How to Start a Printing Business

Starting your own printing business may seem tricky, but with the right support and high-quality products, it becomes an exciting new venture.

There’s a lot that goes into starting a printing business. From establishing your niche to selecting your equipment to developing a marketing strategy, there are countless steps you need to take to get your business up and running. 

Keep reading to discover everything you need to know before launching a print business, and start making your dreams a reality. 

Establishing Your Printing Services

When you start a printing business, one of the first things you need to do is decide what kind of printing services and products you want to offer. There are many types of commercial printing, all of which need different materials and equipment. 

Some common printing methods, their applications and the materials they need include:

Digital printing: Generally best for creating paper-based products and general printing services, this method is often done using inkjet and laser printers.  
Flexography: This method is great for printing products like packaging and labels that need to be on plastic film, foil, paper or corrugated materials.
3D printing: While sometimes included in broader discussions of “printing,” 3D printing is a distinct segment focused on producing prototypes and custom parts using plastics, metals, and resins, and is usually not part of standard commercial print operations.
Screen printing: This adaptable method is perfect for creating clothing and signage and can be done on a wide range of materials, including textiles, fabrics, plastics, glass, wood, and paper; printing on metal is possible but rare and typically reserved for specialized industrial uses.
Gravure printing: Traditionally used for long runs such as high-quality packaging and some types of catalogs and magazines, though magazine gravure has significantly declined in recent years.
Offset lithography: Ideal for high-volume consistent-quality print jobs such as books, stationery, newspapers, magazines, posters, and some packaging materials.

The types of printing services and products you want to offer directly impact the things you’ll need for your business, including:

Materials
Equipment and machinery
Budget and up-front investment
Quality needs
Operational capacity

Up-Front Investments

Depending on the type and scale of the printing business you want to start, the up-front costs you’ll need to pay can vary.

Some factors impacting the initial cost of starting a printing business include:

Location: Initial capital investments vary depending on things like your preferred workspace and local property market. 
Equipment: Every printing business requires some form of equipment, ranging from industrial printers and presses to handheld labelling machines.
Software and design tools: The type of software you’ll need depends on your business type and services, and can include computers, design tools, printing workflow software and more. 
Insurance: While insurance is strongly recommended for all printing businesses to protect against theft, liability claims, and property damage, requirements may vary by location and business model.
Permits and licenses: The costs of permits and licenses vary depending on factors like your local regulations and business type.
Miscellaneous costs: When starting any business, you can expect a range of miscellaneous costs, for things like furniture and stationery. It’s also smart to have funds set aside for unforeseen expenses.

Licenses and Permits

Before you can begin business operations, make sure to research which permits and licenses are required for your location. Alongside your local government regulations, the types of permits you need will depend on your business type, operating location and other factors.

Some of the general compliance categories include:

General business and tax requirements: Your business license, trade name registration, sales tax permit and — if you plan on hiring employees — employee identification number (EIN).
Location-specific permits: Zoning permits, building permits, a fire department operation permit and a home occupation permit, if running your business from your residence.
Industry-specific and environmental permits: Waste disposal permits and health and safety permits, if operating industrial machinery or completing certain chemical processes, and may require environmental and safety permits depending on the processes and chemicals used, but typically do not require a specialized printing license.

If you’re not sure which licenses and permits you need, reach out to your local government agencies and a legal professional to understand exactly which regulations you have to comply with.

Location: Home vs. Commercial Space

One of the biggest decisions you’ll make when starting a print business is where you’ll headquarter your operations.

Some factors you should consider when making this decision include your:

Required machine size
Budget
Local zoning laws
Customer-facing services
Operational capacity
Business scalability

Home-Based Printing

Over the past several years, home-based businesses have risen in popularity. Home-based entrepreneurship brings business owners plenty of benefits, but it can also create logistical and personal challenges. 

A few pros of running a home-based printing business are:

Lower initial overhead expenses: With no additional rent or separate utilities to pay, running your printing business from home can work out more affordably in the short term.
Flexibility: You have total control over your working hours and won’t need to commute. You get a more flexible schedule. 
Small scale: Running your printing business from home is a great option for small-scale, niche or specialized printing services.

Things to keep in mind about running a home-based printing business include:

Space limitations: Unless you outsource your printing and fulfilment, your space will have to accommodate your inventory, machinery and materials. You may also need special power and ventilation capabilities for some types of machines. 
Scalability challenges: One thing to keep in mind is that your company’s growth might be limited by the space you have at home. For instance, it could be hard to introduce new services or products because you may not have room for more equipment or inventory.
Limited customer interactions: Home businesses tend to have fewer professional spaces for meetings and in-person sales. Unless your business is entirely online, it might be tricky to have in-person interactions with customers, investors and shareholders.
Blurred personal boundaries: When you live and run a business in the same place, it can be tough to draw a line between your personal life and your work life.
Additional insurance requirements: Standard homeowners insurance won’t cover your business operations and liability. You’ll need to invest in a separate commercial insurance plan.

Commercial Space

When you start a printing business, you can choose to invest in a dedicated commercial space or office for your business. 

