The screen printing business is challenging when you are first building it. I know this because I have gone through the experience before. Step by step you can get through it and one day master it. That is why I want to share my knowledge here in the hope of guiding people like you to likewise start a printing business.
How do you start a screen-printing business?
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Choose the target market for your t-shirts.
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Create your designs and validate them with this target market.
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Write your business plan.
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Register this business with regulatory bodies.
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Get the necessary equipment and supplies.
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Start printing!
These are the major responsibilities that you must complete. Underneath each of these tasks, there are plenty of specific jobs that need to be handled. Please read this article for further details.
You have your reasons why you want to start a screen printing business.
Some people see this as an opportunity to foster closer bonds with the community. Others are looking for an outlet for their creative skills through the t-shirt designs. Others would like to reach out to a diverse online audience through these t-shirts.
If you are intent on being a successful screen printer in your own right, I have good news for you.
According to this Credence Research regarding their Custom T-Shirt Printing Market study, you are in the right industry.
This custom t-shirt printing industry, of which screen printing is a part of, is expected to grow annually at a rate of 6.3%. By 2025, revenues are expected to exceed $10 billion. Digital printing and plot printing are also considered as part of this same industry.
I would like to add that the screen printing segment comprises 55% of these revenue figures.
The screen printing business is now in the middle of staging a remarkable comeback after a couple of years of an economic slowdown. Nowadays, people have rising income which they can reserve for custom t-shirts which generally is considered a discretionary expense.
Another factor cited for this rise is the acceptance of e-tailing. Numerous screen printers have found a wider audience for their products and services through their online presence.
Selecting Your Target Market For T-Shirts
The other good news here is that almost everybody has no problem wearing t-shirts. These t-shirts are a staple in almost everybody’s closet.
Males who belong to the 15 to 25 age group will probably comprise your main market.
These people are social and they are known to openly express their interests. A screen printed t-shirt is one effective way that they can display their individuality and identity. A customized printer’s shirt will appeal to them.
Your responsibility here is to identify the particular segment within this group where you want to ultimately focus. It simply does not make sense that you will be targeting all segments within this group.
To give you an idea here, let us say that you are a dog lover. You love dogs so much that you know almost everything about these animals. You can leverage this knowledge to target similar people like you who are also dog lovers.
However, we all know that there are so many varieties of dogs out there. You may want to limit your market for example to just hunting dogs.
What we are doing here is narrowing down your target market. Trust me that you will find this helpful as we progress with this work.
You can then proceed to study this market thoroughly before you even consider starting your screen printing business.
You want to research the following information:
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How big is the market for this niche
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Who are your competitors in this target market
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Research on the type, quality, and style of t-shirts that will be appealing to this group
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Consider the available sizes, fit, material, colors, softness, and weight of the t-shirts
You will learn the needs of this target market by going through with this exercise.
And this is very helpful since you can later come up with designs for your t-shirts based on what they are looking for. You are giving them value and reasons why they should purchase your t-shirts later.
Another result of this study is that you will get a firm idea as to how you want to market and sell these t-shirts.
You can consider the B2B (business to business) model where you can have an online presence but still go to small boutique stores. I think this is a wiser choice since you are just starting in this screen printing business.
Please read my previous article How To Start A Successful T-Shirt Brand, Find Out How To Not Fail. This article will give you more valuable tips regarding this subject.
After doing this study, you should get a handle on whether your target market niche is worth going into. Remember that this is a business and it would demand tons of time and effort from you. You must be convinced that you can make this happen before you dive right in.
Creating And Testing Your T-Shirt Designs
You have come into the part where you now must wear your creative hat. It is now time to consider the designs that will appeal to this target market niche of yours.
One effective rule here is that your designs would have to stand out from the rest.
Start coming out with these unique designs and reach out to these target customers. Have several ones so that you can give these people options.
If you are not artistically inclined, fear not. You can still go through with this.
Consider hiring freelancers to create these t-shirt designs for you. There are plenty of talented artists out there who can handle this job for you. I believe that you will find this advantageous since you can focus on marketing and operations instead.
Please read my article Best Way To Find And Hire A Freelance T-Shirt Designer to get more insights on this matter.
Another way that you can proceed with this is by buying t-shirt designs. You will see that there are many excellent designs available in the online market. Designious, Creative Market, Graphic River, and T-Shirt Factory are some of the sites where you can buy designs.
A word of caution here is that these designs must not be infringing on existing trademarks or copyrights. You may not find this experience pleasant if it turns out that they are in violation here.
