Choose the market you want to enter first. What about mouse pads? Look at the opposition. What are mouse pads being sold for in the Asian market that has landed in your market? They will be your main rivals for the bigger orders. Study your local competitors if you are concentrating on smaller market orders with larger margins. What do they receive in return for the product?
For Mug Printing
If you are going to concentrate on coffee mugs, find out how much the Chinese market, in particular, sells mugs for on a gross basis or in other ways.
The Need for a Printer
Your next requirement would be top-notch dye sublimation printers. Your target market will determine the printer you buy. You will get a smaller machine if you are printing mouse pads. You will require a wide or grand format printer if you want to print seamless trade fair displays.
Of course, you will also need a heat press that is appropriate for the type of printing you intend to concentrate on. These are available in a variety of sizes, from fairly small for coffee mugs to extremely large for grand format fabric banner printing or dye sublimation printers on fabric for rolls of fabric to be used for apparel or other uses.
The Dye or Inks
Additionally, you should pick a reputable brand of CMYO dye inks (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Overprint). You will be instructed on which ink to use with new equipment to avoid voiding the warranty, thus you are essentially forced to use their inks during the warranty term. After the warranty expires, you can buy bulk ink/dye systems that will, on average, reduce your ink/dye costs by roughly 75%.
Dye Sublimation blanks
You would require appropriate dye sublimation blanks. The dye sublimation paper required for dye sublimation printing and subsequent substrate transfer using a heat press is known as such since it is the paper utilized for those processes.
A Reputable Producer
Last but not least, you must buy your substrate from a trustworthy wholesaler or producer. The materials you buy for your dye sublimation printing clients should be of the highest caliber possible because that is what they will associate you with. It would be wise to get the smallest roll of grand format polyester fabric you can locate to test the cloth before investing in dye sublimation printing for flags, banners, or other fabric displays.
