The demand for custom-printed t-shirts is growing by leaps and bounds. Experts predict that this will continue at a compound annual growth rate of 7.02% over the next several years, reaching a global market value of over $7 billion by 2030.
Some of the trends contributing to this growth?
- Younger generations with increased disposable income looking for unique, customized t-shirts that reflect their tastes and personalities.
- Online influencers and entrepreneurs creating their own custom-designed shirts to sell to followers.
- Sports teams and clubs wearing more specially made t-shirts that feature their logos or unique designs.
- And instead of ordering thousands of shirts that sit in warehouses until needed, some retail stores are shifting to more customized order batches in numbers forecast for selling within specific time periods.
These trends have created a major change in the t-shirt printing industry. More custom t-shirt orders are being placed; however, the individual orders are for smaller batches. So, while overall order volume has increased, print runs have become shorter.
With such tremendous growth potential over the next few years, now is an ideal time for print shops to begin scaling up production and increasing capabilities to take advantage of these new opportunities both today and into the future. One relatively easy, cost-effective way that print shops can make the most of this growing demand for high-volume, short-run custom-printed t-shirts is to use DTG (direct-to-garment) printing pods and automated workflows.
Managed by a single operator, a DTG printing pod groups multiple production-level t-shirt printers around a conveyor dryer where they can all run at the same time. The operator simply alternates between loading blank t-shirts onto the printers and then placing the printed t-shirts in the conveyor dryer. This process is repeated until all the t-shirts in the order are completed.
A single DTG pod operator can produce up to hundreds of custom-printed t-shirts per hour and just about anyone can do it — it only takes a few minutes of training. And there’s no previous experience or special skills needed — a major advantage in today’s job market where skilled labor can often be difficult to find.
Using workflow automation can help shops achieve even higher volume printing. For example, adding an automated intake system with a barcode reader, an automated t-shirt folder, an automated bagger and shipping software can help maximize profit potential by increasing production, but by also reducing labor costs since one operator can do the work of several.
In addition to increasing production, incorporating an automated workflow system into your
t-shirt printing business can result in other benefits, including simplifying labor, minimizing waste, reducing errors and streamlining packing and shipping.
Plus, with the wide variety of automation options and solutions available, you can pick and choose which work best for you. So you can do your workflow, your way, and easily create a custom workflow that meets your unique needs to deliver production-level output and grow your profit potential.
Learn more about high-production Direct-to-Garment printing
and the SureColor F3070, Epson’s adaptable, scalable DTG solution.
Visit Epson.com/mass-production-dtg-printer
How to choose a DTG production printer
Using DTG printing pods with an automated workflow, print shops can potentially print hundreds of t-shirts per hour, easily and efficiently. Pods also allow you to easily adjust to the volume you need to print. To ramp up production, you simply create more pods. The result? With the proper set-up, you can achieve customized printing at a production level while managing cost efficiencies. But you need to have the right type of DTG t-shirt printer.
Look for a t-shirt printer that offers:
- True production-level print speeds
- Ease of use
- Fast garment loading
- The flexibility to adapt to your existing workflow
- Automatic cleaning with minimal user maintenance
For true production-level t-shirt printing, choose Epson
DTG pod printing can help you cost-effectively expand and scale up your operations so you can increase productivity and take advantage of the ever-increasing demand for custom-printed t-shirts. As experts in DTG pod printing, Epson can help you achieve this goal.
The Epson SureColor F3070 direct-to-garment t-shirt printer is the perfect building block for creating printing pods. It’s built from the ground up — with advanced PrecisionCore® printheads — to deliver professional-quality, one-pass prints at industrial-level speeds, so you can potentially print hundreds of custom t-shirts per hour.
Plus, Epson experts can help you create your own custom workflow that can deliver production-level output, remarkable consistency, less waste and help reduce labor costs.
The custom-printed t-shirt market is poised for ongoing, expansive growth. DTG printing pods offer a relatively simple, cost-effective way to scale up production and expand capabilities. So, you can deliver high-volume printing and take full advantage of the growing demand for custom-printed t-shirts to increase your print shop’s profit potential.
Discover more about DTG pod printing — download our free eBrief “How to Maximize Productivity, Workflow Automation and Profit Potential with DTG Pod Printing.”
To see the Epson SureColor F3070 direct-to-garment t-shirt printer in action, schedule a visit at an Epson Certified Solution Center for an in-person or virtual demo.
