Christy Garza has always been an artist at heart and always wanted to start her own business. She graduated from the Art Institute of Houston after quitting her job in criminal justice. After working for Budweiser in their marketing department, she had gained a lot of experience working with OKI printers and learned about the printing industry and process and loved it.
Becoming an Entrepreneur
A friend suggested she start her own business making shirts and decorating goods. A great way to combine her love of art with her love of the printing process, she started her own business, CHEZ Designs, two years ago out of her home in Huntsville, Texas. She’s been incredibly successful.
Expanding her Home Business
She began her business with sublimation and heat transfer vinyl. She also outsourced some of her orders to screen printers. She soon realized she needed a method to decorate dark garments and materials other than polyester.
That’s when she began her research. She investigated white toner printers and saw OKI as one of the offered brands. Due to her familiarity with OKI printers and their quality and output, she chose to purchase an OKI pro8432WT. With her OKI white toner printer, she was able to vastly expand her product offerings.
Getting Started with an OKI
Christy purchased her 8432 from The Magic Touch USA who provided her with excellent support. Joseph at Magic Touch was available for everything she needed to get up and running with her OKI white toner printer. They helped her master the white toner process and the marrying process. She was extremely satisfied with how they worked with her to resolve any issues or challenges she was experiencing.
As most people who have researched the white toner process know, there can be a slight learning curve to the process. She had some trouble mastering the marrying process and The Magic Touch USA made themselves available to her and with their help, she succeeded and was able to produce fantastic products and experience a large increase in production and sales for her business.
Product Offerings with OKI White Toner Printers
She’s had her OKI 8432 for a year now since purchasing it in March 2020. She uses her OKI for t-shirts, details on epoxy projects, koozies, canvas tote bags, and more. She also uses it for regular printing including menus and brochures.
The versatility of OKI white toner printers inspired Christy to experiment with different papers and application. Uniquely, she uses Magic Touch’s Tattoo 2.1 paper to customize her epoxy projects. She makes cups and pens with custom sayings, images, and names. She got creative trying tattoo paper and covers it with a clear coat of epoxy. Her epoxy projects are some big sellers for her, and the OKI has boosted her sales.
Selling Products Made with an OKI 8432WT
Christy has a great network of people locally that she sells to including local boutiques, schools, restaurants, individuals, the chamber of commerce, hospitals, and more. She markets her services on Facebook and has her own website for CHEZ Designs.
When she was first starting out, she spent some money in Facebook ads to gain page followers, but now customers are so satisfied with her work, that word of mouth and unpaid Facebook posts are all she needs now.
Profiting with an OKI 8432WT
Christy has seen a significant increase in her sales since purchasing her OKI white toner printer. Two years ago, when she was only doing sublimation and vinyl, her yearly sales were about $75,000.
Last year, since adding her OKI printer, her sales nearly doubled. In 2020, her sales were up to $137,000. She was able to do this all from her home and working for herself!
Business Growth with OKI
She no longer needs to outsource to screen printers, and she can offer a wider variety of products due to her OKI. She uses her the 8432 nearly every day. About 80% of her business is now done with her OKI white toner printer and she expects to continue growing her business and her customer base.
She intends to try to make some new products she hasn’t made before, such as, transferring to wood. She also hasn’t tried swapping black toner for white when printing on light garments and materials.
Is an OKI White Toner Printer Right for You?
Christy improved her business and offerings once adding an OKI pro8432WT printer to her company. She loves her printer and everything it has done for her and her businesses.
OKI white toner printers open new revenue streams and profit margins for small and medium sized businesses. You can transfer to any fabric (polyester, cotton, acrylic, wood and more) and even hard surfaces.
Deciding which OKI digital transfer printer model is right for you and your business depends on your goals and experience. There are many things to consider such as:
- Are you currently in the decorative apparel space? If so, do you use vinyl? Sublimation?
- What level of production do you need? Are you intending to use this for your full time business or simply a side gig?
- What size transfers do you want to create? Are you looking to be able to decorate 2X and 3X T shirts?
- Are you looking to be able to print on any fabric?
- Do you have any budget constraints?
- Do you need a true black?
- What resolution of images do you need?
For more information on which printer is right for you, we can connect you with a dealer that will be able to answer all your questions and provide support in your decision-making process.
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