Have you been thinking about starting a direct to garment (DTG) business? It might sound overwhelming, but it’s easier than it seems and it can be very lucrative venture. Here are some reasons and helpful tips on how to start a direct to garment business as a stand alone business, or within your existing screen printing business.
Why Start a DTG Print Shop?
The DTG business makes money for you in a fairly easy process with little to no risk. Since the work put into it isn’t difficult, you can start by doing it on the side until you are comfortable with the amount of profit you are making. Selling t-shirts is always a good place to start because everyone wears them and while it may seem like an oversaturated industry, it doesn’t have to be. If you focus on an achievable target audience, you will get off to a good start.
Think about starting local first. There are lots of events that happen at a local level, whether it’s fundraisers or school events. They are always trying to promote their causes through t-shirts because t-shirts are like walking billboards for their message. Once you network with enough local businesses, you will have a good sense of how you will make money out of printing t-shirts. If that goes well, you can move on to other garments.
Starting up a print DTG shop doesn’t have to be difficult if you start with a plan. The process is relatively easy, but what will take some time and consideration is your marketing strategy. Who do you want to sell to? Where do you find your target audience? How do you promote to them? Once you have answers to those questions, you will be able to move forward with making your business happen.
Don’t forget, this, like any other business, will require focus. Customers will not just come to you. You will have to find them and draw them to you. This is true of any startup business, and still true a new DTG product offering in your screen printing business. You are, after all, targeting a new set of customers.
Printing Equipment
Getting printing equipment is not a high business investment because whatever you spend on the equipment will come back to you relatively quickly in profits. A printer like the Polyprint TexJet echo is perfect for a small business. You get the best of both worlds with this printer as it has screen and digital printing properties. You can lower the cost of printing on dark clothing, increase the number of shirts that get printed on per hour, and move from producing small to large quantities. If your business picks up, you don’t have to worry about upgrading your printer, this printer adjusts to your needs.
You will also need ink. This particular printer requires water-based textile pigments. The Image Armor Direct to Garment inks are great to use as they are alcohol free, leaving you with long lasting color that stretches with fabric. They are full coverage, dry within seconds, and won’t fade after going in the washing machine. You want to be able to provide quality to your customers so they will come back. Using these materials will ensure that you won’t leave them disappointed with a bad experience.
You have probably heard that you need a large space for your printing business, but that doesn’t have to be the case. We have all been in a difficult situation before. What will you do if you get an order short notice and you’re not able to get to your workspace in time? You can use the Polyprint TexJet shortee, a digital t-shirt printer that is portable so you can use it anywhere, anytime. You won’t be compromising the quality of your prints because it still delivers quality. It’s a good printer to have for an emergency or if your lifestyle is fast paced and you are always in motion.
Your Local Business Can Be Successful
Your local business can turn profitable if you do your research. It is always recommended to look further into a topic of interest, especially if you are wondering where to start. Always remember to have a vision of what you want your business to be. There is no right or wrong way on how to start a screen printing business that centers around DTG. A unique proposition is what will make you stand out. If you are looking to find out how a direct to garment printer works, you can find out more here. If you have inquiries about anything related to the process of screen printing, you are welcome to contact us.
