17 Heat Press Business Ideas To Start In 2024

Updated: February 22nd, 2024

A heat press business is a business that primarily uses heat to seal, decorate, and label products. It offers custom printing and embroidery services.

It is a great business to start because it requires little capital investment, requires minimal start-up costs, and can be operated successfully by any person with an interest in technology.

The heat press business is a fun and easy way to make money as a home-based business. It is a low-risk business that you can launch within hours and start making money right away.

Here is a list of the top 17 Heat press business ideas you can start for Heat press business:

1. Start a T-shirt Printing Business

T-shirts have come a long way, and they are no longer just an essential clothing item but also a means of showcasing attitudes and beliefs. Different companies use T-shirts during brand and merchandise promotions, while politicians use them during political campaigns.

Thus, starting a T-shirt printing venture can be a profitable opportunity. You can order unprinted t-shirts wholesale from distributors and take printing orders from marketing companies and groups that use t-shirts to express beliefs and attitudes.

Starting a t-shirt printing business is not capital-intensive as other businesses; you can begin printing t-shirts from home and deliver them to customers.

2. Start a Mug Printing Business

The mug printing business is a unique, enjoyable, and lucrative opportunity. You can create your own designs with your own artwork, logos, and photographs. There are so many options when it comes to colors and material choices.

Starting a mug printing business can be an exciting and fulfilling career choice for those who have a passion for a home-based business.

A plain white coffee mug with a one-color logo will sell for around $1.50 at a 50% gross profit margin. You charge an industry-standard setup fee of $45, which includes your actual cost of materials.

How much you can make: $25,000 — $400,000/month

How long does it take to build: 365 days (?)

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About
OLAWALE started Ryteprint over 7 years ago
Revenue
OLAWALE grew the business to $25K/month
Costs
It cost OLAWALE $400000 to start the business
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3. Start a Promotional Sticker Printing Business

There are many types of stickers. Some are used for advertising purposes, while others are printed on products as labels. Almost all types of products need such stickers and labels to label their items. They are also widely used in the automobile industry.

Promotional sticker printing is among the most profitable printing business ideas you can consider. By working hard and focusing on different, unique, and customized designs, you’ll be able to succeed in this endeavor.

Sticker reselling is lucrative and it will only get more profitable. The global die-cut sticker industry was worth $148.5 million in 2021 and is expected to reach $188 million by 2028.

How much you can make: $83,333 — $275,000/month

How long does it take to build: 30 days (?)

I Built A Multi-Million-Dollar Presentation Folder Company From Scratch [From United States]

Multi-million dollar presentation folder company, Company Folders, offers over 100 million variations of products and has won multiple awards, including making Inc.’s list of 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in America for three consecutive years, due to their focus on quality, variety, and personalized customer service.

About
Vladimir started Company Folders, Inc over 20 years ago
Revenue
Vladimir grew the business to $275K/month
Costs
It cost Vladimir $60000 to start the business
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4. Start a Greeting Cards Business

People use greeting cards to mark births, deaths, graduations, anniversaries, and other parties or events.

If you love helping people celebrate special occasions, starting a greeting card business can be a great business opportunity.

When starting a greeting card business, choose a potential niche and write a business plan.

Then, find an ideal spot to sell the greeting cards.

For instance, you can offer greeting card design and posting services, so customers can choose the best designs and post greeting cards online.

How much you can make: $2,000 — $100,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $2,500 (?)

How long does it take to build: 65 days (?)

I Created A Prank Card Company & Grew It To $30K/Month

Joker Greeting sells unique prank gifts, including a non-stop musical birthday card, an idea raised by the founders visiting their mom's house, having no website or marketing and yet raising $92,073 on Kickstarter in 30 days due to being picked up by media, enabling them to sell 15,000 units in the first year, owned SEO for their niche, selling almost 40,000 units in 2017 and expected to reach 50,000 to 60,000 in 2018 with a small team, using Shopify and various social media channels with lots of organic traffic.

About
Travis started Joker Greeting about 9 years ago
Revenue
Travis grew the business to $100K/month
Costs
It cost Travis $1000 to start the business
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5. Start a Business/Visiting Cards Printing Business

Business/Visiting cards are a popular item for businessmen because they can use them to promote their businesses. As long as businesses continue to grow, there will be an ever-growing demand for business cards.

