I admit it: I HATE the idea of ChatGPT. As a person who prides herself on writing skills and editing capabilities, AI technology like this is somewhat frightening. But all the cool kids are doing it — even my husband who’s an accountant is using it to write memos — so I figured why not give it a shot.

They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and in the case of my first experience with ChatGPT, I agree. While the end product I received was basically correct, was grammatically accurate (for the most part), and overall saved time in what might have taken me several minutes to write from scratch, I have some complaints.

Personal disclaimer: I used ChatGPT in a way that mimicked what I do on a regular basis. Many people use it for different paths, and thus have different experiences. Plus, I have only scratched the surface of what the technology can do, so … do your own research and experimentation.

Starting with a Simple Prompt

I decided to use a super simple prompt as my first encounter with the technology. I settled for a popular topic within the decorated apparel industry: How to price a T-shirt printing order. Decorators are constantly searching for the right way to price order, so I felt this was fitting and not too technical.

The following is what I got:

“There are several factors to consider when pricing a t-shirt printing order. Here are some of the most important ones:

1. Quantity: The larger the order, the lower the price per shirt should be. This is because the setup costs for printing a small batch of shirts are spread out over a smaller number of items, making each item more expensive.
2. Type of shirt: The cost of the shirt itself will be a major factor in the overall price. Higher-end shirts will cost more, but they may also be more durable and have a higher perceived value.
3. Design: The complexity of the design, the number of colors used, and the location of the design on the shirt will all affect the price. A simple one-color design on the front of the shirt will be less expensive than a full-color design that covers the entire shirt.
4. Printing method: There are several different methods of printing on t-shirts, each with its own cost structure. Screen printing, for example, is generally less expensive for large orders, while direct-to-garment printing may be better suited for smaller runs.
5. Turnaround time: If the order needs to be completed quickly, you may need to charge a rush fee to cover the additional labor costs.

Once you have considered all of these factors, you can calculate the total cost of the order and add a markup to arrive at the final price. The markup will depend on your overhead costs, profit margin goals, and the level of competition in your market.”

Not too bad, right? The basic bones of this write-up aren’t the worst, and dare I say, there’s even some good advice in there.

But here’s where I take issue: The prompt has no idea if I’m pricing the order based on screen printing or digital because I didn’t specify that information. There’s a lot of discussion surrounding MOQ (minimum order quantities) these days as well, so point one should be further dissected by an expert.

Furthermore, the final statement of the final cost depending on a variety of factors is so essential and so crucial, it pains me to see that included at the end. The topic of pricing a T-shirt printing order is much more complex than this brief outline.

Overall thoughts on this one? The jury is split in my mind. Good info, but if someone were to use this to post on a decorating blog, I should hope that any readers would understand there is more to learn than this. (Never mind the couple very minor grammatical edits that I would make, but they’re rather minuscule, so I’m not going to ding the AI for that.)

Getting Into Specifics

Ok, ok, maybe I would have a better experience if I was more specific with my prompt. So, I tried that: How to price a screen-printed T-shirt order for 100 shirts. This time the information I got was more thorough:

“The pricing of a screen-printed T-shirt order for 100 shirts will depend on several factors, including:

1. Number of colors: The more colors used in the design, the more expensive the printing process will be.
2. Type of garment: The cost of the garment itself will affect the final price.
3. Quantity: In general, the more shirts you order, the lower the cost per shirt will be.
4. Printing location: Depending on where you want the design printed on the shirt, the cost of printing may vary.
5. Complexity of design: If the design is complex and requires additional setup time or specialized techniques, it may be more expensive to print.

To price your screen-printed T-shirt order for 100 shirts, follow these steps:

1. Determine the cost of the garment: Contact a supplier and get a quote for the cost of 100 blank T-shirts.
2. Determine the number of colors in the design: Count the number of colors in your design, and add any additional colors that will be used for the shirt (such as a white base layer). Each color will add to the cost of printing.
3. Determine the printing location: Decide where on the shirt you want the design printed, and find out the cost of printing in that location.
4. Calculate the setup fee: Depending on the complexity of the design, there may be a setup fee for the printing process. This fee covers the cost of preparing the screens and equipment for printing.
5. Calculate the cost per shirt: Using the information above, calculate the total cost of printing each shirt, including the cost of the garment, the cost of printing, and any setup fees. Divide this total by 100 to get the cost per shirt.
6. Add your profit margin: Finally, add your desired profit margin to the cost per shirt to determine the final price to charge your customer.

It’s important to note that pricing for screen-printed T-shirts can vary widely depending on the factors listed above, so be sure to do your research and shop around for the best prices on garments and printing services.”

The information here is more specific, and it even offers real numbers attached to a step-by-step process. I have to admit, with this one, I’m impressed. There are still a lot of considerations this isn’t taking into account (such as employee salaries, overhead, etc.), but overall, if I received this article as content to be published, I wouldn’t be mad. It needs work, but hey, don’t we all.

Taking it Technical

That’s all well and good for the basic business application side of things. But what if we get technical? What if I ask ChatGPT to write me something on how to complete a halftone screen print? Here’s what it came up with:

“Completing a halftone screen print involves several steps. Here are some general steps you can follow:

1. Design the artwork: Start by creating the artwork you want to print using a graphic design software like Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop. Make sure to separate each color onto its own layer, so you can easily separate them later.
2. Prepare the screens: Create one screen for each color you want to print. You can use a photo emulsion process to transfer the design onto the screen.
3. Prepare the ink: Mix the ink colors you want to use. You may need to experiment with different ink ratios to achieve the colors you want.
4. Set up the printing press: Set up the printing press and attach the screens. Make sure each screen is aligned properly with the press.
5. Test print: Do a test print to make sure each color is printing correctly and that the registration is accurate
6. Print each color: Once you are satisfied with the test print, print each color one at a time. Make sure to clean the screens between each color to avoid mixing the inks.
7. Dry the print: Once you have printed all colors, allow the print to dry completely. This can take several hours.
8. Finish the print: If necessary, trim the print to size and sign and number the print if it is a limited edition.

That’s a general overview of how to complete a halftone screen print. Keep in mind that screen printing can be a complex process, so it’s important to research and practice to achieve the best results.”

I’m a little impressed, but only a little bit. As with the previous two chats, the basic information is correct. The steps are solid and are a great jumping-off point. But for people who don’t know how to use graphic software, this would not be helpful for them. That, and this doesn’t get specific on halftones.

Initial Thoughts on ChatGPT

Overall, my first experience with the technology isn’t a bad one. I can see why so many people are excited about ChatGPT and what it could mean for the decorated apparel community.

And to be fair, if you visit the Apparelist site, you aren’t going to find one article that covers EVERY SINGLE THING you need to know about one topic — that would be a high-word count article, and readers would lose focus.

I also only explored the chat function of this technology. There are quite a few features offered by ChatGPT, such as writing and brainstorming assistance, product descriptions, marketing outlines, and more.

While I still maintain that it’s not perfect grammatically and clearly reads like a bot wrote it, the opportunities that this technology opens up for decorators are exciting. Take it from me: Give it a try and see what happens.