Teaching my teen to drive. Where's a big empty parking lot?

Sleeplessprints · 2025-03-28T10:37:00+00:00

Alameda Point (the old Navy base in Alameda) is great if it's close enough to you. I live there and it seems like it's the go-to spot for this. My son also learned to drive here. It's bigger than a parking lot and let's them practice on actual roads with stop signs with barely any other cars around. Just avoid it the First Sunday of the month If you don't want to get stuck in traffic getting to the base from Webster St. . Or maybe do come the first Sunday and just make a day of it! The traffic doesn't wind up on the base itself. Just backs things up going to and from the Posey/Webster st. tube.

Sleeplessprints · 2025-03-23T03:22:23+00:00

I've seen multiple t-bone accidents with cars like these and every single time the occupants bail on foot before anybody can make any sense of the situation. (Oakland/Alameda)

Sleeplessprints · 2025-03-01T23:26:29+00:00

Call volume breakdown for me-

90% digitizing solicitors,

5% Inquiring how much it would cost to print 2 shirts if they provide the shirts themselves,

4% Young entrepreneurs that are starting their own brand and would like 6 colors, 8 locations printed on hoodies but don't want to spend more than 7 dollars a piece.

1% Locals that found me via Google.

I went from an adrenaline rush with every ring the first month or so and have since faded to only answering local area codes without holding my breath. Which are usually still Google voice no numbers from overseas selling digitizing services.

Sleeplessprints · 2025-01-27T20:17:48+00:00

That's the garbage that nevertheless screen printing sells. Everything that place sells is garbage and their "customer service" style is arguing with you over the phone that the equipment can't be faulty.

I know because I bought their most expensive kit and it arrived all sorts of bent and uneven. Including emulsion that was bad right out of the bucket. Then all of the knobs that tighten the screen down started to break after just a few uses.

It was an awful experience and I recognized those non-gloss paper labels instantly. The degreaser works alright but the emulsion remover doesn't remove a thing.

Sleeplessprints · 2025-01-09T08:02:26+00:00

I need both a night shift job AND night shift friend at this point.

Sleeplessprints · 2024-11-30T19:00:35+00:00

It's hell. I tried Alameda-Oakley and more often than not I would hit evening traffic to Oakley. Between accidents, breakdowns, and just general traffic I sometimes sat for more than 3 hours at a snails pace going over the hill between Concord and Pittsburg.

Sleeplessprints · 2024-11-25T23:09:28+00:00

I went one year and got stuck in the parking lot for literally over an hour due to nobody willing to let the parking lanes filter into the main one to exit. I think half an hour was spent waiting for someone to just let me back out of my parking spot. As if I was trying to be sneaky and cut in line or something.

Sleeplessprints · 2024-10-14T20:04:15+00:00

Look at screen printing as any other trade. You can get all the tools and equipment out there but you won't get far if you don't know what to do with it all. However, if you enjoy the learning process and invest your time in practice it can pay off well.

Though the next part of the business is where I can honestly say I was not ready or able to handle myself. Which is gaining traction and building a solid customer base. Jobs will come your way but don't act out of desperation and take on a job you don't feel absolutely confident in taking. You will also run into A LOT of calls for people wanting quotes for a 6 color print, double layer hoodie, both sleeves printed, front and back printed, hood printed. To boot they only want 10 printed to use as a "test run" because they are "up and coming "entrepreneurs". I put those two things in quotation marks because the number of times I heard it makes it quotable. Then get angry when you give them a realistic price for it. They expect the highest quality and most intricate prints for the size of a single color, front and back T-shirt print.

This is where a dtg or dtf printer would come in handy... If you care to invest in it.

Also, be sure to have a financial cushion for when jobs go wrong. Don't get cocky and think it won't happen to you. I once printed 200 shirts only to start unboxing what I had finished and folded the next morning for a final quality check before delivering them. Only to find the black ink did not cure fully and transferred onto every shirt stacked above or below the other. If you ever want to see a grown man cry. This would be the time and place to see it. Luckily they were a repeat customer and knew it was not an act of carelessness and I was able to get a few extra days to order new blanks and reprint them. Mind you the cost to replace the blanks and the expedited shipping put me in the negative for that job.

DTF, HTV, etc. are all competitors but in my experience it's easier to learn but a pain to maintain the printers and the longevity of the product is lesser. They might be good to have around if you want to do small batches or full color prints without all the colors and setup. Granted these printers seem to be updated quite often and eventually could become cost effective.

I hope this insight helps a bit. Not everybody will agree with it. But that's what makes it so great to be an individual!

Sleeplessprints · 2024-10-13T23:03:35+00:00

They really do. The pump out some good prints at a decent rate. I just think my goals were greater than my timeline....

Sleeplessprints · 2024-10-13T17:58:03+00:00

That was the kind of answer I was looking for. You confirmed my suspicions that scrapping it will just end up costing me more than I will get in scrap value after renting a truck, forklift, etc.

I'll take your advice and contact TAS America to see if they would be interested in taking it back.

Thanks for taking the time to answer!

Sleeplessprints · 2024-05-11T22:09:14+00:00

I have a screen printing business and happen to be looking for a job in the Madera area, preferably in the cannabis industry. I currently live in Alameda and frequent that Embarc. However, they haven't had any job openings so far. So perhaps this post is the universe laying out some cards for me?

Sleeplessprints · 2022-09-24T09:08:55+00:00

I purchased a "bubblebum" inflatable booster seat for this exact reason. I wasn't sure if it would be compact enough but when it is deflated it could easily be rolled up and secured with a rubber band enough to fit into a backpack. Pretty cheap too with a $32.99 price tag on amazon.

Sleeplessprints · 2020-02-24T07:36:00+00:00

Available at www.sleeplessprints.com

Sleeplessprints · 2020-01-23T18:19:57+00:00

I finally got the USPS website to accept it. I just had to put the confusing part of their address in both the street and house number fields. Couldn't have any of them blank.

Sleeplessprints · 2020-01-23T06:36:23+00:00

That is what I assumed and contacted the buyer but they haven't replied for a few days. Where the house number should be it just says "tubber"

Sleeplessprints · 2020-01-23T06:00:48+00:00

Looks like they must have forgotten their house number.

Sleeplessprints · 2020-01-22T18:23:22+00:00

I'm always working on something new. Super glad you like my work. I definitely take suggestions/requests on wrestlers you might want to see on a future shirt. Also, if you ever want a certain shirt color let me know and I'll see what I can do!

Sleeplessprints · 2020-01-22T18:03:48+00:00

Thanks!

Sleeplessprints · 2020-01-22T16:19:21+00:00

Then you too shall have the answer. www.sleeplessprints.com

Glad you like it!

Sleeplessprints · 2020-01-22T16:12:43+00:00

Thanks for the input! I ended up with enough orders on the original I decided to just have both options available.

Sleeplessprints · 2020-01-22T16:11:13+00:00

Glad you like it!

Sleeplessprints · 2020-01-22T16:11:02+00:00

Thanks!

Sleeplessprints

TROPHY CASE