Take note that you also must apply the same protection for your work. You can protect these designs, slogans, or logos also either through trademarks or copyrights.
If you want to see how these t-shirt designs would look like when printed, use a mock-up tool. Many online sites can provide this service. Check out my 55 Best T-Shirt Templates & Mockup Generators Free and Premium article to learn more.
When you have finalized these t-shirt designs at hand, come up with samples.
Use the insights learned in the previous section about the preferences of your target market.
Your samples should be using high-quality materials. You can make your adjustments here later when you are starting production.
A tip here is that if you are using higher quality t-shirts, then you can charge more. It is safe to assume that not everybody in your market is price-conscious. These people understand that quality comes at a price.
Now, it is time to show these t-shirt samples to your target market. You can do this also online, at least for the design part, by posting this on Facebook groups of your target market, Instagram posts, and even Reddit.
Ask them which designs they liked. Tell them to be honest with you in rating these t-shirts and designs as well. Quiz them on how much would they consider paying for them.
This feedback is valuable because you will make all the necessary changes based on these comments.
Write That Business Plan For Your Business
If you are now about to work on this section, then this would simply mean that you have finished coming out with well-liked designs that will appeal to your market.
Congratulations now that there is a ready market out there for your designs.
Now, you have to write down how you intend to start and eventually, grow this screen printing business.
Working on the previous sections mentioned earlier would take care of some of these business plan requirements.
You now have an idea as to who you would want to sell these screen printed t-shirts of yours and how you plan on selling them. Also, whether you will be coming up with your designs or outsource this to a freelancer.
Your competition will also have to be listed here. Also, come up with ideas in terms of how you intend to differentiate your brand from these rivals.
You can even compose the mission of this company of yours based on these ideals. You might as well come up with the business name here for you will be registering this later. Make the wise decision of getting your unique domain name for this business name.
The other parts of this business plan must be filled up. They are:
Personnel And Shop Setup
Consider here the requirements of your screen printing business.
Think of how many people you would be needing to start printing. Their responsibilities must be properly defined. You may even consider assigning a specific person responsible for operating solely this silk screen machine.
Also, consider who will be handling the non-operating side of the business like the marketing and sales functions. You should be on top of everything here since you are the owner of this screen printing business.
Let’s talk about your future printing shop.
Get a place where you will have enough room to house your equipment, supplies, and miscellaneous areas. Make an allowance for the working area to ensure that your personnel can move around freely.
Always make sure that this place can be maintained at a set temperature regardless of the weather outside. Too hot or too cold temperatures inside your shop will have a negative effect on your prints.
Also, you have to properly identify the exact location within your printing shop where you will have your screen printing press and other equipment be located. Ideally, you will have separate areas assigned for storing your raw materials and the finished t-shirts within this same place.
Lastly, since you will be operating using a storefront, you need a Certificate of Occupancy. This will certify that your screen printing shop has complied with all building codes, government regulations, and zoning laws. If you are renting, your landlord should give this to you.
Business Finances
This particular section would have to be handled by you. You can ask for assistance from an accountant or somebody who knows finance.
As a novice screen printer of shirts, you must be honest with yourself.
It is important to know that you will have enough funds to sustain your screen printing business.
There is a more than average chance that you will not be making money right away. That is why it is important that you can sustain operations while still in the red.
If you do not carry enough funds to sustain your operations for at least one year, then STOP. There is no sense in proceeding with this dream of yours to be a screen printer of shirts. It will just be a massive waste of time and effort.
Try hard to accurately project your investment costs, expenses and revenues for the next succeeding years to check if you can handle this scenario. A break-even study would shed into the light as to when you expect to start making a profit here.
Try to budget for unforeseen expenses that may come along the way once you start printing.
Plan for a financial recording system where you will be listing down all your expenses and revenues. You need this system so that you are always aware of the financial performance of your screen printing business. It would also help you later when you are filing your tax returns.
All these projected expenses need to be noted since you want to price your t-shirts with these factors included. My How To Price Screen Printing To Customers For A Profit article should help you out here.
While working on your pricing scheme, consider having a minimum order number for all orders that you will be handling. This Screen Printing Minimum Order: Why Do They Exist article will explain the importance of this number.
Lastly, plan on opening a dedicated bank account for this business. You need this account so that you would not mix your funds with that of the printing shop.
Marketing Your Screen Printing Services
This is another part that you must be creative with.
Your marketing ideas should include being part of events such as fairs and conventions. Social media is another channel that you should pay attention to.
