merely being tolerated by the big, multiple-branch distributors and their commissioned sales people. We have worked with smaller shops for many years. We know their needs and their frustrations. They want to do great prints with stuff that works, but they don’t want to pay the earth for it. They want to access technical information when they need it. They want same day shipping. Screenprintcatalog.com provides all of that online or by toll-free telephone.

We think that you’ll like our integrity and service. There is not much about textile screen printing that we do not know. All our support staff have been associated with screen printing for many years, some managed screen shops before they joined us. For twenty years we have been “changing the way screen printers are supplied and supported”.

We’d also like to invite you to list our blog as a favourite so that you can check in often for new and useful information about new products, new concepts and other useful and interesting information about the industry. And of course, your comments and feedback are welcome.

At a November 30^th Christie’s auction in New York, a Rolling Stones t-shirt went for more than $4,000.00.

At the same auction, a maroon 1973 tour Led Zeppelin t-shirt was bid up to $1,625.00.

The 1975 Led Zeppelin shirt and Physical Graffiti album in the illustration hang on the wall in Screenflex’s Calgary meeting room. We acquired the shirt about 18 years ago and later we found the matching album at an antique show.

Maybe it’s time to scratch around in the bottom of the closet or in that box of old t-shirts in the basement? 

That’s right, only Wilflex Oasis Plascharge (plastisol) or Wilflex Oasis Discharge (waterbase) ink has none of the “nasties” that turns off a lot of printers from wanting to print with discharge. Gone are the formaldehyde and the heavy metals.

And the best part is that Oasis Plascharge can be used with the Wilflex general purpose plastisol ink colours that are already sitting on your shelf. Use it for vibrant colours and a soft hand by avoiding the under-base white; Oasis takes out the dye in the fabric. That is why Oasis Plascharge can also be used in combination with a clear base such as Wilflex Soft Hand Clear to create a single colour print that exposes the natural colour of a cotton garment. The possibilities are endless for those willing to experiment with 100% cotton shirts.

Wilflex went looking for the safest discharge system possible and found it in England. Screenflex has the exclusive for Canada and you should see what some Canadian printers are doing with it! Amazing stuff …and ever so soft!

We’ve put together a great flyer that explains the product and its application. Just call for a mail or fax copy. You can also go to our e-commerce site in the Canadian section and under “Textile Inks and Additives” you will find “Oasis” from where a detailed Wilflex Product Information Bulletin can be downloaded. Also, as always, you can call Screenflex toll-free at 1-800-661-7766 for direct technical assistance.

Soft hand is where it is at right now, and Wilflex’s Oasis can get you there, without the “nasties” and the “smellies” of other older and outdated discharge inks.

How have we been saving our customers a pile of dollars?

When we last addressed the Canadian Loonie and its impact on pricing, it had suddenly risen against the American dollar all the way past par to $1.10. Since then it has dropped back almost as quickly to about par. Predictions for the future are all over the map, but most seem to be suggesting that around par is where it will be for the next little while.

Another influence on screen printing ink and chemical pricing is the price of oil which is around $99.00 today and threatening to go over $100.00 a barrel as we write this. The price of oil influences transport costs, which accounts for the approximately 5% increase being put through by the trucking companies.

Given the increase in the cost of a barrel of oil, eight increases in the price of plasticizer over the past 9 months and increases in resin prices, we are expecting another price increase from the manufacturers of around 5% early in 2008.

Over the past year or so Screenflex has been offsetting the manufacturers’ increases against the improving Loonie. We are also going to try to absorb the next increase. And in addition to that, we plan to stick with the price reductions that we have been making.

That is how we have been saving our customers a pile of dollars.

This is all about the lessons learned in defending an unsuccessful law suit brought against Screenflex by an equipment manufacturer.

It involved a new but faulty conveyor dryer returned by the printer to Screenflex. Screenflex refunded the printer in full but the manufacturer refused to take the dryer back and instead filed an $11,000.00 law suit for full payment.

By the time that the printer returned the dryer to Screenflex’s Calgary warehouse, two weeks of production time had been lost. To make a long story short, the dryer malfunctioned from the moment that it was powered up. Over the next two weeks it had numerous part replacements. There were even a few scary moments when a t-shirt burst into flames.

Yesterday at the pre-trial settlement conference, good sense prevailed and the suit was withdrawn.

The judge advised the manufacturer that they had no chance at all of succeeding in their suit. She said that because the dryer did not fulfill its intended purpose, the manufacturer was in breach of contract. She added that the manufacturer’s argument that they had fulfilled their parts warranty was irrelevent because the dryer had not worked properly from the time that it was received by the printer.

She said that on the basis of the evidence provided, the manufacturer faced “insurmountable odds” with the added possibility of having all costs (including the defendant’s) assessed against them.

