Impressions - September 2020 - 45

Product versatility is key. Offering printed
hoodies, caps, shoes, blankets, coasters and more
can help you diversify your offerings.

Invest in the right product to maximize
ROI; don't simply shop by price alone.
Versatility

When evaluating costs, focus on two
factors. First, think about total cost per
print, which provides a more realistic
cost. Second, evaluate total cost of ownership. If you must dump thousands into
a machine just to keep it running, then
your overall costs quickly can become
much higher.
Let's review some key decisionmaking factors when preparing to purchase
a DTG printer.
Return on Investment
Apparel decorating is a business; your purchase decision must be based on the ROI
possibility, which is the ratio of net profit
during a period to investment cost. If you
can't recoup your investment and earn
profit in a reasonable amount of time, then
you shouldn't purchase the equipment.
You can estimate ROI during a specific
time period or examine estimated revenue
and calculate how much time it will take
to achieve your goal. If you were to spend
$30,000 on a complete DTG setup to replace

the process of screen printing smaller orders,
you can evaluate the process as follows:
If operating expenses are $100 per hour
and you save three hours daily through reduced setup time, screen cleanings, etc., it
would take about 100 days to recoup your
investment.This is a simple estimate, as there
are other factors to consider besides time,
such as material costs.
Here's a great example of a misguided
ROI:An embroiderer has to produce 100
jacket backs, with a design that features a
large area of fill. He calculates the ROI of
doing an appliqué instead of fill stitches,
which reduces the job time from two hours
per run to one hour - saving 50% of his
time. He orders a micro-suede appliqué
and produces the job.When finished, the
embroiderer notices he lost money on the
job,even when factoring in the reduced time.
However, he forgot to calculate the cost
of the appliqué material.Therefore, when
calculating and comparing ROI, remember
to examine the costs associated with the
purchase and the revenue capabilities to get
a more realistic estimate.The bottom line:

Some DTG printers have difficulty printing
on garments other than T-shirts.You want
to offer the most versatility, which helps
drive your shop's revenue. Offering printed
hoodies, caps, shoes, blankets, wood planks,
coasters, mousepads and more can help
diversify your product offerings.
If you're limited by the items you can
print, profitability likewise will be limited.
One of the ways DTG prints can be achieved
on a variety of different products centers
on the space between the print head and
product surface. A larger gap allows for a
larger variety of items.
Another factor is the distance from the
print head to the garment's lowest portion.
Many items have ridges, such as buttons
or zippers, and the print head needs to be
positioned high enough to avoid striking
a ridge, while still printing in focus on the
garment's lowest portion.
In addition to product versatility, look for
platen versatility. Try to purchase a DTG
printer that is compatible with platens that
can accommodate sleeves,pockets,hats,pant
legs, yokes, koozies, etc. Again, the more
you can offer, the more opportunities you
have for enhanced revenue.
Fabric versatility also is important.The
DTG process loves 100% cotton and requires more attention as the fabric content
strays from cotton. Since there are so many
different possibilities, ask for different fabric
samples - using your artwork - as well
as advice regarding pretreatment usage, ink
consumption and time to print - and then
wash and dry each sample repeatedly.
The purpose is to keep everyone honest.
Anyone can print a sample and display it for
a "wow" factor, but how feasible would it
be if you had to perform the same process
on a production basis?
One last item with regard to versatility
is color. Some DTG printers only print in
CMYK, but many decorators have earned
a tremendous return on their investment
using such machines. However, by not
using a printer that offers white ink and the
ability to print on dark garments, you are
leaving money on the table.When making
the full leap to DTG printing, look for a
machine that can output CMYK plus white
ink, or higher.
Support and Training
All DTG printer suppliers will tell you they
provide great training and support, but how
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Impressions - September 2020

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