In a recent webinar with David Gross from Conde Systems and Inktavo Director of Product Education, Craig Mertens, we discussed the benefits, characteristics, and how-to’s of sublimation.
Watch the full video below. If you haven’t signed up for this exclusive series, sign up here to catch upcoming live episodes.
Sublimation: A Versatile Printing Method
If your shop doesn’t offer sublimation, here are a few key facts about the decoration method and why it’s had so much staying power.
1. Vibrant Colors
“Sublimation is subsurface decorating, meaning the ink turns into a gas and diffuses into the substrate,” says David.
Since the ink is embedded into the substrate, the hand of the product doesn’t change. That means you can achieve bright, vibrant colors not available with other printing methods.
With vibrant, bright colors, you can also charge a premium for your services to help boost your bottom line.
2. Multiple Entry Points
Depending on what sort of volume your shop outputs and the markets you serve, sublimation is a printing method that can accommodate businesses of all sizes. Typically, sublimation is broken out into three main categories:
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- Small/Desktop: This category is typically for low-output shops or part-time, “hobbyist” level sublimation. Think of a small run of coffee mugs, keychains, or other swag you might offer in an online store or from an Etsy account. Investment at this level can start in the low 200s but can climb above $2,000, depending on the quality and features of the brand of printer you purchase.
- Medium: Medium-level sublimation would be more suited for shops offering sublimated apparel, headwear, and printed hard goods like small signage. Essentially, it’s something that’s part of your monthly output and advertised as part of your services to customers. Printers for this output level can range anywhere from around $500 to the thousands, so some market research is recommended before you make your purchase.
- Large format/grand format: Large-format sublimation encompasses more industrial-level printing like tradeshow banners, wide-format signage, and mass printing of apparel graphics for cut-and-sew operations. This level of sublimation printing involves investment in large-format printers and bigger heat presses (sometimes referred to as calendar presses) with broader surface areas to accommodate the print sizes. Before you invest in large-format sublimation, outsourcing is a great way to start so you can gauge if customer demand warrants the investment. At this level of printing, you’re now looking at the 10s of thousands of dollars in investment, and that’s just accounting for the equipment, so some preliminary research is crucial.
3. Wide Product Selection
Just as sublimation accommodates businesses of all sizes and categories, it’s also a print method that offers up a wide range of products you can offer customers. There are the classic team uniforms and sports apparel categories, which many shops tap into since it presents a seasonal opportunity to boost revenue.
But athletic apparel is just the tip of the iceberg for sublimation. Here are a few other popular products sublimation pairs well with.
- Tumblers: Drinkware is an excellent add-on product because it never goes out of season and can be paired with virtually any type of order.
- Pet accessories: Ornaments, custom-printed bowls, and customized pet tags are all great options for expanding your offerings.
- Graduation/Recognition: Graduation and recognition products can range from basic goods like printed socks and bottle openers to ornate photo plaques and wall hangings, thanks to the photo quality capabilities of the print method.
These are just a few of the most popular products and categories you can tap into with sublimation. If you partner with a fulfillment company, you can expand your offerings even further, especially if you don’t have the capacity to keep inventory on hand.
Adding sublimation to your offerings can be a profitable outlet for your shop, especially if you can gauge the demand.
Make sure you sign up for our ongoing webcast series with Conde for more informative sessions like this.
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