Print Shops

[Emma]

I always wondered how these function and how much they make. I am talking about places that will take art from other people and print it on shirts, mugs, etc. and give a small portion to the artist and pocket the rest. I always thought that was such a cool business concept and would love to try my hand at it but I don't know what goes into it.

[James]

You just need to invest in the floor space and the special printers they use and bam! 

If only it were that easy but that is the start. It is a very competitive industry and you have to compete with places like China that have cheaper labor costs then we do in the USA. 

A lot of times on the smaller scale someone will buy a silk screen press to put in their garage and sell their services to local business, small sports teams, and schools. You will get smaller runs of product but can typically compete since shipping from China is expensive and time consuming. 

To compete on the large scale you are up against China and huge players like VistaPrint. 

[Sophia]

If you did want to start something like this, I would do it on a smaller scale like James said. Focus on fitting to niches. Maybe sell items for your own website or open up a shop on Etsy or eBay where you sell prints and offer a customization option for your customers. You won't make as much but it would be more manageable and you wouldn't have to worry about competing with China or other already established larger businesses. 

[Scarlett]

On 10/17/2021 at 5:07 PM, Sophia said:

If you did want to start something like this, I would do it on a smaller scale like James said. Focus on fitting to niches. Maybe sell items for your own website or open up a shop on Etsy or eBay where you sell prints and offer a customization option for your customers. You won't make as much but it would be more manageable and you wouldn't have to worry about competing with China or other already established larger businesses. 

I think this is the way to go if you want to do any kind of printing or custom shops. You need a lot of money to get a full warehouse and printing machines as well as staff to manage them. It is a lot of work!