So you're ready to start..or grow your Silhouette business? Whether you planned to run an Etsy business or you fell into a t shirt or vinyl business due to constant requests - welcome to what I like to call the Silhouette School of Business!
In this little corner of the Silhouette School world we are focused on Cutting a Profit!
What do I know? I know I went from opening a Silhouette Portrait on Christmas morning 2013 to running three successful Silhouette-related businesses in less than 5 years employing five team members and completely supporting my family doing what I love. Have I made mistakes? Have I taken a ton of risk? Have I worked my booty off every.single.day. Have I cried tears of joy and frustration? More than I can count...to all of that!
So...if you're like me you're a boss babe who has taken her craft next level and has found herself looking for resources, ideas, and equipment to make running an at-home small business more productive and profitable with maybe a few less mistakes and tears!
I have all of that for you from comparison and reviews of the best wide printers and cutters to invest in next (and of course how to use them) to tips on how to market and run your shop like a pro when you - and you alone - are wearing all or most of the hats!
Desktop Printers, Cutters, and More for Small Business
When it's time to invest in your business, it can be overwhelming to know exactly how. What printer or cutter is best for your business is going to depend on several factors including:
- What makes up the core of your business
- What "problem" are you trying to address or what process are you trying to streamline?
- Available space
- Your budget
- Other equipment you already have
This video on how to start a t shirt business at home gives a breakdown of all the different printers I have and where they may fit into your business.
I have also created this "What Printer Should I Get Next?" chart to help guide you through some of those questions.
Below you'll also find a list of posts that compare different processes and products to help you learn the differences between and the pros and cons of the different processes.
Printer Comparisons for Small T Shirt and Vinyl Businesses
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Recommended Machine Bundles for Small Business
If you're looking for the best bundle when shopping for a white toner printer, sublimation printer, direct to garment or ecosolvent printer and cutter in one - I have my favorites. I'm not only sharing my favorite bundle for each..but also why I recommend it.
A: 24" Wide Format Sublimation with Epson F570: Why I like it: Low Ink Cost, Wide Format, Includes blanks and paper to get started!
B: 20" Roland BN-20A Ecosolvent Print & Cut: Why I like it: Includes double set of ink so you don't run out and stop production, Roland Vinyl, Design Credit
C: Uninet iColor 560 White Toner Printer: Why I Like this Bundle: Includes a wide assortment of materials to try for hard surfaces and textiles plus the T Seal finishing sheet!
D: Roland BT-12 Direct to Garment Printer: Why I Like this Bundle: Includes double trays allowing you to work as fast as possible with a tray in both the printer and the heater at the same time
E: Roland BN-20A and 24" CAMEO Pro Bundle: Why I like this Bundle: Lowest price option to speed up production by keeping the Roland printing while the CAMEO 4 Pro contour cuts. Learn More
F: Uninet IColor 560 and 12" Silhouette CAMEO 4: Why I like this Bundle: Print and Cut unique die cut and kiss cut stickers, labels and printables with white text and images by pairing the iColor 560 with the CAMEO 4. This allows you take full advantage of both over and underprint. Learn More
B: 20" Roland BN-20A Ecosolvent Print & Cut: Why I like it: Includes double set of ink so you don't run out and stop production, Roland Vinyl, Design Credit
C: Uninet iColor 560 White Toner Printer: Why I Like this Bundle: Includes a wide assortment of materials to try for hard surfaces and textiles plus the T Seal finishing sheet!
D: Roland BT-12 Direct to Garment Printer: Why I Like this Bundle: Includes double trays allowing you to work as fast as possible with a tray in both the printer and the heater at the same time
E: Roland BN-20A and 24" CAMEO Pro Bundle: Why I like this Bundle: Lowest price option to speed up production by keeping the Roland printing while the CAMEO 4 Pro contour cuts. Learn More
F: Uninet IColor 560 and 12" Silhouette CAMEO 4: Why I like this Bundle: Print and Cut unique die cut and kiss cut stickers, labels and printables with white text and images by pairing the iColor 560 with the CAMEO 4. This allows you take full advantage of both over and underprint. Learn More
Etsy & Silhouette Small Business Resources
I am a small business owner - an accidental one - so I've learned along the way. My goal is to make that learning curve easier for you! I have jam packed everything I've learned in the 10 years I've been growing my own business into my ebook Cutting a Profit. Take advantage of the work I've already done to find the best ways to manage your time, keep orders organized, market your products, and deal with customers..even the difficult ones!
Watch the Silhouette School Cutting a Profit playlist on Youtube to learn more about everything from small business tips to how to incorporate the Silhouette CAMEO Pro, Roland BN-20, Uninet iColor 560 White Toner Printer, Direct to Garment Machine, and sublimation printers into the growing business you've started.
Commercial Use Cut Files, Fonts, Sublimation Designs and Full Color Images for T Shirts
When running a small business whether you are selling t shirts, or tumblers, stencils or anything else where you ned graphics, designs, and fonts you want to make sure you are using commercial use designs. Our sister site So Fontsy has hundreds of thousands of commercial free sublimation designs, cut files, fonts, and more! Everything includes a commercial use license so be sure you're legally selling by using SVGs, PNGs, and fonts that can be sold.
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