So what can we all learn from this? Well,  the circumstances of this case, observations made by the judge and experience with equipment deals in the past, enable us to pass on some important tips to screen printers. If you are considering buying a significant item of equipment such as a press or a dryer, you should take note of the following:

• Before choosing a brand or a manufacturer, do your homework. Try to find out how the manufacturer reacts when things go wrong. Most manufacturers and distributors are cooperative when things are going right. You want to know how supportive and responsive they are when things are not going right. Talk to people upon whose opinion you can rely. Talk to printers and distributors. Give Screenflex a call; we no longer deal in equipment and can therefore give you a more objective opinion than someone with a vested interest.

• Check the manufacturer’s web site but don’t necessarily believe everything that you read. Small, local manufacturers of manual presses have been known to claim to be “world renowned” equipment manufacturers. Check out their claims to fame. Search the internet. Ask for feedback on online forums. Dig deep.

• Just because a manufacturer has been around a long time and once had a great reputation, does not mean that they are still great. Has there been a change of ownership or management? Have key people left? How stable are they today? Even large international manufacturers of automatic equipment have been known to disappear. Do you want to own a new machine that has gone off the market?  Remember the Zelko and the Elexon? Both were beautiful automatics, but where are they now?

• Will the manufacturer or distributor install or assemble the equipment? Will they come to your premises? If they won’t come to your premises promptly to install or to repair, will they pay for a qualified third party to do it? If the answer is “no” to any of these questions, you should probably consider another brand.

• Talk to owners of the brand of the equipment that you are considering. Not just the happy ones listed on the web site or given as references, but find the unhappy ones and talk to them too.

• Ask if the manufacturer tests the equipment properly before it leaves their premises. Ask to see a copy of a test record or log sheet. Ask how thoroughly they test it. For instance, a dryer should be thoroughly tested with a precise digital Thermoprobe, not with less reliable methods such as temperature strips or infrared beam guns. Do you really want to buy a $10,000.00 dryer from a manufacturer who will not spend $500.00 on a Thermoprobe?              

All seem so obvious to you? That is because it is obvious. The big question is why do so few screen printers bother to do the obvious? If you are not careful, the risk is that you could end up with malfunctioning or under-performing equipment and/or you could end up in court. And even if you are forced into court and win like Screenflex did, it is still an annoying waste of time. In any case, who wants to do business that way?

But if things do go wrong, consult a good legal firm. Even if you appear on your own behalf, get good legal advice, get organized, communicate everything in writing and keep notes of every conversation. If you are reasonable and in the right, you’ll be surprised at how fair the legal process can be. It was for us in Ontario, one would hope that it would be the same in other jurisdictions as well.

Screen printing is tough enough in these times without losing production time to failed equipment. And you certainly don’t want to waste money on less-then-perfect equipment either. We have generally found that screen printers, especially smaller shops, are not assertive enough when dealing with equipment manufacturers and their distributors.

Demand the satisfaction to which you are entitled and you’ll be helping to raise the standards in our industry. Improved standards will benefit all of us, manufacturers, distributors, printers and end users.

Have an equipment horror story? Email me at michael@screenflex.com and share it with us. Just please do not mention names or brands, this is not about nailing anyone, it is about us all learning from bad experiences.

Because most of Screenflex’s product is imported from the U.S., we constantly monitor the Canadian dollar / U.S. dollar exchange rate. And, like just about everyone else in Canada, we have been keeping a very close eye on things as the Canadian dollar approached, and then exceeded, parity.

It is of course good news for Canadian importers and their customers that the Canadian dollar has been gaining. But it seems that there always has to be bad news as well, and in our case it is the fact that the U.S. manufacturers have been increasing their prices steadily. The ink manufacturers have had 8 plasticiser price increases in 9 months and there is nothing they can do about it because one very large international conglomerate has the virtual monopoly on plasticiser production. Fortunately, we have mostly been able to offset those price increases for the past two years or so against the improving Canadian dollar.

Something else to keep in mind with regard to this U.S. dollar issue is that while Canadian businesses are paying less for items sourced in the U.S., all their other expenses are still paid in Canada in Canadian dollars. Transport, wages, insurance, rent, utilities, travel, and most other costs of doing business in Canada continue to rise.

But, in spite of all that, we are reducing prices on most U.S.-sourced products in recognition of the recent strength of the Canadian dollar. We have to be cautious though as manufacturers’ prices continue to rise and the Canadian dollar is volatile, recently rising and then falling up to 3 cents a day. For now, prices on most products will be lowered from 2% to 10%. One exception will be Kiwo products because the manufacturer’s recent increases have exceeded the Canadian dollar’s gains.

We do not know for how long the Canadian dollar will maintain its strength against the U.S. dollar. Some economists have suggested that the Canadian dollar will slip back below par in about 6 months. In addition, we expect the U.S. manufacturers to continue to increase their prices in order to recover increased costs for imported raw materials as their dollar declines against other major currencies. And we expect to continue receiving increases from domestic suppliers, especially those dependent on oil prices, such as the transport industry.

