Do you have some creative ideas for making your own merchandise? Nowadays it's easy to design your own gear. Websites such as Zazzle.com and CafePress.com allow you to customize shirts, signs, hats and magnets for yourself or to sell. You design and make the goods at home.
Purchase a print press if you don't intend to have a printing company such as Zazzle.com or CafePress.com print your designs and you are considering going into business. The right print press will enable you to print on just about everything, including T-shirts and signs. You'll need screens, ink, a drying rack, a flash dryer, squeegee, a screen washout frame and emulsion. Table presses start at about $150. Hat presses start at about $500. Used equipment will be much cheaper, but tread carefully when buying used. You can also use iron-on paper to transfer your designs onto T-shirts.
Design your art. If you prefer the feel of a pencil in your hand, draw your design on paper and then scan it into your computer. Graphic artists can create designs or edit photos using free manipulation programs such as Paint.NET, Gimp.com, or GIMPshop.com, which has an interface similar to Adobe Photoshop. Photoshop is another option, if you don't mind spending $700. A cheaper way is with Paint Shop Pro, which is about $100. You can download a free trial of Photoshop and experiment with each program.
Buy a magnet sheet from your local craft store. You will use this to make custom magnets. Once you've created your magnet design online, print it onto the sheets using an inkjet printer. Allow enough time to dry before removing the magnet sheet from your printer.
Create a free account at Zazzle.com or a similar site. Then begin to create by uploading your own images or designs or by working directly on the site and editing its templates.
Purchase T-shirts, hats and signs at a local craft store or from wholesale suppliers online.
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