Jan. 06, 2025
Machinery
Have you ever wanted to start a profitable custom apparel business or side hustle, but didn&#;t know where to begin? With all of the different equipment to choose from, the choice can be overwhelming, which is where we come in.
You will get efficient and thoughtful service from Eastsign.
In this blog, we&#;ll cover the top 5 ways to make money using a heat-press. We&#;ll even rank them from the least expensive to most expensive option so that you can get started making money pressing orders as soon as possible. Below are the methods that we&#;ll cover.
With five custom printing methods to choose from, you&#;re bound to find the perfect way to start that business or side hustle you&#;ve always wanted. Continue reading to find out which printing method is best for you!
But before we get into it, let&#;s first go over quickly what a heat press is and how it works.
What is a heat press and how does it work?
Heat press machines are used to permanently imprint designs and graphics onto custom garments by applying heat and pressure simultaneously for a preset period of time. There are a variety of heat presses to choose from, ranging from flat-heat presses that can imprint designs on t-shirts, totes and jackets, to specialty heat presses that can print on mugs, water bottles, decorative plates, caps and so much more.
Here are 5 of the most commonly used heat presses:
Now, let&#;s rank the different printing methods that you can use to start your own custom apparel business from 1 being the least expensive to 5 being more expensive. We&#;ll also share how labor intensive each method can be. Let&#;s get started!
Let&#;s start with the least expensive option.
With this method, you&#;ll be outsourcing your designs, meaning you&#;ll be using preset or ready-to-print designs for your custom apparel products. A simple Google search for &#;heat transfers&#; will supply you with a list of suppliers and designs to choose from, which typically range from $2-5 depending on the complexity and size of the design.
These designs come pre-printed on heat transfer paper, which, as its name implies, is a specialty paper that transfers printed designs to shirts and other garments when introduced to heat and pressure.
To complete the transfer, you&#;ll need a heat press that is equipped to handle the type of item you&#;re using. Heat presses typically range between $200-$800 depending on the type and quality.
The third and final item you&#;ll need is a blank garment, for example. On average, wholesale t-shirts typically range between $2-$3 and can be purchased with a wholesale account on sites such as Sanmar, Bella+Canvas, OTTO Caps and many more.
Some sites like JiffyShirts.com offer wholesale pricing without the need to create a wholesale account.
Now that you have all of your supplies, simply lay your garment between the platens of your heat press, position your heat-transfer design and press down. In seconds, the design is adhered to the fabric or textile of choice.
With this method, you&#;re likely to see a return on your investment with your very first order. Take a look at the profit margin formula below to see how.
Recommended heat press:
Ricoma Auto-Open 15&#; x 15&#; Flat Heat Press
Price: $799
Ikonix 15&#; x 15&#; Flat Heat Press
Price: $469
Labor intensity: Low
When using this method, be sure to price your products accordingly, taking into account the cost of both the design and blank.
Of course, there are pros and cons to using this method.
Cons:
One con is the cost of the design. Unlike other methods, which we&#;ll cover later, you&#;ll have to pay for each one of your designs. And while you&#;ll be saving money on supplies, like heat-transfer paper and adhesive sheets, your designs will be limited to what&#;s available online.
That&#;s not to say that this method is not a great introduction into the custom apparel world. It is! And many custom decorators have found huge benefits in using this method.
Pros:
For starters, you don&#;t need any artistic or graphic design background to be successful.
Additionally, by limiting your design selections to solely ready-to-print designs, you can lower your monthly expenses as you won&#;t be responsible for printing your own designs, which come with a cost of their own. We&#;ll get to that.
You can also use this method to print vibrant logos, designs and messages onto plates, mugs, caps and so much more using specialty heat presses, such as Ricoma&#;s Auto-Open Plate Heat Press, Mug Heat Press and Auto-Open Cap Heat Press.
That brings us to our next printing method, which requires many of the materials and supplies that we&#;ve already discussed, with a twist.
For a limited time only, get FREE SHIPPING on all heat presses on shop.ricoma.com.
Ordering custom designs, as the name implies, means that you&#;ll be outsourcing any custom designs to a designer or using your customer&#;s artwork to order the heat transfers yourself.
