How to Print a Cow Top Print
Weird, I know – but a cow print top is wildly popular, so custom printing one is just going to be good business.
Depending on the artwork and how fancy you want to get, the design is really inexpensive to buy or do. And the shirts sell for $15-$20 each.
Where to find Cow Print patterns?
One of my favorite places to find graphics is on Deposit Photos. It’s not QUITE free but can actually choose something that has a license to use on apparel. And the search is really simple.
But, there’s also places like Vecteezy that has a free selection too.
Where to buy wholesale blank t-shirts
There are 3 parts to making a cow print top:
- Find the print
- Find the blank top
- Chose how you’re going to print it
You’ve already got the info on the cow print patterns you can use.
The blank tops or t-shirts is another story and may depend on the printer you choose to make it with.
If you chose print and cut vinyl – doesn’t matter what shirt you use.
If you choose sublimation, you’ll want to make SURE it’s 100% polyester and is a light color.
DTG printing requires 100% cotton.
And white toner printers can put a design on just about anything.
Shop for different wholesale blank tops on Colman and Company’s website – they don’t require a reseller license and the prices are good! Wholesale Apparel | Colman and Company
If you choose something that work with polyester, make sure and check out Vapor Apparel. It’s GREAT quality stuff, looks good and protects you from UV.
Making your Cow Print Top
So we’re going to look at 3 different ways you can print a cow print top using different equipment.
This video lays out the differences between using sublimation, direct to garment printing and white toner transfer printing. Even though it’s not a cow print graphic, it’s a great explanation:
The only thing it doesn’t cover is print and cut, like with the Roland BN-20.
But you can consider it very close to the white toner printer quality and feel, but there’s a little more labor involved in creating the transfer because you have to weed the vinyl.
The benefit though, is that you COULD make cow print stickers, cow print banners and labels too.
Printing Cow Prints with Sublimation
Probably the cheapest way to get into a custom stuff business is with one of these Sawgrass SG100 Sublimation printers. They’re right around $600 for just the printer, but don’t forget you’ll need a good heat press too.
The process is easy. Use your graphics software, or get Creator Studio from Sawgrass with your printer, and print.
Then just heat press it to the shirt.
Printer Cost: $599-$1,549 depending on how big you want to be able to print.
Printing Cow Prints with White Toner Printers
The least you can find a good white toner printer for is around $4K – that’s like the DigitalHeat FX i560.
Again, you’ll need a good heat press!
Unlike sublimation, you can make a white toner transfer that can be applied to any color top. Remember, you’re stuck with whites or pastels with a Sawgrass printer.
These printers are by far the most versatile!
Steps to making your cow print top:
- Get the graphic and import it into the software
- Print the transfer
- If you’re using their AB paper, you’ll have to “marry” them to make a transfer
- If you’re using the One Step paper and a light-colored shirt there’s no other step
- Heat Press the design onto the shirt
Cow Print Printing and Direct to Garment
Okay, these are much more expensive printers at $14k-$20K – but they print the most beautiful image! The Epson F2100 is one of the newer models and comes with everything you need.
If you want to produce something on a cotton garment that is really high end, and that you can’t feel on the shirt, this is the way to go!
- You can print on 100% cotton tops of any color.
- You can print on light poly and blends.
- There’s nothing that looks better
- The ink is VERY cheap per shirt.
Making Cow Print Tops is Easy
And you can make money doing it.
You saw how most of the tops I found online sold for about $20 each.
Wholesale ladies’ tops sell for under $6 each most of the time.
Printing on a white shirt you’ll probably spend under $.75 in Direct to Garment printing costs.
Maybe $2.50 for white toner prints and $1.00-$1.50 for sublimation.
Basically – cow prints are very profitable!
Just choose the right print, printer and blank top for YOUR business! .
