Is Direct-to-Object Printing Right for Your Shop?

A quick guide for small to mid-size print shops ready to grow with in-house hard good decoration.

When evaluating new printing technologies for your business, it’s important to understand the full scope of the investment and how it aligns with your growth goals. Factors such as your current order mix, target customers, production requirements, and competitive landscape all play a role in determining whether direct-to-object printing is the right fit for your print shop.

As more decorators look to bring production in-house, direct-to-object printing has become an attractive solution for expanding capabilities, increasing profit margins, and reducing reliance on outsourced decoration. This in-house decoration guide outlines 10 key considerations to help you evaluate the transition to direct-to-object printing and determine if the technology makes sense for your business.

1. Review your top 10 customers– how many currently buy branded drinkware, promotional products, awards, electronics, or hard goods from another supplier?
2. Identify repeat hard goods orders– mugs, tumblers, water bottles, pens, phone accessories, candles, cosmetic packaging, and promotional products are ideal DTO opportunities.
3. Calculate the margin on a typical 50-piece order– compare outsourced decoration costs vs. producing in-house with direct-to-object printing.
4. Look at current event, corporate, and promotional clients– any customer ordering branded merchandise is a potential DTO customer.
5. Audit your existing equipment and workflow– do you have operators, design capability, and production volume that could support hard good decoration?
6. Identify products your customers request most often – focus on the top 3-5 item categories rather than trying to decorate everything.
7. Ask every customer what else they need branded – not just apparel. Many buyers need drinkware, giveaways, packaging, and promotional items from the same vendor.
8. Evaluate local competition – how many shops in your market can offer full-color, on-demand decoration directly onto cylindrical and irregular-shaped objects?
9. Determine your break-even volume – estimate how many drinkware or promotional product orders per month would justify in-house production.
10. . Market the capability on your website and sales materials – showcase personalized drinkware, promotional products, and short-run customization to existing customers.

Download this guide here: Is Direct to Object Printing Right for your Print Shop?