Screenflex will be watching the exchange rates carefully and will continue to price as fairly as we have done for the past 20 years.

Now that is production productivity! And it is not just hype, it was timed before witnesses. Click on Kathleen for a bigger image if you would like a closer look. The shirt was printed in the Stretch Devices booth at the Orlando SGIA show.

It was achieved with art, equipment and materials available to everyone interested in producing high quality prints with high productivity. The key elements were artwork by Print This Inc., Newman Roller Frames, Ulano stencils, Wilflex Oasis Discharge ink, Wilflex Quick White, Wilflex GNS colours, and Wilflex High Density Clear. The separations were produced with Wilflex Easy Art separation software.

If you are interested in further details such as the print sequence, squeegee durometers, screen tensions, mesh counts, and other technical elements that produced this amazing print, give Margaret Best a call toll free at 1-800-661-7766. Also, if you need any information on the Newman Roller Frames, Ulano emulsion, Wilflex inks, and Wilflex Easy Art separation software used to produce this and other fine prints, call the same toll-free number.

When you call, make sure to ask about how cool-down units positioned after each flash helped to speed up the production. Screenflex offers the Tekmar Kwik-Kool unit.

We went looking for a superb one-part emulsion that could be manufactured at a great price for our textile screen printers. We also wanted to be the first to introduce artistic and creative labels to our industry. If this industry is all about art and creativity, you wouldn’t know it from the deadly dull labels on screen printing supplies.

The result is another first from Screenflex… Xpose one-part emulsion.

Available in red or blue, this is an ultra-fast-exposing emulsion. It is one-part (no need to add a sensitizer) and has a shelf life of one year, which is really useful for smaller shops. Not only is it faster-exposing and priced much better than other one-part emulsions like Ulano QTX, but it is economical to use because it only needs one coat on each side of the screen.

Shops with exposure units with weaker light sources, such as the Atlas 5-Way, or units with just fluorescent tubes, love Xpose emulsion. It significantly reduces their exposure times.

Large well-equipped shops love it too. Ask Bob Paton at Kajobi Clothing. He says that in fifteen years Screenflex’s Xpose is the best emulsion that he has ever worked with.

Want to know more, want a sample, or want to order? Call Screenflex toll-free at 1-800-661-7766.

We just cannot let this one slip by without sharing it with our Canadian printers.

Today we had a call from an Ontario printer, it went something like this (names withheld for obvious reasons)…

“Screenflex, good afternoon.”

“Hi. I’m calling from XXXXXX . Can you match and mix PANTONE® colours in plastisol?

“Yes we can. We have been doing that in our two ink labs every day for many years for textile printers across Canada.”

“What ink brands do you have?”

“Only the best one, Wilflex. And we use only Wilflex bases and pigments for colour matches.”

“Can you make just a quart of 159C for me for printing on a black 100% cotton t-shirt?”

“Of course.”

“When?”

“We’ll ship it today.”

“You’re kidding! Are you going to charge me extra for doing that?”

“PANTONE® matches require extra work so they are a dollar or two more than our regular standard colours, but other than that there is nothing extra.”

“You’re kidding!”

“Why do you sound so surprised?”

“I just called my regular ink supplier, XXXXXX. They told me that I would have to buy a gallon, even though I only need a quart and the rest will sit on my shelf forever. Then they said that it would take one-and-a half weeks to ship and that there would be an additional mixing fee of $65.00!”

“Now it’s my turn to ask this…  are you kidding? They are known for selling on price. Sounds like cheap isn’t as cheap as it claims to be. Are you sure you’re not kidding? ”

“No, I’m not kidding. And now I’m so glad I found you! So let’s talk about how I can buy all my ink from you in the future.”

“Well, you can buy online, even PANTONE® colours, at www.screenprintcatalog.com or you can just call us toll-free at 1-800-661-7766….”

“No kidding!”

Okay, so we’re using this call to brag a bit. But it is a great story about how some distributors treat screen printers. We like to hear stories like this because they give us an opportunity to remind textile screen printers that they do not have to tolerate shoddy service, gouging and poor quality cheap products.

There is a moral too… if you are in Canada and you have a PANTONE® match for a textile ink, just call Screenflex or order online because you can have it shipped same day in any size from a quart up, in Wilflex quality, and there is no $65.00 mixing fee.

We have seen so many print shops with resident pets that we just had to feature as many of them as possible. Here is the first of many.

Meet Bailey, the six-year-old Rottweiler who goes to work every day at Images of Colour in Edmonton. Tammy and Darren, who own the company, tell us that his official title is Security Manager. We think that he would also make an excellent Credit Manager.

While the ruggedly handsome Security Manager’s size and stern appearance is suited to the job that he does so well, the truth is that he has a flaw in his qualifications. He is terrified of flies. Even a single fly can freak him out. Bailey makes sure that Images of Colour is well guarded and totally secure from everything… except the occasional fly.