A few years ago Epson introduced the finest direct to garment printer in its class, Epson SC-F2000. It took the industry by storm, and quickly carved out a space in the DTG niche. Over the past few years it has become the industry standard by which all others are judged.
Are you wondering how to sell t-shirts online? Having a thriving online Direct To Garment (DTG) business is now more viable than ever with new advancements in the technology. New high end printers, purpose built for garment printing are more affordable and easier to operate and maintain, which means less downtime and more reliable production. Equipment reliability is essential to success in DTG to deliver product affordably, quickly, and on time is critical to selling products online.
It’s easy to assume the same rules that apply to screen or litho printing also apply to direct to garment printing. However, there are some important differences with a digital workflow. Here are some tips on how to create the best artwork and optimize it for DTG printing.
When saving art for direct to garment printing always assume you will need a transparent background. To print on dark garments with white ink, your image must have a transparent background.
The most popular question I receive from customers is "How do you determine what to charge for DTG printing?" Direct to garment printing is the cutting-edge of garment decoration and can easily justify a successful business with a single printer. DTG is fun, exciting, creative and just cool—but to run a successful business it’s all about the money.
“Screen printing is a dinosaur.” I heard that in 2007 when I bought my first DTG printer from the production manager of one of the largest screen print outfits in the country.
There have been some amazing advancements in recent years in screen printing but my friend was right, screen printing has its limitations in the modern garment decoration world.
You do not need a massive marketing budget to spread the word about your garment printing business. Building industry relationships, a website, basic knowledge of online marketing, and creative prospecting can take your business to new heights.
The Benefits For Epson F2000 Owners
It's the world's most reliable printer
There are numerous DTG printer manufacturers on the market. Each one claims their printer has advantages and features that set it apart from the competition.
With a saturated market, it is hard to tell which printers truly offer the right needs for your printing business. It’s easy to get hung up on special features and technical modifications, but it is important to understand how the printer is made and if it can reliably do the job it is intended to do.
THE BUSINESS PLAN: WHY YOU NEED TO CRAFT ONE
You have great contacts and tremendous design ideas. All you need to do is start your own t-shirt printing company, right?
Let’s look at some important questions you need to answer when you are considering how and where to start.
First, it is extremely important that you craft a business plan. Notice that I say “Craft,” and not “Create.”
“For best results, use a T-shirt that is 100% cotton with thick and tightly-woven material, and a cotton blend ratio of 100 to 50%. Since the print quality cannot always be guaranteed for some types of fabric, perform a test print first.”
Okay that’s nice, but what does a “thick and tightly-woven shirt” look like and how do I know which brand offers thick and tightly-woven options?
Most businesses follow the standard checklist for marketing and advertising their services. Set up a website, work on your google ranking and SEO, advertise online and traditional media, etc.
If you own an Epson F2000 you can increase your product sales with little to no advertising budget. Create a website, do free SEO work, register your business, yes, yes, and yes, but also do the following 3 free things that are only possible with the Epson F2000.
1. Let your competitors market for you.
