How to Print Band Merch on a Budget
Local musicians are always looking to get band merch printed. Printing band t-shirts is a niche that your t-shirt business can provide. Or if you are a band looking to print your own merchandise, we can show you how you can print band merch on a budget so you can maximize the profits for your band.
One thing most bands have is a merch table when playing at a show.
Bands usually sell their own t-shirts, stickers, albums, posters, and other items that have their band name or custom design.
Custom band merch helps a band in different ways. Merch helps promote the band by getting apparel and gear into the fans’ hands. But bands make money off merch as another source of income as well.
In this blog post, we’ll cover how to print and sell custom merch for musicians.
Choosing the Right Style of Apparel
The key to printing and selling band t-shirts is to start with apparel styles that people want to buy and wear.
Popular styles include the Next Level 3600, American Apparel 2001, Bella+Canvas 3001, and The Concert Tee made by District, just to name a few.
[Related Video: Top Blank T-Shirt & Hoodie Styles for Apparel Printing]
These have a more fitted feel and are made of fine jersey blends or 100% cotton. These tend to sell better. Avoid the boxy, budget-minded tees for this niche.
The styles mentioned above are still budget-friendly and are available at a wholesale rate in the Transfer Express Apparel line.
Another thing to look for is a style with a tear-away tag. This will allow for a custom printed neck label to rebrand the t-shirt, which will make the apparel look a little bit higher-end and retail ready.
[Related Content: Brand Your T-Shirts with a Shirt Tag]
Printing Band Merch
To actually print custom band t-shirts, all you need is a heat press and screen printed transfers.
Screen printed transfers are how you can really cut your print costs.
By using gang sheets, you can add multiple prints to your transfer sheet, allowing you to print multiple items for no additional cost.
[Related Content: Gaining the Most from Your Transfer Sheet]
For artwork, you can send in your own if you have it, or you can use Easy View online design center to create custom artwork, too.
There are thousands of clip art and layouts, and hundreds of fonts you can use to create an awesome design that is unique for any band.
When you use gang sheets, depending on how many sheets you order, you can print a nice quality shirt style that we mentioned above, for a finished cost of about $5 to $6 each.
Band t-shirts can sell for about $20-$25 each. That makes for a great profit margin of about $19-$20 each.
How to Promote Your Band Merch
If you are the band and doing your own printing, then you’ll need to promote and sell your merch, too.
We have a few tips for you to help drive apparel sales at your merch table.
Tip #1: Offer Freebies
The number one tip to drive traffic back to your merch booth is to offer freebies.
This could include custom band stickers. With the same artwork that you used to print your t-shirts, you can use to order stickers as well.
Order stickers straight from Easy View online design center, just like you did for the t-shirt transfers.
Just mention from the stage to stop by your table to get a free sticker. Now you have a bunch of traffic in front of your apparel, too.
Tip #2: Bundle Products Together
Custom band merch bundles add a little bit extra for your fans.
Bundle together a t-shirt with an album. Or offer a bundle of t-shirts. Offer a special price if you buy one, get one half off.
There are so many options for bundling products together.
Want more tips?
Want a few more tips for your promoting and selling your band merch? Dave gives a few more tips in the video above.
Make sure to watch to see what worked for him and his band when they were playing shows!
With these tips, you’ll be able to bring your fans to you, meet them, and sell some band merch.