Why should a shop consider adding sublimation to its offerings?

People who are not currently sublimating often ask why they need to add it to their decoration processes. No one needs to add sublimation to their shop. If you choose not to offer sublimation services, the world will not spin off its axis. The only bad thing is that someone else in your market will make a profit on sublimated goods and your shop will not. So, the question is not why you need to add sublimation but why you should want to add sublimation. Here are four reasons:

1. It’s a new profit maker. To stay profitable, shops need diversity. While there are shops that make a living with one process, most shops offer a variety of decoration techniques. Sublimation is just another method in your arsenal.
2. Sublimation invites new products. If you’ve primarily decorated clothes, adding sublimation allows various hard goods, mugs, and plaques to come into the mix. There are a wide variety of sublimation blanks and markets to sell those goods. It gives your shop the ability to gain add-on sales when a client places a clothing order.
3. It doesn’t cost much, comparatively. Sublimation isn’t inexpensive; larger printer packages can be in the $1,500 to $2,000 range, and a quality heat press and blanks add another few thousand dollars. However, when comparing that cost to a direct-to-garment printer or screen-printing press, sublimation is relatively economical.
4. The learning curve is minimal. Yes, sublimation is a decoration discipline and, as such, it has its own tricks of the trade. That said, if you can use graphics software, know how to print using an inkjet printer, and understand the nuances of a heat press, you can sublimate. Use the resources at your fingertips to learn the ins and outs.

—EnMart