How to Start a Small Printing Business in 2026
Here is what a custom apparel printing business really is, what it costs, and how to book your first paid order.
The custom apparel printing guide
Every step on this page, walked through, so you can land your first paid order.
What you need to start
The honest short list to get to a first paid order. The how for each one is in the guide.
A heat press, not a printer. An entry-level press runs about $150 to $500. Buy the machine your first orders actually need.
Blanks and transfers. Wholesale blank shirts, plus DTF transfers ordered per design on demand.
Design software. Canva on the free tier to start, or Adobe Illustrator when you outgrow it.
A resale certificate. Also called a seller's permit. It lets you buy blanks wholesale without paying sales tax.
Insurance. General liability before you ship a first order, since one damaged order can cost more than a year of coverage.
One decision. Which printing method, because it sets your startup cost and your per-unit cost.
What it costs and how much money you can make
Real ranges, no promises. What you make depends on your orders and your pricing.
A heat press, starter blanks, your first DTF transfers, design software, packaging, and insurance. No printer needed yet.
A screen printing starter kit runs about $250 to $1,500. An entry-level DTG printer runs roughly $10,000 to $25,000.
Typical retail on a shirt that costs you about $4 to $12 to produce with blanks plus a transfer.
Printing in house with transfers, gross margins often land around 50 to 70% on a shirt, before your time. Outsourcing to a full-service printer runs thinner. Solo operators running consistently often report roughly $3,000 to $12,000 a month, and full operations with added equipment and staff can climb higher over several years. These are broad benchmarks, not a guarantee.
One order, roughly
- Order, 25 shirts at $20 retail
- $500
- Blank shirts, 25 at $5
- -$125
- DTF transfers, 25 pressed
- -$75
- Packaging and processing
- -$40
- You keep, before your time
- about $260
Price it so the math actually works
The pricing worksheet, the cost-per-shirt table, the sales scripts, the equipment tiers. All of it.
Register your business, state by state
Every state registers businesses a little differently, and agency links go stale fast. Use the SBA's own live state look-up instead of a hand-typed list, then confirm locally before your first paid order.
Register your business with your state
The U.S. Small Business Administration keeps a live, state-by-state registration look-up. Find your state and follow its steps.
Check your city and county too. Many localities layer their own business license, home-occupation permit, or local sales tax on top of the state's rules, and the local rule is often stricter or different. Call your city and county clerk and ask what a home-based or small commercial printing operation needs in your specific location.
When you are ready to build, not just read, BUILD takes you from the idea in your head to a real product you can sell.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to start a custom apparel printing business?
You can start lean for about $500 to $1,500 with a heat press, starter blanks, your first DTF transfers, design software, packaging, and insurance. Adding a screen printing kit or a DTG garment printer later costs more, from a few hundred dollars up to $10,000 to $25,000 for a printer.
Do I need a garment printer to start?
No. A heat press plus DTF transfers, ordered per design with no minimums, prints full-color designs on demand for a fraction of the cost. Buy a screen setup or a DTG printer only once your order volume proves it lowers your cost per shirt.
How much money can a custom printing business make?
Solo operators running consistently often report roughly $3,000 to $12,000 a month, and full operations with added equipment and staff can climb higher over several years. These are broad benchmarks, and your actual numbers depend on your orders and pricing. There are no guarantees.
Do I need a business license or a resale certificate?
Most states want you registered, and many cities and counties add their own license or permit. A resale certificate, also called a seller's permit, lets you buy blanks wholesale without paying sales tax up front. Register with your state, then confirm your city and county rules.
DTF, screen printing, or DTG, which should I start with?
Most Builders start with a heat press and DTF transfers because it is the lowest-capital way to print full color on one-offs and small runs. Screen printing gets cheaper per unit on big bulk orders, and a DTG printer suits detailed on-demand work once volume justifies the machine.
Can I get in trouble for printing a customer's logo or artwork?
Yes. If a customer hands you a logo, team emblem, or image that is trademarked or copyrighted and neither of you has the right to reproduce it, you can be held liable alongside them. Ask where every design came from and have customers confirm in writing that they own or licensed it before you print.