Here are some benefits of choosing a commercial space for your printing business:

Larger-scale operations: A dedicated business space makes it easier to invest in larger industrial machinery, operate at a higher production capacity, offer a wider range of services, and benefit from more inventory space.
Improved image and credibility: Operating out of a commercial space or office gives you a professional image. This can help you to appeal to more clients and build trust with investors and customers. 
Better work-life balance: Separating your work from your home life can promote good mental health, reduce the risk of burnout and increase your productivity. 
Easier staffing: If you need employees, dedicated workspaces can provide a more practical work environment.
Smoother scalability: Having more space for your business can help you grow more easily. You’ll have the physical space for extra machinery, inventory and more. 

Drawbacks of investing in a commercial space are:

Higher costs: Rent, mortgage and utilities payments can make commercial business spaces more expensive than at-home operations, at least at first. 
Less flexibility: Your official workspace will likely need to comply with fixed operating hours and other rules that don’t apply to home-based businesses. 
Additional maintenance: Having a commercial business space makes you responsible for taking care of an additional property. 

Overall, home-based businesses are usually best for small companies with limited machinery or outsourced operations, online businesses, and companies with low levels of customer interaction. If you need industrial machines, have large-scale operations or think you’ll want to scale your business in the future, you may need a dedicated commercial space. 

How to Scale Your Printing Business

Even during the early stages of your business, you’ll need to think about future growth. Although scaling your business might seem like a distant goal, the decisions you make when you start can impact your ability to expand later. 

Expanding your business takes work. A plan can help. Here are some ideas:

Streamline Operations

Set a goal to make your business processes faster and better over time by upping efficiency and increasing production capacity.

You can streamline your operations by:

Investing in better technology: Don’t just update — upgrade. Think high-powered presses for bigger jobs, automation to streamline workflows and exploring how AI can revolutionize your efficiency.
Outsourcing: Expanding your offerings doesn’t have to mean massive investments. Outsourcing printing and fulfillment lets you scale without the stress.
Funding staff training: Training is a must. Empower your team with the skills they need to master equipment and skyrocket your overall efficiency.

Expand Offerings

One of the most effective ways to scale your business is to expand your product offerings and services.

You can expand your offerings by:

Creating more products: Don’t get stuck in a rut. Introduce fresh designs and products. For example, an apparel business could try expanding from hoodies and sweatshirts to hats, T-shirts and socks.
Targeting a niche: What makes you different? Focus on those special printing techniques, rare inks or unique materials to become the go-to leader in that area.
Embracing POD: Print-on-demand is your secret weapon for rapid expansion. Offer more products and handle larger orders without the headache of managing tons of inventory.

Improve Your Customer Retention

You can’t grow a business without happy customers. As your business grows, your approach to customer retention should evolve, too. 

If you want to improve your customer satisfaction rates and boost retention, consider these strategies:

Invest more in your marketing: From implementing rewards programs to investing in social media, find ways to reach a wider customer base.
Elevate your customer services: Streamline your customer communications, implement feedback loops and integrate personalization.
Improve your shipping services: Try offering expedited shipping options, like next-day delivery. 

Implement Sustainable Practices

When you adopt more sustainable practices, you’re helping the environment while appealing to eco-conscious customers. 

You can implement sustainable practices by:

Using eco-friendly materials.
Investing in energy-efficient printing equipment.
Reducing waste.
Getting green certifications, such as a Sustainable Green Printing Partnership Certification.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is POD?

Print on demand (POD) is a business model where the seller designs and chooses their print products — such as apparel, stationery and homeware — and outsources their printing and fulfillment to a third-party company. While most POD sellers use online storefronts, print-on-demand products can also be sold in physical retail locations, at events, or through marketplaces.

POD is best for products created using digital printing and direct-to-garment or direct-to-film printing, such as customized clothing and homeware. 

How Do I Start a Print-on-Demand Business?

Generally, POD stores are based online, and — thanks to outsourced printing and fulfillment — are perfect if you want to work from home. Unless you run a hybrid POD model, which requires both in-house printing and outsourced printing, you won’t need to invest in much equipment.

To set up a POD store, you’ll need to:

Narrow down your niche and start creating designs.
Select a third-party printing, fulfillment and shipping provider. 
Choose an e-commerce platform, create your online storefront, and link it to your fulfillment provider. 
Select your range of products, set your prices and add them to your storefront. 
Start marketing your new company.

Ultimately, how you set up your print-on-demand store depends on your unique business model and needs. 

How Much Does It Cost to Start a Printing Company?

Depending on the type of printing business you want to start, initial costs vary widely. Home-based or online-only print-on-demand businesses can start from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, while commercial printing companies usually require investments ranging from tens of thousands to several hundred thousand dollars, depending on equipment and scale.

Your initial costs depend on the following things:

Your business offerings, products and services
Location
Equipment and software
Permits and licenses
Insurance needs
Workforce size

How Do I Start a Printing Business at Home?

What you need to start a print business at home depends on a few things, such as your business type, product offerings, location and budget. 

Generally, most new printing businesses will need:

A company name
Licenses and permits to comply with city, state and federal regulations
Software and design tools
Equipment (unless you outsource all printing)
A marketing strategy
A budget
A business plan
A dedicated workspace at home
Supplies and materials

Start Printing With Fujifilm

When you invest in a printer or press from Fujifilm, you’re getting more than just a product. At Fujifilm, our team is committed to helping you maximize the potential of your designs. By providing customized printing solutions, industry expertise and 24/7 support, we’re here to support your business’s growth and help you achieve exceptional results. 

Read about our customers’ business success stories or request a product demo to see how we can help you make more!