How the Right Printer Can Cut Production Costs by 50%

Rising costs, wasted time, and shrinking margins all add up fast. Learn how the right printer can help you reduce production costs by up to 50% and run your shop more efficiently, not harder.

Running a print shop means every wasted minute and every ounce of excess ink eats into profit. The good news? The right printer can flip those losses into savings. By investing in equipment designed for speed, precision, and efficiency, decorators can cut production costs by as much as 50%, while opening the door to higher-volume jobs and better margins.

5 Issues Print Shops Face Daily

Every shop owner knows the daily grind of running production. But the real challenge isn’t just keeping orders moving. It’s also about managing the constant leaks in time, materials, and profit that add up fast.

1. Print shops run on razor-thin margins. Most decorators are familiar with the frustration of watching profits disappear into payroll, ink, electricity, and waste. With costs climbing, it doesn’t take much for a job that looks profitable on paper to barely break even. Participants in the Printing United Alliance State of the Decorated Apparel Industry (SODA) report that, as their sales grow modestly, operating cost inflation continues to outpace price increases.

One solution is short-run printing, where you produce only what people order. Unlike traditional print methods that require large print runs to justify the setup costs, short-run printing reduces the amount of excess inventory and waste. This turns small runs or on-demand printing into a cost-effective and environmentally friendly method.

2. Every job has hidden costs. From the time it takes to set up and run, to the inevitable misprints, to the energy required for curing, there are additional expenses tied to each order that many shops overlook. These hidden costs, which include labor, rising material expenses, human error, misprints, and rework, accumulate over hundreds of jobs.

3. Old equipment keeps costs high. Printers designed even a few years ago weren’t built for today’s demand for speed, short runs, and low waste. Slower print speeds, clogs, and inefficiencies in ink use all translate to more money out the door. Equipment uptime is a must for efficiency, particularly in high-volume production environments.

Screen-printing equipment has the highest weekly uptimes, with an average of 61%, reflecting its reliability. Direct-to-garment and direct-to-film printing equipment report lower uptime due to maintenance and operational complexity. Sublimation machines show the lowest average uptime at 24%.

While “fixing” an old printer might seem like a cost-saving measure for your shop, the hidden costs add up. Frequent breakdowns result in more downtime and lost profits, along with the costs of service calls, labor, and parts, which may be less readily available for older printers.

4. Customer expectations are higher than ever. End-clients want custom products in days, not weeks. To meet those deadlines, shops often pay more for overtime, outsource jobs, or rush ship materials, all of which erode profitability. Many shops are transitioning to digital printing over screen printing for smaller jobs with lower setup costs.

5. Scaling without efficiency isn’t sustainable. Taking on more orders with the same inefficient or outdated equipment and processes simply means more labor hours, more waste, and increased stress. Without efficiency built in, shop growth can actually cost money instead of making it. On the other hand, scalable automation systems with modular tools can grow with your shop and your budget.

How the Right Printer Solves Everyday Production Pressures

More innovative equipment addresses the same problems that erode profit, inefficiency, downtime, and waste transforming your biggest shop’s cost centers into sources of savings, speed, and growth.

1. Faster print speeds reduce labor hours and free up staff.

When a new printer can produce hundreds of prints per hour, compared to older equipment, jobs finish in half the time. That means fewer overtime hours, lower payroll costs, and the ability to redeploy staff to higher-value work. Shops can take on more jobs in a day without increasing headcount or shifts, directly improving profitability.

By automating job setup and workflow with advanced printers and print-management software, shops can reduce the time spent on repetitive or low-value tasks. According to Willis Towers Watson, over half of employers are looking to automation to improve productivity and performance, because it lets staffers focus on higher-value work instead of being tied up at the press.

2. Smarter ink technology lowers consumable costs.

Today’s printers are designed to use less ink without sacrificing color accuracy. Precision droplet placement, white-ink optimization, and efficient curing are built into Arcus Printers’ setups to ensure every drop gets used effectively. Over the course of thousands of prints, this can save shops significant amounts per year in consumables while still delivering vibrant, consistent results:

Every drop of ink counts: Because ink is one of the biggest recurring shop expenses, Arcus formulas are built for efficiency, delivering precise droplet control, consistent flow, and advanced circulation to reduce waste and prevent clogs. Newer printers and RIP systems, like those from Arcus, deliver crisper, more accurate color without overspray or trial runs that you have with older systems. You’ll waste less ink with fewer reworks and more consistent output.
Do less setup with fewer materials: Decorating methods like screen printing require multiple inks, screens, and prep materials that can push your per-shirt costs (not counting the blank) up to $3. Digital print systems can use $1.50 in ink per print, but they save on setup labor and consumables, making them more cost-efficient overall.

Over thousands of prints, even a small increase in ink efficiency can add up to thousands in savings per year. Pairing an optimized ink system with LED curing compounds those savings by using less energy and extending printhead life.

3. Advanced print accuracy cuts down on waste.

Misprints and do-overs eat away at profit. Newer RIP software and controlled curing eliminate banding, color shifts, or adhesion issues that force re-runs. By reducing the number of rejected items, shops waste less media, less ink, and less time, keeping more of each job’s revenue as profit.

RIP software, like what you’ll get with your new Arcus printer setup, is more efficient because of:

Preprocessing time: Before you start printing, the RIP processes your design data, manages colors, and rasterizes the images. Effective RIP software completes these pre-press tasks more efficiently, allowing your printer to receive the data sooner.
Data transfer speed: Newer, better RIP software offers faster communication with your printer compared to older models with slower transfer speeds, which can bottleneck your printing process.
Print data optimization: Good RIP software can also optimize data for print speed, for example, by adjusting the way images are rasterized to reduce the number of passes the print head needs to make or by altering the way colors are applied to minimize the number of ink changes.
Print queue management: Great for high-volume print shops, some RIP software can even help you manage print queues so that your printers are never idle, minimizing downtime.

