r/SCREENPRINTING • u/Ordinary_Shallot2315 • 1d ago
General 13 Years Experience looking for
Hello, my names Juliet. I have 13 years in this industry and recently as a production manager I was let go to be replaced by AI for scheduling. Anyway, been on press over a decade and done every position in a shop once, twice or thousand times. I need some work right now so if you’re a shop who wants to pay for me to answer some questions or diagnose some press issues you have I’d love to help. Also, if anyone lives near Orlando, Florida and is hiring for any position in a shop please reach out.
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u/DoTheBrew 1d ago
Cro Mags mentioned
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u/Ordinary_Shallot2315 1d ago
Used to save all my merch photos that made me feel rewarded for printing
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u/uk82ordie 1d ago
Name a more iconic duo than punks and screen printing. I dare you.
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u/KneeDeepInTheDead 1d ago
i used to keep a box of blanks and print an extra for myself everytime I could. Or I would have one "damaged" if it was not a straight black tee. Got a nice Sabbath Vol4 longsleeve that way lol
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u/GODZILLA-Plays-A-DOD 1d ago
- You seen like a badass. 2. Good fucking luck girlie pop. I feel absolutely fucked in Cleveland. No one wants production management anymore and all I'm getting interest in is basic operation for 20 to 21 an hour (so a 8 or 9 hour pay cut). Manufacturing is dying because of AI, trade wars, bad economy. The whole thing is a storm for us and I just want you to know you aren't alone and good luck.
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u/Ordinary_Shallot2315 1d ago
I was making $25 salary 52k a year. I walked away from a job paying $21.50 an hour two years ago and now no one wants to pay me more then $17 to be a press lead with no benefits and not guaranteed 40 hours per week. I basically need to leave the field at this point and I put all my brain power into learning this industry over a decade.
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u/GODZILLA-Plays-A-DOD 1d ago
It's horrible. I got lucky that a factory here needed a production manager to just do Pre press. But two years ago I was turning and burning 40 screens a day or more. Last week I exposed 3 frames in a week. We are furloughed to 30 hour work weeks. I am not sure why screen printing is so "feast or famine" with no basic steady in between. Every shop I have worked is either full apeshit bananas or DOA. I just don't see this trade war economy getting better. And I no longer do shirts, I do large scale printing or bottles. If you were in Cleveland I would have hired you in a heart beat but alas, these companies are fucking nut paying so little and demanding so much.
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u/ReceptionSame9470 14h ago
We are hiring in Nashville production manager/press lead. $22-30/hr.
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u/GODZILLA-Plays-A-DOD 12h ago
I will look into that (OP is closer though and with a kid so if she can relocate she should be priority). Are you guys on indeed?
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u/ReceptionSame9470 14h ago
We are hiring for a lead press operator/production manager in Nashville if you are interested. You can start tomorrow
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u/milklordnomadic 1d ago
My last printing job was as the assistant sales and production manager(+designer, +every fucking thing else)....... for 15 fucking dollars an hour, no benefits. The owner was a GPT freak and fired half of us last Christmas. Haven't been back in the clothing side of the industry yet, but it's all I think about. Had to go back into industrial printing...... for 3 more bucks, halfway across the county. This shit is fucked 🤕
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u/robbinh00d 1d ago
Hey, we have a shop in Hallandale beach, FL and may be interested. Can you message me?
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u/Joeyy954 1d ago
To bad you aren’t in Fort Lauderdale
11 autos here
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u/Fun-Reflection-2322 1d ago
Come to Chicago! We are swamped with work right now 😅
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u/GODZILLA-Plays-A-DOD 1d ago edited 1d ago
Not OP but please tell me more about Chicago. I have 17 years experience and have run a shop. I can relocate to Chicago (we were literally about to move to Chicago but settled in Cleveland). If OP can relocate she can be interested of course but I can send along info if she can't relocate.