If your client provides you with the design, then the hard work is done for you and you can simply use a site like Etsy to upload the design and place the order.
Typically, a sheet of 8.5&#; x 11&#; heat transfer paper with a custom design can cost you anywhere from $2-$5 plus the cost of shipping. This method would then equate to a similar profit potential as the first method.
If your client wants something custom, however, and you don&#;t have graphic design experience, then you will have to outsource this service and will incur design fees, which may cost you up to $30 plus the cost of shipping the heat transfers to you.
In this case, it would only be profitable if you have a large order of identical designs so that you can pay the design fee once and order multiple transfers and apply them to multiple garments.
Let&#;s use a t-shirt as an example to see the difference in average cost between the two methods.
Recommended heat press:
Ricoma Auto-Open 15&#; x 15&#; Flat Heat Press
Price: $799
Ikonix 15&#; x 15&#; Flat Heat Press
Price: $469
Labor intensity: Low-Medium
Remember, this method is only going to be profitable if you either:
Below are additional pros and cons for this method.
Cons:
This method does have its drawbacks. Since you will be relying on designers to supply your artwork, it adds extra steps and requires back-and-forth communication with both your designer and your customer to ensure that the design is correct.
In addition, most designers charge an extra fee after two sets of design changes, which can vary depending on the request.
Pros:
When you choose this route, you will also gain an advantage over those who are just buying preset designs online as you will be able to supply your clients with custom designs.
This method is also a great option for people who are just getting started in the custom apparel industry or don&#;t have a background in graphic design.
For a limited time only, get FREE SHIPPING on all heat presses on shop.ricoma.com.
Now, let&#;s dive into the next most popular printing method, heat transfer vinyl, also known as HTV.
Heat transfer vinyl, also known as HTV, is when you cut out a vinyl design using a vinyl cutter and transfer it onto fabric using a heat press. Similar to the &#;Heat, Press and Go&#; method, HTV is another very simple and cost-effective customization method.
For starters, our all-inclusive vinyl cutter packages range from $299 for the 13&#; Craft Mini Essentials Bundle to $1,793 for the 25&#; RCP- Premium Bundle.
With options to print on a variety of different substrates, including wood, glass, ceramic, fabric and more, you&#;ll be able to offer a wide selection of products. Combine that with the low cost of supplies and materials, and you&#;ll likely see high profit margins.
But before we get into profitability, let&#;s quickly go over the cost of materials associated with Heat-Transfer Vinyl Printing, which will then help us determine our profit.
Besides a vinyl cutter and heat press, both of which come included in our bundles on shop.ricoma.com, you&#;ll also need vinyl, which costs on average $5 per 12 ft x 5 ft roll and blanks. An average wholesale t-shirt goes for about $3-$4.
Lastly, you&#;ll need a weeding tool, which is a relatively inexpensive tool averaging at about $10 per unit. We&#;ll go over this tool and what it&#;s used for a bit later.
Now, let&#;s use the cost of these supplies to calculate your profit.
Recommended heat press:
Ricoma Auto-Open 15&#; x 15&#; Flat Heat Press
Price: $799
Ikonix 15&#; x 15&#; Flat Heat Press
Price: $469
Labor intensity: Medium-High
Keep in mind that the above formula depends on the cost of your equipment. Choosing less expensive machinery will help you pay off your equipment faster.
Aside from equipment costs, vinyl is also more &#;labor intensive&#; than basic heat transfers, which could also add to your production time, especially if you are using multiple colors and creating multiple garments as each design will need to be &#;weeded&#; or cut out by hand before pressing.
Here are some additional pros and cons for this method.
Cons:
Once you have a design cut, you will need to &#;weed out&#; the pieces of vinyl that you do not want to transfer onto your garment. This requires a special weeding tool. The weeding process is unique to HTV and can take a long time if your design is large or complex.
Additionally, you can only use one color at a time for your designs. Vinyl sheets usually come in solid colors, so it can be complicated to layer different sheets and add other colors to your design.
When you transfer the vinyl to your garment using a heat press, you are required to wait a full 24 hours for the transfer to cure before you can fold, wear or wash it.