Digital printing is a great business idea for new entrepreneurs. It is a great idea to start a digital printing business. However, you must learn the basics of digital printing. You will also need to learn how to design custom business cards and then you can begin selling your products.

Business cards cost between $10 and $500. The national average is $194. The cost depends on the quality and complexity of the card, as well as the company that produces it.

6. Start a Cell Phone Cover Printing

Cell phone cover printing is one of the fastest-growing printing businesses. Many people like to have a unique cover for their phones, and this business provides them with just that.

The market for these covers is huge and demanding, especially for those who want to show their individuality. It is growing day by day with more and more customers getting attracted to this product because it gives an amazing look to their phones.

Phone cases are often lightweight and inexpensive to ship, and they often have decent profit margins. You can find phone cases for as little as $5 on dropshipping sites and sell them for $10+ an easy 50% profit.

7. Start a Label Printing

Label Printing is a very easy business to start with a minimum investment. Individuals who engage in printing these labels are making huge profits. With the help of a label printing service, businesses can easily design stunning designs for their own unique and beautiful labels.

You can start this business by doing some research, learning the industry, and then doing some market analysis. Once you have done all these things, you can then start your own label printing business.

Business owners who print labels can earn a lot of money with the help of a label printing service. Label Maker pays an average payment of $153,889 and offers salaries ranging from the low of $131,615 to the high of $177,779.

How much you can make: $15,000 — $1,000,000/month

We Turned A Basic HP Printer Into A $12M/Year Custom Labels Company

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About
Dan started Sttark almost 20 years ago
Revenue
Dan grew the business to $1M/month
Costs
It cost Dan $2000000 to start the business
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8. Start a Signs & Banners and Wallpaper Printing Business

Businesses can promote their services and products with signs, banners, flyers, and posters. These inexpensive marketing tools haven’t lost their significance in this digital age.

Wallpaper printing is also a good idea, as people need to decorate hospitals, restaurants, and homes. Leaflets and brochure printing can be profitable in startup printing businesses.

How much you can make: $15,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $2,000 (?)

How I Turned My Career As A Musician Into A $180K/Year Custom Printing Business

Learn how Michael Nova went from being a musician to starting a $180k/year custom printing business by offering exceptional customer service, building strong vendor partnerships, and prioritizing the long-term success of his clients.

About
Michael started NOVA CUSTOM PRINTING over 28 years ago
Revenue
Michael grew the business to $15K/month
Costs
It cost Michael $2000 to start the business
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9. Start a Cardboard Box Printing Business

Cardboard boxes are used for packing both food and non-food items. There are many types of advanced machines used to print them. If you are interested in starting your own business, then you should learn how to use these machines.

As a new business owner of cardboard box printing, you’ll have to network with various manufacturing businesses and offer them printed cardboard boxes that are designed by you.

10. Start a Leaflets and Flyers Printing

Brochures are the first thing that people see when they come to your company's website.

A well-designed brochure says a lot about the products, vision, workflow, and services of varied kinds of organizations and educational institutes. A brochure that shows off the amazing features of the products or services in an engaging way.

Leaflet printing is a great opportunity for startup businesses that are looking to expand their customer base. With attractive designs and high-quality paper, you can attract more customers.

The leaflets and Flyers Printing business is an evergreen business idea. Leaflets and flyers are very much in demand these days as a way to spread information about products, services, and other interesting things. Setting up such a printing business can help you in adding more sources of revenue.

How much does it cost to start: $2,000 (?)

11. Start a Textile Printing Business

Textile printing is not just any printing. It is the process of applying patterns, designs, and colors to the fabric. It is mostly used to print clothes, curtains, dresses, bedsheets, garments, bed covers, and other items.

To start this business you have to be trained to apply the right techniques to make sure that the pattern and design are printed accurately on the cloth. You will also have to ensure that the colors used in the design are of high quality so that they do not fade off over time or get dirty easily.

It is a perfect business idea for any entrepreneur who is looking to start his or her own business. Textile printing can be a profitable venture for those who are good at art and design and enjoy working with fabrics. The Textile Print Designer makes between $70,689 to $115,330 per year in the USA.

