Every US print shop that sells custom drinkware eventually faces the same question: press it yourself from wholesale blanks, or hand production to a print on demand platform. Both work. They suit different shops, different orders and different stages of a business. This guide lays out how each model works for a US shop, the margin math on a case of blanks, and why most growing shops end up using both.
Short answer: Buy wholesale blanks and press them yourself if you sell locally, take bulk or rush orders, or want the highest margin and full control over quality. Use print on demand if you sell one-off designs online and do not want inventory or equipment. Many US shops do both.
| Wholesale blanks, pressed in house | Print on demand | |
|---|---|---|
| Margin per piece | Highest: you keep the difference between blank cost and retail | Lower: the platform's production cost comes out of each sale |
| Upfront cost | Press, printer, ink, paper and a case of blanks | Little or none |
| Control over quality | Full: you choose the blank, coating and settings | Depends on the production partner |
| Bulk and local orders | Strong: teams, schools, businesses and events | Less suited to large same-design orders |
| Rush orders | Same day possible with stock on the shelf | Depends on production queues |
| Best for | Local shops, bulk buyers, gift seasons | Online one-offs and testing new designs |
Short answer: Margin, speed and local demand. A case of blanks costs a fraction of retail, a stocked shop can turn a rush order the same day, and local customers such as schools, teams, churches and businesses order dozens of the same design at once.
Local orders are where pressing in house shines. A team of 30 wants matching tumblers by Friday; a company wants 50 logo mugs for a client event; a school wants ornaments for a fundraiser. Those orders are one design repeated many times, which is fast to press and profitable on wholesale blanks. Buying from a US warehouse adds to the advantage: Photo USA stocks blanks in Fremont, CA and Shepherdsville, KY, ships most orders within 24 hours of payment clearing, and ground delivery typically takes 3 to 7 business days, with no customs or import delays on your restock.
Short answer: At an example retail price of $18, a case of 36 Photo USA 11 oz Black ORCA mugs at $66.48 brings in $648, or $581.52 before paper, ink, packaging and labor. That gap is what pressing your own buys you.
| Blank | Case price | Example retail | Case revenue | Gross before supplies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 oz white mug, Black ORCA | $66.48 / 36 | $18 | $648 | $581.52 |
| 15 oz white mug | $99.96 / 36 | $22 | $792 | $692.04 |
| 11 oz color changing mug | $111.48 / 36 | $25 | $900 | $788.52 |
| 20 oz skinny tumbler | $184.56 / 24 | $30 | $720 | $535.44 |
| 3 in. circle ceramic ornament | $162.00 / 100 | $12 | $1,200 | $1,038.00 |
Example retail prices are illustrations, not recommendations. Gross before supplies is case revenue minus the case price, before paper, ink, packaging, labor and your equipment. Price for your own market. For the break-even view, see how many mugs pay off a case.
Short answer: Print on demand is the better fit when you want to sell many designs online without holding stock, test a new design before buying a case, or reach customers far from your shop without managing shipping.
It is also a good way to start. A shop can learn what sells online through print on demand, then move its best sellers to in-house pressing once the volume justifies a case. Our comparison of the best mug suppliers and print on demand platforms looks at the major options on both sides.
Ready to press your own? Photo USA sells by the case with a one case minimum and no minimum number of cases, and most orders ship within 24 hours from Fremont, CA and Shepherdsville, KY. We also offer a wholesale imprint service if you would rather receive finished pieces. Email hello@photomugs.com or contact us with the items and quantities you need.
Short answer: If you have a large order but not the press time, Photo USA's wholesale imprint service can print your artwork in house and ship finished pieces, so you keep the customer relationship without tying up your equipment.
It suits shops that take a big corporate or event order in December, or that want to offer a product they do not yet have the equipment for. You handle the sale and the design; we handle the pressing. Contact us with the item, quantity and artwork for a quote.
Short answer: A sublimation printer with sublimation ink, sublimation paper, heat resistant tape, a heat press suited to your products, such as a mug press or flat press, and a case of coated blanks.
Start with one product family, usually 11 oz mugs, and add tumblers, ornaments and tiles as orders grow. Press a test piece from every new case, keep notes on your settings, and buy blanks from a supplier with a consistent coating so your settings stay the same from order to order. Our guide on how to sublimate a mug walks through the full process, and our guide to ORCA sublimation coating explains why the coating matters.
Buy wholesale blanks and press in house if you sell locally, take bulk or rush orders, or want the highest margin and full quality control. Use print on demand for online one-off designs without inventory or equipment. Many US shops use both.
At an example retail price of $18, a case of 36 Photo USA 11 oz Black ORCA mugs at $66.48 brings in $648, or $581.52 before paper, ink, packaging and labor. Price for your own market.
Photo USA Corp sells sublimation blanks by the case from warehouses in Fremont, CA and Shepherdsville, KY. Most orders ship within 24 hours of payment clearing, and ground delivery typically takes 3 to 7 business days in the continental US.
When you want to sell many designs online without stock, test a design before buying a case, or reach distant customers without managing shipping. Many shops move proven sellers to in-house pressing once volume grows.
A sublimation printer with sublimation ink, sublimation paper, heat resistant tape, a heat press suited to your products such as a mug press or flat press, and a case of coated blanks.
Yes. Photo USA offers a wholesale imprint service that prints your artwork in house and ships finished pieces, which helps when you have a large order but not the press time.
Restocks arrive in days rather than weeks, with no customs or import delays. Photo USA ships from Fremont, CA or Shepherdsville, KY, whichever reaches you faster.
Photo USA sells by the case with a one case minimum and no minimum number of cases, so you can start with a single case of 11 oz mugs.
One last note: the example retail prices in this guide are illustrations, not recommendations. Your real margin depends on your market, your supplies and your time, so run the numbers on a single case before you scale up.
