5 Laser Business Ideas Using $2 Sample Acrylic Pieces

If you have a laser engraver and cutter and you've got a bunch of scraps or sample pieces laying around - these are like gold. 

Today I'm sharing five high- profit acrylic crafts you can sell for major profit.  Read on for this secret laser business hack!

6 Reasons THIS is the Best Transfer Paper for Acrylic..It's NOT What You Think!

If you're looking to customize clear acrylic the best transfer paper for acrylic is probably not what you think. 

There's no UV Printer involved. There's not sublimation needed. Instead the trick is actually using a White Toner Printer with hard surface paper.   Read on for my top 6 reasons why iColor Hard Surface Paper is the best for printing on clear acrylic!

Recommended Roland BN2 Workflow for Mac Users

If you’re using a Mac to run your Roland BN2 there’s a new (yes already) recommended workflow for creating cut lines.

The issue is that license version of Flexi Designer that comes free with the BN2 series does not work on MACs. In addition the one built-in cut line tool Roland Mac users did have in DG Connect’s Designer has frustratingly been removed.

I won’t even get into here why both of these facts are so frustrating and feel like two steps forward and one back…

But I will share my recommended Roland BN2 workflow for Mac users. 

Amazon Prime Day October 2024: Small Business and Crafty Deals and Steals

Amazon Prime Day 2024 officially starts Tuesday, October 8 and continues through October 9 - but there are already some early access deals! Just like we've done the last EIGHT years, we'll be following the the Silhouette craft and small business deals both on and off Amazon closely!

Amazon provided me a sneak peak of what's going to be an Amazon Prime Day deal and while I am bound to silence until the deals go live, I can tell you - there's a TON of good stuff. In fact more than 200k products will be on sale over the next two days! 

In the meantime, I'm sharing some pointers and things to be on the lookout for and tips on making sure you don't miss a deal.

Craft Show Best Sellers Idea for 2024 (Plus Supply List)

Custom is always going to be a craft show best seller and here's an on-the-spot idea that will be forming a line at your booth!

Custom cut AND sublimated earrings and keychains - and they take no more than 5 minutes from start to finish if you have the right equipment. 

Introduction to Direct to Film Printing and How it Fits into Your Silhouette Business

If you've heard the term DTF or Direct to Film printing but you're not sure what it is - or how it could fit into your Silhouette CAMEO world or your small business - you've come to the right spot. 

Read on to learn more about DTF printing and how a desktop DTF printer like the Prestige A3+ can help you make, print, and sell cut-less, weed-less full color transfers from designs you already own! 

How to Start a Small T Shirt Business With a Silhouette CAMEO

If you're a beginner looking to start a tshirt business with Silhouette CAMEO, I have so much info to share with you today that I jammed it into a video! 

We're talking the biggest mistakes to avoid when starting an at home t shirt business and the best equipment to have to set up your shirt business.  Plus pros and cons of various at home heat transfer printers and where HTV shirts SHOULD fit into your business. 

How to Print to Epson F570 Sublimation Printer from Silhouette Studio

Unlike my smaller Sawgrass sublimation printer, it's possible to print directly from Silhouette Studio to an Epson sublimation printer on both a MAC and a PC. 

While it's easy enough to hit Print and pick the Epson sublimation printer, the key to getting the best print is knowing how to navigate the Epson F570 sublimation color profiles and print settings.  This Epson sublimation printer beginner tutorial will walk you through.

How to Keep Track of Orders for Small Business (Silhouette or Cricut)

If you have found yourself "organizing" orders on sticky notes or a notebook it may be time to get a little more organized and streamlined with a free order management "software" for small business.

Many Silhouette crafters did not intend to sell their items when they started out with their Silhouette CAMEO...but inevitably a friend, neighbor, or friend of a friend asks "Can I buy one from you?" And you have yourself a small business almost overnight with no way for order tracking.

One order is easy to remember or jot down on a notepad, but take it from someone who was in that position six years ago and now has a handful of employees..it's not the way to scale.  You need an ordering system for small business. Also take it from me..it's FAR easier to implement an order management system from the start and the Google Suite tools - all free - make it easy to do.

First Epson Entry Level DTF and DTG Printer: Meet the F1070 for Small Business (Bonus Video)

Epson has announced it's first every entry-level, desktop size direct to film and direct to garment combo printer. 

I first saw the Epson F1070 DTF / DTG hybrid printer in October, but have been keeping this gem (and my first look video) under wraps until the official announcement this week.  

