If we observe, we will find that 5 out of 10 have customized t-shirts with different designs and themes. No doubt, the t-shirt printing business is expected to reach $3.1 billion by 2025.

Looking at these stats and the craze all around, if you think of getting in the business, it’s the right decision. It would be best if you went for a t-shirt printing business with a t-shirt design tool.

Are you confused about where to start? Follow the steps below (one at a time).

Create a Business Plan
To start a thriving t-shirt printing business, create a business plan considering all the elements such as niche, target audience, platform, budget, and others.

Start by identifying your niche, whether you want to provide printed rock-band t-shirts or sports t-shirts, or something unique. Next, decide on your target audience. Your audience can be an infant, teen, young, or adult. Once you’ve decided on what and whom you will sell, don’t forget to look over your financial aspects too. At present, it may seem confusing or of no use, but it would help later.

Decide a Platform
So now that you know what you would like to sell, it’s time to decide the place where you would like to sell your printed t-shirts. Either you can choose to sell on an eCommerce marketplace like Amazon or select to develop your web store. Of course, the advantage would be to go with your custom-designed website because you will have complete control over your business.

While going with the custom-developed option, you need to decide on an eCommerce platform. It can be a hosted platform or a self-hosting platform. Hosted platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce are best for low-cost startups. For self-hosting, the cost can be a topic of concern, but the solution would be one that meets all your requirements. Choose wisely!

Purchase an Online T-shirt Design Tool
It’s time to invest. Go for an advanced t-shirt design tool that will help you provide customized printed t-shirts to your customers. To give it an extra touch, you can also let your customers design their t-shirts.

Purchasing an advanced product designer tool at the start of the business can take up a large portion of your budget. Initially, go for basic web-to-print software, and as your business flourish, update it with additional features.

Select the Printing Method and Supplier
Once you have finalized the t-shirt designer tool and the list of required features, it is time to choose the printing method. There are four methods to print t-shirts:

Screen printing
Heat printing
Direct-to-garment printing
Embroidered printing

Choose your style and go on a run to find a supplier who would provide blank t-shirts. The best way to do it is to research manufacturers, suppliers, and garment distributors. Check their quality and material before making a final deal.

Set up the Infrastructure
Once you are done with all the forefront of the business plan, you need to set up an infrastructure where the actual work of printing can be done along with packaging and shipping.

The advice is to have a proper printing studio equipped with printers and finishing units. But for logistics, you can choose to dropship or liaise with a logistics company. Self-packaging and shipping can be a cost-effective option, though.

Opt for the one that you find suitable and head towards launching your business.

Launch and Market
Finally, start selling your t-shirts. Ensure that your payment and checkout is quick and straightforward. Invite your customers, market your t-shirt printing business through social media, paid and sponsored ads, word-of-mouth, traditional ways like flyers and pamphlets.

Summary
With these steps, you can successfully start a t-shirt printing business, but to ensure that you remain in the league, take every step with thorough consideration. Most importantly, choose the right vendor for your web-to-print software, printing machines, and t-shirts.