How much you can make: $1,000,000/month

How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)

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Web-to-print software company Design'N'Buy has acquired clients in over 40 countries and earned a turnover of $1.5 million and 1,000+ clients across 60+ countries within a short span of existence.

About
Abhishek started DesignNBuy INC about 15 years ago
Revenue
Abhishek grew the business to $1M/month
Costs
It cost Abhishek $100000 to start the business
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12. Start a Xerox Store

Starting a Xerox store can be a lucrative and rewarding business opportunity for entrepreneurs looking to enter the printing and document solutions industry. This business provides various services, including printing, copying, scanning, and document management.

To start a Xerox store, you’ll need a good location that is easily accessible to your target customers. You’ll also need to invest in high-quality Xerox equipment, including printers, copiers, and scanners. In addition, you’ll need to have a strong marketing and sales strategy to attract new customers and retain existing ones. Running a successful Xerox store also involves providing excellent customer service and building client relationships.

You’ll need to be knowledgeable about the various products and services you offer and be able to troubleshoot any issues that may arise. It would help if you were proactive in staying up-to-date with industry trends and advancements to provide the best solutions to your customers.

Overall, starting a Xerox store requires a combination of business savvy, technical expertise, and excellent customer service skills. You can build a successful business in this exciting and growing industry with the right approach and dedication.

13. Start a Digital Printing Business

Digital printing is a more flexible and cost-effective option than offset print. It is popular for its quality and ease of use. You don’t need to take the mechanical steps that are essential in offset printing, which makes it much more popular.

Digital printing is a fast-growing industry that allows you to print high-quality images, text, and symbols on your own products. It also allows you to customize printed products with various materials, such as different inks and paper, or you can use pre-made pages and print them using a digital printer.

A Digital printing business is a simple and easy way to start a small business. It requires less investment as compared to other types of printing business ideas.

The average hourly wage for a Digital Print Operator in the United States is $17, but salaries can range from $16 to $19 per hour.

How much you can make: $1,000,000 — $6,250,000/month

How long does it take to build: 92 days (?)

On Starting A Pioneer Web-To-Print Software Solution

Web-to-print software company Design'N'Buy has acquired clients in over 40 countries and earned a turnover of $1.5 million and 1,000+ clients across 60+ countries within a short span of existence.

About
Abhishek started DesignNBuy INC about 15 years ago
Revenue
Abhishek grew the business to $1M/month
Costs
It cost Abhishek $100000 to start the business
Read by 5,592 founders

14. Start a Shopping Bags Printing

Big businesses often print their names, logos, and addresses on their shopping bags. This shows that these businesses have a lot of demand for such bags.

It is a profitable digital printing business idea, but it requires a greater investment than other small printing businesses. This is because you will need sufficient cash to buy the machines and raw materials initially before you start your business.

15. Start a 3D Printing Business

3D printing is a process that assembles objects layer by layer and starting a business in this industry can be a very creative venture.

You will need investment in the right equipment and materials, and the acquisition of 3D modeling and design skills. You will also need to regularly calibrate and maintain your 3D printers to deliver consistent results.

Plan how you'll handle shipping and logistics, and leverage technology to find new applications of 3D printing in all industries.

How much you can make: $42,000 — $330,000/month

How long does it take to build: 360 days (?)

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About
Roy started Ultimate 3D Printing Store over 8 years ago
Revenue
Roy grew the business to $330K/month
Costs
It cost Roy $65000 to start the business
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16. Start a Calendar Printing

Digital calendars have become popular in recent years, but printed calendars have not lost their popularity. They are still used in almost every office and school and in many business organizations.

This business can be profitable business with very low investment. You'll have to spend time on marketing and networking with other businesses and retail distributors in order to get your products in front of people who will buy them.

Calendar Printing can be a great idea to start a printing business. The average calendar printing business makes an average of $55k annually.

17. Start a Pouch Making Business

Pouches, sachets, and other packaging materials are essential items in the industry. These items usually carry company logos, product names, and other details about the company's products.

If you want to start a small niche printing business, pouch printing is an opportunity that you should consider. These services are also relatively inexpensive, which makes them great for small-business owners who want to start out on a small budget.

meet the author
Pat Walls

I'm Pat Walls and I created Starter Story - a website dedicated to helping people start businesses. We interview entrepreneurs from around the world about how they started and grew their businesses.