What machine to get next to expand business

[Bob795]

Hey,

A bit of an open question but can anyone recommend a machine that I can purchase to expand my business?

I currently sublimate as well as vinyl onto clothing. I was thinking about a small laser cutter but I am still unsure. I have about £1k to spend (which I know is not a huge budget) so any ideas would be greatly appreciated or maybe areas to steer clear of.

Thanks

[pisquee]

Would the question not be better asked the other way round - what products do you want to be able to make that you know you already have the market for, or could easily gain, and then what machinery do you need to achieve it?

[webtrekker]

I'm assuming, from your post, you currently have a sublimation printer, vinyl cutter and heat press(es)? What sublimation items are you doing? Do you have a flat press, mug press, cap press, or all of these?

A good, all round cutter (as opposed to one that only cuts vinyl) will open up many possibilities. My cutter can cut vinyl, card (light and heavy), mylar (for stencils), printable magnetic sheet, thin balsa, tyvek, etc. It can also emboss (well, deboss actually), and engrave on such materials as metal, acrylic and CD's.

[GoonerGary]

Not sure how much £1K would get you, but if I were planning to invest serious money, it would be on an engraving machine. It would allow you to engrave on higher quality everyday products instead of being tied to sublimation blanks.

[UK Printed Mugs]

If you need a very decent cutter then head to the For Sale section :-)

[Bob795]

It was just an open question just to get some ideas. I've not got any particular path I would like to take and before I purchase anything I would do plenty of research.

I have a sublimation printer and have a mug press, plate press and cap press. I also have a swing away press and clam press for tshirts, pillow cases etc. To be honest I have reduced the amount that I do due to the number of people that offer this (also I'm fed up of the poor quality images given to me by customers).

I have a cameo 3 which more than suits my needs. I do have a wider format vinyl cutter (it's just a cheap one) for wall stickers. I would really like the Roland BN20 however it's currently a bit beyond my budget.

I liked the idea of engraving as there is a number of different products that are available for engraving. Looking at my local market, there is not many people that do this.

Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated. Again, my budget isn't big but maybe it would be a stepping stone into a new area before laying out too much money.

[pisquee]

Would upgrading (either replacing with better, or adding additional) any current kit give you a more efficient workflow?

[pw66]

What is your target market for the printed clothing? You could add a printer with pigment ink for transfers, which would open up the stag and hen market.
Look into different media to use with your existing equipment. There is a range of vinyls and flocks that can be sublimated onto to add full colour logos to workwear and sportswear.

[Bob795]

I would love a vinyl cutter that can print onto the vinyl too but as mentioned it's a bit out my budget lol.

I had previously purchased a dtg machine however it can be a difficult process to master and has a very steep learning curve. I spent nearly £10k on a machine and yet the results were terrible. If you want to do dtg then you need to invest in a top of the range machine.

[logobear]

Hi Bob,
out of interest, what brand of DTG did you get?
we all want to help each other avoid the pitfalls!