10 Actionable Ideas for a Startup Printing Business

Over the past few years, the printing industry has been more popular than ever and has been going through a serious boom period. In fact, the industry is said to grow to a global value of £4.5 billion by 2023.

That being said, due to the popularity and advancement in technology, it’s never been easier to set up a printing business – and a lot of people are taking the opportunity.

Customised printing is popular all over the world. So, there’s a massive market that you can take advantage of should you produce and promote your products correctly. 

Not only this, with the help of online printing software and other aids, you have the opportunity to grow your business quickly. 

With the increasing competition within the industry, you might be left wondering where your window of opportunity for your product could be. But digital textile printing still makes up less than 5% of the global industry, leaving a great market share that can be targeted by you.

So, this post will present 10 great ideas for a startup printing business for you to take inspiration from.

1. T-Shirt Printing

From company uniforms to stag and hen parties, the scope for t-shirt printing is so widespread. And it doesn’t stop there. 

Everybody wants to put their spin on things, especially their fashion sense. So, wearing a custom tee is the perfect way to do so. Even if it’s not their design, people love designs that are unique and not mass-produced, so it’s a top opportunity. 

Your designs need to be perfect. If you can boast a strong design, then you’re already halfway there to making your printing business successful. Think about it, you wouldn’t wear a t-shirt with an ugly, poorly created design on the front, would you? So, you can’t expect your customers too either. 

It’s never been easier to print your own t-shirts either. There are plenty of businesses out there that can offer simple online design software at super competitive prices. 

Then, all you need is the perfect commercial embroidery machine that’ll guarantee top-quality results. 

2. Mug Printing

Everybody has that cupboard in their house or office filled with mugs, don’t they? This is living proof that mugs are always popular with people. 

Whether you’ve bought them or received them as a gift, mugs will always be a staple in peoples’ homes. You’re not going to start drinking your coffee out of a pint glass, are you?

This is why mug printing is an easy go-to when starting up a printing business. There’s always a demand for them. Plus, there’s little investment that’s required to get your business off the ground. 

All that’s required is a plain mug, the printing equipment and the design tools. And then you’re away and free to put your stamp on your mugs. 

Like t-shirts, mugs are a great way of expressing feelings and letting your personality shine through. In modern times, we’ve seen a surge of mugs with inspirational quotes on or copied photos of loved ones – which make great presents. 

So, if you’re interested in making things for others to enjoy then try printing your ideas and designs on mugs for your printing business. 

3. Business Cards

Businesses are constantly spreading the word about their products and services. And business cards are the perfect way for them to include all of their important contact details. 

They’re also a longstanding method that businesses use to enhance their brand image. Each company will want to give off the best impression of their company, so a well-designed business card will make it look like they’re well-established and professional.  

A poorly designed business card can leave companies being remembered for all the wrong reasons. If you can’t get your business card right, the chances are that it’ll look like you’re not capable of carrying out a bigger job correctly either. 

The whole point in having a business card is that people can easily read and access your contact details. If it’s poorly designed and not easy to read, it’ll likely be completely ignored and maybe even throw away. 

Businesses are always in demand for well-designed business cards, so there’s definitely a market there for your printing business to have a look at.

4. Greeting Cards

There are many occasions where greeting cards are sent and received. Whether it’s a birthday or simply to say thank you for something, there’s always a greeting card that’s suitable for the occasion. 

Greetings cards are very sentimental. People often keep them as mementos and they usually include a touching message inside. So, with that in mind, you wouldn’t want to send or receive a cheap, poorly designed one. 

With a constant need for greeting cards, there’s an opportunity there for your printing business to explore. They’re personal, so if they can be customised with customers’ designs and messaging, the chances are that they’ll be increasingly popular too.

5. Labels and Stickers

Labels and stickers are apparent in the majority of goods made globally. They’re so important, so there’s always a strong demand for them from around the world. It’s a market that you can take advantage of and one that doesn’t require too much investment either.

After all, products are incomplete without the inclusion of labels or stickers. Plus, they’re invaluable to the promotion of a brand, so businesses will be willing to spend on them. Which is a great position to be in for your printing business.

A well-designed sticker can have customers instantly relating to your business, just from the colours below. So, businesses will no doubt outsource the help to make sure that they’re spot on and done by a professional. 

6. Signs and Banners

With the rapid emergence of technology within marketing, it’s easy to discount signs and banners. However, they still have as much pulling power as they ever have. Which makes them a great idea to target startups.

Signs and banners need to be memorable for them to be as effective as possible. People will bypass business’ banners and signs multiple times a day, so they need to be able to catch the eye every time and live long in the memory too. 

Businesses buy banners for events because they’re reusable. So, the quality of materials used needs to be strong and durable. But overall, banners tend to be made out of vinyl, which is easy to come by and is typically inexpensive – two great advantages of targeting signs and banners for your printing business.

7. Leaflets and Flyers

Just like signs and banners, leaflets and flyers are two marketing methods that have stood the test of time. Their main purpose is to provide the reader with as much information as they can, whilst still being well designed and clear. 

They’re still used in modern times, despite email marketing taking over the newsletter world. They’re super easy to print too, which makes them more appealing than some of the other ideas. 

Innovative printing methods on a brochure, leaflet and flyer give off a great impression to the recipient. It shows that a business has invested money into producing them, not just done them on the cheap as a quick win. 

Strong quality materials used for a business’ marketing efforts give a favourable reflection on how they’ll work too. If they use top-quality materials in their marketing, they’re likely to do so in their overall work too. 

8. Wallpaper

The majority of houses, bars and restaurants will feature wallpaper throughout. People love to put their own spin on things, especially their interior design, so by looking to roll out wallpaper by your printing business could be a good angle. 

In a time where wacky-designed feature walls are commonly featured in a lot of places, there’s never been a better time to get your designs printed onto wallpaper. 

Giving the customer a customisation option too is a great idea. Whether it’s a loving portrait of the family or an inspirational quote that they all love, people love to customise their own houses and make them feel like their own true, cosy home.

9. Mobile Phone Case Printing

In modern times, mobile phones never leave the majority of people’s hands. Plus, they’re super expensive. So, to be able to stay connected with the world and protect a very expensive accessory, phone cases are a godsend for most people. 

Phone cases are a great way for people to express themselves. Quotes, different colours, cartoon characters, sports teams and many more emblems and logos can be found on them. 

Phones are only going to get more popular. And they’re likely to get more expensive too. So, looking at phone case printing for your business could be a great way to start expanding quickly. 

Plus, like with any accessories, fashion trends come and go. And phone cases aren’t exempt from this. Each year we see people rocking the latest trend of phone case and then moving onto the next one when they become less popular. 

10. Shopping Bag Printing

We’re well and truly in the middle of the “bag for life” era, aren’t we? Which is great for the environment that we’re reusing bags for shopping, but would you rather carry around a supermarket designed one or a custom-designed one with your twist? 

We know what we’d rather do. Which is why we feel that customising and printing on shopping bags is a great product to roll out through your business. 

Not only are these bags saving the environment, but they’re also a walking advertisement for your business. 

Whether it’s being flaunted around the local supermarket or being used in the city, if your designs are strong and your brand name is on there it’s definitely cheaper than paying for a billboard.

Get Ready for Success!

Follow these 10 actionable ideas, and give yourself the best possible start in launching your new venture.

Our final piece of advice? As Zappos CEO, Tony Hsieh, puts it:

“Chase the vision, not the money, the money will end up following you.”

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