You know that there is plenty of competition for t-shirts even if you have narrowed down your target market niche.
Hopefully, this is something that you have thought of seriously while you were testing your t-shirts earlier with your target market.
Start planning to distribute your flyers and brochures to the nearest schools, local businesses, churches, and other organizations.
You can mobilize your friends and family to support you in this matter. Trust me when I say that they will make plenty of difference here plus you will not feel so alone.
Marketing can also start with you. Proudly wear your t-shirts with your unique designs to make a strong promotional statement. Try to be seen in places where there is always a huge crowd.
T-shirt giveaways and sponsorship of local events or teams would also be smart moves. Just be sure that you have budgeted for this.
Spend time online and see marketing tips in promoting your screen printing business.
Or consider the ideas that you can obtain from this previous article of mine – T-Shirt Promotion Ideas That Your Customers Can’t Get Enough Of.
Register Your Business
With this step, you are making it official. It is kind of like announcing to the world that you are making this screen printing business happen.
Start by getting all the necessary permits and licenses.
Go to your secretary of state’s office first. Inform them of the business name you have come up with.
Also, you must let this office be aware as to whether this business will be a sole proprietorship, a partnership, a corporation, or even a limited liability company. Seek your accountant’s advice as to what business type would be fitting to your current situation.
Proceed to get your business license from your local city or county office. You should comply with all the listed requirements that they will be asking for to get this permit.
Get also a reseller’s permit from your state revenue department. This will permit you to purchase wholesale supplies and not be liable for any sales taxes. You are required to remit to this office the sales taxes that you will be collecting from your customers.
Lastly, check-in with the website of the Internal Revenue Service or IRS and apply for your Employer Identification Number. This is required even if you will not be having any employees at the beginning.
Get The Needed Supplies And Equipment
I would advise you to stick with the plan that you have made earlier.
It is so easy to go overboard when buying the necessary supplies and equipment. Remember that you are not expected to make money the minute you open your shop.
Raw Materials
You need to understand the type of garments will you be using with your screen printing machine. If you are opting for cotton fabrics, then this will also affect your choice of inks to be used.
Please read back on my previous articles to get ideas here.
Get quotes from more than a single vendor to assure yourself that you are getting the best available deal out there.
Once you have zeroed in with the vendor you prefer to get your supplies from, ask their help in choosing the right t-shirt options such as brand, price, and others. You should work this out eventually after you have started printing.
Having a good relationship with your vendors is a good safety net for your business. You may also consider getting vendor contracts to protect yourself from sudden price increases and lack of supplies.
Equipment
This The Best Equipment Needed For Screen Printing Epic T-Shirts Immediately article details all the necessary equipment for your screen printing business.
The most important equipment, of course, is the screen printing machine.
You can get the automatic screen printing machine or just do this manually.
These silk screen machines also come with a single screen or multiple screens that usually is in a rotary style setup.
The price of the t shirt printing machine will be something that you will seriously consider.
New ones are pricey but you can also think of getting a used screen press instead. If you do so, evaluate the brand and make of this t-shirts machine carefully. Reputable brands can rely upon more when used but you can validate this matter further by checking online.
My article 5 Tips On Buying Used T-Shirt Screen Printing Equipment can guide you here.
Start Printing
I’m guessing that you generally know how to use a screen press before starting this business. This is critical to make sure that you are not dependent on your personnel who will be operating this equipment.
If you believe that you do not possess enough printing knowledge, ask the vendor who sold you this silk screening machine for assistance. These people should be able to give you basic training on its proper usage. They might even set a schedule with their other clients so that you can see the process of printing shirts on a machine that they have.
Consider joining organizations such as the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA), Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI), or Promotional Products Association International (PPAI). They can provide mentoring services, helpful tips on growing this business, and other valuable knowledge. You can be linked to their vendor network where you can get good deals on your raw materials and supplies.
Now is also the time that you must execute your marketing plan created during business planning. It is time to let your community know that you are open for business already.
Marketing should be where you should focus at least in the beginning. You need to have customers coming through your shop, calling you, or booking orders online. Do this regularly by making phone calls, creating a buzz on your products, and networking.
In addition to this marketing plan, I would strongly suggest that you have a professionally created website promoting your printing shop. Use the domain name that you have registered before in the steps mentioned earlier. Also, set up your shop’s social media accounts that should be linked to this website.
The good thing about this online presence is that you can receive your customer’s orders through these channels. This is also a valuable feedback tool since you can see right away your customer’s comments about your services or products.
