Wholesale Printing for Resellers: Ultimate Guide

By Sarah Harris

Creating custom swag can be lucrative — but not if you spend a fortune on your own printing infrastructure. This is true no matter what you want to make, whether that be cards, books, posters or T-shirts. 

If you’re a reseller who wants printed materials quickly with consistent quality, you’ll need a trade printer. Trade printers create printed materials at wholesale rates, allowing businesses to purchase massive bulk orders with fractional per-unit costs.

Definition of Wholesale Printing

Retail printing operates in small numbers and has high per-unit costs. Wholesale printing is the opposite: It is the specialty of trade printers, which have printing infrastructures that businesses can use for their professional printing needs. As printing quantity increases, the overall costs drop.

Businesses that only need to print materials sparingly for internal use can get away with desktop printers. But once the prints need to be high-quality and produced in high numbers, there’s no choice but to start searching for “trade printers near me.”

The Advantages of Wholesale Printing for Resellers

In addition to saving money with bulk orders, you can benefit from wholesale printing in the following ways:

1. Consistent Color and Detail

When trade printers set up a printing run, they can ensure that every print has the exact same color consistency and print quality. Print runs that happen at different times typically have variations in appearance.

2. Variety of Products

Printers don’t just have the equipment; they have the infrastructure. They can provide a wide variety of offerings ranging from tiny note cards to massive banners and more.

3. Immediate Results

By letting the experienced trade printer handle your printing needs, there’s no time wasted in selecting equipment, setting it up and spending time figuring out how to make it work.

4. Profits

Thanks to bulk-order discounts and saved time, resellers experience greater profits. While a retail printing of a pamphlet might cost a company $1 per copy, wholesale printing can bring the cost down to as low as $0.05 per copy.

Types of Wholesale Printing Products

Whatever printing a reseller could want, trade printers can handle. This includes business cards, note cards, flyers, brochures, books, banners, T-shirts, and packaging material. 

Finding Wholesale Printing Suppliers

Referrals from reputable businesses can help you narrow your choices to printing companies with a proven track record of excellence. Networking at trade shows also allows you to meet printers and see their products in person. Alternatively, online directories can provide the names of businesses, which you can then research to see reviews from clients. 

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Wholesale Printing Supplier

When you’re looking for a printer, you want to see that they have the following:

1. Quality equipment capable of handling large runs
2. Multiple printing options
3. The ability to make changes quickly without error
4. Custom run capability
5. Top-notch customer service
6. Quick turnaround times

It’s important to ensure they can handle your orders. That’s why Print Bind Ship is a popular option. We take care of massive print runs as well as small-batch orders with the same level of quality every time. 

Setting Up a Reselling Business with Wholesale Printing

The first step you should take is to find a reputable trade printing partner. Then, craft your branding, including your:

• Graphics 
• Copy 
• Website 
• Social media 
• Online store 

Next, you should engage in marketing strategies that are consistent with your brand and that reach your intended audience. For instance, if you sell snarky T-shirts, you might advertise with banner ads on youth-oriented websites and social media ads. 

The customer relationships and loyalty you build will come in part from your branding. But the printing partner you choose also makes a huge difference. They’ll need to provide quality offerings, offer fast shipping and make no mistakes.

Case Studies

You can use examples of other resellers to inspire you:

1. Dumbclub

With over 500,000 TikTok followers, Dumbclub has excelled at branding. Its explosive social media presence has proven that identifying and connecting with an audience is key. It relies on wholesale printing to create and ship its embroidered apparel.

2. Mid Century Style Shop

This seller specializes in swag and home decor, like mugs and beach accessories. Owner Karl Rowley is an award-winning designer who connected with his audience mainly through YouTube. His do-it-yourself projects resonated with many, and he leveraged that growth into a solid brand that uses wholesale printing to fulfill orders.

3. Alice Potter

Thanks to her ability to use social media and take feedback regarding her designs, Alice Potter has created a successful business. Her children’s book illustrations, posters and furnishings create a whimsical design language for her fans. As you might have guessed, she needs a wholesale printer to bring her designs to life.

Tips for Reselling Printed Products

If you want to build your brand and leverage the power of wholesale trade printing, start by offering designs or printed products that fill a gap in the market. Your uniqueness is your best tool. Research pricing on similar products to be competitive, and use social media and connect with your audience.

It’s essential to craft an entire experience with your product, making the packaging as fun as possible. Print Bind Ship’s Mail Genius allows you to curate an unboxing that includes custom notecards, neat swag and exclusive offers — as well as “handwritten” notes to your fans. 

The more you focus on customer satisfaction and work with a quality print partner who can keep costs down, the more you can expect to profit from your brand. 

Ready for Reselling? Make Print Bind Ship Your Printing Partner

You don’t need a printing infrastructure to be successful. Just rely on your printing partner, Print Bind Ship. We’ll tie our software in with your online store to fulfill orders quickly and accurately, ensuring that your customers stay loyal to your brand. Find out how Print Bind Ship is the ultimate wholesale printer by contacting us today.

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