Screen printing is a process by which you can print on virtually anything. Getting to the point where you’re able to do that is another story entirely. But the good news is that whether you’re just starting out in your garage with a manual press or running dozens of multicolor automatics in a huge facility, there are people in the industry dedicated to helping you get the job done.
Screen printing is a process by which you can print on virtually anything. Getting to the point where you’re able to do that is another story entirely. But the good news is that whether you’re just starting out in your garage with a manual press or running dozens of multicolor automatics in a huge facility, there are people in the industry dedicated to helping you get the job done.
They’re the unsung heroes of screen printing. They man phones and run diagnostic tools. Some travel around the world to increase customer knowledge and satisfaction. They’re specialists.
They’re tech support.
The importance of being able to make a call or send an e-mail and receive sound recommendations about which mesh counts to select when you need to print a high-res P-O-P graphic or special-effect garment design cannot be overlooked. A good technical-service rep is the maître d’ of mesh—the sommelier of screens, if you will.
When you’re in the middle of a job and the press goes from a blissful hiss-whirl sound to a snap-kerchunk nightmare, the seasoned technical specialist is able to diagnose the problem quickly and remotely and offer valuable advice on which you can act in short order. Need a replacement component shipped overnight? The technical rep, a veritable prince of parts, will come through.
Tech support can offer simple advice and provide more complex instruction. So whether you need to add 25 cents of off-contact or perform a major overhaul when an emergency strikes, you can count on a technical-service rep to be a true and trusty friend.
Tech-support personnel are rarely the out-front characters at trade shows and conferences. Instead, they work behind the scenes, making things look easy and run smoothly. They aren’t wining and dining prospective customers in hopes of making big sales, but to consider them anything but a key part of every transaction—whether it’s one container of ink or a fleet of high-end presses—is a huge mistake.