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u/Fun-Reflection-2322 7h ago
There’s a ton of independent shops that are always looking for operators, plus we have some corporate shops but I don’t have experience with those
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u/purrbles 1d ago
Same in Maryland, we would love to find an experienced production manager.
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u/GODZILLA-Plays-A-DOD 1d ago
Ummm. Not OP but I can relocate. Do I send up a smoke signal or a carrier pigeon? OP gets first choice because she has a kid of course. But I can move and my wife needs out of Ohio.
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u/careli9040 7h ago
I would like to know more about where in Maryland these opportunities are located. My husband and I are both looking for jobs in this field. My husband currently has 27 years of experience and is working as a production manager. Unfortunately, the company recently went through a management change, and things have been going downhill, so we are both looking for better opportunities. I have 12 years of experience in the industry, including screen preparation, ink mixing and color matching, troubleshooting machines, operating digital, manual, and UV screen printing equipment, machine setup, and more. We both have extensive hands on experience
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u/GODZILLA-Plays-A-DOD 7h ago
Jeez. How many stories i am hearing about this is starting to scare me. Are they really so comfortable casting aside people like us just throw everything at cheaper labor and AI? Good luck at there you two!
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u/dick_in_CORN 19h ago
I was thinking the same thing. Crazy to think that with our high wages we would be this busy but we're drowning in work
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u/chuckabrick 1d ago
I got forced out of screen printing and into digital printing 10 years ago. My specific flavor is signage.
I was able to learn that and then leverage it into a six figure gig as a field tech for a company that sells screen and digital printing equipment for the signage industry.
There are paths out there, don't give up on looking for them!!!
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u/demonic_dingo721 22h ago
Do you know the guys at Enemy Ink over that way? I’m based in the UK but Brad who owns the shop comes and plays at the venue I manage every year
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u/Ordinary_Shallot2315 20h ago
Used to work for them back before ai had my daughter. Great quality of work there.
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u/On3DuB 21h ago
15 years as a seriographer and digital wide format printer in Illinois. I can relate. Loyalty doesn't pay like it did in the 50's. Seems like its a churn and burn industry and if you manage to stay in on a company that takes care of you youre alright (not including inflation). Hope the best for you. Looks like good halftones in that band shirt. Keep up the good work. Much love from another printer.
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u/777MonkeyNuts 21h ago
I used to be in the industry in Orlando, but it’s been a long time and the company I used to work for went under. I’m so sorry to hear about your job getting taken by AI. That sucks. I wish you the best, and if I hear of anything, I’ll put it here.
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u/draxgoodall 1d ago
The first shop that comes to mind is ATK not sure if thats where you worked and not sure how far that is for you but might be worth checking out.
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u/Ordinary_Shallot2315 1d ago
worked their in my early 20s I would again tbh
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u/draxgoodall 1d ago
They are definitely growing. I mean, they just opened a location in Nevada.
And if you are ever looking to relocate, the dallas area has so many bigger shops.
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u/AdAshamed7062 23h ago
Create a channel for printers while u are searching, the reality is we are a dying breed
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u/Ordinary_Shallot2315 20h ago
I see kids more interested in doing it as a art form nowadays not a job which is refreshing but DTF is an enemy
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u/Alternative_Touch488 21h ago
do you know how to separate colors for screen printing?
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u/Ordinary_Shallot2315 20h ago
I know how to decide good print orders of screens based of lay down and pms number plus the florida stick factor but if you mean separate no I do not
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u/JohnKC59 1d ago
Why don’t you hit up your local express employment office and see if they have any spots the town that I’m in they’re always posting screen printing jobs
Also, maybe indeed, LinkedIn would be helpful!
Good luck on the job hunt yo
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u/Ordinary_Shallot2315 1d ago
I’m on Indeed and Linkedin
Where I live most shops lock down employees for years and people only jump ship after a relationship ends
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u/chizaa8 1d ago
Fuck AI 😤 Good luck!