Select the printing company and the shipping service

[micheleminno]

Select one or more appropriate printing companies and shipping services (it could be the same company doing the shipping) where people can order the t-shirt online.

Requirements:

• all over printing - the shoulders contain parts of the print. This may be problematic (i.e. may not be supported by most t-shirt print companies).

• global shipping - T-shirt should be available for ordering and delivery globally, not just in a single country.

• money transactions between the buyer and the company - payment should be arranged by the orderer and the company, without involvement of the community as intermediary.

• Humane tech compliant - Selected company should comply with Humane Tech principles as much as possible.

• Low-cost - in production as well as sales prices (but humanely produced)

• Easy-to-use - preferably a DIY web app where you can bring all things together easily

[micheleminno]

About all over printing, someone working in a print company commented:

• Because of the size of the design, it would have to be done on a table. Screen printing is best done over a smooth even surface. Where the line goes over the thicker seams of the sleeve, the printed line would likely be a wider, not an even thickness.
  For the same reason, you might need to move the design a little away from the sleeve seams (on the back print) and neckline ribbing.
  I don’t think these fractions of an inch adjustments would change the look of the design.

• The separate pieces of the shirt are first printed on the fabric. Then the pieces are cut out and sewn together. But it would be expensive and I’ve only seen it done on polyester/synthetic looking fabrics.
  There are 2 ways that we know of to print a finished t shirt:

1. The shirt is stretched over the ends of arms that rotate around a center axis.
2. Printed flat on a table. This printer only does the first method. We agreed that the design going over the sleeve seam would not look good.

[micheleminno]

About money transactions between the buyer and the company, an expert about this kind of campaigns started by a community without direct funds proposed:

• We start a crowdfunding campaign online where anyone requiring a t-shirt can book one. We give as payment details directly the bank account of the company that will produce the t-shirts.
  When a certain expected amount is reached, the company starts the production of the items. Once done, it must rely on a worldwide shipping services to send them.

[micheleminno]

About services that provide individual orders:

• Check with Kickstarter and 'online forms';
• search online with keywords: ‘fulfillment centers’ and ‘individual mailing of t shirts’.