Personalised coffee and beer mugs make great novelty gifts as well as promotional items. This is not a difficult business to get into if you are familiar with printing.
How to get started
The easiest way to get started in mug printing is to use the sublimation printing method. Where you will buy specialised mugs and the dye-sublimation image is transferred onto the mug using a transfer paper.
Where to market business
The best place to market the business will be schools and sports clubs where the mugs also act as memorabilia. This also means high volume orders. Make sure to offer the school or club a donation for every mug sold so to at least motivate them to promote your goods. If you can get a kiosk in a high volume area like a shopping mall that will also be advantageous.
Equipment needed
Sublimation printer
Mug heat press
Materials needed
Ink
Transfer paper
Blank mugs
Heat tape (to hold the image firm to the mug while it’s being printed)
The business
While I mentioned promotional above, sublimation printing is more suited to low volumes so you should focus on the gift or memorabilia market printing full-colour images and where you can charge a premium price.
