Today, I’m gonna talk about the ugly side of being an independent artist and/or entrepreneur. To be able to produce merch, either with your machines or with multiple companies, is an ultimate risk. It involves a huge investment on both sides, accompanied by challenges and critical decisions.

I got my first “dye ink printer” inkjet printer after college. It was a Canon Pixma 8720 and I had fun with it for 7 years. Eventually, it broke down, and I couldn’t repair it myself, so I took the risk to buy the Canon Pro 200 which has more high quality and works 8 inks cartridges. Because I made an investment in a high-quality printer, it also means I will have large expenses.

What Would Be The Right Option?

When you actually have experience on both sides: the need to have your own equipment for access and full control, and outsource your merchandise because you are unable to gain access to such materials/services.

If you are looking to have total control, learn the process, and obtain high-quality products (the level you desire, not what the company has to offer), buy your own machines. If you don’t have the time to make your own merch and like to have a variety of alternatives, while having a certain degree of flexibility, try manufacturers. Also, who says you can’t have both?

Owning Machines

THE PROS

• You’ll gain more knowledge and experience working directly with the equipment.
• You’ll have endless possibilities with all accessible materials.
• You might possess the right knowledge and experience to repair equipment.
• Your merchandise can be done instantly if nothing is missing.
• If you need pieces and your local store has it, then is an advantage.
• When testing around, you can see your results up close and instantly.
• You can have your own formats and procedures at your commodity.
• You can enjoy offers or discounts when buying essential items in bulk.

THE CONS

• You might have to invest a lot more than just materials since you are prone to facing complex issues.
• Equipment parts and materials can be expensive at times.
• If you live in Puerto Rico, you’ll notice that when you buy online, most of the time the items can’t be delivered to your home, or the seller finds “issues” with your location.
• Maintenance and repair are inevitable.
• In Puerto Rico, pieces and materials can cost triple compared to online stores.
• Finding a local place to repair your equipment can be daunting or expensive.
• You must keep using the equipment with consistency to avoid issues, like inks getting dry and clogging the printer.
• There might be a shortage or discontinuation of your equipment or material.
• Your stocked materials can suffer any damage due to a long period of time of no use.
• Your actual machine can break at any time, and you must invest in a duplicate one or upgrade to a newer version.

Depending On Manufacturers

THE PROS

• Accessibility to tons of materials and services.
• Your orders are supposed to be fully guaranteed from damages and/or loss in transit.
• Staff are supposed to take situations seriously and help you with any issues.
• You can get deals or offers if companies have referral programs.
• You’ll learn new processes, although a little limited by what is accessible to you.
• You might get some freebies due to special treatment or mistakes made by the company.

THE CONS

• Your order can get delayed or damaged due to complications.
• The shipping can become expensive.
• Staff might not be responsive or diligent to the issues you might be facing.
• The quality you are expecting isn’t the same as what you got.
• You might face difficulties like language barriers or time zones.
• Deadlines and budgets can be compromised.
• There’s a possibility that a MOQ and limited designs per order are required by default.
• Companies have their own procedures and formats, not familiar to you.
• Back-and-forth communications can compromise your time and energy.
• You might suffer disappointment with your order and have to make drastic decisions.
• Probably you’ll need more than 1 company to outsource different merchandise.

If you like to have a glimpse of what I go through with my printer and the research I’ve done so far, you can read “What to Look For In A Paper?“. If you like to read about my experience testing different papers at the beginning of my journey, try “Why Testing Paper Stock is Vital?“.

In Conclusion

There is no right or wrong answer for a chronological order, you do what you gotta do. I opted to make special high-quality merchandise easy to do, within my budget, and accessible in my home. In the meantime, I’ll depend on manufacturers that offer services or products that aren’t suitable for me to invest in as a solo business with specific machines. Hopefully, this post can clear some questions or concerns.