I am currently putting the finishing touches on a book on wide-format and specialty printing that is being published at PRINT 18, and one of the themes of the book—which I have been harping on in these features, and in my last book with Dr. Joe, The Third Wave, is that mainstream printing is giving way to specialty printing, thanks to the fact that there are very few surfaces, substances, and objects that can't be printed anymore, there is no end to the print products that a shop can offer. From posters and banners, to signage, to garments and other textile products, to garage doors, to...well, just have a look around you and spot all the printed items nearby. And this is not to mention the fact that there is still a substantial amount of regular, traditional commercial print work to be had. So when attending trade shows like PRINT 18 or the SGIA Expo and trying to think about what could be profitable products to add to one’s repertoire, it’s not hard to feel overwhelmed, like the proverbial all-you-can-eat buffet (assuming there are proverbs about all-you-can-eat buffets): “It all looks so good, I don’t know where to start.” 

We're not just horsing around—you can print on virtually anything. 

When approaching the vast new world of specialty graphics printing, two questions usually come to mind: Where do I start, and How do I sell it?