Forum Moderators: buckworks
Naturally, they have zillion designs and a huge directory, so anything created there and not promoted elsewhere would be a needle in a haystack and very rarely noticed. But I see here a possibility to design funny/artistic shirts related to my site's content, stuff I know will sell, and promote it through my site with links to the Zazzle pages for people to actually buy it. It's a great concept, I think--all I need is one-time creativity, and I don't have to mess with production, shipping, etc.
But before I commit to one site, I want to make sure I've picked the right one. Zazzle was the first one I found. I also found a site named ChoiceShirts that does similar work. I've had a heck of a time finding reviews or comparisons of these types of operations, so I'm not sure which to go with, or if there are others that may be better.
Does anyone have thoughts on which of these kinds of sites is the best, or know where to find reviews and discussion of their respective merits/problems?
Thanks!
[edited by: DaveAtIFG at 7:04 pm (utc) on Sep. 11, 2004]
The t-shirts will fade in time if washed in a standard washer/dryer, but I found them good for wearable advertising/branding -- only needed a handful of them. Sold a few, but my shirts weren't funny or inherently exciting, just a website logo, photo and URL.
The coffee mugs will also fade, if dried in a standard dish washer with heat. However, I have a metal travel mug that has not faded -- still looks brand new. And I have a branded mug that's used as a pen holder that also looks brand new because it's never been placed in a dish washer.
So, it depends on your expectations of durability and use. I have no experience with the other sites you mention. CafePress was the first to come online and has, I think, the widest selection of possible products you can brand and market, now. Lunch boxes, apparel, backpacks, and much more.
Zazzle boasts of a printing process that basically never fades. I don't know if there's truth to their claim or not, but it sounds better than what you described from CafePress. But you also said your experience with them was several years ago. Perhaps they've updated their process?
Zazzle also claims their printing process results in shirts without a "decal-like" feel, just soft breathable pigmented fabric. Were your CafePress shirts like that? If they weren't like that back when you used their site, does anyone know if they're like that now?
Man, this choice was so much easier before I found CafePress. Now I'm really not sure which one to go with.
The mugs and shirts I mentioned were used often, so perhaps someone not wearing/using them as often as I did would have better durability results. My shirts were worn at least one day a week while hiking, camping or photographign for a year or so -- after that year, they were pretty much ready to be retired for lounge wear around the house rather than "ready to be seen in public as advertising" wear. They were washed on delicate for awhile, but soon were treated as any other t-shirt would be (washed inside out on normal duty, normal dry on a new washer & dryer unit).
The mugs were used by heavy coffee drinkers (my parents) and washed and dried in a dish washer at least once a week. After a year there was noticable fading and today, 2-2.5 years later, the imprinting's almost entirely gone. The dish washer used was an old one, however -- perhaps hotter on its wash & dry cycle than most.
All the apparel was comfortable and my only frustration was in the fading since I was using the apparel to market my website. After one delicate washing any decal/iron on type look to the shirts went away, at least in my recollection. Colors reproduced well and text was legible.