4. In-house production eliminates outsourcing expenses.

Every time a print shop sends a job, such as signage, packaging, or decorated hard goods, to an outside vendor, it loses margin. A versatile UV or UV DTF printer allows a shop to keep projects in-house, capturing the full revenue instead of just a markup. (You also eliminate rush-shipping costs.) This shift can pay for the machine itself within months or show a strong ROI.

When you bring production in-house, you turn cost centers into profit centers. A versatile printer setup, such as an Arcus DTF or UV DTF printer system, tailored to your shop workflow, allows you to keep every order in-house, retaining 100% of the revenue and maintaining control over scheduling. Additionally, you control quality, ensuring color accuracy, print consistency, and finishing standards that reflect your shop’s bar for excellence, not a vendor’s.

5. Automated maintenance reduces downtime and repair bills.

Printers with self-cleaning heads, circulation systems, and clog-prevention features tend to run longer and require fewer technician visits. Less downtime means more billable output, and fewer repairs reduce ongoing maintenance costs.

Arcus printers are engineered with automated head cleaning, circulation, and capping systems that keep ink flowing and printheads clear. This means consistent performance, even during long shifts or between jobs. Automated maintenance reduces the need for operator oversight and guesswork, so staff can focus on output instead of upkeep. Plus, by preventing buildup and mechanical wear, automated systems can extend printhead life and reduce technician visits or part replacements.

6. One versatile printer replaces multiple pieces of equipment.

If you invest in an Arcus UV or UV DTF printer, you can print on signage, drinkware, awards, packaging, promotional products, and home décor, applications that might otherwise require several different printers or decoration methods. Similarly, an Arcus DTF system can streamline film printing for a range of fabric types and job sizes, reducing the need for multiple garment printers or manual setups.

This reduces your upfront investment, as well as ongoing costs such as training, supplies, and floor space. Consolidating into one new printer simplifies production while lowering overhead and energy use.

7. On-demand printing prevents excess inventory and wasted stock.

Traditional decorating processes like screen printing and embroidery require larger runs to be profitable, often leaving shops or clients stuck with unsold stock. With more efficient printers designed for short runs, decorators can produce only what’s needed.

Here are the biggest advantages of this workflow:

Print only what’s needed. On-demand printing lets decorators produce jobs in exact quantities, as orders come in. That means no piles of outdated designs, no wasted blanks, and better cash flow since you produce paid-for jobs in real time. This approach also supports sustainability by reducing the 92 million tons of apparel and textiles that end up in landfills every year.
Improved cash flow. When every item you print has already been paid for, your revenue shows up before production. That means steadier income and less capital locked up in unused stock.
Faster response to trends. Small-run capability allows a shop to pivot quickly to new designs or events, fill reorders instantly, and keep customers engaged.
Technology makes on-demand practical. Arcus printers are engineered for efficient short-run production with minimal setup time, allowing shops to switch between jobs and substrates seamlessly.

8. Energy-efficient curing saves on utility bills.

Older curing systems, especially those using mercury vapor bulbs, consume a significant amount of power and generate excessive heat, which drives up utility bills and cooling costs. On the other hand, LED UV curing and advanced heaters consume less power while running cooler and more efficiently than older systems. Over time, lower energy consumption translates into real savings on utility bills, especially for shops that operate for extended hours.

Arcus printer setups use LED UV curing systems that run cooler, use less electricity, and last far longer than traditional bulbs. They deliver the same curing consistency while dramatically reducing power draw and a shop’s annual energy costs. Unlike older lamps that stay on all day to maintain temperature, LED systems activate only during the print cycle, cutting idle-time energy waste. LED systems also eliminate hazardous bulb disposal and ozone emissions, creating a cleaner, safer work environment while reducing maintenance downtime.

How Arcus Printer Setups Cut Production Costs

Across all Arcus Printers setups, efficiency is built into the design, helping shops save time, materials, and energy on every job. When combined, these efficiencies can reduce total production costs by up to half, depending on volume and workflow.

These are some of the benefits you receive after investing in an Arcus printer setup:

Built for Speed: Engineered for faster throughput and consistent performance, Arcus printer setups help print shops complete more jobs in less time, without adding labor.
Smarter Ink Management: Advanced ink systems use precise droplet placement and circulation to reduce waste while maintaining vibrant, accurate color.
Automated Maintenance: Self-cleaning and clog-prevention features minimize downtime and service calls, so production keeps moving.
Energy-efficient Operation: LED curing and optimized heating systems consume less power and lower utility costs across longer runs or shifts.
Versatility that Replaces Multiple Machines: One setup handles multiple substrates and applications, cutting overhead, training, and floor-space needs.
Short-Run and On-Demand Ready: Print only what’s needed, when it’s needed, eliminating overproduction and excess inventory.
Scalable Design: Modular systems grow with your shop, allowing you to boost output without increasing overhead.

The Bottom Line on Cutting Production Costs

If you’re ready to take control of your margins and eliminate waste, Arcus Printers makes it simple.

We’ve engineered our DTF, UV DTF, and sublimation systems for speed, precision, and efficiency, helping decorators cut labor hours, reduce ink consumption, and minimize downtime. With faster print speeds, automated maintenance, and smart ink delivery, you can produce more in less time while spending less on every job.

Whether you’re replacing outdated equipment or scaling up for higher-volume work, Arcus printer setups deliver the performance and reliability that keep your costs down and your profits up.

Learn more about how the right printer can save your shop time and money at ArcusPrinters.com.