The desktop size, fully enclosed t shirt printer and transfer printer is geared toward beginners with it's small foot print and easy workflow...but I'm going to warn you, the price is a stretch...even though it's the lowest Epson has gone with their DTF/ DTG printers. 

Read on to learn more and check out the F1070 printer in action!

Is Laser Engraving a Good Business Investment?

If you've been considering ways to start or expand your custom business in 2024, do not pass on a laser engraver and cutter. 

A laser engraver and cutter can go where a vinyl cutter can't...opening up the possibilities of engraving and cutting wood and acrylic (and many more material) giving you a leg up on the competition.  

So can you make money with a laser engraver? Yes..but there are some very important things to know before you invest.  

How to Add Roland Cut Lines Automatically to PNG Files with Free Flexi Designer for BN2-20A (Free Practice Design)

With the release of the new Roland BN2-20A and BN2-20 one of the biggest changes from older models is the inclusion of the Versaworks Edition of Flexi Designer included with the 20" ecosolvent printer and cutter. 

This creates a fast and seamless workflow that has made creating Roland cut lines faster than ever before.  In fact - I put myself up against the clock and was shocked how fast you can add Roland cut lines for BN2. Follow along to learn how to go from SVG or PNG to cut lines for BN2 in Flexi in minutes. 

As an added bonus, you can download this Sunshine On My Mind design from So Fontsy for free with the code ROLANDBN2 to practice with and follow along. 

Roland BN2-20A: Everything to Know About the New, Faster Printer and Cutter (And First Look)

The new Roland BN2-20A and BN2-20 models are here...and yours truly has one of the very first machines! 

I'm thrilled to be able to introduce you to the new BN2 20" ecosolvent printer and cutter that's not only newly designed from the inside out to save you space and money, but also increase your production by printing and cutting four times faster than ever before. Did I mention auto cut lines with and direct cut with free Flexi Designer software that's included?  There's so much to love..and a few changes I'm not a fan of...so read on!  

How to Make Sublimation Blanks

You can make your own sublimation blanks giving you complete freedom and creativity when sublimating. 

Read on for the step by step on making custom sublimation blanks.

Printer Stands to Save You Space (When You Have too Many Like Me...)

If you're looking for a printer stand to save space in your small craft room or office, I have a few that I love! 

I searched Amazon high and low looking for the cheapest and best printer stands to save space...so check out my favorites

Sticker Business Idea to Stand Out: Print on the BACK of Your Stickers

If you want to stand out among the many sticker businesses you may be looking for some ways to make sure your customers remember you and repeat order.

This sticker business idea is so simply yet often overlooked. In this tutorial I'll show you how print your website name and logo on the back of your stickers as an easy reference for customers. 

Desktop DTF Printer News: Big Changes....from Three Major Manufacturers

If you're in the desktop direct to film (DTF) world - big changes to share today.

 

It's not often that three of the big manufacturers of desktop DTF printers all announce changes on the same day. But here we are...

Best DTF Printer For Small Business: DTF Printer Comparison Chart

With the rapidly increasing interest in DTF printing new desktop direct to film printers seems to be hitting the market all the time. 

As someone who has four (don't judge) DTF printers I thought it was time to give you a comparison so you can decide which desktop DTF printer is best for your custom t shirt business.

What is DTF Transfer Printing? Process Explained (Video)

You've probably heard the new "buzz" term "DTF" around the crafting and small business industry growing increasingly more frequent.  Today I'm going to not only explain, but show you the DTF transfer printing process. 

You'll see how DTF is so useful especially with full color designs that you want to put on dark or cotton shirts, or when you don't feel like weeding or when it's nearly impossible to cut and layer. 

There are currently a handful of desktop DTF printers available (and I have several of them: Roland BN-20D, Prestige A3+, Uninet 100 and Epson F2100 (DTF and DTG combo printer) for small businesses. 

The low price point of about $3500 and the routine maintenance required puts them out of what I would ever recommend for a hobby crafter (and there are other options if you want DTF transfers but won't be printing regularly). However if you have a small t shirt business and you're looking to grow by offering darks and cotton shirts, a direct to film printer is something to consider.

Desktop DTF Printer Comparison: Roland BN-20D vs Prestige A3+

If you're looking for the best desktop DTF printer then you've probably wondered which is better: the Roland BN-20D or the Prestige A3+ or A3+ R? 

Given that I have both and have used both, this is a question I keep getting and one that I am hoping I can help answer for you. 

I know it's important for you to invest in the best DTF printer and it's not an easy or inexpensive choice! Read on for a comparison between the Roland BN-20D DTF printer vs the Prestige A3+ DTF Printer.