Are you starting a printing business any time soon? It’s the start of a new phase in your life and with it, you need to know the ins and outs of this business (and its industry) before you can take the plunge. A printing and fulfillment service business will also require you to have some pieces of equipment ready. Here are some of those:
Printing System
The first set of equipment you should have is a printing system. These pieces need to be reliable. For a smaller shop, you need a printer under the ‘offset duplicator category.’ These are easy to use and can be set up quickly. You also need a color copier, which you might want to buy on wholesale if you’ll be doing a lot of copying. Depending on which kinds of jobs you’ll commission, you will either need an extra wide inkjet printer or the regular ones. You also need a laser printer if you’re printing business cards. For fabrics, you’ll need a screen printer.
Design Software
You need a reliable software to design the prints you’re making for clients. Each kind of design or specialty has a corresponding design software. There is design software built for desktop programs, but there are also high-end ones that you’ll need for specialized orders. Make sure your design software has all the things you need apart from having fonts and colors.
Stock
In any printing business, you need supplies like T-shirts and papers you’ll use for cards. Make sure you have all these before getting started on the job. Don’t keep your customers waiting long by not having the supplies they need.
Cutting Equipment
There are several cutting equipment for printing businesses. There is the hydraulic cutter for cutting business cards. You can also use a manual cutter. Different cutting equipment, on the other hand, is needed for cutting vinyl signs. You can use a cutter capable of cutting out letters and graphics for vinyl signs.
Accounting Software
Rather than doing things manually, use an accounting program to simplify tasks for you. Accounting can keep a track record of sales, expenses, and the inventory of your printing business. It can also make quotes automatically. Additionally, choose a good software that can be installed within your website. This will allow you to take online orders and will keep track of it automatically.
Computer, Fax, and Other Software
Aside from the equipment and supplies mentioned above, you should also invest in a good computer. You need a computer and scanner for functions like scanning product requests. Aside from that, you’ll need a fax machine to allow you to send and receive documents between customers and other clients.
Binding Machine
Most printing shops offer binding services. This can be bookbinding or other forms of binding like ring binding documents. This is why you also need this kind of equipment to cater to your customers.
Having a printing business is hard work and to have a good outcome, you need to offer the best services. Don’t worry because you just need a little patience, perseverance, and determination to get results.
