The Rise of the Facebook Print Shop – And Why Experience Still Matters
The Rise of the Facebook Print Shop – And Why Experience Still Matters
If you’ve been on Facebook or Marketplace lately, you’ve probably seen them pop up everywhere:
“Custom tees, hoodies and workwear – cheap!”
“Support my small business, I’ve just bought a heat press!”
On the surface, it looks great. More local options, more people having a crack, more custom prints out in the wild.
But behind a lot of these pop-up “print shops” is the same simple setup: a basic heat press, no industrial equipment, and transfers ordered from someone else’s print shop – often from professional DTG/DTF shops like ours.
There’s nothing wrong with learning or doing a bit of DIY. In fact, for one-off personal items, that can be a fun way to go. The problem is when these setups start taking on big uniform jobs, important brand work and bulk orders without the experience or equipment to back it up.
That’s when customers usually end up paying twice.
What Is a “Facebook Print Shop”?
When we say “Facebook print shop”, we’re talking about people who:
- Have no in-house printing equipment beyond a domestic or entry-level heat press
- Buy pre-printed transfers from other businesses
- Press those transfers onto garments at home
- Then present the end result as if they’ve done the full job themselves
Some are honest about being a middle-person. Many aren’t.
A lot of the time, they’re using small hobby presses that can struggle with even heating and consistent pressure – both of which are critical for good results. Uneven heat can cause patchy, incomplete transfers or peeling prints.
Most heat-transfer suppliers also point out that durability depends heavily on nailing the exact time, temperature and pressure. Get any of those wrong and you shorten the life of the print dramatically.
In other words: the transfer might be great quality when it leaves the print shop… but the final result on your tee comes down to the person running the press.
When a Cheap Print Becomes Expensive
On paper, going with the cheapest quote from Facebook seems like a bargain. But we see the other side of it all the time.
Typical story:
1. Customer orders a big run of shirts or hoodies from a home-based “print shop”.
2. Garments arrive looking okay… until they’re worn and washed a couple of times.
3. Prints start peeling, cracking, lifting or feeling like stiff plastic in our Aussie heat.
4. Customer comes to us to re-do the job properly – effectively paying twice.
Common reasons this happens:
- Inconsistent press temperature causing parts of the design not to bond properly
- Too much heat or pressure, which can scorch the fabric or make the print thick and uncomfortable
- Cheap blanks – garments that don’t hold up to repeated washing
- No proper wash testing before selling to customers
- No idea about artwork prep – wrong file types, poor resolution, bad colour profiles
For a once-off joke tee, that might not matter. But if it’s your business uniform, race team merch or brand launch, that’s a problem.
Heat Presses Aren’t the Enemy – Lack of Experience Is
To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with heat presses. We use professional heat presses every day as part of our workflow.
The difference is:
- We run industrial Epson DTG printers, commercial DTF equipment and pro presses, not $200 hobby units.
- We’ve spent years dialling in the right settings, testing wash durability and understanding which garments work best.
- We know when DTG is the right choice (like soft, breathable AS Colour tees) and when DTF is better (polyester, hi-vis, jackets, bags).
Even heat-transfer suppliers say that if you’re doing this as a business, you should invest in a quality press because cheaper ones tend to cause application issues and inconsistent results.(Transfer Express Blog)
So the issue isn’t the technology – it’s when people jump into paid work for others before they’ve built up the skills, gear and quality control to back it up.
The Hidden Risks of Going With a Pop-Up Print Shop
Here are a few things to think about before trusting a bulk order or your brand to a page that only exists on Facebook:
1. No real quality control
Professional shops test their prints for wash-fastness, colour accuracy and consistency across the full run.
A lot of small resellers simply press and send, hoping for the best.
2. Limited knowledge of garments
Not all tees are equal. The wrong fabric can wreck a print or feel terrible to wear. Experienced printers know which brands and blends suit DTG, DTF, screen and vinyl.
At Right Lane Print & Media, we’ve tested plenty and choose AS Colour for most of our DTG work because it gives the best print quality, longevity and comfort.
3. No backup if something goes wrong
If a hobby press dies mid-job or the transfers arrive late or incorrect, your order is stuck.
A proper print shop has multiple machines, backup plans and supplier relationships to keep jobs moving.
4. Inconsistent branding
If you’re building a brand, every shirt needs to look the same – same colour, same print size, same placement. That level of consistency is hard to achieve without systems, experience and calibration.
Why It’s Better to Go Direct to a Professional Print Shop
Here’s what you’re really paying for when you choose a business like Right Lane Print & Media instead of a random Facebook page:
✅ In-house production
We print everything ourselves. That means:
- We control the whole process from artwork to finished garment
- We can check quality on the fly
- We’re responsible for the end result – no passing the buck
✅ Real equipment, real experience
We run:
- 2 × Epson F2160 DTG printers
- 1 × Epson F3000 DTG printer
- Professional DTF equipment
- Quality heat presses, pretreatment and curing systems
That’s not hobby gear. It’s commercial equipment looked after by people who’ve been doing this for years.
✅ The right method for the job
We don’t just throw everything at one process. We’ll recommend:
- DTG for soft, breathable cotton tees (perfect in warm Australian weather)
- DTF for polyester, workwear, hi-vis and items that can’t go on a DTG platen
- Other methods where they make more sense
You get the best result for your actual use, not just whatever machine someone happens to own.
✅ Family-owned, but professionally run
We’re still a family owned and run business, which means:
- You’re dealing with real people who actually care about the outcome
- We’re invested in our reputation – in the car scene, trucking world, local business community and beyond
- We’re not chasing a quick dollar this week; we’re building long-term relationships
At the same time, we operate like a proper commercial shop: workflows, bookings, quality checks, and realistic turnarounds.
When a Facebook Print Shop Might Be Fine
To be fair, there are situations where a small Facebook-based printer might be perfectly fine:
- One-off birthday shirts
- Hen’s or buck’s party tees
- Personal gifts where perfection isn’t critical
- Someone learning the ropes on their own gear for fun
If you go that route, just be aware of the limitations and don’t expect full retail quality or long-term consistency.
But if you’re:
- Outfitting your staff
- Launching a brand
- Printing merch for fans, race teams or customers
- Investing real money into stock
…it makes a lot more sense to work with people who do this professionally, day in and day out.
How to Protect Yourself When Choosing a Printer
Wherever you decide to print, here are a few simple questions to ask:
1. Do you print in-house, or send transfers out?
2. What printing method are you using – DTG, DTF, screen, vinyl? Why that one?
3. What brand of garments do you use?
4. Can I see photos or samples of your previous work after it has been washed?
5. How long have you been printing for, and what equipment do you run?
If they can’t answer those questions clearly, that’s a red flag.
The Bottom Line: Pay for Experience Once, Not Twice
At the end of the day, your merch, uniforms or event shirts represent your brand.
Cutting corners with the cheapest Facebook quote can look fine on day one, but if the prints crack, peel or feel horrible to wear, it reflects back on you – and usually ends with you paying a professional to reprint everything anyway.
If you’d rather get it right the first time, we’re here for that.
We’re Right Lane Print & Media – a family-run, professionally equipped print shop in Australia, with years of experience in DTG, DTF and custom apparel for everyone from local tradies to national events.
✅ Real equipment
✅ In-house production
✅ Quality garments
✅ A team that actually cares
If you’re ready to level up from backyard prints to proper custom apparel, get in touch and let’s chat about your next project.
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