Printing equipment is an important part of starting a t-shirt printing business. Not only are these tools necessary, but you’ll also need the right ones.

In this article, we’ll be discussing the right t-shirt printing equipment to obtain for your business.

T-Shirt Printing Equipment Package

In discussing the different printing equipment, there are also types or brands of such equipment. The type you choose depends on what best serves your needs.

Without further ado, we’ll delve into details on the different tools you’ll need to start your t-shirt printing business.

Printers

Among the most basic equipment needed to start your t-shirt printing business are printers. These come in different sizes and types.

Also, these have different printing capacities. You’ll need to find one that best fits your printing needs. There are also top brands which are considered most efficient and durable by printers. Knowing this helps a lot. Some of the top brands include;

  • Kornit Breeze

Starting at $62,000, this printing machine comes with an integrated pre-treatment system. Its compact design places it among the best entry-level t-shirt printing machines you can purchase for your business.

According to the manufacturer, the Kornit Breeze printing machine combines quality, budget and high returns on investment, making it a shirt printer’s favorite.

  • Col-Desi M2

This direct-to-garment t-shirt printing machine is a powerhouse for productivity.

It comes with the capacity to print 2 t-shirts with 2 different designs at the same time. This is a time-saving feature that also increases your potential for profitability. It comes in various sizes with pricing starting from $19,995.

  • Brother GFX

With the Brother GTX printer machine, you get fast printing speeds, new print heads, new inks, as well as an installed next-generation processor and 800mb onboard memory. It also has fast ink cure times. You get value for money too.

Computers

Computers are essential tools used for t-shirt printing jobs. To get the best, you’ll need to understand the features as well as focusing on its capacity for t-shirt graphic designs.

To choose the best computer, you should check for the processor speed, the GPU, memory, monitor size, and quality as well as the hard drive.

Not only are computers used for designing graphics for t-shirts, but they are also used for inventory, payment, and ordering functions among other things.

Graphic Programs

These are also known as software and will need to be installed on computers to enable designs to be made. There are lots of graphic programs in the market. You’ll need to find out what fits your t-shirt design needs.

The following are some of the best programs you can use;

  • Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is among the best graphic programs you can use for your t-shirt design needs. It is part of the adobe suite and is used for editing high-quality images as well as creating amazing and unique photo effects.

  • Corel Draw

If you’re operating on a budget, then Corel Draw is the graphic program to consider for your t-shirt printing business.

However, you’ll need to know just how to use it for your specific purpose. There are lots of online tutorials on how to use this software.

  • Inkscape

Inkscape is loaded with lots of features to help with designing and creation multidimensional graphics for t-shirts.

This is free software you can download and start using immediately. These graphic programs are only a few of the many others you can get for your business needs.

Transfer Papers

Also known as the heat transfer paper, it is part of the equipment needed for the smooth take-off of your t-shirt printing business. Using the paper, the t-shirt printing machine transfers the image onto the paper as well as onto the material or t-shirt as well as on other surfaces.

Like most t-shirt printing equipment, heat transfer papers come in different types.

These include heat press vinyl, cold-peel screen printed transfer paper, plastisol screen printed transfer paper, inkjet transfer paper as well as sublimation transfer paper. Each of these is ideal for specific uses or t-shirt printing jobs.

Heat Press

This is another piece of equipment you must-have for your t-shirt printing business. This machine is used to imprint a design onto your t-shirt using heat and pressure for a preset period. There are four types of heat press machines; the Clamshell, Swinger or Swing away, the Draw Heat press and the Sublimination T-shirt heat press.

  • The Clamshell Heat Press Machine

This printing equipment brand is among the most popular. Not only can it be used to transfer your graphics or artwork onto t-shirts, but it can also transfer the same onto a variety of surfaces.

In other words, it can be considered a multi-purpose heat press machine.

  • Swinger/Swing Away Heat Press Machine

This equipment type is also designed for multi-purpose use and prints on a variety of surfaces. It can easily fit into personal as well as commercial usage. It’s also effective on thicker materials or fabrics.

  • Draw Heat Press

The draw heat press is another type of t-shirt printing equipment and comes installed with a moveable work surface. It is also effective in churning out quality designs on your t-shirts.

  • Sublimation T-Shirt Heat Press

Heat presses under this category are considered as having improved designs over the traditional types that bleed ink onto garments. It all boils down to what you need for your printing jobs. All printers have their preferences.

Cutter

Cutters are used in creating stencils for screen printing. The designs you create on your cutter program is cut out easily. There are several cutters you can get for your printing needs.

T-shirt printing equipment comes in different variants and types. These have been listed above. An important consideration you’ll need to make is choosing a top brand for your printing needs. Some of the equipment listed above have been further broken down into popular brands.

You’ll need to search for user reviews about particular printing equipment before making the purchase. Also, seeking for advice from successful t-shirt printers will go a long way in making your operations successful.