T-Shirt printing businesses are popping up all over America. According to reports, the digital printing market is valued at a CAGR of 6.45 percent over the forecast period 2021- 2026.

photo credit: Colman & Company

The Roland BN-20a is poised to be the biggest winner amongst the start-up companies in 2022. Here’s a look at whether the Roland VersaStudio BN-20a is a suitable machine for starting print-on-demand or your own custom t-shirt printing business.

Why Is This Printer Cutter Right For Start-Ups?

Entrepreneurs know that a successful new business walks a fine line between specialization and generalization. The BN20a gives you the ability to pick a niche like Sports Teams or High Schools. While you can make t-shirts, you can also make:

• Custom t-shirt transfers – that you can sell
• Custom packaging
• Wine labels
• Decals for cups, lockers, and more
• Window signs
• Temporary Window clings
• Huge banners
• Helmet stickers
• Promotional items

Why Is The Roland BN-20a Good For T-Shirt Printing?

The BN-20a is three things in one:

1. It is a printer. It prints using high-resolution inkjet systems to make beautiful images.
2. It is a cutter. So, once your graphic is printed onto the printable heat transfer vinyl, it can cut around the edges or wherever you add a cut line.
3. The vinyl you print on is white so that you can apply your t-shirt to any color or type of material. However with some vinyl sign supplies, you can greatly increase the value and versatility you get out of your machine.

So that means that you can take a high-resolution graphic like a team mascot or school logo and print it beautifully on the heat transfer vinyl. Quickly peel the vinyl (or weed) around and in the design like you would any vinyl for tees. And then heat press that into any garment. Therefore, the Roland BN-20a is a great print and cut machine for the custom garment market.

photo credit: Colman & Company

Here are the benefits of using this machine for the custom-textile printing market.

1. It has a small footprint.
2. It is quiet and easy to use, with an intuitive user interface.
3. It is fast (up to 650mm/s at 300dpi) and ultra-reliable (minimum of 50 million stitches).
4. Roland print driver provides excellent cutter blade life, high cutting accuracy due to fast machine speed, and a strong, straight cut.
5. It is the only machine that automatically calibrates print position without any special tools or adjusting screws.
6. Solid construction and a metal frame ensure long-term durability.
7. It is compatible with all Roland SolJets, making setting up a production line easy.
8. It has a broad maximum material width of 1,092mm (43).
9. Roland BN-20a print and cut machine come with the SRP2500 cutter for broader printing materials or multiple panels.
10. The SRP2500 is also compatible with current Roland printers and cutters, allowing expandability.
11. It also comes with the SRConveyor2 software, compatible with Mac or PC, and provides automatic perimeter trimming (APT) for clean, precise cut lines.

What Other Equipment Will You Need?

To run the Roland BN-20a printer cutter, you will need a few things:

• A sturdy table to put it on, or a stand.
• Windows PC. The BN-20a RIP software works best on a Windows computer. And if you are going to create your designs, you need to have lots of RAM.
• High-quality heat press. You do not need the most expensive one in the world, but your heat press has to be professional. Those $200 heat presses you get from cheap shopping websites will not work well.
• Vinyl supplies. The BN20a uses 20″ wide rolls of printable vinyl. You can use the Roland Vinyl brand for the best printing results.
• Space for drying. Like any eco-solvent printer, you need to let your print “cure” by laying it flat on a table nearby.

T-Shirt Printing Business Tips

If you are entering the textile printing business, here are the top ideas to help you start.

• Always try to offer something more. If a high school football team comes to you for letters and names for their team jerseys, show them signs and banners.
• Deliver in person if you can.
• Include a thank you card if you are shipping.
• Write down the order placement date and schedule a phone call next year to see if you can do it all over again.

The Roland BN-20a is most suitable for t-shirt printing because of its low price and ease of use. It is an easy-to-learn printer that uses heat presses to print your designs onto blank clothing or pre-made apparel like tees or sweaters. The BN-20a is a good beginner printer for someone just getting into the t-shirt printing business.