Pros:
If you have no prior experience printing your own designs, then HTV is one of the more affordable types of printing methods because of the lower cost of entry.
For a limited time only, get FREE SHIPPING on all heat presses on shop.ricoma.com.
Vinyl cutters are typically less expensive than transfer printers or sublimation printers, making it the most popular decoration method for crafters and beginners.
Check out Ricoma&#;s low-cost and affordable vinyl cutters here!
However, because it doesn&#;t lend itself well to printing larger batches more quickly, HTV items are more suited for custom one-off orders or a small batch of similar designs that you can sell on Etsy or another online shop.
Now, if you&#;re ready to explore more serious printing options that will help you increase your order volume, read on to learn more about 2-step heat transfer and sublimation printing.
Another type of heat transfer is 2-step heat transfer. As its name implies, this process is called &#;2-step&#; because it takes two steps to create the transfer sheet you need to press the design onto a garment.
The second method that we&#;ll discuss in this section is called sublimation. This is one of the most interesting t-shirt printing options available because it does something no other method can&#;It forms a permanent bond with the substrate you use it on.
Check out this video where we compare heat transfer versus sublimation printing and go over the pros and cons of each.
You&#;ll first want to print your design onto clear transfer paper, then heat press the clear sheet with your design on it with an adhesive sheet, or sublimation paper, to create your final transfer sheet.
In the first two examples that we used, this process is outsourced since you&#;ll need to purchase a white toner transfer printer or a sublimation printer to print your own designs onto transfer sheets.
We recommend using the Luminaris 200 White Toner Transfer Printer. Not only can this affordable printer do heat transfer printing, but with its swappable toner system, it can also do regular office printing!
If you&#;d like to learn more about the Luminaris 200 White Toner Transfer Printer + Heat Press Bundles we offer, click here.
Once the adhesive has been transferred to your design sheet, you can then use your heat press to adhere your design onto your material.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Flatbed Heat Press Machine. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
Related links:The equipment and supplies needed for 2-step heat transfer and sublimation are very similar in price and sometimes can be done using the same printer.
Below is a breakdown of the costs and profit potential associated with these methods.
Recommended heat press:
Ricoma Auto-Open 15&#; x 15&#; Flat Heat Press
Price: $799
Ikonix 15&#; x 15&#; Flat Heat Press
Price: $469
Labor intensity: Medium
Although the upfront cost of a printer is more than a cutter for HTV, these two processes are better for larger runs, which will yield more profits down the line.
You can see the complete cost breakdown and sublimation process on this sublimation episode of Print Pros.
Cons:
Although the cost of the printer is more expensive than HTV, with this process, you will not need to spend time weeding your designs before each print.
You will simply need to program your design into the software and print as many transfers as you need for the order and simply press them onto your garment, which leads us to the pros of this process.
Pros:
Unlike HTV, these methods also allow you to create multi-color designs while eliminating the time-consuming HTV weeding process.
You&#;ll also benefit from creating custom designs that are permanently bonded to your garment, when using sublimation, which can lead to higher profit margins as you can charge a bit more for your items.
For a limited time only, get FREE SHIPPING on all heat presses on shop.ricoma.com.
This brings us to our last and final printing method: Direct to Garment printing.
Direct to garment printing, or DTG for short, is one of the easiest t-shirt printing methods since it simulates a regular office printer.
All you need to do is queue the design up in the printing software and load your pre-treated garment onto the printer&#;s platen and then press start. It&#;s that easy.
DTG printers are more expensive than the previous heat-transfer printing options that we&#;ve covered, but they are the most straightforward. To get started, you&#;ll need a DTG printer, which can cost anywhere from 16k-20k depending on the brand, but with low monthly payments and 0% financing, you&#;ll be able to pay off your printer in no time.
Not to mention, the package at Ricoma comes with a heat press already included along with all of the other supplies that you&#;ll need to get started.
With this method, the heat press is necessary, but secondary to the DTG printer itself. With some of the other methods listed, the only equipment you&#;d need is the heat press itself, but with DTG, you&#;ll just use the heat press to cure the garment after the DTG printer is done printing.
Let&#;s take a look at the profit margins you can expect when you invest in a high-quality DTG printer.
