For the Business of Apparel Decorating
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/865605
2 0 1 7 S E P T E M B E R P R I N T W E A R || 63 team wear, to family reunions, and even lo- cal businesses like restaurants and delivery drivers. In addition to putting garments on display in the shop, multiple parties recommend including a sample shirt with finished screen-printing orders. Copeland suggests printing a single shirt with the client's logo, along with the deco- rator's information, and details on how the shop's D2 services offer "no minimums, no setup fees." Rhome suggests a similar approach for local businesses, using D2 to help them promote timely events like promotional pricing, weekly restaurant specials, or even local political campaigns. Memorial T- shirts, which typically demand high-detail, photographic quality, he adds, are also a prime market for D2 prints. Despite all the technical differences, Rhome cautions that screen printers should not view D2 as a full-on replace- ment for screen printing, but rather under- stand it as another decoration option they can add to their shop's arsenal. Hill recommends showcasing D2 prints but taking caution when getting into se- mantics about the specifics of the process to customers. Letting the print color op- tions and turnaround time speak for them- selves, he elaborates, will be enough of a selling point. Overwhelming a customer with detailed information about digital printing may cause them to expect more than realistically available, he explains, and confuse both parties. "Focus simply on the message, such as, 'We now offer small runs with unlimited colors,'" says Hill. If a shop can find ways to integrate D2 into its existing services, and ultimately demonstrate to clients why it's a benefi- cial option, this service can open up new streams of revenue for shops of all sizes.