Launch Your Ribbon Printing Business the Smart Way
Starting a ribbon printing business at home or in a small kiosk is one of the easiest ways to turn creativity into income. With the right setup, you can produce custom sashes, ribbons, and labels for real events, giving you a practical way to turn designs into paid orders.
Sashes and ribbons are a strong starting point. They are widely used for graduations, recognition events, corporate awards, pageants, and other celebrations. With a clear setup in place, your printing process becomes the main part of your production, while cutting, packaging, and other tools support your workflow.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the essential equipment, materials, and simple workflow tips to help you start your ribbon printing business with confidence.
Know Your Niche: Why Sash Printing Is a Good Start
If you’re based in the Philippines, you already know how active school events and community programs can be. From graduations and recognition rites to pageants and special celebrations, custom sashes are always in demand.
Starting with sashes allows you to focus on a simple but practical product. You can offer:
- Single-color sashes for clean and formal designs
- Special foil sashes for pageants and awards
- Personalized name sashes for birthdays, debuts, and recognition events
- Event bundles like sash with matching ribbons or labels
When you focus on this niche first, you can:
- Learn how your printer performs with different materials
- Build a simple workflow from design to cutting and packaging
- Create sample outputs to show potential clients
Once you’re comfortable, you can expand into other ribbon-based products, labels, and tags.
Choosing the Right Ribbon and Foil
Your choice of ribbon and foil plays a big role in how your final output looks. Keeping it simple and using the right materials helps you achieve clean and consistent results.
Ribbon Options
Shecan offers different ribbon types based on their available products:
Cut Edge Ribbons
- Available in 40+ colors
- Sizes range from 1/2 inch to 4 inches
- Commonly used for sashes and wider ribbon designs
Double Edge Ribbons
- Available in 15+ colors for 1/2 inch to 1 inch sizes
- Available in 1 color for 3/4 inch [Ribbon Color: Apricot Pink]
- Suitable for smaller or more structured ribbon applications
- For sash printing, wider ribbon sizes are commonly used for better visibility and layout.
- Color contrast is also important. Use dark ribbons with light-colored ink or light-colored ribbons with dark-colored ink for better visibility.
Foil Options
Shecan also offer their own foils, which they recommend based on the quality they have tested for their printing setup.
Common choices include:
- Special foils like gold and silver for events and awards
- Basic foils for simple and clean designs
Important Note on Foils
Foils used for ribbons are different from those used for clothing labels.
- Washable foils → used for clothing labels
- Standard foils → used for ribbons and event applications
- Ribbon prints for events are not intended to be washable.
Your Beginner Ribbon Printer Checklist
You don’t need a large workspace to start, but having the right tools makes your workflow smoother.
Core Equipment
- A Leden ribbon printer
- A computer or laptop for designing and sending files
- Basic design software for layout and text
- Cutting tools for clean edges
Essential Consumables
- Shecan Ribbons (cut edge and double edge)
- Shecan Foils
- Shecan Clothing Labels and Shecan Stickers for additional products
- Consumables available through Shecan
- These consumables are provided exclusively to Shecan Leden printer buyers, giving them access to materials that are not commonly available elsewhere.
Helpful Accessories
You don’t need a large workspace to start, but having the right tools makes your workflow smoother.
- Scissors and rulers
- A stable work surface
- Tools for handling ribbons and finished prints
- Tapes and dispensers
Preparing these ahead of time helps you avoid delays, especially during busy seasons.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Many beginners encounter the same issues early on. The good news is they are easy to fix with a few simple habits.
Design and Layout Issues
- Text placed too close to the edge
- Fonts that are too small or hard to read
- Low contrast between ribbon and foil
- Fix:
- Print a short sample first
- Check how it looks in actual lighting
- Adjust before final printing
Material Selection Issues
Using unfamiliar materials without testing can affect your output.
- Fix:
- Test a small section before accepting large orders
- Check if the print looks clean after handling
- Stick with materials you’ve already tested
Workflow Issues
- Skipping client approval
- Forgetting ribbon orientation when loading
- Not recording what worked
- Fix:
- Always get a sample approved
- Keep notes of your successful setups
- Reuse proven designs and layouts
Planning Your First Products
Once your setup is ready, focus on simple offers first.
Start With These:
- Graduation and recognition sashes
- Customized ribbons
- Basic labels for packaging
Expand Your Offerings:
As you gain experience, you can also offer:
- Customized ribbons for events
- Clothing labels and tags
- Hang tags for small brands
- Stickers for packaging and pricing
- This allows you to serve both event clients and small businesses.
Start Small, Then Grow
You don’t need a complicated setup to begin. With the right materials and a simple workflow, you can start producing and selling right away.
Begin by:
- Creating sample designs
- Reaching out to local schools or event organizers
- Sharing your work online
As you gain more orders, you can improve your process and expand your product range.
Build Your Setup With Shecan
With Shecan, you get access to Leden ribbon printers along with exclusive access to their own line of consumables available only to their printer buyers.
These materials are recommended based on the quality they have tested for their printing setup, helping users achieve clean and consistent results.
Shecan also provides dedicated after-sales support to help you troubleshoot, maintain your printer, and make the most of your ribbon printing business.
Whether you're starting or improving your workflow, Shecan helps you build your ribbon printing business with the right foundation.