Recommended heat press (already comes included with the DTG from Ricoma):
Ricoma Auto-Open 16&#; x 20&#; Flat Heat Press
Price: $949 FREE
Ikonix 15&#; x 15&#; Flat Heat Press
Price: $519 FREE
Labor intensity: Medium
This method is suitable for bulk orders and custom one offs since you can print the same design as many times on different garments as you need or simply print a custom one-off.
With the cost of the printer being higher than the rest of the printing methods mentioned here, it is recommended to secure higher volume orders in order to pay off the investment faster.
Cons:
Although technically this printer works similar to an office printer, for DTG printing, you will have to pre-treat your garments with pre-treatment fluid. Although pre-treatment and a spray gun come free with your Ricoma package, the process will still add time to your production.
Pros:
Because of the quality of DTG prints and the fact that you can print photo-realistic prints on many materials and both light and dark garments, you can generally charge more for your services, which will increase your profit potential and help you pay off your investment quickly.
Click here to learn more about Ricoma&#;s DTG package that includes everything you&#;ll need to get started with low monthly payments and 0% financing.
Also, DTG printers can print at extremely fast speeds on light garments in less than 28 seconds, so many users will purchase an additional heat press to be able to cure the prints faster when printing bulk orders.
No matter which printing method you choose, your profit potential will depend on your margins, cost of equipment and design skills, which will determine whether or not you will need to outsource custom artwork.
Remember, that with all of these methods, you&#;ll need a quality heat press that will allow you to press or cure your designs. Your success will also depend on the heat press you choose, so to help you decide which heat press is right for you, check out this heat press buyers guide.
The majority of printing businesses today focus on a wide, yet basic range of apparel products. I&#;m talking about the typical t-shirts, polos, sweats, hoodies, caps, and mugs. Yes, I&#;m missing a few more and yes sure, these are the staples that keep food on the table.
But what if there were more items you can introduce to your clients? That they can introduce to THEIR clients? After all, according to Steve (Jobs), people don&#;t know what they want until they see it right?
It&#;s also a no-brainer if you already have a heat press at home, or a print shop up and running. Just by adding a couple of new items to your product lineup will establish new revenue channels that will essentially expand your heat press&#; functionality and increase your ROI (return on investment).
To those of you coming in fresh to garment decoration, first understand that a heat press&#; role is commonly used to transfer your creative designs onto various fabrics, textile, and other substrates using heat. Read more about choosing the best heat press here.
You can also use a variety of materials to create and print your designs on. The most common methods today include heat transfer paper, plastisol, vinyl, and dye-sublimation.
Once your design is printed onto a transfer agent, the heat press is then used to bond the design to the garment of your choice.
If you&#;re considering purchasing this highly versatile piece of machinery to pursue heat press printing, I wrote about a bunch of heat press features I believe will be invaluable before you begin.
Now that I got that out of the way, let&#;s talk more about how we&#;re going to level up your bottom line.
Back in , the global market for personalized gifts was valued at USD 26.3 and is anticipated to reach USD 41.3 Billion by .
The reason for this growth is due to the rise in gifting culture and the increase in disposable income. Sure, things may have slowed down because of the pandemic and rising inflation, but spending sure hasn&#;t.
That&#;s because everyone wants to stand out, be it a person or a business. It&#;s more apparent now than ever. And this is where you come in as the personalization craze takes over the world.
Below you&#;ll find a list of in-demand products that you can quickly jump on to create multiple income streams.
The baby industry is worth a staggering $220 billion dollars and baby bibs are just the starting point. Also suitable as burp cloths, washcloths, and even wipes, baby bibs can easily be customized with photos, names, or cartoon characters. These would also be awesome as a gift set for young parents. Get them here.
Also known as baby bodysuits are typically made from 100% cotton, so it&#;s easy to heat press any design as you would a t-shirt. These onesies are great for babies under 18 months so get multiple colors and you&#;ve got a good shot at a line of baby products! Get them here.
These multipurpose masks are easy to customize and provide great protection against wind, dust, and UV rays while also keeping you warm, dry, and comfortable. It&#;s extremely versatile and appeals not only to bikers, but also to outdoor enthusiasts. Get them here.
