Equipment Needed in Every Printing Business

Maybe you love making custom T-shirts or have a dream of designing decals for other businesses. Whatever your printing goals, starting a printing business is more than renting a space and bringing customers through the door. You’ll also need professional equipment to make your designs come to life. There are few particular machines and software that every printing business needs to operate.

Printer

This might seem obvious, but you’ll need a printer for your printing business. The type of printer you invest in will depend heavily on your main source of revenue. Printing on materials like vinyl or plastic requires different mechanics than printing on natural fibers like cotton.

You’ll also want to get all the bits and pieces to take care of your printer. Things like press cleaners, ink cartridges, toner replacements, and other maintainence supplies. Keeping your printer in good condition will help it run longer and need repairs less often.

Computer Software

Odds are if you’re printing for people or businesses, you’ll also offer some type of design services. So you’ll need a computer software or program that allows you to create these designs digitally. Options like Adobe Illustrator or Canva (for less specialized items) can work great. They both offer monthly fee payments, which can save your busines some money in the long run too.

Inventory

Once you have a design and a printer, you need something to print on. Your inventory will be the types of items or materials you plan to print on, like T-shirts, mouse pads, banners, and more. You want to make sure you have a wide array of options for your customers and enough backstock to last you at least two months. This way, if you get a large order unexpectedly, you’ll have the materials to get it done and collect the profit.

Accounting Software

Running your business goes beyond the services you offer customers. You also have to manage its finances. Investing in some type of accounting software, like Quickbooks, can make handling your business’s books easy. It gives you a central location to keep records of your expenses, revenue, inventory, and more. You can even link most accounting software directly to your bank account so it automatically keeps up with transactions. 

Starting a printing business is an exciting step for an entreprenuer. Just make sure you calculate all of the equipment you’ll need to get off the ground in your initial cost projections.