Six attendees of the Roland DGA Christmas in July event hold their printed products
Attendees showcase their items at the Roland Level Up Labs event. Credit: Roland DGA

It seems like it comes earlier every year, that time when businesses need to start planning for the holiday season. Often owners begin planning product runs and ordering inventory as early as June and July with the goal of having products in stock by mid-September and available on shelves or online sometime between October and mid-November.

For smaller retailers with tight margins for holiday inventory investments, careful holiday planning can be critical to their success. In addition, without access to the right tools, the production process can be time-consuming, frustrating, and costly.

To help with planning and production for the holidays, Roland DGA recently held a Level Up Labs event with a “Christmas in July” theme. The company invited seven entrepreneur/creators to try out its holiday product decorating ideas using Roland DG’s VersaSTUDIO direct-to-film printer, UV direct print, eco-solvent print and cut, and engraving devices. The VersaSTUDIO line of desktop devices is designed to be professional-grade, intuitive, and affordable.

Evaluating Production Options

In planning for holiday production, these small business owners were considering the benefits of upgrading or augmenting their in-house production. Here are several reasons why upgrading from traditional crafting equipment or bringing production capability in-house might make sense when planning for the holidays and beyond:

1. Professional quality and brand perception

  • Superior output: Professional digital printing equipment delivers significantly higher print resolution and accuracy compared to crafting tools, producing sharper images, richer colors, and smoother gradients – all essential for creating a professional and polished look for products.
  • Enhanced credibility and differentiation: High-quality production projects an image of professionalism and reliability, which can build trust with clients and help a small business stand out in the market.

2. Efficiency and productivity

  • Faster turnaround: Professional-grade printers are designed for higher volume and faster production, increasing efficiency and reducing turnaround times. In addition, in-house production is often much more efficient than outsourcing and allows for greater quality control.
  • Reduced downtime: Professional equipment is typically more durable and requires less maintenance than crafting equipment, minimizing disruptions and maximizing uptime.
  • Simplified workflows: Professional software and intuitive interfaces streamline the production process, freeing up valuable time for other tasks.

3. Long-term cost savings

  • Durability and longevity: While the initial investment might be higher than for crafting equipment, professional equipment is built to last longer and is less prone to breakdown, saving money long-term.
  • Cost-effectiveness: Professional devices are optimized for efficiency, potentially resulting in a lower cost per unit compared to crafting equipment for the same volume.

4. Business growth and scaling

  • Wider range of materials and projects: Professional printers offer increased versatility. They can produce a wider range of applications, using more types of media, and thus allow for a wider array of product offerings versus crafting equipment. This can help a small business expand its reach and attract more clients.
  • Increased capacity: As the business grows, professional equipment can handle the increased workload without compromising quality or efficiency.

Applications Galore

Bringing their ideas and art files with them, creators gathered at Roland DGA’s headquarters in Irvine, California for the Level Up Labs event. There they received basic instruction before trying their hands at devices from Roland DG’s VersaSTUDIO range of desktop equipment, designed for use in small and home businesses. The creators produced their designs on a wide variety of sample blanks, trialing a range of possible new products to offer at the holidays.

“I knew that we were going to be testing out a few of the machines, but when we actually got to testing, the possibilities were endless,” says Karina Galindo (CraftyKari). “From DTF printing to UV printing, there are so many things that you can make, so many great products that can be added to our shops.”

Stuffed teddy bears sitting next to printed jewelry boxes
Professional printing equipment allows decorators to print a variety of products, including promotional and custom gift items. Credit: Roland DGA

While many of the creators already offered their designs as stickers, they were relying on production from crafting devices and/or outsourcing larger orders. The Level Up Labs gave them a chance to try using Roland DG’s BN2 series of professional-grade desktop eco-solvent printer/cutters. These devices offer full color production with contour cutting all in one workflow. In addition, they can be used to produce small signs, posters, and heat transfer graphics.

Custom apparel is always popular at the holidays. Apparel decorating equipment such as Roland DG’s BY-20 desktop direct-to-film printer helped creators take their designs to the next level — applying them to sweatshirts as well as to tiny T-shirts for teddy bears.

UV Customization Options

Creators explored versatile UV flatbed production, using Roland DG’s BD series desktop UV printers to add their designs along with special effects like spot color and simulated embossing to phone cases, acrylic ornaments, wooden ornaments, acrylic bookmarks, leather tags, motel keychains, and Lego bricks. UV inks provide vibrant color on a wide range of media and objects, along with superior ink durability.

The textures available on UV-printed phone cases were an especially attractive feature for creator Mayra Elena Aguilar, who says that “[the phone case is] so cute. I’m in awe of the 3D texture of it."

For customizing reflective or clear surfaces or irregularly-shaped objects, attendees used Roland DG’s Graphic Transfer System and BD series UV printers to produce UV-DTF decals of their designs. Attendees applied their UV-DTF decals to shot glasses and mini tumblers.

Think Beyond Typcial Printing Options

Personalized engraving

Roland DG’s MPX-90S photo metal impact printer can add a photo, text, or custom graphics to a piece of jewelry or metal item, increasing its value. Attendees practiced this technique on metal charms and bracelet chains, adding designs and images to customize these keepsakes.

Custom packaging designs

Custom packaging is another way to differentiate your brand and protect your products during shipping or transit. Creators experimented with designing custom boxes, wrapping paper, and labels for shipping their products over the holidays.

A printing workstation featuring a variety of printing items as well as blanks
Attendees walked away from the Level Up Labs event inspired by new ideas. Credit: Roland DGA

Creating your holiday season

Event attendees came away with new ideas for products and packaging, and for possible production options. “I was pleasantly surprised with the different machines, and printers and printing techniques,” says Makaela-Ann Tia Johansen.

The size of the devices was an important feature for several of the new entrepreneurs. Sara Kim notes that with a VersaSTUDIO compact device, “I could totally use it at home, incorporate it into my small business."

"The Roland DGA Level Up Lab gave me a lot of great ideas for my small business — how I can offer really customized options for my customers,” adds Galindo. “If you want to add something to grow your business, you can definitely find a printer to do that in Roland DG’s lineup."