Anyone male or female can sport bandanas, and you don&#;t have to be an 80s kid either. Typically made from 100% polyester, bandanas can be worn and be used in endless ways such as necktie, headband, pocket square, face mask, scarf, and more. It&#;s an alternative to gifting someone a pair of socks and you can use it pretty much anywhere &#; parties, concerts, sporting events, and daily wear to protect from sun, water, sweat, or dust. Get them here.
An alternative to washcloths, these gloves can be used in the shower or bath to remove dull surface flakes and promote blood circulation, leaving the skin feeling refreshed. Couple this with the next item on this list to make a nice personalized gift set. Get them here.
100% cotton bath towels are an easy win. Not only are they practical and affordable, it can easily be personalized with a name, brand or logo. They are an everyday essential item that almost everyone can appreciate and use, making them a great gift for various occasions. Get them here.
Similar to the bath towel, you can expand your offering into the luxury category with a full bath linen set. Upsell this set complete with monograms or other details as a premium for weddings, housewarming parties, or as a gesture of appreciation. Get them here.
Great for someone who loves to relax and unwind in the bath. Bath pillows provide support and comfort for the head and neck and come in a variety of styles and materials. Make sure to use heat transfer vinyl (HTV) that is waterproof or water-resistant to withstand the constant exposure to water. Get them here.
Super practical and easy to customize, these 100% ring spun cotton mats are great as decorative pieces for just about anyone. Get creative with your design and package this with other items on this list for more value to your customer. Get them here
Everyone wears them &#; winter time or not. Whether it&#;s a fashion accessory or for practical reasons, customized beanies can be a great way to promote a brand, sports team, or organization with logos, text, images, or other designs. Make sure to get a proper heat press that will do the job. Get them here.
A canopy or tent is a must-have bedroom accessory for any kid. Not only does it create a cool place for them to seek privacy, role play, or read, but it adds an extra touch to the room decor. Customize this for birthdays, holidays, baby showers, or any type of celebration. Get them here.
You&#;ll often see them at mattress stores and as decorative items at home. Bed runners protect the bed from shoe stains, dirty feet, and muddy claws/paws from pets. You can easily customize these elegant decors for branding (stores) or give them as wedding or housewarming gifts. Get them here.
Bed skirts make it easy to &#;sweep everything under the bed&#;, literally. It also drops and hides the legs and frame, giving you a great looking bed you wanna just jump into. You can get pretty creative here depending on the size of your press. Get them here.
I actually received this as a gift for Xmas and thought it was really unique yet appropriate. I think it also works for any occasion and sort of implies &#;warmth and comfort&#; from the person giving it. Super easy to customize especially for couples e.g. His and Hers or for kids with their names printed on it. These blanket hoodies are super functional and you can catch me lounging in them at home, on road trips, camping, or on a rainy day. Get them here.
Proven to increase the quality of sleep, eye masks are the perfect product to stock up on. It&#;s also highly customizable with a heat press. Quirky designs will stand out and I bet you already have a few ideas brewing in your head. Get them here.
Typically made from 100% cotton or cotton blends, robes are perfect for personalization. They are comfortable and convenient for lounging or covering up after a shower or swim. And you can charge a premium if you&#;re printing and selling robes with higher quality material. Get them here.
Headbands can be worn by people of all ages and genders, and can be used for a variety of fitness activities from yoga to football. If your primary clientele happens to be from sports clubs, sports organizations, or teams, start up selling these headbands as complimentary products. Get them here.
Heel socks are worn during the day or night to treat dry, painful, cracked heels. Those who suffer from dry heels often apply skin softening lotion or moisturizer before putting these on. Heel socks are great customizable products that can be sold to local pharmacies or clinics. Get them here.
Perfect for daily use like work, travel, or grocery shopping (like tote bags only cooler), these crossbody bags make for a great gift. The cheapest I&#;ve found are made from canvas and is also easily customizable with regular transfer paper or vinyl. Get them here.
Not many people would think about gifting an ironing board cover but it definitely will break the ice. Just be careful to choose a print spot away from the main ironing area so it isn&#;t affected by the excessive heat. Get them here.
