The demand for custom face masks is gradually becoming mainstream, making now the ideal time to incorporate custom face masks into your existing custom apparel business or to launch a new business printing and selling face masks. Face masks are in high demand due to the ongoing global Coronavirus pandemic. Let’s take a closer look at this market and put it in context.
According to the United States Census Bureau, there are nearly 330 million people in the United States, representing a sizable market of men, women, and children who may require face masks. If you sell globally, you have an even larger consumers of nearly 7.8 billion people! Those figures are mind-boggling. What they really mean is that there are a lot of people who need your product, that demand will not decline soon, and, most importantly, that there aren’t many DTG printing machine suppliers are ready to make and sell custom face masks. This is your chance to get in early on an extremely profitable business. How much money can you make by selling personalized face masks?
Face masks have a high profit margin, which is one of the main reasons they are a great product to sell. Because custom face masks are novel, not yet widely available, and completely personalized for the user, the cost of your materials is low and they are quick to make.
Take your selling price and subtract your costs to determine if a DTG-printed product is profitable. For example, if you decide to sell a customized face mask for $15 and it costs $2 to make the mask, your profit will be $13. If you sell 500 of those masks for $15 each, you’ll make $5,000!
The selling price of your custom masks is where you will find the most variation. We’ve seen face masks sell for $10 to $30 each, and we chose $15 for the example above because it was in the middle of the price range. Adjust your selling price based on how much design work is required and what your customers are willing to pay.
What are the requirements for printing personalized face masks?
A direct-to-garment printer, a computer with design and RIP software, and, of course, blank face masks on which to print your designs are required to create a custom printed face mask.
1. A DTG Printing Machine
Select the DTG Pro as a less expensive option for printing white/light-colored face masks.
The primary factors to consider when selecting the best DTG printing machine for your needs are your budget and the color of masks that you want to print. A smaller, entry-level printer, such as the sublistar DTG Printer, is the most cost-effective way to get started quickly printing face masks. The sublistar DTG Printer is an all-in-one unit, which means it includes everything you need to get started printing custom apparel right away. However, you are limited to printing on white or light-colored garments. This is because the DTG printer does not use the white ink needed to print on dark garments.
For images to appear correctly on dark garments, your printer must first print a layer of white ink, known as an underbase. It is printed with colored ink on top of it. The underbase ensures a smooth, pure white surface, allowing colors to appear vibrant and true to the shades in the digital image you are printing.
Despite the fact that it does not print with white ink, the DTG is incredibly versatile. You are not limited to wearing only white clothing. You just have to keep in mind that if you can’t print a white underbase, the color of the garment will show through the ink. However, images look fantastic when printed on light colors such as pastels and light gray.
Printing Custom Face Masks
When you have everything you need to make custom face masks, you can move on to the exciting part: printing your masks!
1. Pretreat your Mask (only black or dark-colored masks)
If you are printing with white ink on dark-colored masks, you must first pretreat your mask. This ensures that the white ink adheres evenly to the mask and that your print is vibrant and sharp. Pretreatment is not necessary if you are not using white ink.
It is also important to note that pretreated masks should be washed before use. When selling pretreated masks, include a tag or insert with a warning and washing instructions.
2. Get your Image Ready for DTG Printing Machine
Once you’ve decided on a design to print, you must convert it to a RIP, which is a file that your printer can read and process. To rip your image file, use the included AnaRIP software.
3. Place and Print Your Mask!
To print a mask on a DTG printer, secure it to the machine’s print table so it doesn’t slide around while printing. This is easily accomplished with some double-sided tape. You can get even better results by using a custom platen designed specifically for printing face masks on the machine. These are available from CustomPlatens.com for both seamless flat masks and masks with a center seam.
4. Allow your design to “cure.”
If you’re printing with white ink on dark masks, you’ll need to use a heat press or tunnel dryer to “cure” the ink into the fabric. This ensures that the image is permanently embedded.
And there you have it! Your mask is now ready for sale.
