Digital Decorating:


Printing on Location is an Experience

By Jay Busselle, Contributing Writer


Photo Credit: Jay Busselle
August 31, 2021

Onsite printing at events by screen printers, heat press decorators and direct-to-garment (DTG) companies was gaining momentum but with the pandemic, they came to an absolute stop. As the country gets back to business, back to school and back to live events, printing live on location will see the momentum swing back too. The attraction to many is the experience of seeing the process from start to finish.

Before the pandemic, Equipment Zone was fortunate enough to be invited to a live activation in the Next Level Apparel booth at the SXSW (South-by-Southwest) Conference and Festival in Austin, Texas. We asked our customer, Printed Threads from Ft. Worth, Texas to join us. We were all surprised by how many people have never seen a hoodie, T-shirt or tote bag printed using digital technology. Seeing a full color graphic come to life on a DTG printer will typically draw a crowd. We also were able to print a specific Next Level design on demand.

Not all DTG printing equipment is created equal. Some DTG printers were not made to be mobile and have difficulty being moved. Others were purpose-built with mobility in mind. If you own a DTG machine, find out as soon as possible if it can be easily moved for printing on location. If you’re shopping for a DTG printer, ask and confirm that you have that ability with your equipment of choice.

Pro Tip 1: Pretreat all your shirts back in your shop before the event. Pretreated shirt will last indefinitely in storage so no need to worry.


Pro Tip 2: Offer a bundle. T-shirts & tote bags or hoodies and tote bags are great combinations.

Pro Tip 3: Look for ways to upsell a personalized item. DTG printers were built for the personalization of products!

Jay Busselle is marketing director for Equipment Zone. For more information or to comment on this article, email Jay at jay.b@equipmentzone.com.


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