Just like socks, the apron is a staple gift idea and is perfect for cooks, chefs and anyone who spends a ton of time in the kitchen. Aprons are also highly customizable, so just make sure to use heat transfer paper with pigment ink or vinyl since they are prone to getting wet and will eventually go through multiple wash cycles. Get them here.
They say a women&#;s handbag is like a maze, right? Well here&#;s the solution. And if you can come up with some suitable and neat designs, ladies will no doubt get them for themselves and their friends. Make sure you select organizers made with high quality material. Get them here.
Knee-high or thigh-high socks aren&#;t just a fashion statement, but wearing them will improve venous circulation and give you compression benefits especially for someone recovering from injury or have limited mobility. These are highly customizable with rhinestones for added bling, or heat transfer vinyl. Get them here.
Suitable for daily wear, exercise, travel or hiking, these lightweight joggers are easy to customize with regular heat transfer, heat transfer vinyl, sublimation and more! You can press some up for corporate events, family functions, or sports teams. Get them here.
These are heavy-duty, extra large, multipurpose moving bags typically made of durable polypropylene material so be careful when applying heat. With a melting point between 280-300 Fahrenheit, it&#;s best to press these bags at a low temperature setting. Also make sure you&#;re using the proper heat transfer paper and you&#;re good to go. Get them here.
Leg warmers aren&#;t just for 80s costume play, but it&#;s suitable for use in the gym, for dance, fitness activities, yoga, and ballet. Heat transfer rhinestones work great on leg warmers as they add a touch of femininity and class. Get them here.
Hot dog! These are one of the go-to items for any gifting occasion, especially birthdays and holidays. Boxers are typically made from cotton poly blends so it works well with sublimation. This also ensures the print is vibrant and durable. Get them here.
100% organic cotton ponchos is a great product to compliment any apparel line especially if your business already caters to females. They make excellent premium gifts and you can heat press names, logos, unique designs and rhinestones to increase the product&#;s value. Get them here.
A great gift that is both simple and functional for ladies &#; a makeup travel case is easily customizable with a heat press. You can utilize foil vinyl or rhinestones to maximize the bling out of any case. Bundle this item up with any of the products from this list to increase value. Get them here.
Suitable for men and women, you can easily customize belts by heat pressing rhinestones based on any design. Rhinestone belts can be worn with literally anything including jeans and dresses for any occasion from music festivals to parties. It&#;s a great gift for birthdays, Valentine&#;s Day, and Christmas. Get them here.
If you haven&#;t thought about this before, shame on you! Just kidding. Dogs and cats are all we see on social media these days and pet clothing is just as lucrative as clothing for humans. The internet has all kinds of pet crazed design ideas that will work on paw-kids. And in case you already figured out the cat/dog clothing trend, maybe work your way into other animal fashion &#; rabbit perhaps? Get them here.
Simple, casual, and lightweight. The drawstring backpack is great for students to carry just about anything &#; clothes, shoes, towels, water bottles, books, notebooks, or other school supplies. These backpacks are typically made from heat-resistant material so it&#;s easy to customize with heat press printing. Get them here.
Baby wraps are an essential tool for the first three months of parenthood, and are a great gift for new moms or parents. Typically made from cotton and spandex, it&#;s a great product that you can get into with a heat press and heat transfer paper &#; make sure to get the ones that leave a soft-hand after pressing. Get them here.
Headrest covers will protect a car&#;s headrest from sweat, hair spray, and greasy head residues with a durable, comfortable, and stretchable polyester fabric. This is a great product to use sublimation heat press printing with. It is also a great product to market to car or automobile enthusiasts. Get them here.
Suitable for kids and adults, you can start offering gloves when it&#;s cold out, and even pair them with socks or any other items from this list as a complete gift set. Not only that, you can also cater to companies, education institutes or sports teams. Get them here.
And there you have it folks &#; 35 items you can make with a heat press that not many people are offering.
If you have more to add to this list, let me know. If you&#;ve found this list helpful, be sure to share it.
As I mentioned earlier, personalization is only going to get bigger so make sure you equip yourself with the necessary tools and wholesale blanks to get ahead of your competition!
Are you interested in learning more about Liquid Laminator? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!
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