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StitchPirate aka Steph is 23.92 years old, has been a member since September 5, 2007, has scored 1 submissions, giving an average score of 5.00.
  Sep 03 '08 by StitchPirate        31 Comments        Watch this      Share:  Share on facebook    Share on delicious    Share on digg    Share on MySpace    Tweet this    Stumble this    Share this on Kaboodle   
Did I get a bad shirt?
about Braaains!
My shirt arrived today, and I'm not really happy. There are big smudge marks on the print where it looks like it was wrinkled when it was printed. Mostly by the neck on the back, and at the armpits. Do all of the shirts have their own unique printing issues (due to the nature of the all over print), or did I just get a crappy shirt? I hope that I just got a bad shirt, because I love this design and would love to have it on a shirt, but I don't want a smudgy, amateurish printing job.

Edit: I'm aware that some inconsistencies are to be expected (especially around the seams, etc.), but I think mine looks way worse than I would have thought. I should have phrased my question, "Is it normal that mine is THIS bad?"
Pictures of my shirt:
http://i35.tinypic.com/j090go.jpg
http://i34.tinypic.com/fd8zrq.jpg
http://i34.tinypic.com/208twdc.jpg
http://i37.tinypic.com/10n6wl2.jpg

Kookaberry
   Kookaberry on Sep 03 '08 at 11:44pm
They say some smudging is to be expected due to it being a belt print but you should show us some photos. Maybe yours was extra smudgy.
shibby558899
shibby558899 on Sep 03 '08 at 11:44pm

The "all over" look of this product was achieved by belt-printing the garment. The nature of this process can create minor unique imperfections in the print, most likely around neck or armpit seams where full printing contact cannot be made.


that's on the product page
Number OneBuyer
Number OneBuyer on Sep 03 '08 at 11:45pm
Yeah, all around prints tend to get messed up usually.
ladykat
ladykat on Sep 03 '08 at 11:45pm
All shirts have unique printing issues, but maybe yours was worse? I don't know, but I think it's all sold out. So I say, love the shirt you're with.
shakethesheets
shakethesheets on Sep 03 '08 at 11:45pm
Those sound like the places where belt printing inconsistencies are most likely. It's partly up to chance, some are better than others, but as Amy said, yours could be worse than usual.
Kookaberry
   Kookaberry on Sep 03 '08 at 11:46pm
I always wonder why they don't print the fabric before sewing. Would it really be much more costly?
WarDrobeInSpareOom
WarDrobeInSpareOom on Sep 03 '08 at 11:47pm


Doo doo doo doo doo doodoo!
StitchPirate
StitchPirate on Sep 03 '08 at 11:49pm
I'm aware that some inconsistencies are to be expected (especially around the seams, etc.), but I think mine looks way worse than I would have thought. I should have phrased my question, "Is it normal that mine is THIS bad?" I will take some pictures and post them when I get the chance.
francischtime
francischtime on Sep 04 '08 at 5:46am
just looked at those pics, and i think its fine. wayyyy fine

think of it as your fingerprint, every1's is different!
miniaturemarci
miniaturemarci on Sep 04 '08 at 6:58pm
I don't see anything wrong with it. Besides those are parts you wouldn't be staring at anyway and it really isn't that noticeable.
ladykat
ladykat on Sep 04 '08 at 7:11pm
Yeah, I have to say - all that is similar to what my shirt is like. It's really just how the process turns things out.
TritoneXX
TritoneXX on Sep 04 '08 at 11:40pm
That is actually not a bad print at all.

As said before, nobody is going to be looking there.
It's imperfections make it special. Yes they do.
littlem
littlem on Sep 04 '08 at 11:46pm
well, if you're really not happy with the variations, the best thing for you to do would be to contact customer service and ask them their opinion.

contact
Red Threads
Red Threads on Sep 05 '08 at 10:37am
They can't print on fabric before sewing because printers don't sew the shirts. Plus the shirt makers are way over in the far east while the printers are in Chicago making it logistically infeasible.

The shirt looks like a normal case of imperfections - not really noticable tb
Ray Frenden
   Ray Frenden on Sep 05 '08 at 10:54am
That doesn't look bad. That seems to be the same condition my copy is in.
2 days later
Hinargaa
Hinargaa on Sep 07 '08 at 4:20pm
Mines the same way, but I don't mind. My shirt was also folded a bit on the shoulder where it was printed so theres 2 triangles on the shoulder with no design but it doesnt bother me. It gives it...its own..specialness.
staffell
staffell on Sep 07 '08 at 4:24pm
major risk in tshirt
ginetteginette
   ginetteginette on Sep 07 '08 at 4:26pm
it's a bit weird that they don't place a sheet inside the t-shirt (like a piece of thing wood or whatever) so that it prints on smoother. like the extra spaces on the back/neck area happen because of the front collar bumping up the fabric.
i guess they just do so many that they don't have time to use those tshirt insert things.
Cichan
Cichan on Sep 07 '08 at 4:27pm
I'm curious about how really belt printing is work, where can I find some article or whatever about it?
Smidgen Pigeon
Smidgen Pigeon on Sep 08 '08 at 10:00am
I think it's looks coller with the smudges, I'd wear it
jet approves
jet approves on Sep 08 '08 at 10:03am
i actually don't think it's that bad. i think mine may be a bit more smudged, but it kind of goes along with the whole zombie thing anyway.
littlem
littlem on Sep 08 '08 at 10:05am
mine looks pretty similar to yours and i love it!
wotto
   wotto on Sep 08 '08 at 10:08am
I wouldn't buy a belt print for this very reason. yeah it makes your shirt individual but if i saw a product with those marks in a store I wouldn't buy it. I know it's not threadlesses fault its just a process.
squatterjohn
squatterjohn on Sep 08 '08 at 10:08am
Cichan on Sep 07 '08 at 4:27pm
I'm curious about how really belt printing is work, where can I find some article or whatever about it?

Ross posted a video of it in a blog about another belt print design. I foget which, but I'll try and find it.
chronically bizarre
chronically bizarre on Sep 08 '08 at 10:42pm
yeah, when I got my shirt there were a ton of smudges and inconsistencies around the bottom, the collar, and along the side seams and in the armpit area. I expected some imperfections, but I feel like there were a ton on this shirt. I'm on the fence about whether I'm going to keep mine. :|
jet approves
jet approves on Sep 09 '08 at 7:54am
just go with it, it's zombies so it makes it cooler!
squatterjohn
squatterjohn on Sep 10 '08 at 3:38am
I'm sorry, I couldn't find that video. I think it was posted around the time that Elephus Maximus won the Good Loves competition. Maybe the blog got deleted or maybe it was in a different design.
ladykat
ladykat on Sep 10 '08 at 5:40pm
You know, if you're really unhappy, you can just return it. And then I'm sure someone who's been wanting a copy will be ecstatic to snag your returned one when they do an inventory update!
2 days later
MCS4096
MCS4096 on Sep 12 '08 at 8:29pm
Mine looks worse than yours! It has some places all over where the shirt was folded so there are holes in the design. Just part of the process :) The shirt is fantastic, totally unique!
SoulfumeInc
SoulfumeInc on Sep 12 '08 at 8:39pm
Cichan, heres a belt printer. its hard to prevent blemishes like you see in this shirt
squatterjohn
squatterjohn on Sep 12 '08 at 9:33pm
^Yeah that's the video I was looking for.
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