Are you a manual screen printer wondering if it's time to step up your game with an automatic press? Trust us, you're not alone. Deciding to move to automation is a big leap — but it can also be the best move you ever make for your business.
Here are three clear indicators that it's time to start seriously thinking about automation:
1. You Know Your Numbers
First things first: do you know how many shirts you're printing each month? If the answer is "not exactly," it's time to start tracking. Whether you use a whiteboard, Printavo, a spreadsheet, or even tally it up by hand at the end of the day — knowing your production numbers is key.
Why?
We typically see that shops printing around 1,000+ shirts per month are ready for automation. At that level, you're spending more time behind the press than building your business, and that's when growth hits a wall.
Pro tip: Even simple tracking can give you big insights into when you're ready to level up.
RELATED: INTERESTED IN AN AUTOMATIC PRESS? HERE'S 3 THINGS TO CONSIDER
2. You're Printing More Than 50% of the Time?
If you're spending more than half your time physically printing, that's another huge red flag. At that point, you're stuck: you can either print more (which eats up even more of your time) or focus on growing the business (but you can't if you're stuck at the press).
This is where automation changes the game. You have two choices:
- Hire someone (which comes with its own costs and risks)
- Get an automatic press (your best first hire — reliable, consistent, and efficient)
An automatic press frees you up to sell, market, talk to customers, and build the systems your business needs to really thrive.
3. Your Ready For Your First (and Best) Employee
Here’s a truth bomb: an automatic press is usually cheaper than a full-time employee. When you add up lease payments, electrical costs, and maintenance, a press:
- Costs less than an employee's salary
- Builds equity in your business
- Cranks out 2–3x the work with just a few hours of run time daily
Even better? Training someone to use an automatic press is way easier. No more worrying about how hard they push a squeegee, how tired they get after lunch, or whether your prints are consistent. Automatics like the ROQ press standardize your quality with integrated flash dryers and built-in precision.
Higher quality prints mean happier customers — and way less waste.
Ready to Make the Leap?
If you're nodding along to any of these signs, now's the time to start exploring your automation options.
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